| ||
| InspectAPedia® |
| |
Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair | Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia |
|
PLUMBING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR AGE of PLUMBING MATERIALS & FIXTURES AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES AIR INLET VALVE, WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS, WATER TANK ANTI-SCALD VALVES APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS AQUASTAT CONTROL Functions BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BACKUP PREVENTION, SEWER LINE BATH & KITCHEN DESIGN GUIDE BATHROOM MOLD BATHROOM VENTILATION BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS Bisphenol-A, BPA BLEVE EXPLOSIONS BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR METHODS BOILERS, HEATING CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CHLORAMINE / CHLORINE Tests CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER CHLORINE in WATER, HOW TO TEST FOR CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER CISTERNS CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPING DEBRIS in WATER SUPPLY, Water Heater DRAIN a WATER HEATER TANK FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING Key Winterizing Topics How to Winterize a Building Winterize - Heat On Procedure Thermostat Settings Turn Water Off ? Winterize Water Softener & Treatment Equip. Find & Fix Water Pipe Freeze-Up Points Heat tapes, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up Freeze Protect Drains Winterize- Heat Off Procedure De-Winterized a Building Thawing Frozen Pipes Repairing Burst Leaky Pipes Turning on Heating Restoring Drains Turning on Water Water Supply/Drain Pipe Leak Types Restoring Water Softener & Treatment Equip FROST HEAVES, FOUNDATION, SLAB GAS PIPING HEAT TAPE USAGE GUIDE HOT WATER HEATERS INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT LEAD IN DRINKING WATER, HOW to REDUCE MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE NO HEAT - BOILER / FURNACE DIAGNOSIS NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST OUTHOUSES & LATRINES OIL FIRED WATER HEATERS OIL TANKS PIPING IN buildings, Clogs Leaks Types AGE OF PIPING AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES BRASS WATER PIPES CAST IRON DRAIN PIPING CAST IRON DRAIN LEAK, ODOR, REPAIR CHECK VALVES CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS COMPRESSION FITTINGS COPPER PIPING in buildings CLEANOUTS, PLUMBING DRAIN CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, DIAGNOSIS CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, REPAIR CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, HOT WATER CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CROSS CONNECTIONS, PLUMBING DEBRIS in WATER SUPPLY, Water Heater DIAELECTRIC PIPE FITTINGS DRAIN & SEWER PIPING DRAIN NOISES FLARE FITTINGS FLOOR DRAIN / TRAP ODORS FREEZE-PROOF PIPES GAS PIPING, VALVES, CONTROLS GALVANIZED STEEL WATER PIPING LEAD PIPES in buildings LEAD IN DRINKING WATER, HOW to REDUCE LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LEAD WATER PIPING HAZARDS & REMEDIES LEAK TYPES, Water Supply/Drain Pipe OIL TANK PIPING & PIPING DEFECTS PLASTIC PIPING PLASTIC PIPE LEAK CAUSES PLUMBING DRAIN CLEANOUTS PLUMBING DRAIN VENTS PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE REPAIR PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE REPAIR PLUMBING NOISE CHECKLIST PLUMBING NOISE CONTROL PLUMBING VENT DEFINITIONS & TYPES PLUMBING VENT DEFECTS & NOISES REPAIR BURST LEAKY PIPES SEPTIC BACKUP PREVENTION SEPTIC BACKUP REPAIR SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION SEWER GAS ODORS SEWER GAS ODORS in COLD WEATHER SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT SOUND CONTROL for PLUMBING SUPPLY PIPING Transite Pipe Water Supply Piping TRAPS on DRAINS VALVES, PLUMBING VENT PIPING WATER HAMMER NOISE DIAGNOSE & CURE WATER PIPES, Clogs Leaks Types Water pipe clog diagnosis Water pipe clog repair guide WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR PLUMBING FIXTURES, KITCHEN, BATH RANGE BOILERS RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves on Boilers RELIEF VALVES - Water Heaters RELIEF VALVES - Water Tanks SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR SEPTIC METHANE GAS SEPTIC ODORS SEPTIC PUMPS SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP SEWAGE BACKUP PREVENTION SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP SEWAGE & SEPTIC CONTAMINANTS SEWAGE CONTAMINATION in buildings SEWAGE CONTAMINANTS in FRUIT / VEGETABLES SEWAGE EJECTOR / GRINDER PUMPS SEWAGE NITROGEN CONTAMINANTS SEWAGE PATHOGENS in SEPTIC SLUDGE SEWAGE PUMPS SEWAGE PUMP CLOG DAMAGE SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION SEWER GAS ODORS SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS SOLAR HOT WATER HEATERS SUMP PUMPS GUIDE SWEATING (CONDENSATION) on PIPES, TANKS TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL TANKLESS COILS TOILET FLUSHOMETER VALVES TOILET INSTALLATION PROCEDURE TOILET OVERFLOW EMERGENCY TOILET PLUGS, SEWER BACKUP TOILET REPAIR GUIDE TOILET TYPES Toilet Types, Flush Methods TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST TRAPS on PLUMBING FIXTURES WATER HEATERS AGE of WATER HEATERS ALTERNATIVE HOT WATER SOURCES ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS FLOODED WATER HEATER REPAIR GAS FIRED WATER HEATERS HOT WATER IMPROVEMENTS HOT WATER PRESSURE EXPANSION RATE HOT WATER QUANTITY IMPROVEMENT INDIRECT FIRED WATER HEATERS WATER HEATER PROPERTIES WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT WATER PUMPS & TANKS WATER PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER PUMP SAFETY WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP & WATER TANK REPAIRS WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE WATER SHUTOFF VALVE, WELL PUMP WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS WATER SOURCE ALTERNATIVES WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS More Information |
This article explains how and where to turn off the water supply to a building as part of winterizing or freezeproofing the structure. The articles at this website will answer most questions about freeze protection for piping and other building plumbing and heating system components: how to winterize a building to avoid frozen pipes, and how to thaw frozen water supply & drain piping, wells, & water tanks. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Readers should also see WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE and FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING. Guide to Turning off Water to a Winterized BuildingA building owner who is unfamiliar with the plumbing and heating equipment in their building may be understandably intimidated by the maze of pipes, valves, switches, and controls such as those shown at the top of this page. While there are building winterizing professionals who will be glad to come by to help protect your building from freeze damage and related water leak damage (when the frozen burst pipes and fixtures thaw out), it's pretty easy to understand what's needed. Is the building heat going to be left "on" or "off" - the answer determines the extent of freeze-proofing needed.
