If you have a vacant house now is the time to have it winterized. This is especially important if the house is for sale. I remember this one time someone looking at a house flipped the switch that brings power to the furnace.
A couple of days later we experienced some extreme cold and the pipes froze and they burst and ruined some hardwood floors and damages some walls too. The homeowner had was advised to winterize but decided it was too much of a hassle.
Another time the homeowner was fiddling with the furnace and managed to turn it off and the pipes froze. She had a plumber thaw them out and ended up having to replace one pipe and most of the faucets. The homeowner was advised to winterize but just didn’t get around to it.
There are so many sad stored like these. Even a little water can do a lot of damage. Sometimes homeowners insurance won’t cover claims if the house is vacant. It is a good idea to get insurance to cover a vacant house.
As for winterizing the process is fairly straightforward. The water is turned off and the pipes are drained. The water heater is emptied and drained. It is a little more complicated with hot water heating than it is with forced air but a plumber should be able to winterize your home.
