HOW TO DRAIN THE WATER LINES IN YOUR HOUSE

August 21, 2023

There are a number of reasons you may need to drain your home’s plumbing system, including:

To fix a water hammer problem
To shut down a seasonal property
To make major plumbing repairs, such as replacing or extending the main plumbing lines

Depending on the specifics of the task at hand and your experience level, you might be able to handle the job yourself. If so, our guide on how to drain the water lines in your house will provide you with the basic steps you need to follow.

But bear in mind that DIYers who don’t know what they’re doing can inadvertently cause a lot of damage. If you’re not 100% confident in any given step, it’s far better to hire a professional plumbing company. There’s little doubt that they can get the job done more efficiently, and you’ll have the confidence of knowing it’s been done correctly.

4 STEPS TO DRAIN YOUR WATER LINES

To drain your pipes, you shouldn’t need any special tools or equipment—just access to your water main and all the faucets and water fixtures in the home.

1. SHUT OFF ALL WATER TO YOUR HOUSE

Begin by shutting off the main water valve. It’s a simple step as long as you know where to look.

We’ll share some tips below for finding your main water valve because there are a few places you might need to look. Your best bet is to start by looking in the basement or crawlspace near where the water main enters the home.

2. OPEN ALL FAUCETS

Now that there’s no water entering your home, it’s time to empty the water that’s already made its way into your pipes. Turn on each of your faucets, beginning at the top of the house. Starting with the top floor pushes air into the system and helps the flow of water. Make your way through each floor, opening faucets as you go.

Head down to the basement or the lowest level and open the faucet in the laundry tub or sink. Give it a few minutes while the water drains from each faucet.

3. KEEP DRAINING

Now that the sinks are drained, it’s time to turn your attention to the other drains and receptacles that store water. Head back to the top floor of your house, turn on the water in the shower and the bath, and flush your toilets a few times until the tank doesn’t refill. Once again, work your way down to the bottom floor.

Consult the owner’s manual to learn how to drain appliances like your dishwasher, washing machine, and water heater.

4. LEAVE THE FAUCETS OPEN

Although the water has been flushed from your system, there’s probably air in the pipes. You’ll need to keep the faucets open until it’s time to get water running throughout the house again. This step prevents the creation of a vacuum, which can damage your pipes.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO DRAIN YOUR PIPES BEFORE LEAVING A HOME?

If you’ll be gone for an extended period of time, standing water in toilets, sink traps, tub drain traps, and floor drains could evaporate, dissolving the drain seal that prevents sewer gasses from entering the home. To prevent this, it’s important to soak up all the water from toilets, toilet tanks, traps, and every other area of the home that has standing water.

Cold weather presents its own dangers. During winter, water freezes and expands, increasing the risk of cracks in porcelain fixtures, traps, pipes, and appliance fittings.

HOW TO FIND YOUR WATER MAIN SHUT-OFF

As mentioned, the most likely spot to look for your home’s water shut-off valve is in your basement or crawlspace. If you know where your water supply enters your house, that's a great spot to check. But if you can’t find it, try the options below.

Start with your water meter. It’s probably in the front yard near the sidewalk or curb. Look in the basement for a pipe coming into the house from the direction of the water meter. The shut-off valve will be between that point and where the pipes diverge to journey throughout the structure. It might also be just inside the garage on either side of the door.
Follow interior water lines. If you’re not sure where your meter is or it takes a path you’re unable to follow, look for the hose bib where the outside faucet comes out of the house. Look for that same spot inside the house, and follow the interior line to the water main and the shut-off valve.
Look for a panel in your yard. This shouldn’t be an option for our clients in the Kansas City area, but if you’re in a location that never gets terribly cold, it’s possible that your water shut-off valve is located somewhere outside your home. Look for a raised panel with pipes leading out. You may need a wrench or another tool to open it.
Shut off the water at the meter. If you can’t find the shut-off valve in or around the house, the water meter has a shut-off valve you can turn.

3 STEPS TO RESTORE WATER TO YOUR PLUMBING SYSTEM

When it’s time to refill your plumbing system with water, you’ll more or less go through the same steps in reverse order—but there’s a bit more nuance than that.

1. CLOSE MOST OF THE FAUCETS

Begin by closing the absolute lowest faucet in the home, whether that’s in your basement or on the first floor. For many homeowners, that’s the laundry faucet. Next, head upstairs to close the upper faucets, allowing air to remain in the pipes to recharge the air chamber.

Now, go through the house and close all remaining faucets. Once that’s done, reopen the lowest faucet in the home.

2. OPEN THE MAIN WATER VALVE

Start slowly by opening the main valve halfway. Once you have a steady flow of water coming from the laundry faucet, turn it off. Wait and listen to the water refilling the pipes.

When you can no longer hear the flow of water, it’s time to fully open the main water valve.

3. TURN ON ALL THE FAUCETS

It's time to head back upstairs! Once again, you’ll begin with the highest level as you turn on the water at all the faucets. Go through the whole house and open them up. At first, water will sputter out, and you’ll want to keep it running until it flows smoothly.

Next, turn on the shower faucets and flush the toilets a few times until the water runs clear. If you turned off the faucets at appliances like the washing machine or dishwasher, it’s time to turn those back on, too. The instruction manuals may instruct you to run a partial load before getting back to normal.

Once water is flowing throughout the entire home, you can turn off all the faucets again. You’re all done!

TURN TO HAMILTON FOR YOUR PLUMBING AND HVAC NEEDS

Learning how to drain your pipes is pretty simple, but the same can’t be said for most plumbing jobs. Fortunately, homeowners in the Kansas City area can turn to Hamilton for all their plumbing, HVAC, and rooter needs. We stand by our services with guarantees for your peace of mind and even offer financing so you can get the work done when you need it.

If you have any questions or need plumbing services in Kansas City and the surrounding areas, contact Hamilton Plumbing, Heating, A/C & Rooter at 913-227-4943 for a quote. Schedule your service now.

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