The procedures we discuss in this article series address both "heat on" and "heat off " building shut-down procedures that are useful both in freezing climates and in warmer locales. Details on how to find and use water shutoff valves is at WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE. Guide to Deciding to Turn Off All or Just Some Water Supply Valves
When is it Not OK to turn off water in a winterized building: But if the building is heated by a system that requires water, such as a steam boiler or a hot water (hydronic) heating boiler, turning off the building water supply can risk serious damage or total destruction to the heating boiler or even unsafe conditions. That's because most heating systems that use water rely on the presence of an automatic water feed valve to assure that makeup water is sent into the heating boiler whenever its water level drops below a safe level. What can we do to protect a building from frozen burst pipes and later flooding if heat is provided by a hot water heating system?
See Water Feeder Valves, Hydronic Boiler and LOW WATER CUTOFF CONTROLS for more discussion of heating boiler water control valves. What about leaving water running slowly to avoid frozen pipes. This is a last resort measure which we don't like. Not only are we wasting water, we risk flooding a septic system, or we risk freezing the building drain lines by the slow flow of water. In emergency however, such as loss of heat during a winter storm, this step could be necessary and would make sense. Where & How To Turn Off the Building Water SupplyFor complete details about finding and turning off the main water valve in buildings, readers should see WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE . Where to Turn Off Water in buildings with a Private Well and Water Pump - Which Way to Turn the ValveFor this reason, in addition to turning off the main water valve, we recommend turning off electrical power to the well pump too. We don't drain the water tank nor building plumbing unless a total building shut-down is being planned. Thanks to reader Ron Blodgett for suggesting this clarification about just where and how to turn off building water when leaving a building unattended. Where to Turn Off Water in buildings Served by Municipal Water SupplyJust turn off the water supply to your building at the main water shutoff valve. You can usually find this valve on the water pipe just inside the building where piping enters the structure. Our sketch above shows the main water shutoff valve in a building served by municipal water supply. In some areas such as Arizona, a main water shutoff valve may be located in a below-ground box near the street. In other areas an outdoor water main shutoff valve will be found between the street and the building,marked by a large valve, often embossed "water". Don't mess with the outdoor water shutoff valve unless it's in an emergency such as a burst incoming water pipe inside the building which the leak is before the indoor main water shutoff valve (the piping to the left of the red handled valve in our above photo of an indoor municipal water shutoff valve). Your municipal water company employees will have and use a special T-wrench to turn this outdoor valve in order to open or shut the outdoor water main buried below. For complete details about how to find and turn off the main water control valve in a building, readers should see WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE . Guide to Turning Off Other Plumbing Fixtures in a Winterized "Heat-On" BuildingBefore moving on to the other Heat-On winterizing Steps (Winterize Water Softener & Treatment Equip. and Find & Fix Water Pipe Freeze-Up Points and Heat tapes, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up and Freeze Protect Drains) here are a few basic suggestions:
These and similar individual water supply valve turn-offs that you may identify reduce the chances of a flood in an unattended building should an individual fixture or pipe break during the winter. Of course if you are turning the heat off for the winter, a different set of drain-down and other steps are needed, and are discussed beginning at Winterize- Heat Off Procedure. This sketch of a gas-fired water heater and its control valves is provided courtesy of Carson Dunlop. Additional Optional Steps to Turn Off Building Water to Protect from FreezingSome building managers also open each plumbing fixture to remove pressure from the piping system. We don't go beyond this step in winterizing a building unless the building heat is to be left off. If heat is to be turned off and the building completely winterized, see the procedure at: Winterize- Heat Off. Questions & Answers regarding this article. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
... Technical Reviewers & References
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
|
| Home | About Us | Accuracy | Contact Us | Content Use Policy | Privacy | Website Description | © 2012 Copyright InspectAPedia.com |