A summer house water system has to be drained before the first frosty night if the house or sauna is not heated in winter: water left in the pipes, water heater (boiler) or pump expands as it freezes and splits them. We drain the whole system, including the water heater, pump station, toilet and traps, and in spring we start it up again and check that nothing leaks. The price depends on the size of the system, and we agree it before the work starts.
Closing the inlet valve is not enough. Water stays wherever a pipe dips down and rises again, and in appliances that have their own tank or water seal.
A sauna often stays unheated the longest, and it has everything that freezes: a shower mixer, a small water heater, a floor drain and sometimes a separate supply from the house or the well. The sauna system is drained the same way as the house, and the supply running from the house to the sauna is drained from both ends.
If the sauna is also used in winter, the water needs to be drained after every use. This is made easier by a single drain cock at the lowest point and a supply with a fall towards it, which can be fitted in autumn together with the winterising.
In Riga, summer houses and garden houses are also found within the city limits. In Vecāķi plots for summer houses were granted as early as 1898. In Dārziņi, in the 1960s, companies gave their employees allotments whose wooden summer houses have gradually been insulated, and in Beberbeķi allotments and huts stand next to large detached houses. If such a house stands empty in winter, its water system has to be prepared every autumn.
About plumbing in these districts: in Vecāķi, in Dārziņi, in Beberbeķi.
Inspection
The water points are counted, the low points, water heater, pump and supply lines are located, and we check whether there are drain cocks.
Shutting off water and power
The inlet is closed or the pump switched off, and the water heater's power is switched off.
Draining
The taps are opened and water is drained from the pipes, water heater, pump and pressure tank; if needed, the pipes are blown out with a compressor.
Toilet and traps
The cistern and the toilet's water seal are emptied, and antifreeze is poured into the traps and floor drains.
Note at the inlet
The taps are left open, and a note of what has been done is left at the inlet, so that in spring it is clear what needs closing.
Spring start-up
The drain cocks are closed, the system is filled slowly, the air is let out and only then is the water heater switched on.
Leak check
The joints, the pump pressure and the drains are checked. If a pipe has burst over the winter after all, it is repaired separately.
There is no single price, because the amount of work differs a lot between a small garden house with one tap and a summer house with a water heater, pump station and sauna. For a simple system the job usually takes 1–2 hours, and we agree the price before the work starts. It depends on:
The price does not include the antifreeze, drain cocks if they have to be fitted, repairing pipes burst by frost, or lifting a well pump. If the pipes have already frozen, see frozen pipe thawing, and if the pump does not start in spring, well pump repair. You can see all jobs on the plumbing services page.
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Summer house water system winterising | based on the scope | depends on the number of points, the water heater, the pump and the sauna |
| Water system start-up in spring | based on the scope | filling, leak check, pressure adjustment |
Sources
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