Winterizing... a house?

[dsprik]

Well this is new to us. We have bought a nice little house in N MI to entertain our 6 grandkids during the summer months and we are now "longtimers" instead of "fulltimers".

Since we are new to this, I would certainly like everyone/anyone's input on how to winterize the house for our 6 months we are in FL living in our Montana.

My thought was to blow out the water lines, turn the furnace right off and throw the main breaker on the house. Pour the pink stuff into the bottom of our dishwasher, the washer and into the traps of the kitchen and bathroom sinks and maybe toilet?

The main question I would have is how hard is it to un-winterize it if something comes up where we would have to come back for a week or two in the dead of winter? This has happened unexpectedly each of the last two winters. Stayed the sister and BIL's house for two weeks both times. We would obviously want to stay in our own house if here.

I am a little anxious about this, maybe more than necessary. Any ideas would be great.

[rogue]

Dave, How dose the water come into the house? With no heat(main breaker thrown) it could freeze, and break the pipes. Major problem if the come in through the concrete or are in the slab. We have a Well, the pipes are not buried deep enough for 0, but we only get down to about 18 in the winter so its not a problem. With the Well we have a pressure tank in the garage. If you have one that could be a problem you will need to address. Yours might be deep enough, but would be concerned if leaving it for several months w/o heat. Being Northern Michigan, what about shoveling the roof after a heavy snow, is there someone that can do it, or that you can hire if needed? Toilets might be a problem, with water in the lines and tanks. I do not have answers for these, but I would think could be handled with the right information.

You might want to check with a property management company, or realty company on what do they do with property over the winter.

Bob

[49merc]

Dave, here is a link I found by googling how to prepare a vacant home for winter.
http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-a-Hom...Winter-Vacancy
It has some good information.
Bob

[Dean A Van Peursem]

We have left our home vacant 5 months for two years in the NW WA area. I turn the water off at the street, drain all water pipes at the lowest point, put antifreeze in all places where there might be water standing such as sewer/sink traps, washers, etc, drain the water heater and set the furnace/heat pump at 45 degrees. Haven't had a problem so far. Temps here get as low a high teens at night in mid winter. Would like to not have the furnace on but it gets really damp here in the winter so the furnace keeps the humidty down inside a bit. Neighbors check daily.

[clutch]

We live in North Idaho. We empty the refigerator, take out the garbage, put things away, turn the heat down to 50, have the mail delivered to a neighbor who also makes a weekly check of the house and off we go. We also let the neighbor park their camper in our yard for the winter. We also pay the water bill 5-6 months ahead and pay the lights and credit cards on line. We leave a book of postage stamps with the neighbor and they mail anything important that comes in our absence.

[bsmeaton]

Dave, I think you would have better luck with antifreeze rather than blowing it out. Toilet tanks, dishwashers, wash machines, all hard to blow out.

We closed the valves on the Hot Water tank, drained it, and closed the water to the cabin which drained to the inside crawlspace. The cabin had "T" taps installed above the hot water tank valves and we used a pump to pump antifreeze through both the hot side and cold side, kind of like the Monty without a bypass. Had to manuallly run the dishwasher and wash machine to get antifreeze in as well as out to antifreeze all the elbows and pumps. Other than the appliances having to run through full cycles to de-winterize, it only took an hour to winterize or de-winterize. In the spring and fall we used to do it every time we used it for the weekend. We used no heat tape or power during the winter.

One caution - we went up one weekend and noticed water pouring out of our neigbors front door. He used to blow out and his supply valve didn't quite close. It seeped back into the system after he drove off and when it froze it broke the toilets, then pipes, everything. When the thaw came, it soaked everything and ruined his flooring and carpets. It also ruined his summer. After that I learned to screw a hose onto my supply drain in the crawlspace and route the hose outside through a vent. Even though I used antifreeze, I kept the drain valve open so if the outside supply didn't seat it would at least run back outside through the hose instead of throughout the cabin.

[Wiarton William]

I am sure there will be a ton of advice coming...I have done this 4 times, I live on the Bruce Peninsula of Ontario so I have to be concerned about freezing up, especially if the power was to go off.

Turn off the water supply...open ALL taps inside and outside the water will drop and drain to the lowest point, I have never put air pressure to ours but if it makes you feel better do it..drain some but not all of the Hot water heater(make sure to turn it off at the breaker panel first), leave all the taps open for the winter...If you have a dishwasher and washing machine.(pour some AF into the machines and run a drain cyle) .. remove the water supply from the tap and run them thru a cycle,,that should take out any water in the system..if you are not satisfied with that use a small funnel and pour RV anti freeze into the line and start the cycle it will suck the AF into the system.. dont replace them on the tap until you get home..by closing the taps you stop any chance of expansion if the pipes were to freeze, water expands when it turns to ice, if it has a place to go it wont break anything...once done pour AF in all drains..Make sure you drain toilet and pour some AF in tank then flush..put drain plugs into drains to stop evaporation and odours.......put all liquids that might freeze in big plastic container,,if it freezes the mess stays in one place..empty fridge and freezer....

Leave heat set to about 50*.. I have electric heat and only have the bathroom and kitchen heaters activated(water areas) leave all outside wall cupboard doors open (especially the ones that have waterlines) that allows interior heat into the area....either unplug or switch off all appliances etc that are not required to be active..

Do your best to Winterize the basement or crawl space..a well insulated crawl space will maintain a temp of approx 45* without heating it... close off the bathroom vent,dryer vent and the stove range hood....you wouldnt believe the heat loss thru them when left open..close the doors to any room that does not need to be heated..

