Winterization of Piping in HOA Buildings and Water Features Cedar Falls HOA User Guide CF-002 (UPDATED as of April 14, 2018) 1.0 Description: Each fall protective measures must be taken prior to the first freeze in order to prevent significant damage to piping and components in multiple common area buildings and water features within the Cedar Falls community. This guide provides instructions for winterizing those structures in the fall as well as recovering them in the spring. Portions of this guide must be coordinated with the contractor such as Rainscapes many weeks in advance. Spring time recovery of water systems can easily be performed without assistance of a contractor if desired. The buildings and structures covered by this guideline include: Pool house bathroom, sinks and faucets Bridge plant water system piping Waterwheel water makeup and plant watering system piping Entrance waterfall pump and makeup water piping Entrance pond area sprinkler system Phase 4 water system pump house Chapel Metal storage barn This guide does not include instructions for the pool or its associated pump/piping as these components are maintained by the person responsible for pool maintenance and are left running throughout the winter to prevent freezing. Due to the lengthy and detailed nature of sections 2.1 & 3.1 (Pool House and Associated Piping) steps should be performed in the order written while using a pen to maintain place keeping by marking each step as it is completed to ensure key steps are not missed For summertime operation and maintenance of water features discussed in the guideline refer to Cedar Falls HOA User Guide CF-003 2.0 Winterization 2.1 Pool House, Water Features and Associated Piping Water used by all buildings, structures and water features located near the primary entrance of the Cedar Falls community is supplied by a single water meter located on the south end of the pool house. As a result the winterization each of these features is done simultaneously with the help of a contractor who supplies an engine driven air compressor. Performing this section will result in the shutdown of entrance area water features and the pool house bathroom for the winter season 1
a. Direct Rainscapes technician (or other suitable contractor) to setup a temporary engine driven air compressor in the pool house parking lot near the south end of building b. Remove lids from the round water meter enclosure and the adjacent rectangular box located in the ground at the south end of the pool house c. If necessary use hand pump or small bucket to remove any ground water found in boxes in order to access all valves located within the enclosures d. Isolate the water supply by closing the small round metal valve located in the round box at the outlet of the Pigeon Forge water meter. All other isolation valves should remain open to allow air to be forced into all piping downstream e. Momentarily open the blue round hose bib (faucet) valve located in the rectangular box in order to remove water pressure and determine whether the isolation valve closed in previous step is fully closed If while performing step 2.1.e water is seen flowing from the open faucet then the isolation valve closed in 2.1.d is leaking by. If this is the case additional valves in the piping MUST be closed after water is removed from all piping using compressor in order to prevent the piping from refilling with water at the end of winterization. The valves needed to be closed will be specified at a later point in this guide f. Instruct contractor to connect their air compressor to the house bib (faucet) located in the rectangular box g. If still in place remove the fake rock adjacent to the water meter enclosure which covers the backflow preventer. DO NOT remove backflow preventer at this time h. Request technician start air compressor and ensure pressure is regulated to a pressure suitable for thin wall PVC piping. Begin pressurizing downstream piping by opening the blue round hose bib (faucet) valve at air compressor connection i. After piping has been pressurized with air slowly open hot and cold water valves at faucet in pool house main sink and at bathroom faucet j. Open cabinet doors beneath sink. Locate the small valve under the sink which is hanging from the hot water side (left) of the faucet. Since there is no hot water in this building this valve was installed to prevent cold water from passing backwards through the faucet and out into the cabinet beneath the sink when both sink valves are opened simultaneously. Open the small valve and allow air to blow out any water in this short hose and valve k. Flush the toilet and continue flushing until only air is seen flowing into tank on back of toilet. Close small valve near floor next to toilet to prevent further air flow into tank 2
