Sometimes, you will need to leave a home vacant for an extended time while on vacation or if you have to move and the home has not yet sold. One of the biggest risks with leaving any home vacant for a period of time is the potential for water damage if temperatures drop below freezing or other factors cause a pipe to burst. To avoid such mishaps, you need to winterize your home. Winterization is a process in which the plumbing system of a home is prepared to sustain extreme cold weather in order to minimize the risk of freezing. The process of winterization is simple, but one must have to execute it step by step.
Why to Go For Antifreeze
This will help prevent damage to pipelines and drain traps if the temperatures drop below freezing, plus it should prevent sewer gasses from entering the home once water evaporates from the traps. To keep your plumbing system in good condition it is necessary to go for antifreeze.
We show you what you need to do when leaving your home vacant for more than a few days in this DIY video from Phoenix home inspector Advantage Inspection Service.
Step-by-Step Guide to Antifreeze Your Plumbing System
1. Shut the Main Water Supply Valve
The first step is to locate and turn off the main water supply valve.
2. Open All Faucets and Spigots
Open all the faucets on sinks and outside spigots. This relieves the water pressure in the pipes, making them less likely to burst or leak.
3. Flush Each of The Toilets
Flushing all the toilets relieves pressure in the lines and reduces the water sitting in each toilet.
4. Pour an Antifreeze in Your Plumbing System
Pour pink automotive or RV antifreeze in each of the sinks, toilet bowls and tanks, shower drains, and dishwasher. Use one cup of antifreeze for sinks and two cups for dishwashers, showers, tubs, toilet bowls, and tanks.
5. Turn Off the Electric Heater
If your home has an electric hot water heater, turn the breaker off at the electrical panel. If the home has a gas hot water heater, turn the gas valve on the water heater to the pilot setting.
6. Set the Thermostat to Energy Saving Mood
Consider setting the thermostat to an energy-efficient level. If the home is in a cold climate area, it is not a good idea to shut the heat off. The heat can be turned down to about 60 degrees, but don’t shut it off. Hot and humid climates may require that the air conditioner be left running to avoid mold and mildew problems.
7. Empty the Refrigerator
If the home will be vacant for a long time, remove all food and ice from refrigerators and freezers and unplug these appliances.
8. Set Timer for Lamps
It’s usually a good idea to set up timers on some of the lamps to give the appearance that someone is living in the home. This discourages break-ins and burglaries.
9. Ask Neighbours to Pick Packages
If you have a trusted neighbor, consider asking them to take in your mail, newspapers, and packages to help keep up the appearance that someone is home. Asking them to randomly park in your driveway and inspect the home once per week alleviates another layer of concern.
Tips for Leaving a Home Vacant
- While leaving your home vacant for a longer time, make sure that:
- Electricity mains are closed
- There’s no water logging on the balcony
- All the doors are closed
- The water has been drained from every part of the house
- Add an antifreeze agent in toilets and dishwashers
- There are no food items in the fridge or anywhere in the house
Tip for Antifreezing a Toilet
When you are anti-freezing a toilet, the right way is to pour the antifreeze liquid into the toilet tank rather than putting it in the bowl. Then, flush the toilet so the antifreeze liquid will move its way to the bowl.
Precautions to Take After Antifreezing a Toilet
After winterization of your toilet, you should not use it. So, it is better to use the toilet before putting an anti-freezing agent in it.
How Long Does it Take to Complete Antifreezing
Usually, this process takes a couple of hours to complete. But if you seek some expert’s help it can be done in a short amount of time. However, the experts also know how much amount of antifreeze agent is to be added to the toilets and drains. So, it can save much of your time and RV antifreeze liquid by executing the procedure with accuracy.
What to Do If Your Toilet Freezes
This happens only when you leave your home vacant without winterization. Water in the pipes and toilets gets frozen. In some cases, the pipes can also burst due to the expansion of water. Anyhow, here are a few tips for you if you come across frozen pipes.
1. Heat the Pipes Manually
Heat the pipes with the help of a space heater or hairdryer.
2. Raise the Building’s Temperature
Increase the temperature of the home’s thermostat in all spaces, especially where the toilet pipes are.
3. Pour Hot Water
Pour the boiling water into the sinks and toilet tanks and flush it several times. It will also help to melt the frozen section.
Hence, it can be hectic to deal with frozen pipes. So it is better to winterize your home before leaving and get experts’ help from Advantage Home Inspection Service if you are facing any issues with your home.