Have a neighbour check the house on a regular basis, you MAY have to be concerned about snowload on the roof so pre arrange for it to be done if required... your insurance company my REQUIRE that it be checked weekly...cancel phone,cable, redirect mail etc,,etc

I doubt that I covered it all..any questions just PM or post...Don

[Bill and Ann]

I think Don has just about covered everything. The insurance company does not require weekly checking if the water lines are drained. We have all of our bills paid direct from Bank accounts or Charge cards and then auto payment for charge cards. All bills are sent via internet so no need to have anything forwarded. We lower heat to 45 deg. and close registers in basement. Our water heater and softener are in the furnace room so no need to worry. We also installed a battery backup sump pump just in case of power failure.

[Wiarton William]

OOOPS!!!!! forgot.........Put the cat out...

[dsprik]

Wow, thanks everyone. I need to bookmark this info. We have a water well and a Michigan basement (crawl space). We have propane and I do not want to keep that running this winter at any temp. I plan on throwing the house's main breaker, unless that would be a bad idea. I have a lot of family in the area, although the closest is 5 miles away. I planned on having someone check on the house - from the outside - once a week. I have son-in-laws and nephews who are good at shoveling roofs.

This area is in a snow belt and the temps can reach -25° without wind chill. Ave daily low in Jan/Feb is 9° to 10°.

All good ideas on the plumbing. And I don't have a cat...

[Wiarton William]

There is an ongoing debate (weightcop style) regarding to heat/not heat a house for the winter(I will be on the heat it side)....other than the cost factor leaving the heat on at about 45-50* for is good I think..it keeps the deep dampness from setting in to the house and its contents, it seems that when it gets into the item it takes days of real warmth to get it out...it is also is a little insurance for you JUST in case you didnt winterize properly.. if the crawl space insulation is adequate(I have 4" roxul all around and even made little pillows to stick in the windows....).....If you are not going to heat it then I suggest you do blow the lines and take Anything that will freeze out.....Snow is a great insulator from the deep cold and wind, up here if we get a good layer of snow then the frost doesnt go deep and get in under the crawl space footings. nor will it freeze up water lines that are not 4 feet deep...but then you never know if it will get enough snow unless you stay there.. (looking for the nonexistant cat that snuck in while you were in the crawl space....:}...)

[bsmeaton]

Dave,

Just noticed contractors for HUD winterizing houses here by the office . I bet they are getting to be experts by now and probably have a procedure.

I could never have left the heat on in our cabin. We would have had to have the propane filled every month and for 6 months of the year the only way in was by helicopter. Electricity typically was lost some time throughout the winter, and one year the ice from the lake actually pushed the cabin off the foundation and into the front yard.

[bigmurf]

Ah!! There is that thing about "pride of ownership" Dave. g

[sailer]

Well having been living in wisconsin for 60 pluse years and having a cottage up in the crivitz area , the 1st is the basement will stay at 52 degrees more or less by 4 degrees.. thats the temp of the ground so we heat the basement at 45 degrees with a elect modeene , then the rest of the cottage ,, this is a buildinfg of 2500 sq ft 1st fl and 1600 sq ft 2nd floor .. the 2nd floor has no water so we put pads by the up stairs doors so no heat goes in or out ,, then we set the thermo at 58 degrees as if you go tooooooooooooo low it doesn't run enough and the computer bd will get damp and not work.. turn off the well and hot water heater and then next we put in 2' electcric heaters behind the tiolets and a seperate therms in those rooms and set it at 45 degrees, now if the furnance goes out for what every reason the elect will come on in a few hrs as its not going to freeze from 58 to 29 deg in a few hres as no drs are open as all baths are closed off and alll cab doors are open so even if its off 2 days it has never frozen in trhe last 49 years as i built it in 1960.. i also put a lamp in the window that a neibor can see in a bath and set the thermo on it for 42 degrees ,, ne also goes in every week or so and that cost a great steak dinner for he and his wife and thats it ,, we are gone from it for 10 months of the year,, if it burns down , so be it call the ins co as its not like a divorce or death, it can be rebuilt.. our cottage has plaster walls , concrete basement and cermiac tile in the baths,, if you let cermiac freeze it will start to crack in the joint and water goes in next summer...heat is cheep compared to the failing of the building , i have been in const for over 45 years and your best custome is the guy who shuts down and in the spring calls ypu to fix this list of problems,, remember when you heat at 58 or above its dryer in the house , no mold in the spring etc...sailer

[dsprik]

We are also very susceptible to winter storms that knock out power. This would concern me with any heat source on...

[Wiarton William]

I have no experience with Propane so I cant comment..but most heating systems are powered by electric and then thermostatic demand...no power=no heat..If the thermostat is set to 50* the heating system will provide it..I am on electric heat with wood as a back up....I have never used the electric to heat while we are at home...when we go south for the winter I set two thermostats to 50* and walk out...I have done everything I can to prevent damage to my property, once I am gone there is nothing I can do.. I worry about it for the first couple of days and then its out of my hands...You h ave family nearby you said so you are lucky.. they can come in and keep it controlled...As someone said,,when I come home my "caretakers" are taken out for a nice dinner and given a couple gifts from our travels(or if its appropriate and needed I pay them)...if they are out of pocket they are repaid and if they had to have work done for me on credit I pay the bills...Living where you are is very similar to us...so the dampness (in warmer climates its humidity) not only ruins some things it makes the old bones pain..it takes a few days for the dampness to come out even when only heated to 50*...I would wonder how long it would take to come out after not being heated all winter....point there is you have to live in there and it can be uncomfortable...we may have them turn on the heat a couple days ahead of our return this time...just to eliminate the dampness......

[dsprik]

Thanks, Don for the info. Brad, that is a good idea. I will check with HUD. Might even be something on their website.