Introduction
Cottages and seasonal homes are great, but often come with one major drawback — a water system that isn't winter-proof.
Many cottages and cabins sit on elevated pillars instead of basements. Some year-round homes also fall into this category. Elevating your building is great where basements aren't practical, but leaves your water and sewage pipes susceptible to freezing.
Some cottagers pump their water from nearby lakes or streams in above-ground pipes, which are also susceptible to freezing. Frozen pipes might not matter much if you only use your cottage in summer. But for year-round residents, they're a serious problem. I'm well acquainted with this challenge because for the last six years my wife and I have lived in a pier-elevated cabin in the woods.
If you've got a similar at-risk dwelling with an above-ground water system, here's how to freeze-proof your system once and for all.
Tools Required
Materials Required
- 1 Roof heating cable twice as long as the main sewage pipe beneath your building plus several feet
- 1-inch PEX expansion rings
- 1-inch PEX water pipe
- 2 Roof heating cables slightly longer than the distance from your home's water supply entry point to your water source
- 4-inch ABS 45-degree fittings x2
- 4-inch ABS pipe
- ABS cement
- Aluminum tape
- Construction adhesive
- Extension cord
- Outdoor caulk
- Plastic toilet flange
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