winterizing

Our 800 sq. ft. log-and-frame cabin two hours outside of Whitehorse was never designed to be lived in from November to March. In our first winter, plummeting temperatures and frozen pipes regularly set us scrambling for every space heater, hair dryer, and heating blanket we could get our hands on. On -30°C mornings, I opened the kitchen faucet with trepidation. Would there be water? Showers? Coffee? The rest of the day hung in the balance.

We’re hardly alone in our struggles with fair-weather plumbing. A growing number of cottagers are embracing the colder months. Some are attempting to stretch their three-season water systems into four. Others, conceding to Mother Nature, are taking a rustic and more old-fashioned approach (e.g., drilling a hole in the ice or melting snow).

Choosing the best option for you comes down to budget, how often you visit the cottage, the conveniences you want while you’re there, and how literally you care to interpret the Zen proverb “chop wood, carry water.”

The four-season system

If your ice-auguring days are behind you and you don’t mind paying to keep the cottage heated all winter, upgrading to a four-season system may be well worth the investment—especially if you’re planning to retire to the cottage, or live there part- or full-time (as we did).

The goal is to freeze-proof each stage of the water’s journey, from intake to kitchen sink to septic tank. Simple though this may sound, there are many factors to account for, including the distance from the water source to the cottage, the soil depth, and whether you’re retrofitting or installing new pipe. Your best bet is to contact an expert early on, before you make any decisions.

How to repair heating cable

My husband and I found that out the hard way, purchasing an off-the-shelf heating cable kit at the hardware store. He spent hours crawling around in a dusty crawl space, running it along a pipe through several floor joists. Had we bought a different style of heating cable, we could have saved ourselves hours of installation time.

A company that specializes in winter-proof systems should be able to help you think through the overall design and navigate the vast array of application-specific products.

Protect your intake

Choose a location in the lake where your water intake will sit below the ice and won’t freeze. On most lakes in southern and central Ontario, this means 1.5–2 meters below the water level and 30 cm above the lake bottom to avoid sediment. If you’re new to an area, ask your neighbours about the typical ice thickness on your lake.

Don’t use a concrete block to weigh down the pipe. “Blocks can be sharp and chafe the pipe,” said Lorne Heise, the founder and CEO of Heat-Line, a company that specializes in freeze-protection systems. Alternative plumber-approved options include a shore or lake-bottom rock, or concrete, pre-set in a form. You can protect the pipe—from wave action and ice floes, for example—by running it inside a sacrificial conduit (i.e., a pipe with a larger diameter).

Cottage Q&A: How can we prevent our water supply from freezing?

Time to dig in

“Atmosphere is the harshest environment,” says Heise. “It can go to 40 below with wind chill.” Your first line of defense is to run pipe below the frost line. Usually, this means burying the pipe (1.3-2 metres deep in central and southern Ontario). While material costs may be as cheap as dirt, you’ll likely have to rent an excavator to the tune of at least $250 per day.

Turn up the heat

If you can’t dig below the frost line, you can use heating cable to keep your water and sewage lines ice-free. Self-regulating heating cable emits heat along its length and can automatically adjust its output to compensate for differing temperatures along the pipe.

For those retrofitting an existing system, in-pipe heating cable can be run inside a water pipe. “You can, in some cases, push them in 100 to 150 feet,” says Heise. While pricing varies, 100 feet of potable in-pipe cable with a thermostat can cost up to $2,300 in materials (plus separate installation costs—this varies).

On-pipe heating cable is attached to the outside of the pipe and costs half as much as in-pipe systems. It’s not immersed in water and doesn’t have to meet potability standards. So, there’s a cash savings: 100-feet of on-line heat tape with a thermostat would cost approximately $1,300. While less expensive, it’s not a great option for retrofitting underground lines (as you would have to dig them up in order to install the heating cable on the pipe). Yes, using any kind of heating cable will increase your power bill. However, you can reduce its energy usage by insulating the pipe (more on that below).

It’s possible to find further efficiency by putting the cable on a thermostat or timer. A self-regulating heating cable can adjust its temperature but not turn itself off completely and is therefore always consuming power while turned on. A thermostat or timer can turn the product on and off while maintaining pipe temperature; one hundred feet of properly installed and insulated heating cable could add less than $50 (at 14 cents per KWH) to your winter monthly bills.

15 cottage repairs to make before winter sets in

Insulate

Insulation is a powerful ally in your battle against the elements. “The minute we insulate the pipes, the efficiency of our heating cable is up to 80 per cent better,” says Heise. Above ground, Heise often recommends self-sealing closed-cell polyethylene foam sleeves, also known as insulated wrap, with a minimum ¾” wall. “They just look like a pool noodle that kids play with,” he says, “except that they’re black and they’ve got a bore in them.” They can be found at hardware stores or online in 6-foot lengths. To help protect the works from nibbling critters and errant off-roaders, one option is to slide the pipe and insulation into a 10-cm corrugated poly drain pipe.

In the ground, you can add insulation to the above-mentioned assembly by cutting blocks of closed-cell extruded polystyrene insulation and laying them on the top and sides of the drainpipe. Not all heating cable systems can be insulated, says Heise—something to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for heating cable options.

Can’t bury the line? Limited power? Use gravity

The options above might be impractical for a cottage that’s on rocky ground (where it’s impossible to bury line) or off-grid (with limited means to power long runs of heating cable). An alternative is to use a drain-back system, which relies on gravity to drain the supply line before water can freeze in it.

Drain-back systems use a submersible pump to push water up to the cottage. Once the indoor pressure tank is full, the pump shuts off and the supply line drains back to the lake, well, or river. While simple in theory, improvised DIY versions often run into issues with air shooting through the faucets or back-spinning the pump (which risks motor damage).

