If you live in any area of Canada or the United States that experiences freezing temperatures, you will need to take your spin out filter out of service for the winter season. If you have a spin out filter installed outdoors or in any building that will not be heated for the winter months, like at your summer cottage or in an unheated irrigation pumphouse, you will need to follow these step-by-step instructions to winterize your spin out filter housing.
You would spend time getting your house cold-weather ready in obvious ways like draining and removing your hoses from wall hydrants and outdoor faucets, or servicing your snowblower and pulling out your shovels, but preparing your plumbing system for winter is another step you should add to your list.
You will need to fully drain all the water from your filter. Damage to your water sediment filter or other treatment systems can occur in cold conditions due to the expansion of frozen water when it’s exposed to freezing temperatures.
If you want to prevent damage to your plumbing system in an unheated building, you must winterize the entire plumbing system. You can do this by draining the water lines and pressure tank, as well as all appliances such as softeners, iron filters, UV, or RO water treatment systems and sediment/taste and odour filter housings. It is important to ensure that all the water is drained from the system.
1. Shut off water supply
First thing you need to do is close the inlet shutoff valve supplying the unheated building where the filter is installed.
2. Open faucets
Next, be sure to open all of the faucets and let the water drain out of the low point drain valve. The low point drain valve is a valve that is installed at the lowest point in the piping system, so that it is sure to drain out all of the water in the plumbing system by gravity. The purpose of opening the other valves is so that air can enter, preventing an air lock which could prevent proper drainage.
3. Drain the filter housing bowl
Option 1 - You can use the purge valve to the drain the filter unit. Place a bucket under it and open the drain valve to empty the filter bowl. You can leave it in the half open position to allow any remaining water to drain out. If there is a worry that insects might get into your housing over the winter, you can place a plastic bag and an elastic around the bottom of the housing to ensure water can still drain out, but nothing can get inside the housing.
IMPORTANT: If there is no low point drain or sections of pipe that are lower than the low point drain, it may be necessary to blow out the piping using compressed air to blow residual water out of the lines. WARNING! Only someone trained to use compressed air should do this. Never pressurize the system with compressed air.
Option 2 – You can remove the filter bowl and element. It is good practice to take the opportunity to clean the filter. (See cleaning instructions below in this article.) You can remove the bowl by turning counter-clockwise, and the element by pulling downwards.
We recommend that you store the element indoors in a dry place. This will prevent the growth of bacteria.
Remove the O-rings from the filter bowl and the filter element and set aside until Step 3.
2. Clean the Filter Housing & Element
To clean the filter housing use warm, soapy water and a brush. Or you can opt to wash using a sanitizing solution. To prepare a sanitizing solution use 1 gallon of clean water in a clean bucket and add 1/3 teaspoon of unscented household bleach to the water.
Tip: You can submerse the filter bowl and element in a bucket of the sanitizing solution for 30 minutes to provide sufficient contact time.
Rinse the interior/exterior of the filter and element with water and vinegar solution.
CAUTION: When putting the filter back into service it is best practice to flush the filter to ensure any remaining sanitizer is eliminated.
After reassembly, open the nearest downstream valve, then open the supply valve on the inlet side to allow water to flow into the filter and out the open faucet to drain for approximately 5 minutes.
3.Inspect and service the O-ring
Clean the O-rings with a clean rag, inspect the O-rings for cracks, nicks or flattening. If any visual damage the O-rings must be replaced. Then, lightly coat the O-rings with a silicone lubricant, use an NSF 61 certified silicone lubricant if the filter is used in a potable water application, before reinstalling to ensure a proper seal and easier removal in the future. Some manufacturers recommend changing the O-rings each year; however, we have found that not to be necessary. We do suggest that you always keep a replacement O-ring kit on hand.
4.Reassemble
Reinstall the filter element O-ring and install the element by pushing it upwards into the filter head. Install the larger O-ring on the filter bowl, then install the filter bowl by turning clockwise to thread into the filter body. Hand tight only. Do not over tighten.
Now you know how to properly winterize your filter housing. By following these simple steps, your housing will be protected during the winter months.