Winterize your plumbing system before heading back home for the season
Protecting outdoor pipes from freezing starts with proper insulation using polyurethane or fiberglass pipe wrap, plus sealing exterior cracks with caulk and spray foam.
Emergency plumbers cost $100 to $500 per hour, so addressing frozen pipe risks before leaving your vacation home helps you avoid expensive emergency repairs.
You can winterize your plumbing by shutting off the main water valve, draining all taps and toilets, and adding plumbing antifreeze to fixtures and drains.
Hiring a local plumbing professional provides peace of mind through complete system inspections, compressed air pipe draining, and early detection of problems before winter damage occurs.
Vacation homes and cabins are typically bastions of peace and tranquility, places where you and your family can fish, swim, and simply have a good time. However, nothing wrecks a pleasant weekend like discovering your plumbing pipes burst while the house remained vacant during the winter months. Not only do burst pipes foul up the whole system, putting the kibosh on running water, but they lead to flooded basements, structural damage, shorts in the electrical system, and mold growth.
To combat this, make sure you properly winterize your vacation home before leaving for the winter. Here are eight tips for how to keep pipes from freezing when you’re out of town.
In most scenarios, your first step is to find the main water shut-off valve. This valve resides near your water heater tank or somewhere in the basement. Look for a ring-shaped valve, called the gate valve, or a lever, called a ball valve. Turn off a gate valve by turning it to the right and disarm a ball valve by turning it perpendicular to the pipe.
As for draining the pipes, turn on all of your taps and allow them to drain completely. Flush all of the toilets throughout the vacation home until they also drain completely.
Two notes here: Do not turn off the valve connected to any fire-related sprinkler system to protect your property in the event of a fire. Also, it is not possible to fully drain all plumbing systems, especially if your home resides on an upward slope. If the system won’t drain completely, skip this step and head on to the next.
If your plumbing system cannot drain completely, don’t lose hope—you’ll just spend a bit of cash on utilities. Keep a faucet or two running at a low, constant drip. This drip helps lubricate the pipes and prevents pipes from freezing when you’re on vacation.
Additionally, let the heat run throughout the winter months at a low temperature of around 55 degrees Fahrenheit; most pipes will freeze at temperatures below 20 degrees after six to eight hours. Open the sink cabinets and any other entrances that lead to plumbing pipes. This step will help to keep them warm. Your utility bill will take a hit, but it’s less expensive than burst pipes.
Pick up some plumbing-specific antifreeze. This is a slightly different formulation from the stuff you put in your car, as it is non-toxic and specifically designed for plumbing systems. Look for plumbing antifreeze or RV antifreeze.
Once you have the right stuff, pour some in the toilet bowls, the toilet tanks, the sinks, and even the bathtubs. Applying a bit of antifreeze eliminates any chance of your bathroom fixtures undergoing multiple freeze/thaw cycles, which protects the integrity of the porcelain and related materials.
Insulation is your best friend when it comes to protecting your vacation home from burst plumbing pipes. Your hardware or plumbing supply store should stock everything you need for pipe insulation and related protection.
Wrap all exterior pipes and pipes in unheated areas of your vacation home with polyurethane or fiberglass pipe insulation. Use spray foam insulation to fill in the gaps around outdoor spigots. Before insulating your faucets, make sure you turn off or remove any backflow prevention devices.
While you are at it, fill in any obvious cracks on the home’s exterior with caulk and seal your windows. This step goes double for any basement-adjacent windows, garage doors, and utility doors. The point here is to keep the interior of your home as warm as possible, within reason, to keep the pipes snug as a bug. When in doubt, contact a local insulation pro for a consultation.
Drain and unplug any appliances in your cabin or vacation home that use water, including washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters, coffee machines, and more. Disconnect and drain your washing machine hoses, ice maker water line, and dishwasher's supply and drain lines.
If you are unsure of the steps to take, follow the manufacturer's instructions, as the process varies according to each appliance type and each individual make and model.
Take some time to winterize your outdoor plumbing as well. Drain the outdoor faucet, shut off the valve, and allow any excess water to trickle out. Purchase outdoor faucet covers at your local hardware store and apply them before you leave town for the winter. Remove and store any attached hoses and cover the backflow preventer with a towel or blanket. This backflow preventer is a pipe located somewhere on your property, typically near the water meter or irrigation system.
If you’re going to be gone for more than a few days—which you probably are if you’re leaving a vacation home—it’s a good idea to have someone come to check in on your home. Asking a family member, friend, or neighbor to keep an eye on things and look out for signs of frozen pipes is a good way to stay ahead of a costly repair.
