Leaving Your House Empty in Winter: What to Do Before You Go

Before you leave your house empty in winter, leave the heat on and keep it no lower than 55°F, the American Red Cross minimum. Open the cabinet doors under sinks, especially on outside walls. For a long absence, shut off the main water and drain the lines. Have someone check on the house while you're gone, and add sensors that alert your phone to a leak or a cold house. Travelers, a home insurer, says to do these steps in the fall, before winter weather arrives.

The checklist below is in the order you'll do it. For setbacks while you're home, see what temperature to keep your house in winter. To check whether the forecast could freeze your pipes the week you leave, use our pipe freeze check.

Before You Start

• Find and test the main water shutoff. Our main water shutoff guide shows where it usually is and how to test it. A stuck valve is better found now than mid-trip.
• Choose a house checker. Travelers recommends a trusted friend, neighbor, or relative who can get in. Give them your contact information and a list of local contractors, so they can call for help.
• Call your insurance agent before a long trip. Travelers says to confirm your coverage is current and your premiums are paid before you go. See the insurance note below.
• Book heating service if it's due. Travelers says to have the furnace or boiler serviced by a licensed contractor before the heating season, and to change the furnace filter.

The Checklist

Keep the heat on

1. Set the thermostat no lower than 55°F. The American Red Cross says that if you go away in cold weather, you should leave the heat on, set no lower than 55°F, and IBHS and Travelers give the same minimum. Travelers explains why: the inside of the walls, where the pipes run, is colder than the rooms.
2. Open cabinet doors under sinks. The Red Cross says to open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warmer air reaches the plumbing, and to move cleaners and household chemicals out of children's reach. IBHS stresses cabinets with pipes next to an outside wall. Travelers adds that you should leave doors to unused rooms open so the heat stays even.
3. Close the garage door if water lines run through the garage (Red Cross).
4. Keep the heat's fuel and power coming. Travelers says to fill oil or propane tanks before you leave, set up deliveries if you'll be gone long, and keep the electricity on if the heating system needs it.

Shut off the water for a longer trip

5. Close the main water valve. Travelers says to consider shutting off the water completely for an extended absence. Prince William Water, a Virginia utility, says to keep the heat at 55°F or more, or shut off the main valve, for a long winter absence. Two exceptions from Travelers: if you have an older steam heating system, ask your heating professional whether it's safe to turn the water off, and never turn off the water to a fire sprinkler system. Keep the heat at 55°F or higher even with the water off.
6. Drain the lines. With the main closed, Travelers says to open the faucets to drain the pipes and flush the toilets to empty the tanks and bowls. If you want antifreeze in the toilets, use only non-toxic antifreeze rated for plumbing. Travelers notes that a licensed plumber can do the job and blow compressed air through the pipes to confirm they're empty.
7. If you leave the water on, at least shut off the washing machine supply, as the Insurance Information Institute advises for vacations. Travelers says to do the same for the dishwasher where possible.
8. Winterize outdoor faucets. The Red Cross says to close the inside valves to outdoor hose bibs and leave the outside faucets open so they drain. Our outdoor faucet guide walks through it.

Set the water heater to vacation

9. Use the setting your manufacturer gives. Rheem says many of its gas water heaters have a vacation setting on the gas valve, and others can be turned to their lowest temperature. For a week or more, Rheem suggests vacation or pilot mode, which shuts off the main burner but keeps the pilot lit. For two weeks or more, Rheem says you can turn the gas valve to OFF and close the cold water supply. One A.O. Smith gas manual says to turn the dial to its lowest setting for vacations, which keeps the tank from freezing in cold weather; on that model the VAC setting holds about 55°F. For a long absence, Travelers' checklist says to turn off the water heater's heat source and water supply if it's separate from your boiler. For an electric, heat pump, or tankless model, use the vacation steps in your owner's manual.

