Draining your cottage plumbing for winter, step by step
Updated
This year, the cottage won’t be heated over the winter. To get it through the deep cold without a split pipe, the water has to come out: that’s draining the plumbing.
Here are the steps, in the order they’re usually done. Some are simple. Others involve the water heater, the well or compressed air, and belong to an RBQ-licensed plumber. Every house is different: have a plumber who knows yours sign off on the routine at least once.
The steps, in order
1. Get ready before touching anything
List everything that holds water: sinks, vanities, showers, tubs, toilets, water heater, washer, dishwasher, fridge with a dispenser, outdoor taps, well tank, water treatment system. Have buckets, a hose, sponges and antifreeze made for plumbing on hand. Photograph the setup before you start: it’ll help with the spring opening.
2. Shut the water off at the source
Close the main shut-off. On a well, also switch off the pump at its breaker if it’s clearly labelled in the panel. If nothing’s labelled, have an electrician label it rather than flipping breakers at random.
3. Cut power to the water heater before draining it
An electric water heater drained while still powered can burn out its elements. Switch off its breaker. For a gas or propane unit, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Let the water cool before draining: it can scald.
4. Open every tap, top to bottom
Open the hot and cold taps, starting on the top floor. Air comes in from the top and water runs down to the lowest points. Then open the lowest tap or drain in the house so the system empties by gravity.
5. Drain the water heater
Attach a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank, run it to a floor drain or outside, and open it. The tank drains slowly, and sediment can clog the valve. Many owners prefer to leave this step to a plumber, especially if the drain valve is old.
6. Drain the well pressure tank
The tank and the piping near the pump hold water. How to drain them depends on the model: follow your plumber’s or the well installer’s instructions.
7. Push out the water left in low spots
Even with every tap open, water stays in low sections, elbows and some valves. Plumbers often use compressed air to blow it out. The wrong pressure can damage fittings: this is a plumber’s job.
8. Empty the toilets
Flush, then sponge out what’s left in the bottom of the tank and the bowl.
9. Appliances
Washer, dishwasher, ice maker, fridge filter: close their supply valves and follow the manufacturer’s winterizing guide. Each one holds a little water in a pump or hose.
10. Outdoor taps
Close the indoor valve that feeds them, then open them outside so the section in the wall can drain. Disconnect the hoses.
11. Antifreeze in traps, toilets and drains
You don’t empty a trap: it has to stay full to block sewer gas. It gets antifreeze made for plumbing — never automotive antifreeze. Where and how is covered in plumbing antifreeze: where it goes.
12. Leave a note
Post a clear note by the main shut-off: “Plumbing drained — do not turn the water on,” with the date. Leave the list of steps and your photos for the spring opening, which runs in reverse, ideally with the same plumber.
Why these steps, and why in this order
Trapped water is the real risk. An empty pipe doesn’t split. It’s water left in an elbow, a valve or a trap that freezes and cracks the metal or porcelain.
The order prevents damage from the draining itself. Water off before taps open, water heater powered down before it’s drained, top before bottom: each step sets up the next.
Townships cottages have their quirks. Many are on a well, with a pump and tank that hold water. Plenty were added onto in stages, with pipes dipping down and back up through a crawl space. And winter here swings between freeze and thaw, giving forgotten water several chances to freeze.
Hot-water heating changes everything. Hydronic baseboards or a radiant floor don’t drain like household plumbing. Don’t touch that system without a plumber or the technician who services it.
What you can do, and what belongs to a plumber
What an owner can do:
- List the fixtures and photograph the setup.
- Close the main shut-off, open and drain the taps.
- Empty the toilets and shut off the appliances.
- Close and drain the outdoor taps.
- Post the note and keep the photos for spring.
What belongs to an RBQ-licensed contractor:
- Draining the water heater when the valve is old or clogged.
- Draining the well tank and piping.
- Blowing out low spots with compressed air.
- Any work on a hot-water heating system.
- Signing off on the routine for your particular house.
- On the electrical side, labelling circuits in the panel (master electrician).
Check a contractor’s licence in the Régie du bâtiment du Québec registry.
In an empty house, how long before anyone notices?
A well-drained house has far less water to lose. But a forgotten section, a valve letting a trickle through, or someone turning the water back on by mistake can be enough. In a closed, unheated house, nobody sees it before spring if nobody stops by.
How often someone stops by sets the maximum length of any damage. Many insurers have specific requirements for a house closed for the winter, and they vary from policy to policy: ask your broker what they expect from you.
What we look at on a visit
Every visit, we check that the main shut-off is still closed as agreed, read and log the pressure gauge or meter with every tap closed, open the cabinets under the sinks and look behind the washer, check the toilets (bowl, ice, antifreeze present), and look at the water heater’s base and drain pan. Every finding is photographed and time-stamped in the report.
If something’s off, we call you the same day, with photos. If needed, we meet an RBQ-licensed plumber on site and document the work. The draining itself is part of what our fall closing describes.