Plumbing a cabin for EZ winterizing?

[Himark]

Going to be plumbing a small half bath and bar sink and was wondering the best way to set this up for easy winterizing? Pex? Copper? PVC? what is most tolerable to temp changes expanding and contracting? I would assume the copper will hold up better down the road?

I am going to use a small electric water heater and try to drain all lines back towards this area when I install, or should I set up some sort of air blow fitting at the highest point and just use compressed air? Suggestions? or warnings of do's and dont's.

 

[Trashy]

I would try to copy the design of the better RV's as much as possible.

A low point drain on both hot and cold lines is helpful, as for an air fitting that can just be fitted where ever you disconnect from your water supply. Used regulated compressed air, about 40 psi gets the job done, and leave all the faucets etc open for the winter as any residual water in the valve can damage it (depending on the type of valve) when it freezes.

The water heater could be interesting... all the RV water heaters are designed to be emptied for winter, most of the home-type application ones aren't. Not to say that it cannot be done however...

Maybe look for a used gas/electric RV water heater, complete with the bypass valves. Probably cheaper than a small residential heater and the venting (if you choose to use the propane portion) will be very simple.

 

[bigbone]

If you dont use it all winter I would pump RV antifreeze in the system. I would use pex tubing for the water lines.should only take a couple gallons of antifreeze. Pour a little in the sink trap to.

 

[anziconda]

Definitely use pex tubing...Rehau preferably. Grade all water lines at around 1/4"/ft. Down to a low point with a drain. Put a fitting at the high point that you could blow air into. I worked on a foreclosed house that wasn't drained this winter...toilets were full of ice. It was plumbed in Rehau pex and there wasn't any broken water lines...I couldn't believe it!! You have to keep in mind ALL traps...tub/shower, floor drains, and all sinks. This is where I'd pour antifreeze. If the house is plumbed in pex and you blow out the lines as good as possible, I don't think you'll have a problem. Good luck!

 

[tmk50]

For my parents place we used copper - all gravity drain when we open up faucets and two valves in the basement to drain it. They keep the cabin thermostat @ 55 all year round but we still drain it down every time we leave in case the heat quits or can't keep up. RV antifreeze in the traps and a tankless water heater make it a pretty easy process for us.

Modeling your system on an RV is a good suggestion. Put in some valves to shut off water to the different lines - so if something does freeze you can shut that section off and still have water to other lines/faucets. The mixing valve on our shower was the first thing to freeze during one of those really cold snaps - we have an inline valve to shut that off now in case it ever happens again (shouldn't happen since we drain it every time - but it is there in case we ever forget....)

 

[KSH]

Going to be plumbing a small half bath and bar sink and was wondering the best way to set this up for easy winterizing? Pex? Copper? PVC? what is most tolerable to temp changes expanding and contracting? I would assume the copper will hold up better down the road?

I am going to use a small electric water heater and try to drain all lines back towards this area when I install, or should I set up some sort of air blow fitting at the highest point and just use compressed air? Suggestions? or warnings of do's and dont's.

I would use Pex, Copper is very unforgiving if it ever freezes and blow the lines out for winterizing.

I always blow from the lowest point when I winterize cabins.

RV antifreeze all drains and traps after you blow all the lines out.

 

[m8magicandmystery]

pex can freeze repeatedly and it expands...copper splits and generally causes you grieve at Ts/90s close to the shoulders.

don't use cheap pex...

 

[2XM3]

pex is the only way to go, when I did mine I ran every line at a pretty steep slope down to a couple drain valves in a few places, open valves, rv antifreeze in traps...bam done...

 

[donbrown]

Up at 8-9000 feet here in California they crack open the farthest faucet away from the water inlet and let it run.

They plumb it to have all the lines drain out by gravity and the lines are all the same size so if / when it breaks it is a common fitting.

If it cant drain then they run an electric heat strip or always have water run thru the lines.

 

[CascadeXP]

Pex is a better choice than copper for this situation, but it can fail too. If you leave the lines with water in them, when the ice expands it can loosen/separate the pipe off the fittings and if water pressure gets there before it sets back onto the fitting the pressure can pop push the pipe off the fitting. RV antifreeze is a possible solution, just be very careful with whatever you put in your pipes as it ends up in you too, unless you dump a lot of water out of the system.
As was said before in some great previous replies, grade the pipes down, no low spots without low point drains (with valves on them). Turn off your water, open up your faucets in the house (allow air in the lines so the water will flow out of the low point drains). Open up your drain lines. Leave everything open

If you can't drain all your low spots by gravity, blow the system out with air (50psi), starting at the closest drain and working away from the air source.