How To Winterize The Plumbing In A Vacant Or Seasonal Home

A house with people in it has a few things working in its favor in January: the heat is on, the faucets run every day, and someone notices a wet ceiling the morning it appears. An empty house has none of that. A summer cottage, a home that is up for sale, a rental between tenants or a house you leave for Florida every winter can sit with water in its pipes for weeks while the temperature drops.

One frozen pipe in an empty house can run for days before anyone finds it. This guide walks you through how to winterize the plumbing in a vacant or seasonal home in Rhode Island, which steps people forget, and how to bring the water back on safely in the spring.

Quick Summary

• Empty homes are the highest risk: No one is there to keep water moving or to spot a leak early.
• Pick a plan: Either keep the heat on and shut the water off, or fully drain the plumbing if the heat will be off.
• Shutting the main is not enough: Water left in the pipes, the water heater, the toilets and the drain traps can still freeze.
• Do not forget the extras: Washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, outdoor faucets, the well pump and the sump pump all need attention.
• Spring matters too: Never turn on an electric water heater before the tank is full of water.

Which Homes Need Their Plumbing Winterized

If a house will sit empty for more than a few days during a Rhode Island cold snap, it is worth a plan. That includes:

• Summer cottages and lake houses that close up after the season
• Homes left empty while the owners spend the winter somewhere warmer
• Houses on the market, or waiting on an estate to settle
• Rental units between tenants
• A home under renovation where the heat may be off

Older homes deserve extra care. Fieldstone foundations, drafty crawl spaces and pipes along outside walls are exactly where water freezes first, as we cover in our winter plumbing tips for Rhode Island.

Two Ways To Protect An Empty House

How far you go depends on whether the heat stays on.

Step By Step: Draining The Plumbing In A Vacant Home

If the heat will be off, or the house will be empty all winter, this is the full process:

1. Shut off the main water valve. It is usually in the basement on the wall facing the street. If it is stiff or will not close all the way, have it looked at before winter. Our guide to main water shut-off valve replacement explains what to watch for.
2. Turn off the water heater. Switch off the breaker for an electric unit, or turn the gas control to off for a gas unit.
3. Open every faucet. Start on the top floor and work down, hot and cold sides, including tubs and showers. Leave them open.
4. Drain the water heater. Let the water cool for a few hours first. Connect a hose to the drain valve near the bottom, run it to a floor drain or outside, and open the valve. A tankless water heater has its own drain steps, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions or ask us.
5. Flush every toilet with the water off, then sponge out what is left in the tank and the bowl.
6. Protect the drain traps. Pour non-toxic plumbing antifreeze (the pink kind sold for RVs and plumbing, never automotive antifreeze) into each sink, tub and shower drain, and into each toilet bowl. The water sitting in these traps is what keeps sewer gas out of the house, and it can freeze and crack the trap.
7. Drain the lowest point. Open the lowest faucet or drain valve in the house so the last of the water can run out.

The Parts People Forget

The main lines are only part of the job. These are the spots that most often freeze in a house someone thought was winterized:

• Washing machine: Shut the supply valves behind it and disconnect the hoses so they can drain.
• Refrigerator ice maker and water dispenser: Shut off the supply line and empty the ice bin.
• Dishwasher: Its supply line and the water in the bottom of the unit can freeze.
• Outdoor faucets: Disconnect hoses, close the inside shut-off for each faucet and leave the outside faucet open.
• Whole-house filters: Filter housings hold water. Drain them and follow the filter maker’s instructions.
• Well systems: Turn off the power to the well pump before draining, and drain the pressure tank. Our well pump guide covers the warning signs to check when you start it back up.
• Sump pump: Leave it plugged in. A vacant house still needs its sump pump, and a winter thaw or a heavy rain can flood a basement nobody is watching.

Vacant Home Winterizing Checklist

Turning The Water Back On In Spring

Most of the damage we see in seasonal homes is found in spring, when the water goes back on. Go slowly:

1. Close every faucet you opened, and close the water heater drain valve.
2. Reconnect the washing machine hoses and any lines you disconnected.
3. Open the main water valve a little at a time and listen for running water where there should not be any.
4. Open each faucet until the air sputters out and the water runs steady, then close it.
5. Fill the water heater before you turn it on. Open a hot water faucet and wait until water flows from it, which means the tank is full. An electric water heater switched on while empty can burn out its heating elements in minutes.
6. Walk the basement, the ceilings under bathrooms and the area around the water heater for drips over the next day.

If you arrive to find water where it should not be, shut off the main and call us. We are Rhode Island’s only true 24/7 plumbing company, and our emergency plumbing team handles burst pipes and major leaks any hour. If you would rather have a plumber check the house over before winter or before you turn the water back on, our residential plumbing team can help, and our VIP membership includes a free annual inspection.