Winterizing Your Spin-Out Filter Housing

Step-by-step instructions on how to winterize your spin-down filter housings.

You will need to fully drain all the water from your filter. - Damage to your water sediment filter and other treatment systems in cold conditions will occur due to the expansion of frozen water if exposed to freezing temperatures. To prevent damage, you must winterize the entire plumbing system, by draining the water lines and all appliances such as softeners, iron filters, UV, or RO water treatment systems and and sediment / taste and odour filter housings. Making sure that all the water is drained from the system.

 

Winterizing Steps (step-by-step)

 

1. Shut off feed water
Close the upstream (inlet) shutoff valve supplying the filter.

 

2. Open faucets
Open all the faucets and let the water drain out.

 

3. Open the housing drain (if equipped)
Use the purge valve to drain the unit. Place a bucket under it and open the drain to let the housing empty. Leave in the half open position to allow for remaining water to drain. If there is a worry that bugs may get into your housing over the winter, place a plastic bag and an elastic around the bottom of the housing to ensure water can still drain out, but nothing will get in.

 

4. Remove the filter element and drain remaining water
It is best practice to remove the element, but is not absolutely necessary. To do so, carefully remove the element and allow the housing to drain into the bucket. Dispose of or store the cartridge..

 

5. Store or remove the element

• • Recommended: Remove the element and store it indoors in a dry place. This prevents freeze damage and microbial growth.
  • If leaving the element in place is unavoidable, be aware it may be damaged by freezing and will likely need replacement.

 

6. Drain and dry the housing
Clean the filter housings with warm, soapy water and a brush. Also clean inside the filter housing caps and rinse with clean water or water & vinegar solution. If you choose to sanitize , prepare a sanitizing solution using 1 gallon of clean water in a clean bucket. Add 1/3 teaspoon of unscented household bleach to the water, add 1 cup of this sanitizing solution to each filter housing sump (lower part).Connect housing sumps back together with caps sanitizing solution, but no cartridges. Open the shut-off valve and allow housings to fill with water. When water starts to flow out of the faucet, close the faucet. Allow water and bleach to contact the housings, lines, and faucet for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove filter housing sumps using procedure described above: shut-off valve, remove housings, and discard sanitizing solution to drain. Wipe the inside of the housing dry with clean rags. Tip the housing to ensure any pockets of water are emptied.

 

7. Inspect and service the O-ring
Remove the O-ring from the housing cap groove and inspect for cracks, nicks, or flattening. Replace any damaged O-ring. Lightly coat the O-ring with a food-grade silicone lubricant before reinstallation to ensure a proper seal and easier future removal. Some manufacturers recommend changing O-ring each year; however, we have not found this to be necessary. We do however suggest hat you always keep a replacement O-rings in the event that you do have deterioration over time or gets damage to not being properly installed in the groove.

 

8. Reassemble (without cartridge)
Reinstall the O-ring and screw the housing cap back on hand-tight. Do not over-tighten. If you removed the element for storage, leave the housing empty and sealed.

 

9. Optional — Blow out water
If the lines are exposed and at risk of freezing, use compressed air (low pressure) from a safe source to blow residual water out of the lines. Only personnel trained to use compressed air should perform this.