My wife and I are taking an extended vacation (3 months) and I am wondering if I have to do anything special to close up the house. We live in the Detroit area and we are on a well and septic. Should I turn off the well, watersoftener, water heater, etc. or is 3 month short enough to leave everything working.
does it get really cold in winter? make sure your pipes don't freeze
what about pipes freezing in the house.. are you gonna have heat in there when gone??? if not: antifreeze in the toilet bowl and traps in the tub, wash basins and maybe the washing machine.. anywhere the drain water will sit while gone.. i would also turn the water valves off on the toilet, the washer and anyplace that has water running so that if you come home you dont find that a pipe or hose broke and you got a flood.. i happened to me when my mother was away for a few days.. this was in the south where it never freezes... she turned the heat off and i had pipes in the wall leaking along with just about every pipe under the house... it took me 5 days to fix the problem of leaving a house with no heat.. the temp. went down to a low of 15 degrees and stayed there all night......
Check your insurance coverage now! You may have zero coverage in an unoccupied house if there is, for example , a frozen pipe disaster. From this information you can develop a plan to make sure you something to come home to. Good luck.
Joe
Whenever I leave for more than a week or so I turn of my well and water softener. When you return be cautious about ingesting water that has been stagnant for a long period. Bacteria may multiply in various media. Activated charcoal is one place, ion-exchange resin may be another. Don't use the water until your system has been well flushed or sterilized.
Who is going to monitor your furnace? If heat goes out while you're gone it may be an unhappy scene. I've seen paint fall from ceilings and walls in large pieces in houses left without heat during the winter.
Boden.
Jack Horvath Horvath wrote:
3 months in a Detroit winter?? Ummmmmmm. Unless you have someone who can 100% guarantee that the heat will remain on (even thru a power outage), you *must*
Drain well pressure tank. Drain all the piping to all fixtures. Drain water heater (shut off power/gas to it). Empty toilet tanks. Pour RV antifreeze (non-toxic) in the toilet bowls and all sink traps. Drain washing machine including the pump. Ditto for a dishwasher. Steam or Hydronic boiler would need to be considered too.
I've been involved in a number of houses that froze up after the heat went off; it ain't a pretty sight!
Jim
Let me add a couple of ideas that may not have been already noted:
Unless you leave the heat and air on, your home is likely to experience temperatures and humidity levels far different than normal. Consider the effect on every part of your home and its contents. Something like a piano could take a real hit. Cracks in plaster etc, are possible, but I would not expect too much of a problem with that kind of thing.
Make sure all forms of food are out of the house. The frige should be totally cleaned out and cleaned. I am not sure about leaving it on or leaving it open. Some don't like trying to work when it is really cold. Any food left anywhere can attract animals and inscects.
I would also suggest having someone check on the house at least once a week. Have them try to make it look lived in and that mail or adds or newspapers don't stack up. A quick tour of the home could identify water leaks (roof for example) etc. Make sure the police know you are going to be gone.
thanks joe! great "heads up"
Something like a piano
I left my house last year planning to retun in a couple of weeks. As it turned out I was absent for a year. When I returned the food (other than fresh produce) left in the refrigerator (a SubZero) was still edible. )
I'm now convinced that a good refrigerator is worth the expense.
Boden
Some don't like trying to work when it is really cold.
Thanks to all who responded to my message and with your good advice. I certainly will keep the heat on but I recognize the risk of power outage and your advice will be helpful if that occurs.
Absolutely, but don't forget the water treatment stuff or it will be busted both internally and externally. Plumbing full of resin from a softener is a really bad thing. And they don't have drains on them.....
You best hire someone responsibile to look after the place and under a legal contractural basis. And check on the advice about your homeowner's insurance not covering if your gone for that length of time; and get it in writing.
Gary Quality Water Associates
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