Winterizing House before leaving for the winter

[NXR]

Also check with your insurance agent to see what your homeowner's policy requires for extended away times. Our policy says we cannot be gone from the home for over six months total in any one year or the house is considered to be vacant. Some policies were as short as three months away consecutively.

Our insurance company requires that the heat be on, the water be shut off, and someone check on the inside and outside frequently enough to assure that damage will not go on for an extended period of time, increasing the loss.

Ray

[NXR]

This is the export of the electronic checklist app I use to close the house. We're in north Ohio.

I do not drain the 50-gallon water heater so that is a possible damage source.

Ray

Preliminary tasks

- Order a new kitchen refrigerator water filter if none on hand.

- Mail forwarded via USPS to oldest kid. Set up at least a week in advance.

- Notify credit card companies of travel.

A Few Days Before Departure

- Change garage door keypad opener battery.

- Shed locked.

- Inspect all attic openings for possible animal intrusion points.

- Patio furniture stored in shed or otherwise secured from damage due to snow or high winds.

- Grill moved against house or otherwise secured against snow and high winds. Lock the wheels if possible. Propane or natural gas valve is turned off.

- Snow removal service confirmed.

- Propane fire table tank valve turned off and cover is secured in place.

- Check for loose wood and other things that could be used as break-in tools.

- Replace all light bulbs that are on timers or on electric eyes, inside and outside.

- Place new bulbs on kitchen island and mark whether for inside or outside use.

- Inspect and secure gutters for leaves and loose nails.

- Turn off both outside water faucets. Then open the outside valve to release any trapped water.

- Furnace air filter changed.

- Smoke detector batteries all changed recently.

House Miscellaneous

- Empty water from the Keurig.

- All windows locked.

- All screen doors locked or otherwise secured from wind damage.

- Sunroom register closed and doors locked using sliding locks.

- All drapes and blinds closed.

- Check each room and unplug anything that is not mandatory.

- Turn off Schedule on Nest interior cameras.

- Nest cameras set to Away after leaving home (all cameras will record 24x7).

- Nest thermostat set to 55 degrees, Heat only, for 24 hours a day.

- Grab any DVD's we may want to bring along.

- In the kitchen, say 'Alexa, I'm leaving' to arm Alexa Guard.

- Remove batteries from remote controls.

- Grab extra car key.

- Check refrigerator for forgotten food.

Kitchen

- Unplug refrigerator. Prop doors open to avoid smells. Dump ice.

- Flip dishwasher electric switch under sink to Off.

- Unplug phone.

- Prop sink cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate in case of bitter cold.

- Pour distilled water into dishwasher.

- Run water into sink P-trap and place drain plug.

Family and Living Room

- Check each room and unplug everything that is not mandatory.

Basement

- Turn off gas valve to water heater.

- Unplug furnace humidifier since water will be turned off.

- Move chair and rug out of the camera's field of view.

- Unplug all non-mandatory items.

- Turn off all non-essential circuit breakers.

- Turn water OFF at the main valves, before and after the water meter.

- Open utility sink faucets. Open all faucets upstairs to drain water from lines. Then close faucets.

Bathrooms

- Close sink and bathtub drain to reduce evaporation of water from traps.

- Close each drain and add water to each sink and the bath tub.

- Saran Wrap and warning sign on each toilet to reduce evaporation loss.

- Unplug night light in downstairs bathroom.

- Grab all unexpired meds and toiletries.

Neighbors

- Leave contact list and itinerary with neighbors.

- Leave key and garage door code with trusted neighbor.

- Move shovels and stuff away from garage person door.

Family

- Leave key, garage door code, itinerary and contact list with sister.

- Extra Tools & Misc.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Contractor77

There is a very small possibility of any water leaks and frozen pipes.

One oft-overlooked item bit us on our seventh wedding anniversary. We came home from dinner and I was about to flush the toilet when I heard water running but my wife was still in the garage.

I opened the basement door and it was raining in the basement.

The washing machine hot water hose, the rubber one that came with it and that also was now seven years old, sprung a pinhole leak at the bend and was squirting a small spray of water across the basement.

We were only gone a few hours so the damage wasn't too bad but it was still a big mess.

So now I use just the metal braided water lines to the washer and I write the date on them when they were replaced. And change them every five years.

Ray

[Souljourner]

Originally Posted by Winemaker2

To let some "heated" air to circulate in. If closed up on an outside wall temp under the cabinet can get cold enough to freeze even when rest of house is heated to 50°

Thank you for that tip! So glad I picked it up when reading your post. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I never considered how that little technique can make a big difference - as I experienced last winter when a pipe froze inside a closed storage closet. Had I opened the door before I left the 50 degree temps inside the house would have prevented an expensive emergency plumbing bill. Thank goodness I had a smart thermostat that alerted me (midnight on a Friday! Why do these things always seem to happen at the most expensive times?)

