Protect your home before winter vacation

Prepare your home before leaving on winter vacation

Looking to escape the cold? Whether you are going away for a week or an extended period of time, it is important to prepare your home before you leave. There are things you can do to help prevent frozen pipes, and other costly damage, giving you peace of mind while you're away.

Make sure the following is done before you leave on vacation:

• Check for leaks. You don't want a crack or leak to worsen while you are away. A week before leaving, inspect toilets, pipes, faucets & your water heater for cracks, drips and leaks. Get any issues fixed.
• Winterize outdoor faucets. Detach, drain and store any outdoor hoses. Close any inside shut off valve that leads to the outdoor spigot. Open the outdoor faucet and let it drain for a few hours before closing. Install a cover on your outdoor faucet if you don't have a freeze-proof spigot. 
• Insulate your pipes. Pipes inside and outside your house can freeze. Help prevent frozen pipes by wrapping water lines near exterior walls and doors with insulation, particularly in cooler areas like the attic, basement or garage. You can also wrap outside water pipes with heat tape.
• Dispose of FOGs properly. While you should always dispose of fats, oils and grease (FOGs) properly, be extra vigilant before your travels. FOGs cause blockages in the sewer system that can then backup into your home. Put FOGs in a disposable container and throw in the garbage.

Set up the following to help protect your home while you're gone:

• Keep water flowing. A regular flow of water can help prevent pipes from freezing. Ask your house sitter to run all of the taps in your house (including showers/baths) for 5 minutes each visit to reduce the risk of freezing.
• Leave your heat on. You should not turn your heat off when leaving for the winter. If temperatures drop below freezing, which is likely, you are risking frozen pipes. 

Helpful resources

Learn more about how to protect your home from cold weather and avoid water-related issues while you're away:

• Prevent frozen pipes while on vacation
• Maintain water lines on your property
• Find and fix common leaks in your home