The Case for Winterizing Your Summer Home

My clients with summer homes that they leave unoccupied in the winter often ask me about winterization. Should they leave the heat on at, let's say, 55 degrees and shut the water, or should they winterize the whole house?

One option is to set the heat on a low temperature and shut off the water supply in the house. Cost is sometimes a factor in making this decision. A plumbing firm might charge anywhere from $250-$500 for winterizing while charging the same amount to open the house in the spring. Just leaving the heat on will probably cost half that amount.

However, here's a scenario that I've seen numerous times. During a winter storm it's likely that if there is a power failure your heating system will shut down, leaving frozen pipes that burst. This will be an unwelcome surprise when you turn your water back on. In addition, something so trivial as your batteries running out on your thermostat will shut down your heating system. Last season a couple that normally leaves the heat on and does not winterize had a nasty surprise. Unbeknownst to them, after winter they turned on their water only to have water coming out of ceilings and walls. It took our plumbers two days by opening walls and ceilings to repair eight burst pipes. The damage was massive. Wood floors buckled, sheetrock had to be replaced, and everything had to be repainted. This happened because of a power failure from a winter storm. 

To prevent this, we recommend our clients go for a full winterization. That means eliminating every drop of water in the house. This includes blowing out sprinklers systems and trace water in the supply pipes. In addition, water is removed from washing machines, dishwashers, water coolers, hose bibs, hot water heaters, radiators and steam boilers. Winterization includes putting anti freeze in the toilet bowl and tank as well as shutting off the water supply at the curb. It will cost more than just leaving the heat on because a plumber will need to service your home, but it's better to have peace of mind knowing your house is safely protected from unforeseen calamities.