New snowbirds: winterizing your winter home

[kawac14]

It's November and the Flagstaff travel trailer is winterized. That was easy. We recently purchased a townhome in Florida for the winter months and are now considering winterizing our main residence in NJ for the 5 or 6 months that we will be avoiding the snow and cold up north. On previous shorter trips, we've just turned down the heat and left the house as is for the cold months. I've rigged a neat video camera that monitors the water meter and will give me an alert if any water is flowing. If a leak is detected, I could then summon a neighbor to turn the water off.



Our plumber/heating guy said that we should really consider winterizing the entire house so that if something happens to the boiler or an extended power outage causes things to freeze, we won't be headed for disaster. The plumber wanted $375 to winterize, and another $350 to unwinterize in the spring. This entails draining the boiler and all heat registers, hot water tank, water feed from the street, ice maker, dishwasher, etc., then blowing nitrogen into the lines and finally RV antifreeze into the traps. It would be a lot easier if we didn't have hot water baseboard heating. Apparently, the water has to be turned on for the boiler to work properly.



What a PITA compared to winterizing my travel trailer!


So my question is, what do all of you seasonal snowbirds do with your northern homes when you're gone for the winter months? I'm tempted to just turn down the heat to 50 degrees and keep an eye on my water monitor and thermostat via the internet.

 

[SeaDog-FRF]

I don't go south at this stage of my life but many of the folks around here do and they turn the heat down, turn the WH off and have their neighbors check the place every now and then. I think if I do go south thats what I will do. JMHO

 

[kenandterry]

I don't go south at this stage of my life but many of the folks around here do and they turn the heat down, turn the WH off and have their neighbors check the place every now and then. I think if I do go south thats what I will do. JMHO

That’s what we used to do also SeaDog.
Also…..the fine print in some house insurance insists that a human go inside and check things occasionally, so that something going wrong, doesn’t go wrong so long that it causes more damage than it should have. You know how insurance companies protect themselves from having to pay out.

 

[Chuck_S]

I'd winterize the house since you're gonna be at least a day away when something breaks or freezes. Price you list seems reasonable to me. Got family who can check on the house? Abandoned houses are prime targets for vandals and thieves too. Unexpected storm breaks a window or the roof, package deliveries, trash blowing thru the yard and on the front porch, un-shovelled drives and walks, no lights in the house all scream "free stuff" -- I'd want a trusty house checker.

-- Chuck

 

[5picker]

If I could find someone to do a full house winterization (as you described) for $375 I'd believe that to be VERY reasonable.

My concern though would be draining the boiler and having NO heat during the winter. We have way too much stuff (other than liquids) where freezing temperatures inside would be detrimental to those items.

 

[DougW9876]

We always just shut the place up, turned the heat down to 45deg, turned off anything not needed such as the water heater, fridge and such, turned the water off, released the pressure on the water then turned the water valve back on just far enough to get a trickle of water out of it. We left the water like that so there would be enough water pressure for the boiler to get water in if it needed it but if there was a pipe break there would be a very slow flow. Also my brother lived across the street and would go over and check the place now and then. Having someone to check the place is a real good thing.

 

[kawac14]

My concern though would be draining the boiler and having NO heat during the winter. We have way too much stuff (other than liquids) where freezing temperatures inside would be detrimental to those items.

I have the same concerns. I'd probably save the winterizing cost in gas by shutting down the boiler and not heating the house. But as you suggest, there are lots of other things that probably shouldn't freeze. Last winter we were out for 4 months, and I just kept an eye on the temperature (via cameras & thermostat) and didn't have a problem.

 

[kawac14]

We left the water like that so there would be enough water pressure for the boiler to get water in if it needed it but if there was a pipe break there would be a very slow flow.

