How to De-winterize Your House

Once it’s springtime, many homeowners add de-winterizing to their plumbing service checklist before they go out to enjoy the warm sun. During the cold season, most outdoor plumbing systems are winterized to prevent damage from freezing. Some snowbird homeowners who spend most of the winter away from home winterize their whole houses.

Now that spring is here and you’re ready to return home, you need to de-winterize your house. So, if you’re looking for the best way to de-winterize your home, here’s an ultimate guide. 

What is Dewinterizing?

A winterized house is a home not used throughout the winter; the owner prepares it by draining all the water in their plumbing system. The draining ensures the system is saved from being frozen and damaged by the cold weather. 

Dewinterizing is directly opposite to winterizing, which involves unwiring the plumbing system to prepare it for the next season. 

Steps to de-winterize your house:

1. Turn on Electrical Circuits

Homeowners generally turn off all electrical circuits except the fundamental ones when winterizing their homes. The first step to de-winterizing is to check all the circuit breakers in your main service panel and turn on the ones that are shut off. 

2. Reconnect All Water Supply Pipes

If you’ve disconnected the supply tubes from all the plumbing fixtures during winterization, it’s time to reconnect them back. Check all the fixtures and connect the flex valves to the inlets of your appliances. You should do this room by room to ensure all valves are reconnected. You can do this using a wrench or a channel lock plier. 

Ensure all the fixture shut-off valves are turned off and check all water heaters and softeners to see if their water connection is on. Before you turn the kitchen and bathroom water on, remove all the aerators to clean up mineral buildup. 

3. Turn on the Water Supply

Once all water supply pipes and tubes have been reconnected, the next thing is to turn your water supply halfway. You can find the water supply valve at the main entrance tube that supplies water to your home. If you’ve got a utility sink near the main shut-off valve, turn it on and open the tap. It allows you to get rid of air accumulated over time as you fill your pipes with water. 

4. Turn on the Water Heater and the Water Softener Valves

If you’ve shut off these appliances during winterization, it’s time to turn on their water supply. It is done at the valves on all the pipes running to and fro the appliances. Check out your manufacturer’s recommendations on filling these appliances; it usually involves opening the valves to let go of accumulated air and then allowing them to fill up with water. When the tank of the heater is filled, turn on the power supply. 

5. Turn on the Sink and Tub Faucets and other Fixtures Slowly 

Slowly turn on and test your tub and sink faucets one at a time to see if there’s a leak. Start with cold water faucets, then hot water ones. Run water slowly while checking to see if the drain pipes are leaking. 

If the drains are intact, continue running water from the faucets for 15 to 20 minutes to flush the supply lines. Do the same for the shower fixtures as well. Check the refrigerators, dishwashers, and other fixtures to ensure their water supply runs. Tighten joints to stop small leaks or use rags.

6. Open the Shut-off Valves of Toilets

Gently turn on the shut-off valves of each toilet and allow toilet tanks to fill, then flush. Repeat this process three to four times. Check the base of the toilet to see if water is leaking. Once the water starts flowing through the pipes and supply lines of the house, turn off the water faucet of the utility sink outside. Also, turn on your main water supply fully.

7. Ensure the Exterior Hose Spigot Faucets aren’t Leaking

Check all the exterior hose fixtures to ensure they open and close properly without leaking. If the pressure of the water is too low, it indicates that the stub pipe outside the house might be leaking. If you suspect such, enter the basement and do a proper checkup. 

8. Double-Check the Whole Plumbing System

Enter every room and check fixtures and appliances carefully to ensure they’re functioning effectively and there’s no leakage from the water supply. 

9. Plug Back All Lamps and Appliances

If you’ve unplugged all your home appliances when leaving during the winter, it’s time to restore them to their electrical outlet and give your house a homey look. 

10. Clean the Roof Gutters

The roof gutters usually get clogged with leaves and dirt during winter. Clear them thoroughly and ensure the downspouts can take water out of the house.