I've never run the system, but I am 100% positive that the system has been well maintained and that the anti corrosion protocols have been observed throughout the life of the system. We were fortunate enough to purchase this home from the original owner, who also built most of the house himself. He is a commercial pilot and a former fighter pilot. As such, preventative maintenance, frequent inspection and proper labeling of everything is the theme of systems of the entire house.
I was told by a furnace technician who was servicing our oil burner's, and has a wood furnace, that I should just unplug the pump power from the panel (at least I thing that's what the plug is), wait until the water temp is up to about 180 and plug it in. Sounds simple, but I wanted other input. The water from one system (I assume the garage apartment) circulates out into the boiler to keep it from freezing (if I understand it correctly), so it should be warmed up to be good to go. I further assume that when I put the valves in the crawlspace into their proper position for wood heating, that the circulation system now opens up for both buildings.