Order matters: air first, then water, cleaning last
The first job when you walk in is not to start cleaning, but to open every window and air the house. Cleaning done before the heavy air and damp of a closed house has cleared leaves surfaces wet and lengthens drying time.
While the airing continues, the water and electricity are turned on. That way, by the time you get to cleaning, the hot water is ready and any leaks have already shown themselves.
Turning the water on: open slowly, then listen
Opening the mains valve fully in one go puts a sudden pressure load on pipework that has stood empty all winter. The valve is opened slowly and the system is left alone for a few minutes. A continuous flow sound means a tap left open somewhere, or a leak.
Then every tap is opened in turn to run off the standing water and sediment in the line. The first water being cloudy is normal; it should clear within a few minutes.
The opening list
The order we follow in the field:
- Every window is opened and the house aired for 30 minutes
- Shutters and roller blinds are opened and the exterior is checked
- The mains valve is opened slowly, the system is listened to, taps are run off
- Circuits are switched on and the residual current device is tested
- The fridge is cleaned and started (wait 4 hours before filling it)
- The water heater/boiler is started and the pressure checked
- Air conditioning filters are cleaned and the units tested
- Dust covers are removed, dusting and vacuuming carried out
- Bathroom and kitchen disinfection, drains cleared
- Beds are made up and textiles aired
- The garden irrigation line is tested
The three problems found most often at opening
In the houses we open up, the three findings we meet most often are: odour from heavily dusted air conditioning filters, drain smells from dried-out traps, and limescale blockages in the drip irrigation line. All three are largely preventable if the winterising was done properly.