If you’re ready to put away the lounge chairs, hang up the bikes and put the cover on the grill, then it’s probably time to think about winterizing. Getting your home ready for the winter is important for all homeowners, but it’s especially wise of people who own summer homes that may stay vacant for a good chunk of the cold months. Before you lock the doors for the last time this season, reference this guide so that your home is in tip-top shape when you return next year!
Why Winterizing Is Important
Whether it’s your primary or secondary residence, the main reasons why you want to winterize your home are to improve the home’s efficiency and to safeguard it against any winter-related damage. If you don’t have people coming and going all winter—and therefore have fewer doors opening and closing to allow cold air to enter—then you won’t need to worry as much about efficiency. However, if you do spend some time at your beach house or hunting cabin during the winter, then you have to make sure your heating system doesn’t get overworked.
Of course, the main threat to any underused home in the bitter cold months is frozen pipes, and a good winterization plan will help you prevent such an event. On top of that, winterizing your vacation home gives you the chance to totally rid the environment of allergens, dirt and grime so it’s clean and fresh when you return. Giving your home a deep clean with a HEPA vacuum cleaner to improve the air quality or changing all your home’s air purifier filters will help prevent allergens, dust and mold from settling while you’re away.
For the most part, all of your winterization tasks can be performed by you with little out-of-pocket spent, but it is important to think of winterizing as insurance. If you do it the right way, you’ll be much less likely to regret it if something goes awry mid-winter. An ounce of prevention, they say… Thankfully, most of the things you need to do to winterize a summer home are affordable and straightforward, so you can do it all in a weekend’s time.
Plumbing: Preventing Frozen Pipes
If your vacation home just so happens to be in a cold climate, then you’ll want to start thinking about winterizing your plumbing. If your home-away-from-home is somewhere by the beach in a tropical locale, you can rest easy and skip this step. Frozen pipes accrue about $15,000 in damage on average, so it’s certainly not something you want to skimp on.
●Turn off the home’s water supply (usually found in the exterior of the home on the water meter or in the basement). Once the water is cut off, turn on all of the faucets to drain the pipes of water. Run them until the water stops.
●You’ll also want to make sure that your water heater is drained and turned off. The water supply is usually turned off or on using a valve at the top of the heater. You can drain what’s left in the heater with a hose attached to the drain valve.
●In vacant properties, many experts recommend pouring antifreeze into the toilets and drains to prevent any standing water from freezing. Be sure that you’re using non-toxic antifreeze and a formula that won’t stain toilets, tubs or sinks. Finally, cover the toilets with plastic wrap to ensure that no sewer gas gets into your home while you’re away.
●The final step is probably the most important. Set your thermostat to a temperature that will prevent freezing without accruing exorbitant heating costs. According to Consumer Reports, the temperature should be set to around 55 degrees Fahrenheit if you’re planning to be away for the winter.
If you want to be able to monitor the temperature of your vacation home while you’re away—not a bad idea, especially if your area regularly sees subzero temps—then you should consider investing in a smart thermostat that allows you to remotely monitor and control your home’s heating and cooling. This will also allow you to warm the home to a higher degree before you arrive if you want to visit during the winter.
Heating and Cooling Considerations
Aside from burst pipes, an inefficient summer home is the most costly consequence of not winterizing properly. Even though you’re not there, you still need to keep your home relatively warm, especially if you don’t want your pipes to freeze. Preventing drafts is important to helping you keep your home at a reasonable temperature affordably and efficiently. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, eliminating drafts from your home could bring between 5 and 30 percent in energy savings.
●Remove anything that might prevent you from properly sealing doors and windows, such as window air conditioning units. Close and lock the windows. If you live in an older home or simply have drafty windows, consider investing in window draft stoppers to help seal out some additional air.
●If you have a central air conditioning unit, then you’ll need to do a few things to get it ready for the season. It won’t be getting much use when temps are freezing! Be sure that you cut off the power supply so that it doesn’t automatically turn on at any point during the winter. As an extra layer of protection, you may want to wrap the unit’s exposed pipes in a foam pipe wrap. Finally, tightly seal the unit with a weatherproof cover.
●One of the simplest things you can do to prepare your home for the winter months is to leave it with a brand-new HVAC filter. Because these filters should be replaced roughly every four months, you should swap it out before you leave. This will also help ensure that the air is pure when you return.
