Closing Up for Winter

Pineedles · 10-14-2016, 02:18 PM

I am seeing posts of folks closing up their cottages for the winter. I am curious as to how many DIY or hire a service.

Water Camper · 10-14-2016, 02:26 PM

We drain the water ourselves so we can turn off the heat and not worry about it, But we do occasionally go up for an overnight depending on how much snow has fallen. 200 foot inclined driveway, too much to maintain all winter.
We can't stay away all winter !!

Hope that helps,
Bill

ghfromaltonbay · 10-14-2016, 02:39 PM

We have been leasing the same camp for the entire season since 1986 (renting for vacation weeks before that since 1959). The owner takes care of all the closing chores like draining the water. The only thing we do is unplug the fridge, kill the circuit breakers for the kitchen & bath water heaters and turn off the pilots for the cook stove and the propane heater in the living room. What's nice about leasing is that we can leave our dishes, linens, etc. but since we are 300 miles away, someone who lives there year round keeps an eye on the place.

rsmlp · 10-14-2016, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghfromaltonbay

We have been leasing the same camp for the entire season since 1986 (renting for vacation weeks before that since 1959). The owner takes care of all the closing chores like draining the water. The only thing we do is unplug the fridge, kill the circuit breakers for the kitchen & bath water heaters and turn off the pilots for the cook stove and the propane heater in the living room. What's nice about leasing is that we can leave our dishes, linens, etc. but since we are 300 miles away, someone who lives there year round keeps an eye on the place.

We own our house on the lake but lease (via VRBO) during off season in various places in FL and Caribbean and it works well. Leasing is UNDERRATED. Yes there are drawbacks but upside is no hassle and peace of mind.

ITD · 10-14-2016, 06:39 PM

None of the above, keep it open all winter.

meredith weekender · 10-14-2016, 07:06 PM

We keep the house open year round. The whole house is monitored electronically and heat and a/c can be adjusted remotely.

ursa minor · 10-16-2016, 04:41 PM

We do all the water draining / winterizing ourselves. We have a pretty good system and it takes roughly 2 hours from start to finish. I will admit to subbing out taking the docks out in the fall and putting them back in in the spring, that got to be a little too much fun.

Bear Islander · 10-16-2016, 04:57 PM

I close the cabin. Island services takes out the dock.

loony · 10-16-2016, 06:15 PM

Our house was designed for quick winterization. No need to use a compressor. The hot and cold water pipes are sloped to central feeders in the basement with purge valves. To winterize, I close the main water valve, open the purge valves and open all faucets, flush toilets until tanks are completely emptied. I then add RV antifreeze to all traps and toilets. I dump a little antifreeze in the toilet tanks to prevent residual water from from freezing.
The hot water heater has its own drain, so I simply turn off the breaker an open the drain spigot.
I fill the dishwasher sump with RV antifreeze then start and cancel a cycle so it drains and fills the trap with antifreeze.

It takes about 15 -20 minutes.

Orion · 10-17-2016, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loony

Our house was designed for quick winterization. No need to use a compressor. The hot and cold water pipes are sloped to central feeders in the basement with purge valves. To winterize, I close the main water valve, open the purge valves and open all faucets, flush toilets until tanks are completely emptied. I then add RV antifreeze to all traps and toilets. I dump a little antifreeze in the toilet tanks to prevent residual water from from freezing.
The hot water heater has its own drain, so I simply turn off the breaker an open the drain spigot.
I fill the dishwasher sump with RV antifreeze then start and cancel a cycle so it drains and fills the trap with antifreeze.

It takes about 15 -20 minutes.

Pretty much the same routine and we are on an island and do it ourselves. Dock is crib so we just put a circulator in. Only springtime plumbing issues we've had are: kitchen sink hose faucet cracked (now I make sure to drain that), and toilet tank fill valves cracked (in tank anti-siphon valves need to be opened up.....four screws and blow water out with a quick puff after lifting the small membrane).

Slickcraft · 10-17-2016, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

I close the cabin. Island services takes out the dock.

That is our approach this year. In the past we had done it all but we decided to let the young guys do the heavy lifting dock work from now on. We will still get the water out and get all else set for winter.

LIforrelaxin · 10-17-2016, 02:57 PM

I open and close my place myself... Including the dock work.... It has gotten a bit easier now that I have teenagers... I let them get in the water for the dock work.....

In the camp the water has a low point, and drains nice and easy....

I am now in the process of slowly converting over to PEX for the plumbing... and see that soon I may go to a compressed air drain methodology, so I can stop taking facets apart...

The key I have found, is to spread the work out, so that open and closing basically takes 3 relaxing weekends....

1. Put in water and get the outside furniture out of storage
2. Dock installation
3. Toys into the water (Boat, Jet Ski etc)

and in the fall

1. Toys out of the water
2. Dock comes out
3. Outside furniture into storage and take water out

Admittedly in the fall step 3 sometimes turns into a multi-weekend event because I just don't want to let summer go!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pricestavern · 10-18-2016, 09:31 AM

Close the cabin ourselves and Watermark hoists the seasonal dock and takes our boat lift out. Same in reverse during the Spring.

