We let the house freeze when we travel during the winter months to save power while we're away. We do this by removing all water or items that will be damaged by freezing from the first floor and storing them in the basement while we are away. This includes the shower pump, Berkey filters, and foods that can't freeze. We empty the water tank that is connected to the wood stove by following these steps:
1. Allow stove to cool completely.
2. Remove water from the water tank by using the spigot.
3. Once the water is below the bottom pipe that connects to the wood stove, you are ready to disconnect the pipes from the back of the water tank.
4. Use pliars to disconnect each pipe from the back of the water tank. Use a bin to catch the water as you lower the pipe to gravity feed out the water from the water jacket. Discard the drained water.
5. You can reconnect the pipes now or when you return home. Remember you cannot make a fire until the pipes are connected to the water tank and it has been filled with water before making a fire.
6. When we return home we reverse the steps to re-hybernate the home.