How to winterize a vacant house or second home: a checklist before you leave
Published November 2, 2026
Leaving a house empty for the winter? Choose between keeping the heat on and fully draining the plumbing, then cover insurance, monitoring, mail and someone to check on it.
A house nobody is living in for the winter, whether it’s a second home, a rental between tenants, an inherited property or a home on the market, faces the same freezing weather as yours but with no one there to notice a problem. A pipe that splits on a Tuesday can run for weeks. Triple-I (the Insurance Information Institute) puts the cost of repairing a burst pipe in an unoccupied home at $10,000 to $70,000 or more, depending on how long it goes unnoticed.
The good news is that most of the protection is a half-day job in early November, before the first hard freeze. Start by deciding which of two approaches you’re taking, then work through the rest of the list.
First decide: keep the heat on, or fully winterize
Option 1, heat on and water off, suits homes you’ll visit during the winter, homes with hydronic (hot-water) heat, or anywhere a full drain-down is impractical. Leave the furnace or boiler running with the thermostat at 55°F or higher, the minimum that both the American Red Cross and Triple-I recommend, then shut off the main water valve and drain the lines so a failure can’t flood the house.
Option 2, full winterization, means turning the heat down or off and removing water from the whole plumbing system. It suits seasonal cabins and homes that will sit empty for months. It takes more work, and in most homes with a boiler or many fixtures it’s a job for a plumber, but it removes the risk of a heating failure turning into a flood.
Whichever you choose, check with your insurer first (see below). Some policies require heat to be maintained, some accept a properly drained system, and many want to know if the home will be empty for more than 30 to 60 days.
Option 1: heat on, water off
- Get the furnace or boiler serviced before you leave. A no-heat call in January at an empty house is the scenario to avoid.
- Set the thermostat to at least 55°F and leave interior doors and sink cabinet doors open so warm air reaches pipes on exterior walls.
- Put fresh batteries in the thermostat and in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Shut off the main water valve, then open the lowest faucet in the house and a faucet on the top floor to drain the lines. Flush the toilets once so the tanks are mostly empty.
- Turn the water heater to “vacation” or pilot mode. If you drain it, turn off the gas or the breaker first. An electric element that heats an empty tank will burn out.
- Leave the heat on in the basement or crawl space too, and make sure the sump pump has power and discharges away from the house.
Option 2: full winterization
Purdue Extension’s steps for protecting plumbing in an unheated home are a good outline. Many owners hire a plumber for the first year and keep the plumber’s list for future seasons.
- Shut off the main water valve, or turn off the well pump and drain the pressure tank.
- Open every faucet, hot and cold, until it stops running. Drain the system at its low points, and blow the lines out with compressed air if you or your plumber can.
- Drain toilet tanks, spray hoses and the water heater, after shutting off its power or gas.
- Drain water-using appliances: washing machine and dishwasher pumps, the refrigerator’s ice maker line, humidifiers and the water softener. Don’t put antifreeze in appliances.
- Pour propylene-glycol (RV or “plumbing”) antifreeze into every drain trap: sinks, tubs, showers, floor drains and toilet bowls. Purdue suggests an amount equal to the water in the trap, about a pint to a quart. Never use automotive (ethylene glycol) antifreeze in a home water system.
- Ask a heating contractor before draining or adding antifreeze to a hot-water heating system. Most are hard to drain fully.
Outside the house
- Disconnect and drain garden hoses, shut off the valves feeding outdoor faucets, and leave the outdoor faucets open.
- Have the irrigation system blown out.
- Clean the gutters after the last leaves fall so meltwater doesn’t back up under the shingles while no one’s there to see it.
- Arrange snow and ice clearing for walks and the driveway if anyone (a checker, a showing agent, a delivery driver) will visit. Triple-I notes that liability for a fall doesn’t stop because the house is empty.
- Trim branches over the roof and service lines, and close the fireplace damper and any foundation vents your home uses in winter.
Insurance: call before you leave
Triple-I says most homeowners policies include a vacancy clause that limits or excludes coverage once a home is unoccupied, typically for 30 to 60 consecutive days, and that theft and vandalism are often the first coverages restricted. Insurers also expect proof that you took reasonable steps, such as keeping the heat on. Call your agent, tell them how long the home will be empty and what you’re doing to protect it, and ask whether you need a vacancy endorsement or a vacant-home policy. Write down what they say.
Monitoring and someone to check
- Ask a neighbor, family member or property manager to walk through the house on a set schedule. Triple-I suggests weekly. Leave them a list of shutoff locations and the plumber and heating company to call.
- Put water leak sensors near the water heater, washing machine, under sinks and by the sump pump. A smart thermostat or a plug-in temperature alarm that texts you if the house drops below about 50°F gives you time to send someone before pipes freeze.
- An automatic water shutoff valve on the main line can close itself when a sensor detects a leak.
- Hold or forward the mail. USPS Hold Mail covers up to 30 days, so use mail forwarding for longer absences. A pile of mail and packages is an easy sign that no one is home.
- Put interior lights on timers and lock every door and window, including basement and garage doors.
When you come back
- Close the faucets you left open, then turn the main water on slowly and check under sinks and around the water heater for leaks.
- Refill the water heater completely, with a hot faucet running until water flows steadily, before turning its power or gas back on.
- Flush the antifreeze out of drains and toilets by running water through them.
- Turn the heat back up gradually and check that the furnace or boiler fires normally and that the CO alarms work.
Keep every home on one plan
If you own more than one home, the hard part is remembering which house still needs its fall shutdown and which checks are due where. A free Estodia account keeps a maintenance plan for each home you own, times the reminders for its climate, and lets you request quotes from local plumbers and heating pros without sharing your phone number or email with them. No spam. Estodia’s free Away mode adds a leave checklist, a return checklist, an insurance reminder and a check-in log for any home you leave empty, and that information stays private to you.
Related guides
Sources: Triple-I: When no one’s home, understanding the role of vacancy insurance; American Red Cross: Preventing and thawing frozen pipes; Purdue Extension (INPREPared): Protecting plumbing and appliances during a winter power failure (PDF); USPS: Hold Mail service; FLASH: How to insulate pipes to prevent freezing.
Quick answers
What temperature should I leave my house at when I’m away for the winter?
At least 55°F. The American Red Cross and Triple-I both give 55°F as the minimum when you’re leaving during cold weather. Some owners go a few degrees higher for homes with pipes in exterior walls or crawl spaces, and a temperature alarm that alerts you if the house drops below about 50°F adds a safety margin.
Should I turn off the water when leaving a house empty for the winter?
Yes, in most cases. Shutting off the main valve and draining the lines means a burst pipe or failed fitting can’t keep feeding water into the house. If your home has fire sprinklers fed by the domestic water line, or a hot-water heating system, ask a plumber first, because shutting off or draining can affect those systems.
What antifreeze is safe for winterizing house plumbing?
Only propylene-glycol antifreeze sold for RV or plumbing use, poured into drain traps and toilet bowls after the system is drained. Purdue Extension warns that ethylene glycol, the type used in car engines, is not safe for any part of a home water system. Don’t put antifreeze in appliances.
Does homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe in a vacant house?
It depends on the policy and on what you did. Triple-I says most policies have a vacancy clause that limits or excludes coverage after the home is empty for about 30 to 60 consecutive days, and insurers expect reasonable steps such as keeping the heat on or draining the plumbing. Tell your insurer before you leave and ask whether you need a vacancy endorsement.
How often should someone check on an empty house in winter?
Triple-I suggests a weekly visit by a neighbor, family member or property manager. Leak sensors and a temperature alarm help between visits, especially during a cold snap or a power outage.