Great idea. My boiler has a low water shutoff valve so the system will shut down if it needs water and can't get it. I've had the water off for 6 weeks in the summer, and it's never needed to use that cut-off. (The boiler also keeps the hot water tank heated, so it's in use all year long.) My camera/leak detector will alert me of even the smallest water flow--a few drips a minute. Moen makes a product called "Flo" that does the same thing, but lets you shut off the water remotely if there's a leak detected. That's pretty cool, but right now I'm counting on a neighbor who could come over and shut the water off if a leak occurs. They routinely check the house for us. I'm leaning towards not completely winterizing, because we're only an airline flight away, and could come back for a short visit during the cold months.

 

[a32deuce]

I don't go south at this stage of my life but many of the folks around here do and they turn the heat down, turn the WH off and have their neighbors check the place every now and then. I think if I do go south thats what I will do. JMHO

Thats what we do. Gas water heater on, water off and gas?generator the neighbor can use for reefer, etc.

 

[NXR]

Here's a thread on that: https://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/winterizing-house-before-leaving-for-the-winter-559113.html

My post on having someone check on our house: https://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/win...ving-for-the-winter-559113-2.html#post5968636

My post on insurance considerations: https://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/win...ving-for-the-winter-559113-3.html#post5968647

Since you said "5 to 6 months" you may have another consideration. Generally, generally, if you spend 183 days, consecutive or not, in a particular state you are considered a resident of that state for the purposes of their tax filings.

Some states require that you register your vehicle in their state if you're there for even a shorter period. Yes, a family member moved to VA and two months after they were there a state cop pulled them over and said they had gone past his car for over a month and they needed to change their registration.

My steps for a below-freezing trip but I do not have a boiler: https://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/win...ving-for-the-winter-559113-3.html#post5968653

If you have an Android phone, here are the electronic checklist files I created: https://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/win...ving-for-the-winter-559113-3.html#post5969731

HTH,

Ray

 

[Cold Lake Kid]

Freezing Weather

We live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where temperatures of -40 sometimes happen during the winter.
When we left for Florida on holidays, we simply shut off the water and opened the taps throughout the house, to allow them to drain the pipes and flushed the toilets.
If I didn't have someone checking the house every other day, (Insurance requirement on my policy) I would also pour some anti-freeze into the traps, sink and toilets.
But of all things, a regular visit by someone to check things out and timers turning lights off and on are on the top on our list.

 

[rjb16fq77]

An easy way to freeze proof your boiler is to use a good quality automotive antifreeze in the system to transfer the heat to the hot water tank and the radiators. Mix it the same as
you do for a car and pump it into your system. Make sure its good to -40. and you are good to go.We also monitor our house temps and use a leak monitor using wifi. I have a plumber an electrician and a heating guy on tap. If there is a problem I call and tell him where the hidden key is and please get right over and do the repair and make sure its all good. This has worked well for the last 16 years. Rob

 

[fishinfellow]

We are snowbirds for 5+ months a year. We have a security system, ours happens to be simpli safe, but plenty out there. For $25.00 per month I have temperature monitor, water detector on floor near boiler in case of a leak, fire/smoke detector and cameras. The system is set to warn me by email, text & phone call if any of my settings are compromised. Break in or fire reported directly to authorities. I check the house temp daily on my phone. Keep it set at 50 degrees, so if I notice it has dropped more than a few degrees I can call family or neighbor to see why. We have a generator that will start automatically if power fails. I just don't like the house freezing during the winter.

 

[MNtraveler]

I've rigged a neat video camera that monitors the water meter and will give me an alert if any water is flowing. If a leak is detected, I could then summon a neighbor to turn the water off.

Even if you don't winterize the house (see next comment), if you are gone and nobody is home, it is wise to turn off the water supply. That way if any leak happens the leak will be minimal. You will discover it when you return, but that's no worse - and most likely much less damage - that it happening when you are away and counting on the camera and a neighbor.

The plumber wanted $375 to winterize, and another $350 to unwinterize in the spring. This entails draining the boiler and all heat registers, hot water tank, water feed from the street, ice maker, dishwasher, etc., then blowing nitrogen into the lines and finally RV antifreeze into the traps.

