Wouldn’t it be nice if residents who live in Aurora and Newmarket and northern York Region but also cottage in Muskoka could work with the same plumbing company at home and on vacation? Well, with Harris Plumbing, they can!

When it comes to protecting your cottage plumbing, contact the plumbers you already trust in your hometown who can dispatch great plumbers to your second property or cottage in Muskoka, Tiny or Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching.

In this article, we explore the realities of cottage plumbing and how to handle each step of the cottage opening & closing cottage season:

Turn Off Water Connections – Getting Ready for Winter

Any plumber will state that it is most important to turn off all mains water connections and drain any existing pipes. This will help to ensure that your cottage plumbing system does not freeze during the colder months of the year. Oftentimes, cottage plumbing doesn’t have the correct “fall” to allow proper drainage or appropriately placed “drain-down” taps to facilitate draining. Re-piping drain pipes is sometimes necessary to introduce downward angles to allow thorough draining from gravity, or compressors may be used to force water from pipes, which can be less effective than re-piping and adding drain-downs.

Why? Because a split pipe can present a very significant and costly problem that is particularly difficult to handle if the owner lives hours away. 

Yearly Cottage Plumbing Maintenance Checks

Some cottages can be well over 50 years old, and while this can offer a quaint ambiance, the truth of the matter is that a number of plumbing problems could be present. For example, low water pressure can be a sign that the existing galvanized pipes have narrowed and corroded.

Even minor leaks can wreak havoc on walls, and exterior roots can invade a pipe leading to an outside septic tank. It’s therefore wise to perform a yearly check with the help of a qualified professional to correctly detect and diagnose such issues.

Cottage plumbing moves in the winter, inside and outside. With temperature fluctuations, freeze/thaw, animals looking to crawl around and even make nests for the winter, sometimes pipe connections can become loose. When spring come, its very important to check visually all pipe connections you can see before turning on any water source.

Opening the Cottage

When opening your cottage back up, the mains will need to be turned back on, and the water should be allowed to run for approximately 10 minutes before being used. Make sure you walk around and check for any leaks at this time. Flushing the pipes will help to flush out any impurities that may have gathered within the pipes. If you do not have a filtration system in place, talk to us about how easy it would be to drink your tap water at the cottage – safely. Think about not ever again buying cases or huge jugs of bottled water – being a part of the #saynotoplastic movement and saving our planet from plastic waste.

If the colour of the water is not clear or if a great deal of rust seems to be present, there could be an internal issue. This is yet another occasion that dictates the need for a well trained, experienced licensed plumber, like the pros at Harris Plumbing.

Note: Do-it-yourself strategies are only likely to make things worse in the long run.

Contact The Cottage Plumbing Professionals

Local companies that offer expert cottage plumbing services can tackle these and a multitude of other issues. Much as with any other home-based maintenance service, a bit of prevention can go a long way regarding protecting such a valuable investment, as well as protecting our lakes and rivers and the birds and animals who’s lives depend on their good health.

Making certain that all plumbing is functioning properly, the Aurora, Newmarket, and Muskoka plumbing teams at Harris Plumbing will alleviate any seasonally based concerns that your home or your cottage may face. We offer cottage opening and closing services as well as re-piping, pump repair and replacement, pressure tanks, fixture upgrades inside, water filtration and hot water solutions.