Winterizing a Home when Away or is Sitting Vacant

There have been several concerns from customers in areas of the county who live in cold-weather areas and have homes that are currently unoccupied because they are trying to sell. To guarantee the home's residential plumbing system is safe from pipe bursting, the best advice is not to turn off your utilities. However if you must given cost restraints, or if this is a summer home or cottage, there are some steps you can take to winterize your vacant home to prevent plumbing problems. 

Roto-Rooter suggests you call one of your local plumbing companies to handle to make sure all steps are properly taken, such as:

• Drain water from your hot water heating systems and water system and dry the lines with an air compressor.
• Shut off you water to the house
• Drain all water from your residential plumbing, including toilet tanks, faucets, laundry lines, floor drains, outside sill cocks, valves to washing machine and dishwasher and low spots in the piping
• Disconnect the meter or open the meter's valve
• Remove any hoses from the outside hose bib
• Insulate lines will heat tape
• Add RV anti-freeze to all traps and toilet bowls

Please NOTE: RV anti-freeze is used because it is non-toxic and is safe for use in drinking water systems.

Again, even if you winterize your home, you are not 100% guaranteed against plumbing problems due to cold weather. Have a neighbor keep an eye on your place. You can also have a warning system installed that will monitor the temperature of the home. If the temperature goes below 45 degrees, the alarm will sound and will call the numbers programmed in the system.

You can find these alarms on Amazon.com by searching keyword "freeze alarm" or "temperature alarm."