Winterizing your toilet is just the beginning of preparing your plumbing system for the winter months, particularly if you’re not going to be present for the duration of the season at your home. Make sure not just to turn off your water, but to drain all pipes that could be exposed to freezing cold.
How to winterize a toilet?
Refer to the following steps to winterize a toilet. Shut off the water to the toilet at the supply stop on the wall. Flush the toilet to drain all water out of the tank.
What happens if your toilet freezes in the winter?
If you have a bathroom that reaches freezing temperatures in the winter, you'll probably want to shut off the water there for the coldest months. Freezing in your toilet or its tank can result in substantial damage along with unwanted plumbing issues. Your toilet has two main parts: the tank and the bowl.
What does it mean when a house has been winterized?
When a house has been winterized it usually means that the water was shut off and drained down in most of the plumbing system to prevent freezing. Sometimes flex lines are disconnected from sinks, toilets, dishwashers and washing machines as well.
How do you winterize a bathroom faucet?
Remove aerators on kitchen and bathroom faucets (including tubs) to clean any buildup before turning the water back on. The winterizing process may have included stuffing drain openings with rags or seals to prevent sewer gases from rising up into the home.
What does winterized toilet mean?
Basically, winterizing a home means the plumbing system is prepared to withstand cold winter temperatures and freezing pipes by draining all the water from the system including the water heater. Sometimes winterization companies will add anti freeze to all the floor drains, traps, and toilets.
Can you use a winterized toilet?
We carry on drinking/cooking water in jugs, and add extra antifreeze down the toilet so we can use if needed. We also add a little extra antifreeze to the grey tank, just in case any water escapes the washing up bowl and goes down, which it usually doesn't and we are able to throw away from the bowl directly.
Do you need to winterize toilet?
Some of the more time consuming items to winterize are also the most important. You should make sure to fully prepare your plumbing system for the cold weather. This includes your pipes, toilets, septic tank, well, refrigerator, dishwasher, washing machine, and pool pump.
What should you put in your toilet tank to winterize it?
Flush all toilets to drain most of the water out of the tanks. Pour some propylene glycol (antifreeze — not ethylene glycol which is toxic and used in cars) in the tanks to mix with the remaining water and pour one pint of non-diluted antifreeze into each toilet bowl.
How do you flush a winterized toilet?
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Can I use my RV toilet after winterizing?
Really, the biggest problem for RV plumbing in cold weather is when there's water in the water lines. A bit of liquid in the holding tanks isn't generally a problem. So while you might not want to put water in your fresh tank and use your water pump, you can still use the toilet.
Will a toilet crack if it freezes?
If a water-filled bubble freezes during winter, it could expand enough to crack the tank. It can also be tricky to completely drain all the bits and pieces of the mechanism that empties and fills the tank.
Can you flush the toilet in freezing weather?
If your pipes are frozen, you can't flush your toilet. Drain pipes that take out the toilet's wastewater are totally separate from the supply pipes, one of which brings water into the toilet. If the supply pipes are frozen, you can likely only flush the toilet one time, unless you manually add water.
How can I protect my toilet from freezing?
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What happens if you freeze your toilet in the winter?
If you have a bathroom that reaches freezing temperatures in the winter, you'll probably want to shut off the water there for the coldest months. Freezing in your toilet or its tank can result in substantial damage along with unwanted plumbing issues.
How to flush toilet with antifreeze?
The antifreeze should be non-toxic and marked as safe to use in plumbing systems. Pour it directly into the tank of your toilet. As you pour it in, hold down the lever to flush the toilet to force some of the liquid into the other parts of your system.
How to clean a toilet tank after emptying?
Now, fill a bucket with three to five gallons of water. Raise the bucket above the toilet and begin pouring the water into the bowl. As you’re pouring, gradually lift the bucket higher and higher to change the momentum of water flow into the bowl.
What are the parts of a toilet?
Your toilet has two main parts: the tank and the bowl . The bowl holds water and connects to the drain to allow you to get rid of water and waste. The tank sits behind the bowl, containing a reserve of water that flushes out the bowl as needed.
How to check water drain in toilet?
This allows you to watch the water drainage of the tank in real time. Press the handle down to flush the toilet, holding it down until all the water has drained out of the tank. This pushes that water through your pipes. Continue holding the handle down until all water is drained. If that’s not happening, verify that the cut-off valve has been correctly switched.
What is the ballcock on a toilet?