In the mid-1990s, cottager Adam Soszka ironed out these wrinkles and perfected a self-draining system at his family cottage on Fairholme Lake, Ont. He went on to build a successful business around it. “We have a patented valve assembly which my father invented,” says Mark Soszka, Adam’s son and the owner of Cottage Water Supply. “The valve facilitates draining the line down to the lake without back-spinning the pump, and with a good amount of speed.” The Cottage Water Supply system also includes an inline check valve in front of the water tank to maintain water pressure inside the building and an air release valve that automatically allows air in and out of the system. “A proper system should not get any air in your plumbing,” says Soszka.

Cottage Water Supply, one of the few companies that specializes in these systems, sells DIY drain-back packages in the range of $3,500-$5,000 (including the pump, pressure tank, pipe, heating cable, and various fittings).

Over time, we’ve learned our home’s ice-forming idiosyncrasies, sourced out her cold spots, and added insulation and heating cable. In our view, it’s been well worth the time and money. Rather than waking up panicked on frosty mornings, we take a shower, brew a coffee, and welcome the crystalline air and blue skies that come with a cold snap.

Q: “Last year I winterized my cottage—which was a big job but seemed sensible at the time. Then winter rolled around, and I only went up for one weekend. I feel like I’ve just wasted a whole bunch of money on something I won’t use. Was I wrong to winterize? Everyone said it was the best way to go.”

A: I know it’s hard for many people to imagine, but there once was a period in history when having a year-round cottage with all the mod cons of home was the exception, not the rule. Back then, cottages were mostly for warm weather use, and in the fall—usually on Thanksgiving weekend—the pump got drained, and shutters were hung for another long winter. That, of course, was ancient history. Today, it seems like seasonal cottagers are pretty much a minority.

Usually, when cottagers take the year-round leap, it’s because they are true winter lovers who want to get as much enjoyment out of the place as humanly possible. You know, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing through the ice. Wineskins and raclette. That sort of thing. These folks come up every weekend and even do family holidays at the lake. For others, their primary motivation is to one day move to the lake and live there year round, a transition that many retirees attempt with varied levels of success. In both scenarios there is a degree of passion and careful planning involved, neither of which I’m seeing in your situation. Even considering factors like bad weather, hockey tournaments, dance classes, and doctor’s appointments, if you only managed to visit your newly upgraded cottage-home for just one weekend all winter then it might be time to admit that year-round cottaging is just not your bag.

From the sound of it, you have been railroaded into this expensive action by an outside influence. Did a real estate agent offer you some advice about “resale,” perchance? They often use the word like a whip. That’s why so many people have multiple unused guest bedrooms, tempered glass deck railings, and sprawling acreages of “one-floor living.” Or were you perhaps swayed by a close friend or relative who loves to spend time at your cottage? You know, the lump who is there every weekend but doesn’t contribute a single red cent toward upkeep, maintenance, or an expensive renovation? Alternatively, God forbid, have you been talking to your lake neighbours? This can be dangerous. You might get solid advice about February living. Or you might be seen as a source of companionship for the retired marketing executive next door who has gone batty from the romantic solitude of full-time winter at the cottage. Misery loves company.

Special considerations for insuring winterized cottages

I don’t want to play Debbie Downer here, but while you may have just flushed away a large bowl of money doing your renovation, there is another loud sucking sound that has yet to come your way. Because you’ll want to keep the heat on so the pipes don’t freeze. You’ll also need to hire a friendly plow truck lady to keep your lane clear for the fire department. The more it snows, the more you pay. And be prepared: your taxes may go up. So while you sit at home not using your cottage, it is gorging itself on vast amounts of your money like a beautiful, fully insulated deer tick.

What’s more, Murphy’s Law dictates that because you made a specific effort to fortify your cottage against winter perils, something bad and expensive will surely happen in the first few years. Like a ruffed grouse going kamikaze through the picture window in the great room. Or a family of flying squirrels occupying the guest bedroom. Maybe the backup generator won’t run. Or maybe the backup generator won’t stop, gobbling up all the propane so the furnace can’t fire and the pipes freeze solid. Which means indoor flooding come spring. Thinking about this stuff can cause worry and stress, stress that you didn’t know that you’d feel until you winterized. Did you remember to close the window in the upstairs bathroom after your last visit? Sure, lots of people with year-round access use their cottages as regularly as possible in the winter. But there are a whole bunch more I only see once or twice, who are just coming up “to check on the place” to ease their nerves.

4 ways a cottager keeps the spirit alive after closing up

But there is hope for you yet, and the solution is simple. Go to your cottage and start using it—not just in the winter, but also in the most inhospitable bits of time in spring and fall. The place is all set up for you to enjoy, after all. The only way you can know if year-rounding is right for you is to work at it a bit. And apart from actually getting better value for your cottage dollar, you might learn how great it feels to be up on the lake when conditions are less than perfect. (Or, flip side, you might discover how much you hate it.) I love the off-seasons because there are fewer other cottagers around. Which is great if you enjoy silence and solitude, but not so good if you need constant company and stimulation. Will you feel isolated? I can’t really say, but you could always hang out with your neighbour, the lonely executive, and play some two-handed euchre. Just give it a try.

Winter activities for your whole family

But let’s say your winterized experiment is an abject failure because of some small detail. Like the fact that you hate cold weather. Fear not. Because if those realtors are right, hordes of buyers will fight for a chance to buy your cozy and convenient cottage, open for business 365 days a year. Which would be a perfect opportunity for you to become an old-school cottager with a strictly seasonal hacienda. When autumn comes around, you can drain the plumbing and board the place up. Remember to flip the main breaker and suspend your phone service till next year. Come winter, rather than worry, you can have happy dreams about the place. Home to summer fun and only one big turkey dinner.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2019 issue of Cottage Life magazine.