l. When only air is seen flowing from sink faucets, close the sink faucet valve(s) but leave the one under the sink open to prevent drops from collecting during the winter months which would freeze and bust the small valve m. At rear of the outhouse located near the bridge remove the spray nozzle from the end of water hose and open faucet found at ground level to allow water to be blown from the piping and water hose n. At the sprinkler control box located at back side of waterwheel have the technician turn on Zone 3 which is the bridge planter boxes water drip system. These tiny drip lines have very small openings and require several minutes to empty so leave them open while continuing with next steps below The sprinkler control system allows you to manually activate any of its channels but only one at a time. If one channel is selected and manually turned on it must remain selected until ready to turn off. If the selector switch is moved to a different channel the previously selected channel that was turned on will automatically turn off. Only one channel can be forced on at a time o. At the waterfall remove the green covers from the two small round boxes located in gravel area exposing water isolation valves. Slowly partially open the valve in the left round box to allow water to blow into waterfall pond thru the manual makeup supply line. It may become necessary to hold pressure on the manual fill line as air blows out to prevent damage to pipe p. Remove the fake rock located on top of the waterfall pump box. Reach into pump box and hold downward pressure on the auto makeup valve s square plastic float while slowly opening (if not already open) the valve in the right round green box. Hold float down until only air is seen blowing from it then close its associated green valve q. When only air is seen flowing from manual makeup line close its associated valve located in the green box and reinstall covers for both manual and auto makeup lines r. Unplug power cable for the waterfall pump at the receptacle next to the pond. Water is left in the pond during the winter and drained in the spring before returning to service s. On the discharge of the waterfall pump unscrew the 2 ½ PVC coupling nut to allow the pump discharge piping to drain in to the pond. Take note of the location of the large o-ring found between the two coupling halves and secure it to ensure it isn t lost. Leave the pump in the pump box and reinstall the fake rock on top of the pump box t. When only air is seen blowing from faucet located at rear of outhouse, close faucet u. Locate small water drip lines in each plant box on bridge and verify air (no water) is seeping from each. Similarly verify only air is seen at drip lines located in waterwheel building window fern hanging areas. Once only air is seen have technician turn off zone 3 at sprinkler control box v. Locate the ¾ pvc manual makeup line at top of concrete block basin for the waterwheel. Hold this PVC line tightly against the top of the wall and request the technician turn on zone 2 of the sprinkler system. 3
The PVC line will shake significantly as air comes out and holding the line prevents damage to the fragile piping. When only air is seen coming out, have technician turn off zone 2 Zone 1 of the sprinkler control box once fed a zone for the maple trees along the entrance road but is not longer connected w. Have technician turn on zone 4. This will activate sprinklers for the flower beds around the waterfall. When only air is seen flowing from sprinklers have the technician turn off zone 4 and turn the controller to the OFF position x. Unplug power cable for waterwheel pump and slowly raise water pump from water. Disconnect small hose at pump discharge and drain all water from pump assembly. Store drained pump inside of waterwheel building y. Locate the above ground water faucet next to the metal fence on the south side of the pool and momentarily open it to ensure no water remains in this line. If installed also open valve on water hose reel and ensure it is drained of any water. Remove hose and store in pool pump room z. Have technician disconnect his air hose from and close the bib/faucet valve located in the box next to the water meter aa. bb. cc. dd. ee. ff. gg. Have the technician remove the backflow preventer and thoroughly drain all water from it Place the backflow preventer in a clean garbage bag and place it in the pool pump room on the north end of the pool house where it will remain until the spring Ensure the technician places ziplock or other bags over the open ends of piping where backflow preventer was removed and reinstall the fake rock cover Pour approximately one gallon RV piping antifreeze into tank on rear of toilet and bowl. Pour second gallon into the sink drains of both sinks to ensure each of the three traps are protected Place pad lock on bathroom door to prevent someone from using the toilet until spring (it will happen if you do not install lock) If while performing step 2.1.e earlier it was determined water was leaking through the water meter isolation valve, close all remaining valves in the meter box and adjacent rectangular box to ensure water does not reinter the drained piping and freeze during the winter. Otherwise leaving these additional valves open allows the pool to be filled if required during winter months by connecting a water hose to the bib (faucet) in the rectangular box Reinstall covers for both boxes at water meter and cover boxes with heavy plastic such as multiple unused garbage bags to help prevent pipe freeze in the boxes 4