It actually never occurred to me that something so simple could have made a difference. It’s now on my leaving checklist.

Many thanks!

[Winemaker2]

Originally Posted by Winemaker2

To let some "heated" air to circulate in. If closed up on an outside wall temp under the cabinet can get cold enough to freeze even when rest of house is heated to 50°

Originally Posted by Souljourner

Thank you for that tip! So glad I picked it up when reading your post. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I never considered how that little technique can make a big difference - as I experienced last winter when a pipe froze inside a closed storage closet. Had I opened the door before I left the 50 degree temps inside the house would have prevented an expensive emergency plumbing bill. Thank goodness I had a smart thermostat that alerted me (midnight on a Friday! Why do these things always seem to happen at the most expensive times?)

It actually never occurred to me that something so simple could have made a difference. It’s now on my leaving checklist.

Many thanks!

Don't beat yourself up over it!
I know better and when assisting an elderly relative leave her house for an extended winter excursion I set heat to 50° but forgot the cabinet door tip as well as the just shut off the incoming water.
With incoming water shut off the pipe can still freeze and leak but the quantity will be limited vs unlimited.

The cabinet door tip work because of convection... the air adjacent to the outside wall will still cool but it will sink to the bottom of the cabinet and "escape" through the open door. Warmer room air replaces the cold that has escaped and the cycle continues. Usually preventing pipe freezing / leaking.

[Ray,IN]

NXR I hope you don't mind, I printed out your checklist. It is much better than anything I've found.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

NXR I hope you don't mind, I printed out your checklist. It is much better than anything I've found.

Thanks for the nice compliment. I've found my memory is not quite as good as it used to be...

If you use the Android app named RV Checklist from Adventure Treks LLC I attached the export file. You can just rename the file, import it, and edit it as needed. That can save some typing. (I actually attached two files, the one I posted plus a shorter one I use for summer trips.)

Why rename the file? That app requires that the file name have a ".csv" extension and this forum does not allow .csv files to be attached. So I added a second extension of ".txt" that will need removed.

Save the file in the Internal Storage - Download folder on your device because that's where the app looks for import files and where it saves export files.

That's also where the Gmail app saves attachments by default so you could just email it to yourself and save it if that works for you.

Unfortunately they do not make an Apple version of their app. But the export/import file is just a text file with a .csv file extension.

The nice thing about an electronic checklist is that you can edit it as you find new things in addition to checking off steps over multiple days as they are completed.

The very last item I added, just last month, was to grab the extra set of car keys. Yup, we left on a two-week trip and the second key fob was left at home. Fortunately we did not need them but that added a bit more stress.

Ray

[ArtJoyce]

Originally Posted by Souljourner

Why?

By leaving the doors open warm air can circulate. The outside wall in a cabinets with the door closed can get very cold.

My thought is if I lose power or the furance it may some time before those pipes freeze. I have an alarm notice if the house temp fall below 50. But I may be somewhere with no phone service, it my take awhile for my neighbor or the furance guy. Give me more time to fix it.

[Souljourner]

Originally Posted by NXR

Thanks for the nice compliment. I've found my memory is not quite as good as it used to be...

If you use the Android app named RV Checklist from Adventure Treks LLC I attached the export file. You can just rename the file, import it, and edit it as needed. That can save some typing. (I actually attached two files, the one I posted plus a shorter one I use for summer trips.)

Why rename the file? That app requires that the file name have a ".csv" extension and this forum does not allow .csv files to be attached. So I added a second extension of ".txt" that will need removed.

Save the file in the Internal Storage - Download folder on your device because that's where the app looks for import files and where it saves export files.

That's also where the Gmail app saves attachments by default so you could just email it to yourself and save it if that works for you.

Unfortunately they do not make an Apple version of their app. But the export/import file is just a text file with a .csv file extension.

The nice thing about an electronic checklist is that you can edit it as you find new things in addition to checking off steps over multiple days as they are completed.

The very last item I added, just last month, was to grab the extra set of car keys. Yup, we left on a two-week trip and the second key fob was left at home. Fortunately we did not need them but that added a bit more stress.

Ray

Downloaded your lists. Definitely some excellent suggestions! Thank you in advance for the problems you just prevented. 😊

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Souljourner

Downloaded your lists. Definitely some excellent suggestions! Thank you in advance for the problems you just prevented. 😊

Glad you find them of some value. I used to explain my highly technical job to people by saying:

To learn from the mistakes of others before they happen to us.

Hopefully I can pass some of those mistakes along so others can evade them.

Ray

[bjburkhalter]

Thanks for all the recommendations, I am going to put alot of them to use.