To winterize an empty house in NJ would turning off the water and keeping the heat at 55 degrees do it.?

Question

Would appreciate any help in this area.

Answer 1

You should not assume that the furnace will keep running throughout the winter. Too many things could happen, like a power outage or a furnace malfunction. Also, if you have plumbing in an exterior wall, a severe storm could cause the pipes to freeze even though the inside of your house is at 55°.

It is much safer to turn off the water and drain your pipes. Hopefully you have a stop and waste valve outside your house. If your plumbing was installed with freezing weather in mind, the water in your pipes should slowly drain into the ground at your stop and waste valve when it is closed.

You should drain your water heater as well.

After the water is turned off, flush each toilet to lower the water level in the tank. Then add around 16 oz of antifreeze or other approved protection to the tank. Flush again to allow the antifreeze to get into the mechanism. Finish by adding another 16 oz of antifreeze to the bowl.

Briefly open each faucet valve to allow air to enter the pipe and drain the residual water. Add antifreeze to every sink, lavatory, bathtub and shower drain. Don't forget your washing machine faucets, hoses and drain pipe.

You might also consider opening the cover on your washing machine and disconnecting the waste hose from the pump to drain the trapped water. However, this is optional, because repairs would be much easier to make than broken pipes in the walls.

After you've done all this, set your thermostat to 50° F as your backup defense.

Answer 2

I would keep the heat on through the winter. Turning it down to 55 is a great idea. Turning off the water is also a good precaution. I know that some may say that if you leave the house heated above freezing that it won't be necessary to turn off the water, but if the house is unoccupied there is still a risk that a pipe could freeze even in a house that is heated. If the water is off then you won't completely flood the house before the burst pipe is discovered.

I am actually a security consultant by trade, & you should also do everything you can to make the house appear to be occupied.
Even if there are no valuables in the house, you could have squatters come in, or kids come in to throw a party, or even worse have it turned in to a drug house.
Leave at least one light on a timer inside, & periodicly go inside & move the light to another room, & change the on/off times slightly, so if someone is watching to see if the house is empty they won't catch on to the fact that it is a timer as easily.
Keep the driveway, & walkways clear of snow. That will help with liability as well as security, & keep the mailbox clear of junkmail.
Leave contact information with one of the neighbours so you can be called if they see anything wrong at the house.

Just thought I'd throw those ideas in just in case you hadn't thought of it already.

Answer 3

This is what we do to our winter homes in Northern Minnesota but, we go one step further. We empty the water heater, after turning it off of course. turn the water off at the well and have "frost plugs" on the pipe from the well so it will drain back and the pipe won't freeze. All the pipes in the house must be drained and blown out or the new environmental safe anti-freeze put in, to fill up the pipe. All toilet have to have this anti freeze, the water heater, etc. Anything that might freeze.
Leave the heat at 50-55 degrees. Have a neighbor or a friend, pay some one to check on things while gone.

Answer 4

We winterize ours in MN. I do those 2 things you mentioned ( 50 degrees ) plus I turn the water heater gas valve to pilot ( so you don't burn out the heating element ) , I let some of the water run out of the pipes to partially drain them. I leave any cabinets open where there are water pipes. I also have a little device that plugs into an electrical outlet. You then plug a lamp into it. It is a little thermostat that has a dial where I set the temp to 45 degrees. If the temp in the house drops to 45, it turns on the lamp. I leave it in a front room and every morning the neighbor looks on his way to work to see if the light is on. I think you can get it at a hardware store or Home Depot, Lowes, etc. I have the phone put on vacation mode and disconnect the cable tv. service. Have a great winter. Merry Christmas.

Answer 5

It sounds like a good idea, but is it going to be 55 in the space where your pipes are at? Like inside the cabinet w/door closed, in between Sheetrock and floor above I think Not. Have a plumber come and drain/blowout your system or fill it w/RV antifreeze which is safe, then you just have to run water thru all fixtures until clear when you want to use it again, this also helps to keep your gaskets from drying out. Believe me the cost will be less then a pipe burst, and having to replace carpet, cabinets, Sheetrock, etc...

Answer 6

I would shut off the water and drain all the pipes. Do not leave any liquids that can freeze in it. I do not think maintaining the heat will make any difference. If you maintain the heat at 55 degrees you should not have to do anything with the liquids in your house.

Answer 7

Well I don't live in N.J. but I do know that water freezes at 32° F. Shutting off the water is a great idea but just to be on the safe side you would also want to drain your pipes of the water in them. There is also some stuff that you can buy,(possibly antifreeze?) that you can put down your drain pipes so that they too wouldn't freeze up and bust. Hope that helps.

Answer 8

turn the water off to the entire house, then open all faucets and flush all toilets. if you do this, you shouldn't have to keep the heat on. you can actually turn all of the utilites off if you'd like. but if you miss a faucet, then you'll probably have a busted pipe by springtime. make sure that you leave a window cracked somewhere, you can put newspaper over the open crack to keep the moisture out, but if you don't leave something cracked, you will get mold and mildew if you leave the house unattended for more than a month or so. good luck!!!

Answer 9

It makes perfect sense. Your family member would do better to turn of the a/c the lights and turn down the hot water heater. But turning it off and on is using more power because keeping the water hot is easier then letting it cool all the way down and then heating it back up.

Answer 10

1. Turn off the water supply. Wrap the supply line from the ground to the house with heat tape if possible to be safe.

2.Drain all pipes use (Shop-Vac) Wet-Vac if possible to remove water from lines (Dont Forget the Water Heater)

3. Use biodegradable antifreeze in toilet and sinks if needed
(RV Antifreeze)