Winterization question

Nighthawk035

Why do you still get frozen water in the lavy sinks when a house has been winterized by the book?

Jamie Hall

If it's below freezing, and there is water present, it will freeze. If you don't blow out all the traps -- lav's, WC's, tubs, showers -- or put antifreeze (use the RV type!) in them, they will freeze. Guaranteed.

Nighthawk035

Thanks Jamie, but that's all been done. The house has been completely winterized, by the book. Yet we got a call and went back and there was frozen water in the lavy sinks. Can't explain it.

RobG

Supply lines or waste line? I would venture to say, If the winterization was done correctly someone came in and turned the water on and then shut it off after they left. Or the main valve is seeping. Good luck getting anyone to admit it.

icesailor

The only way I have ever seen that happen is when someone goes in there after you drained the house, and some housecleaners were late getting there before the water was drained. So, they bring pails of water and when done, they pour it into sinks. I always pumped all the water out of toilet bowls and put a big wad of toilet paper in it to keep the smell out and hopefully keep the rats at bay. If the TP wad was gone, or there were rat turds in the bowl, I knew the rats had been visiting. I always made sure that the lids were down. No lids and the rats could end up everywhere.

I always put a 6 oz. cup of RV type antifreeze in every trap and down the toilet tank overflow. And another in the bowl because many newer toilet bowls have a water trap and the only way to protect them is with extra anti-freeze. I always uses Orange 60 Proof or Red 50 Proof Antifreeze. When you pour it in a fixture, it always leaves a stain on the sink. It washes away. If you drained the sink, and you can't find any color stain, someone poured water in it after you. Unless you forgot to put anti-freeze in the trap. PVC plastic traps don't normally break. Its the brass ones.

If you've never seen rats at work after they came up through a toilet, its an experience that everyone should experience. The police are called to fingerprint the intruder. They act like a bunch or rowdy teenagers.

Another lock-up from yesterday that didn't post.

Weezbo

It is like Icesailor said after we leave a place how can we know who or what happens to a place? Cleaner folks usually do not pack around the wrenches we have however i have definitely seen them bring their OWN water to job sites .....were it in a sink or vanity there would be the most likely method of introducing water to a building
think about it ...you have time....
*`//: )

icesailor

Weezbo said:

It is like Icesailor said after we leave a place how can we know who or what happens to a place? Cleaner folks usually do not pack around the wrenches we have however i have definitely seen them bring their OWN water to job sites .....were it in a sink or vanity there would be the most likely method of introducing water to a building
think about it ...you have time....
*`//: )

Sometimes, friends of the owners children, who have visited the house before, and know where the "secret key" is hidden with the alarm code on the tag come visit during the winter and pour liquids down drains. The smarter ones don't pour those liquids down the toilet, they put them in the sink drain.

The Plumber gets the blame because no one could get in the house.

Or, that a Real Estate agent (handling the July Summer rental) that was having a flingy-poo was going out to the house for a late afternoon tryst with his latest honey so it must be the plumber because the plumber was the only one with a key and knew that no one would be using the house.

There are so many scenarios, and so many dishonest people.

Patchogue Phil_2

I've seen it happen on irrigation systems that were winterized (blown out with compressor). Esp at fast food places. Someone turns on the shutoff valve so they can use the hose bib outside , which is on same supply pipe. Lots of burst pipes and plastic in-ground manifolds, sprinkler heads.

"Wasn't me"!

icesailor

"Wasn't me"!

Just like little children.

Like the angry mother.

That toilet is junk.
Did anyone drop anything in it? That is a pretty bomb proof toilet. Its 10 years old, Its been overflowing on the floor when you flush it for 10 years?
Silence.
No one in THIS house dropped anything into that toilet!!

Who dropped this plastic boat in the toilet and flushed it down, your husband (or your precious wonder 3 YO son)?

JUGHNE

The places here that I see winterized have a clear stretch plastic sealed over the top of all lav, sink , WC & drains. I believe if you removed it you could not get it sealed back, one time sticky. Obvious if tampered with.

WC story: one mother was having "club" that day and the one WC was plugged. Plunger and auger would not help. So pull WC turn upside in tub. All 6 kids were watching me do this, oldest maybe 10 and then stair step on down. They all looked at their shoes when the toy truck fell out of the WC, none of them had ever seen it before and there had never been one of those in the house.
The mother was so grateful that I kept all 6 kids entertained for an hour as she got more things done than usual. She said she might call me to do this every time she had major house cleaning to do. Well spent money. That is when you know you work too cheap .