How to drain the first part of the water pipe, in the basement
 

How to drain the first part of the water pipe, in the basement?

I've been following the instructions for freeze-proofing the house
when someone goes away during the winter, but I don't understand how
to drain one pipe. The water comes in about 3 feet above the floor,
then goes up a bit to the valve, and then up to the ceiling, 8 feet
above the floor.

Then across the ceiling etc. and down to the laundry sink. So if I
close the main valve and open the sink, the pipes on the ceiling will
drain, but what about the first part, from where it comes in to the
ceiling? If it gets below freezing, wouldn't that burst?

How to drain the first part of the water pipe, in the basement
 

On Oct 4, 12:02?am, mm wrote:
How to drain the first part of the water pipe, in the basement?

I've been following the instructions for freeze-proofing the house
when someone goes away during the winter, but I don't understand how
to drain one pipe. The water comes in about 3 feet above the floor,
then goes up a bit to the valve, and then up to the ceiling, 8 feet
above the floor.

Then across the ceiling etc. and down to the laundry sink. So if I
close the main valve and open the sink, the pipes on the ceiling will
drain, but what about the first part, from where it comes in to the
ceiling? If it gets below freezing, wouldn't that burst?

open fitting where line enters building might install or check if
valve has drain, a small threaded fitting in side of valve, it
unscrews.

its good to prepare for disaster but bad to intentially let a home
freeze.

plaster can be destroyed, and lots of other troubles.

like water traped in dishwasher and washing machines

How to drain the first part of the water pipe, in the basement
 

mm wrote:
How to drain the first part of the water pipe, in the basement?

I've been following the instructions for freeze-proofing the house
when someone goes away during the winter, but I don't understand how
to drain one pipe. The water comes in about 3 feet above the floor,
then goes up a bit to the valve, and then up to the ceiling, 8 feet
above the floor.

Then across the ceiling etc. and down to the laundry sink. So if I
close the main valve and open the sink, the pipes on the ceiling will
drain, but what about the first part, from where it comes in to the
ceiling? If it gets below freezing, wouldn't that burst?

Is there an outside valve, like next to the meter?

If so, close that and leave the interior valve open (after draining the
pipes).

It's not the freezing of the water that does the damage - it's the expansion
of the ice that ruptures the pipes. If the expansion has somewhere to go,
i.e., up the pipes, then the expansion shouldn't be a problem.