You’ve made plenty of fun memories over the summer season and it’s time for you to bid adieu to your summer happy place. Or perhaps it's the end of the season for your short-term rental. Whatever the scenario, it’s time to winterize your vacation home, cabin, or cottage; but where to start?
Why You Should Winterize a Vacation Home
Winterizing your vacation home will help to reduce the likelihood of damage during the off-season. Don’t return next season to property damage, fire, theft, vandalism, or water damage from a leaking roof or burst pipe. Just a 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can release 250 gallons of water a day. Frozen pipe damage insurance claims average north of $20k. Truly, a stitch in time saves nine.
How to Winterize a Cabin
Steps to winterize your cottage will vary depending on whether you plan to leave electricity and heat on – or not.
There are a few winterizing tasks you’ll want to perform regardless of power and heat during the winter:
- Remove all food to avoid potential damage and spoiling odor. Even a frozen can of food could burst, attracting rodents, other animals, or insects.
- Discourage break-ins. Lock all windows. Add bars or bracing boards as practical, especially with sliding doors. Use deadbolts to entry doors, padlocks to secure outbuildings, and consider boarding windows. If you’re leaving power on, an alarm is a great choice, too.
- Inspect the roof. Look for damage that might leak over the winter. While you’re up there, clean out your gutters. That’s an important step on its own!
- Secure the outdoor water supply. Shut off all outdoor water, with the exception of freeze-proof hydrants. Disconnect hoses from all spigots and blow out in-ground sprinkler systems.
Time is money. Sometimes you’ll save both by hiring an individual or a company to perform winterizing tasks for you thoroughly. Let’s head indoors to see what’s next.
If You’re Cutting the Power and Heat
The next steps are critical to winterizing a seasonal or vacation home if you are cutting off the power. You’ll want to shut off indoor water at the main. Sometimes this requires pliers or a “key” to do so. After the water is shut off, you’ll need to clear and drain the pipes. Some home services will blow them out with compressed air too.
You’ll need to ensure water is out of the faucets, showers, and toilets. Leave those valves open when you’re done and add RV antifreeze to the drains and toilets. Don’t forget to flush toilets to drain tanks and turn off/drain any water supply lines to appliances like refrigerators.
If You’re Not Cutting Power or Heat
When winterizing your vacation home with power and heat, you may still want to take indoor water precautions, especially if you don’t live close by or have a trusted steward to help if something goes wrong. You’ll want to program the thermostat to 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit, even with no one in the structure. In addition, consider:
- Upgrading to a smart thermostat. Smart thermostats can alert you if there’s a problem even earlier than a vigilant neighbor could. Many homeowners choose to pair additional monitoring systems with smart thermostats. Fire, security, freezer alarms, and even power outages are all things to consider monitoring.
- Wrapping your ductwork. To wrap your ductwork, use a foil-backed fiberglass blanket and tape that are designed to work together. Remove any old insulation, then wrap any ducts that extend outside the home or into unheated areas. Be sure to fully cover any joints and bends, since that’s where a lot of heat loss happens.
Whether you’re leaving the power on or off, it’s a good idea to winterize your HVAC system as well.
Winterizing Your HVAC System
Make sure your HVAC system gets its seasonal, professional inspection and maintenance. Here’s how to winterize your HVAC system:
- Change filters. This should be part of your routine even if you live in the home year-round.
- Inspect HVAC exhaust for debris and blockages
- Clean air vents and consider a duct cleaning service
- Clean the outside air conditioner unit
- Turn off power to the outside HVAC unit
- Repair insulation. In a pinch, pool noodles make decent pipe insulation for cold lines.
Don’t work harder, work smarter!
HVAC Winterizing Help
Closing up a summer home can be time-consuming. Many tasks are appropriate for any homeowner or property manager. But always bring in a professional technician for HVAC inspection and maintenance. See the Top 11 Signs Your Heater Needs Maintenance, and consider enrolling in our Home Comfort Club.
The Home Comfort Club includes HVAC maintenance twice per year, discounted pricing, and priority service 24/7 with no service call or after-hours fees.
Allen’s Air Conditioning Heating & Duct Cleaning, your trusted HVAC company serving the greater Elizabethtown Kentucky area, is here to help you with all your HVAC needs. Give us a call at 270-946-1525 or book service online.