Inside the tank is the fill valve, also referred to as the ballcock. It typically lives on the left side of the tank. This is the “gatekeeper” of water, responsible for allowing fresh water supply to refill the tank after the toilet is flushed, then closing to prevent too much water from entering.
Where is the shut off valve on a toilet?
Finally, the shut-off valve exists outside the toilet, near the wall towards the back of the toilet close to the ground. This is usually on the left side of the toilet under the tank. This can be turned to shut off water to the toilet completely. For that reason, this is an important toilet component for this project.
What to do before winterizing a toilet?
Before you winterize your toilet, make sure that you won’t need to use it again for a while! Once those physical urges are taken care of, the first thing that you need to do is drain your toilet. The back of your toilet features a control called a fill valve (or ballcock) which is a mechanism used to let the water into the tank.
How to prevent a toilet from freezing?
To prevent expensive accidents, winterize your toilet by following these three steps. 1. Drain the tank. Before you winterize your toilet, make sure ...
How to get rid of water in toilet bowl?
Be warned! It could get a bit messy, so get some old towels and spread them on the floor to absorb any water that spills. Next, fill a bucket with approximately 3-5 gallons of water, lift it over the toilet bowl and slowly pour the water down into it. You should progressively lift the bucket as you pour to increase the momentum of the water.
How to fix water not draining from toilet?
If you notice that water is not draining from the tank, you need to double check the cut-off valve and ensure that it is closed. Only release the toilet handle when all the water is out of the tank. 2. Drain the toilet bowl. Even after draining the tank, there is usually some water left in the toilet bowl. Here is a tip that you can use ...
How to keep water from burning out?
First, shut off the main valve that supplies municipal water to your home. As you do this, make sure that the power is turned off to the water pump and the hot water tank. When you do that, you will protect the heating elements of your hot water tank, so it doesn’t burn out unnecessarily.
Where is the cut off valve for toilet?
This valve is found on the wall or floor near the toilet bowl so you shouldn’t have a problem finding it. Here’s a handy diagram to help you get around the parts of your toilet.
Can you use antifreeze in a toilet?
Now that the water is out, it’s time to add antifreeze. At this point, consider wearing safety glasses to protect yourself from possible splashes. An important point to note is that always remember to use non-toxic antifreeze rated for use on plumbing systems. Bear in mind that you need to pour the antifreeze into the tank and not into the bowl. While you do this, hold down the toilet handle to flush the antifreeze out into the bowl and eventually down the drain system.
Where should cabin water be drained?
Ideally, says Hill, the cabin water system should connect to a faucet or valve at its lowest point so you can drain all the water from a single place. This is most often an exterior spigot mounted on the side of the building, but it could also be the drain valve situated in the crawl space or basement (if there is one).
Can you replace a conventional exterior faucet?
If you’re using a conventional exterior faucet for this purpose, consider replacing it with a freeze-resistant one to reduce the chances of the faucet itself freezing and bursting .
Can you insulate water pipes?
It’s a big project to reroute existing plumbing pipes against interior walls. However, you can and should insulate your water pipes (if they’re not already), and you may need to break into walls to do this properly.
How to de-winterize flex tubes?
If your de-winterizing procedure included disconnecting the flexible supply tubes from various plumbing fixtures, systematically inspect all these fixtures and reconnect the flex tubes to the shutoff valves or the appliance inlets. This is best done on a room-by-room basis, carefully looking at the sinks, toilet, showers, tubs, and any other water-supplied appliances. Use channel-lock pliers or a wrench to carefully re-secure all the flex tubes to their fixtures. Do not turn on the fixture shutoff valves yet; in fact, make sure they are all still fully shut off.
When to de-winterize a house?
Homeowners or professionals can de-winterize houses in the spring after winterizing to preserve them through freezing temperatures.
Why do toilets sit empty?
When toilet tanks sit empty for long periods of time, the seals on the flush valves may harden and prevent the toilet tank from sealing properly at the end of each flush cycle.
What happens to gutters in winter?
Over the winter, leaves and other debris may have clogged the roof gutters . Make sure they are clear and that the downspouts will carry water away from the house.
Do you unplug a lamp for winterization?
It is standard practice to unplug most lamps and other appliances for winterization. Reversing the process involves now plugging those essential appliances back into their electrical outlets.
Can you winterize a mobile home?
Professional services winterizing an RV or mobile home often fill the water lines and drain traps with a special anti-freeze solution. If this is the case, it is difficult to do the de-winterization yourself. You'll need to call the service to come and drain the water pipes and properly dispose of the solution. The pipes will need to be thoroughly flushed to remove all traces of the antifreeze solution.
