Nothing beats having a peaceful spot nestled on a green mountain slope or tucked away in the woods. As fall winds down, you start to clean up the house, stuff things in storage and lock up your vacation home until next season — but as you pull out of the drive you wonder if there was something you forgot to do before leaving. An important step all vacation homeowners must take before the winter season is to prepare the home’s plumbing, heating and gas for the long, cold winter ahead.
Without winterizing your plumbing system, the pipes can freeze and burst, causing significant damage to your pipes and flooding your vacation home. The worst part is you might not even realize it happened until you open the doors next spring. By learning how to properly winterize your vacation home’s plumbing, you can protect the integrity of the system and prevent your relaxing getaway from becoming a chore.
Winter Plumbing Tips
Burst plumbing is one of the most pressing worries vacation homeowners fear when unlocking their property’s door for the first time after the winter season. While many homeowners assume burst plumbing and other common winter weather damages can only happen to houses located deep in mountainous, cold terrain, burst pipes can also happen in more temperate climates. When the outside temperature dips unexpectedly and the indoor thermostat is set too low, pipes that weren’t properly winterized will quickly freeze, burst and spew water everywhere.
Make sure to winterize your vacation home’s plumbing with these plumbing maintenance tips:
- Turn off the main water supply to the house.
- Once the water is shut off, drain all water from faucets and fixtures.
- Pour RV antifreeze down drains and in toilets to eliminate any standing water in the pipes.
- Cover all toilets with plastic wrap to prevent sewer gasses from seeping back into the house.
- Shut off the gas and water supplying the hot water heater, then attach a hose to the drain valve to drain any remaining stored water.
- Winterize any plumbing fixtures on the exterior of the house — disconnect and drain all water hoses and water spigots.
- Prevent frozen pipes by insulating any exposed plumbing found in basements, crawl spaces and along exterior walls.
Before leaving your vacation home for the year, set your thermostat to a temperature low enough that you aren’t wasting energy while the property is empty, but high enough that it will prevent indoor fixtures from freezing — 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit is considered an ideal temperature while you’re away.
For Help Winterizing Your Vacation Home’s Plumbing, Call Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Greater Syracuse
Don’t jeopardize the condition and comfort of your vacation home by skipping proper winter plumbing maintenance. Contact the plumbing experts at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Greater Syracuse when you need help completing winterization tasks. We’re the most experienced and helpful local plumbing professionals in the greater Syracuse, NY, area.
Our team is committed to providing comprehensive plumbing services to maintain the quality and comfort of your home. We pride ourselves on offering affordable and personalized winterization and residential plumbing services — that’s why we offer free plumbing checkups and 24-hour emergency response.
