Cabin Winterizing Process
  1. Winter Preparation:
    1. Shut-off Hot Water Tank Power Switch.
    2. Draw about 3 gallons of hot water in a 5 gallon bucket from the utility room sink, and place this bucket outside the front door.
    3. Shut-off the ouside water supply valve (located outside and low, to the right).
    4. Open the following and leave open:
      1. The little vent valve on the side of the outside water supply valve.
      2. The ouside cold tap (located high).
      3. Remove the outside hot water tap cap (located low and to the left), and turn open that valve open too.  Store the cap on top of the hot water heater.
      4. The utility room sink hot and cold.
      5. The downstairs bathroom sink hot and cold.
      6. The upstairs bathroom sink hot and cold.
      7. The bathtub hot and cold, plus set the shower diverter valve at the half-way position.
      8. The Kitchen Sink hot and cold, plus lift the sprayer head up out of the sink as far as it goes, then while holding the sprayer trigger open, blow the water out of the line with your mouth.  Try not to slobber too much in there!
    5. Flush the downstairs toilet, and hold the flush lever down to get most of the water out of the tank.  Next, use a plumber's friend to plunger out most of the water from the bowl.
      1. Repeat the process for the upstairs toilet.
    6. Put about a cup of anti-freeze (ethylene glycol) in the following:
      1. One side of the kitchen sink drain.
      2. The bathtub drain.
      3. The upstairs bathroom sink.
      4. The utility room sink.
      5. The downstairs bathroom sink.
    7. Put about a pint of anti-freeze in the following:
      1. The upstairs toilet bowl.
      2. The upstairs toilet tank.
      3. The downstairs toilet bowl.
      4. The downstairs toilet tank.
    8. String a 60 watt light bulb off the upstairs toilet tank, with the cord wedged under the tank lid.  Don't let the bulb lay against wood.
    9. String a 60 watt light bulb off the downstairs toilet tank, with the cord wedged under the tank lid.  Don't let the bulb lay against wood.
    10. String a 60 watt light bulb to run on top of the hot water tank.  Don't let it be touching anything.
    11. Turn-up the under-the-staircase thermostat so that you can confirm that the three bulbs above, plus the one under the staircase are burning well.  Replace any burned-out bulbs with 60 watt bulbs.  Once all bulbs are burning well, turn the thermostat back down to the black pen mark.
    12. Cover the upstairs TV with the tablecloth.
    13. Lock all the windows and sliding door, shut the drapes and lock the upstairs door.
    14. Turn-off all power in the box EXCEPT for the switches with White Labels.  The White Label switches stay on all the time.
    15. Wash your hands in the bucket of water out front, and dump that bucket outside.  Return the bucket to its place next to the utility room sink.
    16. Lock up the front door.
  2. Use after the cabin has been Winterized:
    1. Turn-on all power switches EXCEPT for the Hot Water Tank Power Switch.
    2. Grab the valve cap from on top of the hot water heater.
    3. Cap-over the hot water valve at the back of the cabin (the one that is low and to the left) and shut-off the valve.
    4. Shut off the cold water valve at the back of the cabin (located high).
    5. Shut off the little vent valve on the side of the outside water supply valve.
    6. Turn-on the outside water supply valve (low and to the right).
    7. Go inside and start turning-off all the valves at the sinks and tub.  Make sure that you have clear water running (no air pockets) coming out of the upstairs sink hot water valves.
    8. Turn-on the Hot Water Tank Power Switch.
    9. Flush the toilets a couple of times.
  3. Spring, Summer, and Fall Preparation:
    1. Turn-off all power in the box EXCEPT for the switches with White Labels.
    2. Shut-off the outside water supply valve (located outside and low, to the right).
    3. Cover the upstairs TV with the tablecloth.
    4. Lock all the windows and sliding door, shut the drapes and lock the upstairs door.
    5. Lock up the front door.
  4. Use after the cabin has been locked during Spring, Summer, and Fall:
    1. Turn-on all power switches EXCEPT for the Hot Water Tank Power Switch.
    2. Turn-on the outside water supply valve (low and to the right).
    3. Go inside and turn-on the Kitchen Sink Hot water, to make sure that you have clear water running (no air pockets) coming out.
    4. Turn-on the Hot Water Tank Power Switch.