We’re buying a home that’s been winterized. Anything in particular I need to look out for when I get the utilities turned back on? Any order or procedures to follow for taking a home out of winterization?
Homes are winterized primarily for protection from water damage.
Generally speaking a crew turns off water stops at toilets and sinks, flushing the toilet to relieve the tank and basin of most of it’s water.
When water freezes it expands and can cause damage to fixtures and piping. Generally a crew will drain the hot water heater and open up hose bibs to allow a direction for freezing water to exspand.
When you go back to the property take note of day time and night time tempatures? Is it likely that water still freezes at night? Pipes may still have sections of frozen water blocking pipes.
If at all possible turn on a heater or heating device that will thaw out interior piping, let it gradually warm for a couple of days and thaw out pipes.
Go around the house and make sure the water stops are closed at all the sinks, toilets and the utility room water supplies for a washing machine.
Make sure you close the drain on the hot water tank!
Open the hose bibs on the outside of the house, this allows water to flow through the house, but in the event of a leak there will not be pressure on the pipes to further blow out under pressure.
This keeps any leaks to a non-pressurized drip or dribble lessening the mess. If there appears to be no leaks once you walked the house, turn off the outside hose bibs and you should then be under pressure.
Check all the water stops to make sure they are not leaking, then you can open the water stops at your sinks hot and cold water lines and open the faucets hot and cold valves and flush the lines.
This will allow the hot water tank to refill with water.
(Note: Do not turn on electricity or light the water heater until your sure it is full of water.)(You probable will here a lot of air rushing out of the line with water, this is normal.)
Once you have flushed the lines and are sure your hot water tank is full, you can open the toilet water stops, allow the tank to fill and flush the first couple of tanks full. (Note: This water may be brown or rust colored from sitting for a long time.)
Check everything for leaks.
Once this is completed you can turn on hot water heater electricity or light the hot water heater.
Thanks for a great list!