Skip to content

Turn on the water🚿🚽

In the winter, the water system must be turned off and disconnected so the pipes don't burst 🥶💥. This de-winterization is the reverse of the checklist for Turning off the Water.

CHECKLIST

Is the water already turned on?

Turn on the kitchen sink faucet. If water comes out, hooray, the system is already on and pressurized 😃

Close all the faucets

Close all the faucets, etc., at the Cabin 🏡 so that the system can be pressurized.

  • If the water is off, close all the faucets in and around the cabin:
    • TWO in the cabin crawlspace 🪜
      • Access the crawlspace through the hatch in the master bedroom floor
      • Look for buckets: 🪣 one just to the side of the concrete pad, 🪣 one under the bathroom. Above each bucket you will find a hose bib 🚰
    • THREE in the cabin: kitchen sink, bathroom sink, bathtub
    • FOUR in front of the cabin:
      • TWO Inside the water heater (white rectangle built into the exterior cabin wall): Hot water and Cold water.
        • Place the brass cover over the Hot water (it has a slow leak and the brass cover stops it).
      • TWO hose bibs by the driveway
        • one between two really big rocks 🪨🚰🪨
        • one below the bathroom window
    • THREE in back of the cabin:
      • one on the south-facing side of the cabin, near the master bedroom window
      • one in the fenced garden
      • one in front of the bed shed

Turn on the water

Now you are ready to turn on the water over at the pump house🏃.

The water system at the pump house. The master switch for the 24V water pumps.

  1. Close the TWO hose bibs 🚰 at the pole shed and outside the pump house.
  2. Inside the pump house
    1. Re-install the water filter. Find it on top of the washing machine with its clear plastic tank AND ITS BLACK O-RING that goes in the top of the clear plastic tank. The O-ring is critical and must be installed.
      • The water filter is on the east wall, to the left of the large green water tank.
    2. close all the union fittings.
    3. Open the water tank main valve at the bottom of the large green water tank.
    4. VERIFY the water tank main valve is OPEN
      • The pressure pump will be damaged/ruined if it is unable to draw water from the large green water tank.
    5. Open the main water shut-off (valve with red handle. It is open when the handle is parallel with the pipe)
    6. Turn on the 24V Master Switch above the batteries🔋🔋
      • the pressure pump will start pressurizing the system
        • VERIFY you see water entering the clear filter tank immediately after the pressure pump starts.
        • TURN OFF THE 24V Master Switch if no water enters the filter tank!
      • the well pump might start if the big green water tank is low on water

Check for leaks!

Now is the time to check for leaks at the union fittings, water filter, hose bibs, and faucets; BOTH at the pump house AND 🏃 at the cabin, including the crawlspace 🪜
Use your eyes and your ears!

If something leaks, go to the pump house🏃:

  1. Turn off the 24V Master Switch which will stop the pressure pump.
  2. Close the main water shut-off which will stop the water from going to the cabin.
  3. fix the leak 💦
  4. Try reopening the main water shut-off and turning back on the 24V Master Switch and verify there are no leaks.
  5. repeat as necessary