Pineedles · 10-18-2016, 10:45 AM

Thank you all for your comments, it will help build my case for DIY for non-dock issues. LOL. Please vote too, even if you comment. Thanks.

Pine Island Guy · 10-18-2016, 11:16 AM

We keep our house open year-round, but I winterize two other houses, and it's not a bad job if you have things (e.g. the water system) set up for it and follow a pattern so you don't forget anything.

There have been numerous threads on the Forum with tips and tricks for making the water systems easier to start up and shut down. I use a compressor to blow them out, just for added comfort/insurance.

I help with a friends dock, as we progress into our 60s, it gets a bit more difficult, but we still manage. We've got it down to a pretty good system now with using styrofoam floats and a winch... the owner said "I think we've set it up to make it easier next year", and a friend responded "you mean you're going to hire someone?!?!"...

It is still spectacular at the lake (even though i might need a step ladder soon to get out of the boat)... enjoy the fall everyone! -PIG

MAXUM · 10-18-2016, 12:21 PM

I do everything myself. To cheap to hire anyone to do stuff I can do myself.

Even though I'm winterized I use my place a lot over the winter as well. I hope this year we actually have decent ice and some decent snow fall.

mcdude · 11-05-2016, 10:55 AM

Can I leave my LED TV in the unheated camp or do I need to bring it home?

Lakeboater · 11-05-2016, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcdude

Can I leave my LED TV in the unheated camp or do I need to bring it home?

A LED TV will be fine in an unheated camp over the winter.

thinkxingu · 11-05-2016, 11:21 AM

Everybody I know, including me, leaves them. Just don't try to use them before warming up to room temp.

Sent from my XT1528 using Tapatalk

Barney Bear · 11-05-2016, 11:32 AM

We left our LED tv at our cottage last winter. It started up fine when we opened up in late April. ❄️ ☃️

dayvsea · 11-05-2016, 11:47 AM

I always did it myself for years...Had a routine with the putting things away, packing, moving things in, dealing with the pumps and plumbing, docks..Etc, ALWAYS forgot at least one thing.. Take stock in everything before hand and calmly write your self a checklist..And use that every time..

View Poll Results: How do you close up the cottage for the winter?
We do it ourselves	36	78.26%
We hire a firm to do it	10	21.74%
Voters: 46. You may not vote on this poll

10-14-2016, 02:18 PM	#1
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,535 Thanks: 1,058 Thanked 652 Times in 363 Posts	Closing Up for Winter I am seeing posts of folks closing up their cottages for the winter. I am curious as to how many DIY or hire a service.

10-14-2016, 02:26 PM	#2
Water Camper Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Pembroke, NH / Laconia, NH Posts: 450 Thanks: 10 Thanked 206 Times in 88 Posts	DIY - Semi Close Up for Winter We drain the water ourselves so we can turn off the heat and not worry about it, But we do occasionally go up for an overnight depending on how much snow has fallen. 200 foot inclined driveway, too much to maintain all winter. We can't stay away all winter !! Hope that helps, Bill

10-14-2016, 02:39 PM	#3
ghfromaltonbay Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Clifton, NJ, Alton Bay Posts: 819 Thanks: 245 Thanked 223 Times in 129 Posts	Leasing - owner does work We have been leasing the same camp for the entire season since 1986 (renting for vacation weeks before that since 1959). The owner takes care of all the closing chores like draining the water. The only thing we do is unplug the fridge, kill the circuit breakers for the kitchen & bath water heaters and turn off the pilots for the cook stove and the propane heater in the living room. What's nice about leasing is that we can leave our dishes, linens, etc. but since we are 300 miles away, someone who lives there year round keeps an eye on the place.

10-16-2016, 04:41 PM	#7
ursa minor Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Tuftonborough & Franklin MA Posts: 265 Thanks: 99 Thanked 143 Times in 64 Posts	We do all the water draining / winterizing ourselves. We have a pretty good system and it takes roughly 2 hours from start to finish. I will admit to subbing out taking the docks out in the fall and putting them back in in the spring, that got to be a little too much fun. __________________ " Any day with a boat ride in it is a good day"

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Water Camper For This Useful Post:
Pineedles (10-14-2016), SteveO123 (10-14-2016)

10-14-2016, 06:39 PM	#5
ITD Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 2,860 Thanks: 461 Thanked 666 Times in 366 Posts	None of the above, keep it open all winter.

10-14-2016, 07:06 PM	#6
meredith weekender Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Meredith / Manchester Posts: 373 Thanks: 87 Thanked 83 Times in 56 Posts	We keep the house open year round. The whole house is monitored electronically and heat and a/c can be adjusted remotely.

10-16-2016, 04:57 PM	#8
Bear Islander Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bear Island Posts: 1,757 Thanks: 31 Thanked 429 Times in 203 Posts	I close the cabin. Island services takes out the dock.