It’s ideal if they can check on your house every day or every other day and make sure the heat stays on and the faucets are dripping.
Before you head back to regular non-vacation life, hire a local plumber for a quick inspection of your system. They’ll go over your plumbing system with a fine-toothed comb, checking out the pipes, the sump pump, the outdoor fixtures, and any other component that could break down or corrode during the winter months, even if you have your water turned off.
These plumbing inspections include multiple steps, as experts check on outdoor caulking, window seals, and more. They’ll even blow compressed air through your pipes to ensure proper drainage. A simple plumbing inspection costs around $200 and pays for itself if the contractor catches a problem early.
If you find out that your pipes are frozen, it’s best to contact a pro so they can determine how much damage the freezing has done to your pipe. You can try to defrost a drain pipe yourself with a space heater, a hairdryer, or by pouring hot water into the drain. However, if you notice the pipes are cracked from water freezing or notice any leakage, you’ll need an emergency plumber to fix the issue ASAP. Emergency plumbers can cost $100 to $500 per hour.
Positive experience. As previously stated, the replacement/repair could not be completed (no fault of the plumbing tech) b/c misinformation was rec?d by property management maintenance. Thanks to the plumbing tech for your efforts. Appreciate you!
The WaterworksIf you want to pay the most exorbitant prices possible for your job, this is the company for you. “By the job” pricing is a rip-off, at least how these people use it. Every job is plugged into a category and prices are set by category. You might have a job that takes half an hour or one that...
Benjamin Franklin PlumbingCole has been handling plumbing and general contracting for our four properties over the past three years, and he’s always done a great job. Most recently, he installed a sink and countertop in our retail store where none existed before, and it turned out exactly how we needed. He’s...
ANB Renovations LLCMatt is a consummate professional. The work turned out to be far more difficult than expected and rather than turn the job down, Matt rose to the occasion and completed a near impossible task. I can not recommend Greene's Plumbing Service more highly. On a scale of 1-5 I would give Matt a...
Greene's Plumbing ServiceInvolved an extensive bathroom remodel, including removing tub & installing walk in shower, new drywall, custome tile work to ceiling, plumbing, etc. Overall, job was done on time and on budget. Nick & his team were very professional and had high attention to detail. Quality was great. Highly...
Stamos Flooring and Remodeling LLCAwesome company. Had a jacuzzi tub taken out and replaced with huge walk in shower with partial glass enclosure. Onyx to the ceiling with a decorative border, moved plumbing and installed hand held shower, new ceiling, flooring, and paint. Replaced window with glass block. Everything was done...
Columbus Bath DesignThe initial quoted price from a walk-through seemed high, but we discussed that the quote represented worst case scenario (re-wiring to two floors) and we were excited about the opportunity to have the work done in a timely manner with closing for fire safety reasons, etc. When the job was...
Initially, I called the Service People to have a leaking garbage disposal replaced. I had purchased a special deal through Angie's List: $79 for $200-worth of plumbing services. <br /> When I went to schedule the work, the earliest date I could get through Angie's List was after the upcoming...
This company did a very good job on the brick wall and it looks just amazing. The staff was always professional and was practically OCD on how the bricks were stacked and how they were laid. Although it took longer than expected, I am willing to sacrifice time over perfection anyday. The...
My Handy Mate LLC Improvement & Remodeling<p>I am so glad we called Rotor-Rooter. I was hesitant to call them because we usually prefer to give business to local providers. But when we had sewage back up in our basement on a Saturday evening, I had a hard time getting a hold of someone, not to mention the high weekend/evening rate...
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water CleanupFrom average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Knowing how to protect pipes during cooler months is important to keep them from bursting. Check our tips to winterize pipes and keep your home safe.
Plumbing problems can lead to costly damage to your home, and they occur most often during winter. Use this guide to protect your home and wallet from winter plumbing problems.
Getting a home plumbing inspection is essential maintenance and one of the most important aspects of the process of selling your home. These are the key plumbing features that you should be sure are addressed during your next inspection.
Our ultimate winter home maintenance checklist explains exactly what you need to do to prepare your home for cold weather conditions.
The last thing you want when you return from a trip is a flooded home. Here are four primary reasons to shut your water off when you’re on vacation.
Preparing your home for a holiday vacation? Before traveling, take care of these crucial tasks around the house so you can enjoy your time away stress-free.