hh. Remove all drinks remaining in the pool drink machine and store them in the storage room on right side of chapel. Also remove any money and give to treasurer for deposit into HOA accounts and unplug power cable from wall at rear of drink machine 2.2 Phase 4 Pump House Winterization a. Close the manual damper located on the upper area of right side wall of pump house b. Cover manual damper area with fiberglass insulation by stapling insulation to studs c. Unplug power cable for room power ventilator located on lower area of left side wall d. Cover power ventilator and associated damper with insulation e. Plug in portable heater which sits on top of control panel and test heater by adjusting temperature setting and establish as set point that will start it if temp drops in room f. Plug in heat strip which is wrapped around standby pump and associated piping. This has no adjustable set point but serves as a backup to room heater should it fail by heating the pump that is not run except upon failure of primary pump (IE: no circulation in non running backup pump could result in freezing) 2.3 Chapel Winterization a. Close all crawl space vents on side of chapel EXCEPT the one nearest the propane tank which is used as a source of air flow for dehumidifier. For those vents which are not adjustable, install wooden precut blank panels which are cut to size and stored under rear of building b. Test building heating system to ensure propane unit heats sufficiently c. Ensure heat/ac system thermostat is set to HEAT mode and at a temperature of approximately 62 degrees 2.4 Metal Barn a. Collect and remove all paint cans used to paint mail boxes and house signs and store them in chapel or home garage to prevent damage during winter b. Collect all hand sprayers used for pond weeds, roundup and other purposes and store them in home garage to prevent damage during winter 5
3.0 Spring Time Recovery 3.1 Pool House, Water Features and Associated Piping Recovery Water supply to buildings and water features should not be restored until it is clear there will not be a freeze that could damage piping. This is typically done around early April but must be completed prior to the opening of the swimming pool Prior to the expected date of implementing this section of this guide it is necessary to prepare the waterwheel and pond for the waterfall for use. This requires siphoning or pumping all stagnant water from both water features and cleaning out leaves and other debris before filling with clean water a. Coordinate with Rainscapes (or other contractor) to have technician available to support line water line filling and pressurization as well as testing of backflow preventer. If desired this section can be performed without the assistance of a contractor. b. Locate the backflow preventer which should be in storage in a bag in the pool pump room c. Have technician install backflow preventer under the fake rock located on the south end of the pool house using the device s directional flow arrow to ensure properly installation d. If round in ground water meter or adjacent rectangular boxes are filled with water the water must be pumped out using a hand pump or small bucket e. Open cabinet doors beneath the main sink in the pool pump house. Locate and close the small valve hanging below the hot water side (left) of the faucet f. Slowly open all isolation valves in the water meter box and adjacent box while inspecting for leaks around backflow preventer and related piping. Notice the flow indicator on the water meter spinning as water refills piping g. Unlock bathroom door and slowly open pool house toilet isolation valve while watching to verify tank valve cuts off water flow when full. Test pool house sink faucets and monitor for any leaks around each component especially in the under counter areas h. After 2-3 minutes the piping leading to the bridge and water features should be pressurized. Check water meter to ensure it is not turning which would indicate a leak If leakage is indicated by the meter turning have the technician assist in locating the source of the leak by inspecting all piping under the sinks in the pool house, piping beneath the bridge, piping crossing the creek between the pool and bridge and supply lines to waterwheel and waterfall. Also ensure there is not an open valve at the rear of the outhouse, waterwheel or water fall. Once the leak is identified the technician can likely repair the line unless it is in the sink or toilet areas where a plumber may be required. If possible isolate the leak and continue with the remainder of this guideline 6