Add sensors and a house checker

10. Put in leak and low-temperature alerts. Travelers recommends a water flow sensor and a low-temperature sensor on the main water pipe, connected to a monitored alarm or your phone. Cincinnati Insurance says a low-temperature sensor warns you when the furnace or heat source fails. Our smart leak detector guide compares models, and our leak sensor guide shows where to put them.
11. Have someone check the house regularly. Travelers says your checker should look at the heat, electrical, and water systems. In very cold weather, they should look for ice dams along the roof edge and for leaks inside. Allstate says to tell your neighbors when you'll be away in cold weather.

Handle snow, mail, and alarms

12. Arrange snow removal and stop the mail. Travelers says to forward your mail, stop the newspaper, and have a friend pick up anything left at the door. It also says to have someone clear snow after storms and to put lights on timers so the house doesn't look empty.
13. Keep the furnace vents clear. Trane says to keep furnace intake and exhaust pipes clear of snow, because a blocked exhaust pipe can let carbon monoxide build up. Its furnaces shut off if the flue is blocked. Ask your snow helper to check the vents too; our furnace vent guide shows what to look for.
14. Test smoke and CO alarms. Travelers says to check smoke and CO detectors and replace batteries before you go. The CPSC says to test smoke alarms once a month and to replace their batteries at least once a year.
15. Unplug what you don't need. Travelers says to unplug unnecessary appliances before you leave. That includes every space heater, with no exceptions (CPSC, NFPA).

What Not to Do

• Don't turn the heat off or set it below 55°F (Red Cross), not even for a weekend.
• Don't shut off the water to a fire sprinkler system, and ask your heating professional first if you have an older steam system (Travelers).
• Don't put just any antifreeze in the plumbing. Travelers says to use only non-toxic antifreeze rated for plumbing systems.

When You Get Home

Western Water, a California utility, says to turn the main valve back on slowly, because opening it too fast can damage the pipes, and to run a faucet to clear air from the lines. Rheem says to set the water heater back to its normal temperature and run hot water at the faucets; if you shut it off, relight the pilot by the instructions that came with the heater. If a faucet gives only a trickle, the Red Cross says to suspect a frozen pipe. See frozen pipes: what to do.

When to Call a Pro

• Your main shutoff won't turn, or it leaks when you test it. Don't force it; our shutoff guide covers what to do next.
• You want the plumbing fully drained. Travelers says a licensed plumber can do it, and Cincinnati Insurance notes that many property management companies winterize homes.
• You heat with an older steam system and want to turn the water off (Travelers).
• The heating system hasn't been serviced this season (Travelers).
• Your checker finds a cold house, a leak, or a heating failure. Have them call a heating contractor or plumber from the list you left.

A Note on Insurance

The Insurance Information Institute says homeowners and renters insurance covers burst pipes. Liberty Mutual says frozen pipes that burst are usually covered if you kept the heat on and maintained the home in winter. Nationwide gives an example: if you turn the heat off before a winter trip but leave the water on, any water damage from frozen pipes probably won't be covered. Policies differ, so ask your agent before a long trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should I leave my house at in winter while I'm away?

No lower than 55°F, the American Red Cross minimum. IBHS and Travelers give the same number. Keep that setting even if you shut off the water.

Should I turn off the water when I leave for the winter?

For a long trip, yes, unless you have a fire sprinkler system or an older steam system. Travelers says to consider turning off the water for an extended absence, then draining the pipes and flushing the toilets. For a short trip, at least shut off the washing machine supply (Insurance Information Institute).

Should I turn off my water heater when I go on vacation?

Turn it down rather than off for most trips. Rheem says to use the vacation setting or the lowest setting for a few days, vacation or pilot mode for a week or more, and to turn it off fully only for two weeks or more. A.O. Smith says the lowest setting keeps the tank from freezing.

How often should someone check my house while I'm gone?

Travelers says regularly, with checks of the heat, electrical, and water systems. Your policy may say how often; ask your agent. Smart sensors cover the hours between visits.

The Bottom Line

Keep the heat no lower than 55°F and open the sink cabinets. For a long trip, close the main and drain the lines, unless a sprinkler or steam system needs water. Set the water heater to vacation as its maker directs, and add leak and low-temperature alerts. Line up someone to check the house and clear the snow, test the alarms, and unplug every space heater. When you get home, turn the water on slowly.

Sources

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