Things to Think About Inside
When you’re away, the key is to make sure your home still looks like it has some life without using much energy. You might consider doing a few things to make the house appear lived-in rather than vacant or abandoned to deter any burglars or prevent concerns from neighbors. You’ll also want to make your house less hospitable to animal visitors. No one wants to come back next summer to find that a family full of mice has taken up residence!
●Before you leave, perform a deep clean. Start by thoroughly vacuuming with a good-quality vacuum cleaner so that you’re not trapping allergens, dirt and dust inside when your home is sealed shut. Be sure that you empty any vacuum bags when you’re done so as to not leave any pollutants behind. Vacuuming any crumbs of food items will also prevent mice and rodents from entering.
●Be sure to disconnect and drain any appliances that use water, including the washing machine and dishwasher. These appliances are particularly susceptible to freezing, so it’s especially important to drain all water, including what’s left in the drain hose. Reference your appliances’ manuals to learn how to properly drain and disconnect.
●To make your home less inviting to animals—especially bats, rodents and raccoons—be sure that you tightly seal off chimneys, holes or gaps in the foundation of your home. Sealing your chimney with a good weatherproofing system will also help prevent any leaks due to rain or snow. Also, don’t forget to remove all food items that might be enticing to furry intruders.
●Consider installing a few light timers throughout the home to bring some life to the space in your absence. This is another instance where technology can work to your advantage. New smart lighting systems allow you to monitor and control the lighting when you’re away, so you can turn them off and on whenever you want, even if you’re not around.
●Perform a final walk-through of your home before you hit the road, making sure to remove all trash or any food items that could freeze. You’ll also want to unplug any appliances, including TVs and countertop appliances, to ensure that they’re not drawing any power.
We often recommend that our customers with vacation homes consider installing a central vacuum system. These units are particularly useful in part-time homes because they actually do a better job of reducing debris and allergens that could get trapped in your home while you’re away. In one study from the University of California at Davis School of Medicine, researchers found that central vacuum systems could reduce allergy symptoms by up to 61 percent.
The Yard, Garage and Patio
Depending on what you’ve got going on outside your summer home, you might have a few more things to do before the end of the season. Of course, just about all of your outdoor items, from lawn chairs to garden decorations, should either be properly covered or moved indoors to prevent damage from cold and snow. You’ll also want to do a bit of yard cleanup and maintenance before heading out to ensure that you return home to a lush, green lawn.
●If you have a swimming pool, you’ll have to properly winterize it so that it doesn’t freeze or become otherwise damaged from the harsh cold, wind and snow. Pool winterization is complex, but the main goal is to protect the pool equipment so that you don’t return to thousands of dollars of potential damage.
●Move anything that’s not 100 percent weatherproof or secure from tampering indoors. Even if you have heavy-duty patio furniture or grill covers, it’s always a good idea to relocate any movable items into a covered, locked area to prevent damage or theft. If you’re not keen on moving the big stuff inside, you might want to install some Wi-Fi enabled security cameras just in case.
●It’s important to give your lawn a tiny bit of TLC before closing your house for the winter. Many landscaping experts recommend fertilizing in the fall because the process actually helps arm the grass with the tools it needs to weather the winter. Oh, and don’t forget to rake up all leaves and yard debris before the snow falls. When done right, you’ll come back to a perfect, summer-ready lawn!
●Remember this rule of thumb: Anything that can freeze, will freeze. Don’t forget about your sprinklers or irrigation systems. Make sure that you shut off all water supplies and put all outdoor components indoors. Ponds, outdoor water fountains and anything else that requires water should be properly drained and, if possible, moved to a covered location.
The best thing you can do to winterize outdoors is to take a thorough stroll around your property, making a list of anything that needs to be moved, insulated or disconnected. Make a plan before the end of the season to clean the yard and gutters so you return to a well-maintained home next year and can immediately settle into relaxation mode.
Have a Happy Winter!
If you follow all these steps, you’ll be glad you did when it comes time to reopen your cabin or house next season! Most importantly, you’ll be able to enjoy your time away without worrying too much about what’s going on back at the house. If you need any help with choosing the right vacuum cleaners, filters or central vacuum systems for your summer home, you can always reach out to eVacuumStore’s team of helpful professionals for one-on-one advice!
