Leaving for the Winter? Winterize Your Orange Plumbing

Why an Empty Orange House Is a Risk Right Now

The Old Farmer's Almanac puts Orange's average first fall frost around October 11, based on the Ansonia station, so the season has already turned. Plenty of homes in town are ranches and split levels with water lines running through crawl spaces and attached garages. Those are the first pipes to freeze.

An empty house makes it worse. Nobody is around to hear the furnace quit or see a ceiling stain spreading, and a split pipe can run for weeks before anyone opens the door. Whether you're heading south for a few months or carrying a rental between tenants, the plumbing needs a plan before you leave.

Five Things to Do Before You Lock the Door

• Set the heat at 55 or higher and leave it steady. The American Red Cross says to leave the heat on at no lower than 55 when you're away in cold weather. Put fresh batteries in the thermostat and have the heating system serviced before you go.
• Shut the main and bleed the pressure. Close the main water valve, then open a faucet on the lowest floor until it stops running. Our main shutoff guide shows where to find it and how to test it.
• Drain the outdoor faucets and pull the hoses. Close the inside shutoff for each hose faucet, open it outside and let it empty. Our outdoor faucet guide covers the details.
• Wrap the cold spots and open the cabinets. Put foam sleeves on any pipe in the crawl space or garage, and leave the sink cabinet doors open on outside walls so house heat reaches the pipes.
• Line up a house checker. Give a neighbor or family member a key and ask them to walk through every week or two. They should look at the thermostat, the basement floor, the ceilings under the bathrooms, the area around the water heater and the cabinets under the sinks. A few cheap water sensors on the basement floor help too.

When the Whole System Needs Draining

If the heat will be shut off, the house needs a full drain down. That means the supply lines and water heater get drained, and every trap and toilet gets plumbing antifreeze. Homes with a boiler or hot water baseboard heat need the heating side handled the right way too. Have a licensed plumber do it, and have the same plumber turn everything back on in spring. Gas water heaters and gas lines are always a job for a licensed pro.

Signs You Need a Plumber

• Water on the basement floor or a stain on a ceiling. Shut the main if anyone opened it, and call before the drywall and flooring soak through.
• The house is cold when the checker walks in. Call the heating company first, then have a plumber look over the pipes before anyone turns the water back on.
• Nothing comes out of a faucet once the main is open. A line is probably frozen. Close the main again and get help before it thaws and sprays.
• The water meter moves with every fixture off. Something is leaking somewhere, often a pipe you can't see.
• You see a bulge or a split in a pipe. Keep the main closed. A pipe that cracked while frozen will leak the moment water hits it.

Call us or use the form on this page and we'll connect you with a licensed plumber in Orange or Woodbridge. Landlords with an empty unit can start with our landlord page, and our burst pipe repair page covers what happens if a line already let go.

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