10-16-2016, 06:15 PM	#9
loony Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 101 Thanks: 0 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	Our house was designed for quick winterization. No need to use a compressor. The hot and cold water pipes are sloped to central feeders in the basement with purge valves. To winterize, I close the main water valve, open the purge valves and open all faucets, flush toilets until tanks are completely emptied. I then add RV antifreeze to all traps and toilets. I dump a little antifreeze in the toilet tanks to prevent residual water from from freezing. The hot water heater has its own drain, so I simply turn off the breaker an open the drain spigot. I fill the dishwasher sump with RV antifreeze then start and cancel a cycle so it drains and fills the trap with antifreeze. It takes about 15 -20 minutes.

10-17-2016, 02:57 PM	#12
LIforrelaxin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Island, not that one, the one on Winnipesaukee Posts: 2,821 Thanks: 1,014 Thanked 880 Times in 514 Posts	I open and close my place myself... Including the dock work.... It has gotten a bit easier now that I have teenagers... I let them get in the water for the dock work..... In the camp the water has a low point, and drains nice and easy.... I am now in the process of slowly converting over to PEX for the plumbing... and see that soon I may go to a compressed air drain methodology, so I can stop taking facets apart... The key I have found, is to spread the work out, so that open and closing basically takes 3 relaxing weekends.... 1. Put in water and get the outside furniture out of storage 2. Dock installation 3. Toys into the water (Boat, Jet Ski etc) and in the fall 1. Toys out of the water 2. Dock comes out 3. Outside furniture into storage and take water out Admittedly in the fall step 3 sometimes turns into a multi-weekend event because I just don't want to let summer go!!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ Life is about how much time you can spend relaxing... I do it on an island that isn't really an island.....

10-18-2016, 09:31 AM	#13
Pricestavern Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Valencia, Spain (formerly Rattlesnake Isle) Posts: 388 Thanks: 125 Thanked 142 Times in 82 Posts	Close the cabin ourselves and Watermark hoists the seasonal dock and takes our boat lift out. Same in reverse during the Spring.

10-18-2016, 10:45 AM	#14
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,535 Thanks: 1,058 Thanked 652 Times in 363 Posts	Thank you all for your comments, it will help build my case for DIY for non-dock issues. LOL. Please vote too, even if you comment. Thanks.

10-18-2016, 11:16 AM	#15
Pine Island Guy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: pine island of course! Posts: 405 Thanks: 236 Thanked 233 Times in 111 Posts	open, close, repeat... We keep our house open year-round, but I winterize two other houses, and it's not a bad job if you have things (e.g. the water system) set up for it and follow a pattern so you don't forget anything. There have been numerous threads on the Forum with tips and tricks for making the water systems easier to start up and shut down. I use a compressor to blow them out, just for added comfort/insurance. I help with a friends dock, as we progress into our 60s, it gets a bit more difficult, but we still manage. We've got it down to a pretty good system now with using styrofoam floats and a winch... the owner said "I think we've set it up to make it easier next year", and a friend responded "you mean you're going to hire someone?!?!"... It is still spectacular at the lake (even though i might need a step ladder soon to get out of the boat)... enjoy the fall everyone! -PIG

10-18-2016, 12:21 PM	#16
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	I do everything myself. To cheap to hire anyone to do stuff I can do myself. Even though I'm winterized I use my place a lot over the winter as well. I hope this year we actually have decent ice and some decent snow fall.

The Following User Says Thank You to MAXUM For This Useful Post:
SteveO123 (11-06-2016)

11-05-2016, 10:55 AM	#17
mcdude Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rock Haven Lake - West Newfield, ME Posts: 5,359 Thanks: 374 Thanked 1,041 Times in 489 Posts	Can I leave my LED TV in the unheated camp or do I need to bring it home? __________________

The Following User Says Thank You to Lakeboater For This Useful Post:
mcdude (11-06-2016)

11-05-2016, 11:21 AM	#19
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 5,943 Thanks: 1,153 Thanked 1,962 Times in 1,212 Posts	Everybody I know, including me, leaves them. Just don't try to use them before warming up to room temp. Sent from my XT1528 using Tapatalk

The Following User Says Thank You to thinkxingu For This Useful Post:
mcdude (11-06-2016)

11-05-2016, 11:32 AM	#20
Barney Bear Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 962 Thanks: 495 Thanked 273 Times in 174 Posts	Cool It We left our LED tv at our cottage last winter. It started up fine when we opened up in late April. ❄️ ☃️

The Following User Says Thank You to Barney Bear For This Useful Post:
mcdude (11-06-2016)

11-05-2016, 11:47 AM	#21
dayvsea Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 113 Thanks: 42 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	I always did it myself for years...Had a routine with the putting things away, packing, moving things in, dealing with the pumps and plumbing, docks..Etc, ALWAYS forgot at least one thing.. Take stock in everything before hand and calmly write your self a checklist..And use that every time.. __________________ "Honesty is the best policy."