Although some people choose not to heat their homes over the winter if they are leaving it unoccupied, more and more people are choosing to keep the heat on at their home or cabin in their absence due to the fact that the home is getting occasional use over the season and the fact that homes are being built with finer materials and more temperature-sensitive materials, such as extensive woodwork.
If you choose not to heat the home over the winter, consult with a professional. You will need to have the home professionally prepared for the long, cold winter. This includes having a plumber come out to the house to completely shut down and drain your water system. This is referred to as winter shutdown or winterization. If you hear your neighbors say they are going to winterize the cabin, this is what they are talking about. This will cost you little money compared to what could happen if you do not do this. Pipes that freeze and burst make for a giant and costly mess. You do not want to deal with frozen pipes. Besides draining the system, the plumber will also put RV antifreeze in the drain traps. If you choose not to heat your home, be sure to empty the home of all liquids so they do not freeze and burst. This includes medications, food, liquid soaps, and so on. Failing to do so could result in a big, gooey spring-cleaning marathon. When you return in the spring or summer, the plumber will need to get your water system up and running again.
Most new homes built these days are not made to be “shut down” for the winter. Closing up the cabin is not what it used to be. If you are likely to be using your home at all during the winter, you will certainly choose to leave the heat on. If you have had the heat off and want to visit, it will take a while for the home to warm up. Not only that, but you would have had a plumber drain down your water system too. Leaving the heat on will make for a much more pleasant and easy visit. If you do leave the heat on, it is sufficient to simply turn the water off at the source, rather than draining the system.
Besides leaving the heat on for a more comfortable visit, something else to consider is the need for any kind of service at your home. If you need to have a service people at the property, they will be certain to appreciate some heat! As a matter a fact, depending on the service, they probably will not service the property at all if it is not adequately heated.
Elaborate woodwork in the home including wood floors, walls, ceilings, and wood furniture will dry out, crack, and buckle if not kept warm. Because of this, you will definitely want to keep the home heated if you have these things. Of course, you should have a humidifier to prevent this problem as well. Keep the filter and drain line clean to the humidifier. You will likely be turning the water off at your vacation home while you are gone (not draining the system). If this is the case, make sure to have the humidifier plumbed before the shut-off valve.
Check with the manufacturer of your furnace, your heating and cooling professional, or your homebuilder to determine what temperature you should keep your house at without draining your wallet on heating bills. Usually this is somewhere between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit at the lowest.
If you have a security system, you may be able to control the thermostat remotely. This will allow you to leave the heat at an affordable 55 degrees and still arrive to a nice, warm home by simply calling into the system to turn the heat up to a comfortable temperature before you or your guests arrive at the home.
When keeping your home heated, furnace failure is always a serious concern, especially in a home that is unoccupied since nobody will be around to notice the failure. Luckily, there is a way to monitor this. This is where a security system will come in handy. Many systems have an optional sensor you can buy that will detect low heat. If you purchase one of these, your security system will sense when it is getting to cool in your home, notify the central response center, and the response center will notify you or one of your key holders. There are also some over-the-counter sensors to prevent freezeup that will work just as well. These can be found at most home improvement stores and security stores. However, you'll find the best selection and prices for these over-the-counter devices online. With some of these gadgets, you will receive a call on your cell phone if heat levels fall too low. With others, they plug into the wall, and a light will come on when the temperature in the home becomes too cold. Of course, this device only works well if you have a neighbor or another person you can trust to watch your home for the light to come on.
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