Thread: How Do I Prep a House for an Extended Vacation ?

I'm going to be moving to an apartment for a year or so and I want to prep my house to survive, particularly through the winter. So do I shut the water off? Do I leave the water on and keep the thermostat at 60 degrees, 50 degrees, 40 degrees? I've heard arguments for all three temps.

So I could shut off the gas/heat and electric too.

What's the best plan?

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I'm going to be moving to an apartment for a year or so and I want to prep my house to survive, particularly through the winter. So do I shut the water off? Do I leave the water on and keep the thermostat at 60 degrees, 50 degrees, 40 degrees? I've heard arguments for all three temps.

So I could shut off the gas/heat and electric too.

What's the best plan?

You absolutely positively want the water turned off. You also should open the taps and allow as much of the water as possible to drain out of the pipes from a low point in the house. If no one is going to be living in the house, there's no point paying the water bill every month. Regardless of that, you want the water turned off anyway, because if the heating fails and your water is on and your pipes burst, you could have flat out tons of ice formed in your house by the time anyone discovers it. I've seen stalactites of ice formed in a house and it ain't pretty.

As far as an appropriate temperature, I'm not as sure (at all) about that. If the water is off and drained, I'm not sure that you would need to have the heat on at all.

By all means do as Ron has suggested, turn the water supply off, open the taps and drain the system. If you choose to leave the water on DO NOT LOWER the temp less than 40-45 degrees. The furnace will shut off at whatever point it is set and cool from there until it kicks on again.

Also, pour a 50/50 mix of antifreeze & water into every trap, including the toilet *and* the washing machine tub (if you have one).

Originally Posted by Morty

Also, pour a 50/50 mix of antifreeze & water into every trap, including the toilet *and* the washing machine tub (if you have one).

If you do this, use the RV type.

Agreed on the water, and the heat. In my experience, heat is necessary to prevent frost from potentially damaging the footings and foundation. At least in Canada, protecting the foundation from frost is vital, though I'm not sure if this is an issue with a house in Virginia.

As a matter of interest what kind of winter temperatures are you expecting.

I'm an estate agent (realtor) in the UK and generally the empty houses here are just drained down i.e. the heating system, tanks, toilet cisterns etc are emptied of water and the main water supply turned off, but then again wher I am -10C (14F) is about as extreme as it gets and that's not every year!

Good call on the traps/drains. I forgot about them. Though they are less likely to freeze, the cost for a little anti-freeze is trivial compared to the risk.

I'd say close the water supply, drain all piping and reservoirs, and leave the taps open. As for heat, Just make sure that it is warm enough that no place in your house starts freesing from the inside. Because frost will cause damage to your house, even if you can't always see it.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

By all means do as Ron has suggested, turn the water supply off, open the taps and drain the system. If you choose to leave the water on DO NOT LOWER the temp less than 40-45 degrees. The furnace will shut off at whatever point it is set and cool from there until it kicks on again.

We need to know a bit more.

The hot water heater is at risk if you shut off the water.
and forget to shut the burner off.

Same for the house furnace. Is the furnace hot air
only or a combo furnace.

Same for standing water in the tank behind the toilet.

Some houses have a second story water tank
to maintain pressure.

If you dial the heat in the house too low you risk
frozen pipes in the walls. Many houses run at a
balance point where leaked heat protects things
like outside taps. For this reason 40-45F is often
way too low. I would set it back only a little more
than then you have already tested it last winter.
My guess is 60F.

If you have a neighbor you trust make sure mail is
collected. The drive and walk cleared of snow
(clearing snow can be a legal obligation in some
towns. While they are at it have then walk through
run some water and flush once... on a weekly basis.

Drain traps (that U shaped bit of pipe) to the sink, shower,
bath etc should not be permitted to dry out. Sewer gas stinks and
might even be flammable.

If you blow the water pipes dry you still need to heat
the house so the foundation does not freeze.

Some summer homes in places like Minnesota are commonly
shut down cold but they fully drain tanks and fill traps with anti freeze and
have other things done in the design and building
construction to make it possible.

AF is poison so it should only go into drains. Not
house plumbing or the hot water heater. It may be illegal
to flush it down a city drain. I forget how bad it is on
a septic system.

You could rent it...