Over the summer Sonora Ca based plumbers from Optimized Plumbing & Piping got a call for an estimate on leak repair in a cabin in Mi Wuk village. While some things had been done to protect the property, the cabin owners didn’t know everything about plumbing winterization. When we arrived just after 5:00pm on a Friday there was water pouring from walls, from the floors above, and from the water heater. All of the piping was within insulated walls but had still frozen over the winter. Luckily the cabin owners turned the water off before they left and reduced the damage to only the pipes in the walls. Other wise the water would have been running until a distant neighbor noticed it. While the cabin owner did many things right there are some other things that should be done with plumbing winterization in your cabin. They include:
1)Make sure there is a drain at the lowest point of the water piping.
2)Always open all faucets especially on upper floors after the water has been turned off to ensure all water is drained from the system.
3) Drain the water heater completely.
4) Add heat trace tape to any piping that is exposed even if it’s insulated.
5) Piping in walls may need added insulation even if the wall is insulated.
6) Make sure all piping is without traps to prevent water being stuck and not able to be drained.
7) Shower diverter valves should be opened. If they are not open water is trapped in the pipe and can freeze. This is what happened in this cabin, and it was in an interior wall.
8) If possible blow air through water lines from the end of the line after all water stops draining. This will help by blowing trapped water through the pipes to the drain valve.
9) For any questions, or to schedule a Sonora plumber to winterize your cabin to prevent damage call Optimized Plumbing & Piping at 209-352-4294. We are a Sonora plumbing service and can do plumbing winterization in Sugar Pine, Pinecrest, Strawberry, Groveland, Mi Wuk, Arnold, Bear Valley, or any other location in Calaveras, Tuolumne, Amador, and Alpine Counties.
The best time to schedule to prevent damage is the last time you visit your cabin before winter. Remember we will need access to the inside of the cabin to do a thorough job.
For more info on our Sonora, Ca based plumbing repair service go to: http://optimizedpiping.com/blog/sonora-ca-plumbers/