If the entrance area water features are not ready for startup skip to step 3.1.u and continue this guide i. At the water fall verify the pond has been drained and cleaned. Then remove the round green cover for the pond manual fill valve and slowly open the valve to begin filling the pond. It may be necessary to hold the PVC fill line until all the air is removed the piping to prevent damage to the fill piping j. While the pond fills remove the fake rock cover of the waterfall pump box. Ensure the o-ring is in place in the 2 ½ pump discharge coupling and slowly screw the two coupling halves together k. Filling of pond may take 30 minutes or more so additional steps below can be completed while monitoring level frequently. When waterfall pond water level has been filled, close the manual fill valve and plug in the power cable to start pump while verifying flow is observed Program times indicated below for zones in the sprinkler controller are estimates based on previous experiences and may be varied as needed based on water needs l. Verify the waterwheel concrete block basin has been drained and cleaned. Locate the ¾ PVC manual makeup line at top of concrete block basin for the waterwheel and hold line tightly against the top of the wall and request the technician turn on zone 2 of the sprinkler control box located at the rear of the waterwheel. The PVC line will shake significantly as air comes out and until only water is flowing. Monitor the level in the concrete block basin until it reaches top of the small sump area near the makeup line and have technician turn off zone 2 m. Locate the waterwheel water pump in the waterwheel building. Clean the suction filter located on the pump and place the pump in lowest portion of the concrete basin and connect the outlet to the discharge hose. Plug in pump power cord and observe water flowing after a few seconds into the top of the waterwheel. After a few minutes the wheel should begin to turn. It may be necessary to inject grease into the two wheel bearing grease fittings using the HOA grease gun stored in the HOA barn n. Request the technician program zone 2 to come on for 1 minute every other day to make up water to the waterwheel to compensate for leakage and evaporation o. Request the technician turn on zone 3 and test the sprinklers and associated piping which water the flower bed around the waterfall. He should make any adjustments to spray patterns needed to ensure adequate coverage p. Request the technician program zone 3 to turn on sprinklers in the flower beds around the waterfall to run for approximately 30 minutes every other morning q. Request the technician turn on zone 4 to test the drip lines feeding the flower boxes on the bridge and drip lines in above the waterwheel building windows (for hanging pots) r. Request the technician program zone 4 to turn on drip system for 10 minutes 4 times per day every day 7
Zone 1 of the sprinkler control box once fed a zone for the maple trees along the entrance road but is not longer connected s. Have the technician set the sprinkler system controller to AUTO position t. Momentarily open faucet located at rear of outhouse and verify flow exist and no leakage u. Return to water meter and ensure no flow is indicated 3.2 Phase 4 Pump House Winterization Recovery in Spring a. Unplug power to portable heater located on top of pump control panel b. Unplug heat strip which is wrapped around standby pump and associated piping c. Remove fiberglass insulation covering the manual damper located on the upper area of right side wall of pump house and open dampers d. Remove insulation from over power ventilator and associated damper located on lower area of left side wall c. Plug in power cable for room power ventilator 3.3 Chapel Winterization Recovery in Spring a. Open all crawl space vents on side of chapel. If boards were installed covering vents remove them and place them under rear of chapel for use next winter b. Set building thermostat to cool and ensure unit cools sufficiently c. Set thermostat to approximately 78 degrees 3.4 Metal Barn a. Return all paint cans used to paint mail boxes and house signs from storage in chapel or home garage b. Return sprayers used for pond weeds, roundup and other purposes from storage in home garage to 4.0 Materials Needed: Hand pump or bucket to remove water found in the water supply boxes at pool house (section 2.1 & 3.1) 2 gallons of RV water pipe antifreeze to pour into toilet and sink drains at pool house (section 2.1) Key to sprinkler system control box located at rear of waterwheel (purple key on HOA ring) Key to pad lock on waterwheel gated area and bathroom door (black key on HOA ring) Key to pad lock on phase 4 pump house pad lock (black key on HOA ring) Key to pump room at pool (dark blue key on HOA ring) 8
Key to Chapel (green key on HOA ring) Key to Chapel interior rooms (yellow key on HOA ring) Key to drink machine at pool house (only on select HOA rings as key can not be duplicated) Fiberglass insulation to cover vents in phase 4 pump house (stored in pump house) Stapler to staple insulation over room vents Grease gun to grease bearings on waterwheel when placing in service in spring (section 3.1) 9