If you let your house go cold by winterizing it and turning the heat off, you are risking damage to the walls. Shrinking and cracking wood and drywall can be the result. Obviously a lot of people winterize their summer cabins here in Minnesota, but cabins aren't built like most homes, especially modern homes. It would better protect your house to keep the temperature at no less than 55 and simply shut off the water.

 

[PenJoe]

To begin with, we installed our own hot water heating system on a previous home. My father-in-law had a masters plumbing degree from England and had his license in the US. We installed a hot water heating system in a home we were building. Once the system was in and the air purged, it was a sealed system. Not sure why your plumber wants to drain the system.

If you have a newer home with a hot water heating system, it should be well insulated. If you have a basement, it should maintain approx 55 degrees without heat. Under these conditions, even with a brief power failure, the home interior would not freeze. My vote would be to leave the heat on with the thermostat set at 50 dgrees. Remember that you probably have canned goods and liquids stored in the house.

For fifteen plus years, we have owned property in two states and we have to winterize the northern home. Here is what we do. My wife and I have a routine. Note, we always cover the exterior AC compressor before winter.


1. ! Initially, I went to the electric service panel and determined which circuits were mandatory to leave on. I marked each of these breakers with a piece of colored electrical tape along side the breaker. What's mandatory? Furnace, upright freezer, smoke alarms, garage doors, etc. Breakers that will be turned off are: central air; dishwasher; SUMP PUMP; microwave; household outlets; household lights, Doing this saves a lot of headaches when wanting to get out the door.
2. Change the batteries in the furnace thermostat.
3. Turn off the frig, clean it, and leave the doors open. We use an ice checst until ready to leave/
4. Turn off the power source to the hot water heater (Gas, propane, electric). A short shection of garden hose is connected to the water heater drain (ours is permanently attached) and goes to the sump-or floor drain if no sump. Shut off the water line to the WH. Open the drain valve, then the pressure relief valve at the top of the tank. This will prevent a vacuum and allow the water to drain from the tank.
5. Turn off the water supply. Then open all of the faucets, including the outside hydrants. We have a well. There is a drain in the basement that we open. This drain valve also has a hose permanently running to the sump. Water seeks its own level and drains the system. Most homes with basements have sump pumps-unless an exposed basement. It is mandatory to make sure the sump is in good condition and remains on. It is very unlikely that any water lines would freeze between the basement floor and the main level floor.
6. It takes about 2 gallons of RV antifreeze to fill the traps. We also put antifreeze in the dishwasher pump and the clothes washer pump.
7. Open the cabinet doors where there are plumbing lines-bathroom vanities and under kitchen sink. This allows warmer air to circulate inside the cabinets. We also leave the door to the basement ajar-hot air rises. This could keep plumbing heat pipes from freezing in case of an extended power outage.
8. Once the plumbing lines have drained, open the water supply to the water heater and allow that water to drain down.
9. We leave all valves open with the water shut off until we return.
10. Set the thermostat at 50 degrees.
11. The last thing we do is go to the power panel with a flashlight and turn off all unmarked breakers. Then make sure the freezer is still on. When we built the house, we had a switch installed to disable the garage doors while the freezer remains on. Pulling the ceiling plug for the operator will do the same thing.

Personally, we pay a neighbor to oversee the home. All we request is that they do a walk around to make certain there is no vandalism or broken glass. They have our phone number. We also conceal trail cams around the property. Some of these cams have recorded over 3K pictures. We have had one vandalism that the neighbor reported to us while we were gone. The trail cams identified another neighbor carrying a carton of eggs and throwing eggs at the house. He had egg on his face when the deputy confronted him with the pictures in vivid living color. He was not arrested, but did pay for damages.

There was one year that I changed a filter and accidentally shut the furnace off, We had no damage other than two bulged can goods. Not bad for a Wisconsin winter.

On return, we turn the electricity back on, reset the thermostat, turn the water back on to flush the system, then close the valves. You can pick what suits your needs.