Protecting Your Home While on a Winter Vacation
A great winter vacation can be ruined by returning home to damage caused by severe winter weather.
Most New York homeowners insurance policies require that you use reasonable care to maintain heat in the dwelling, or shut off the water supply and drain the plumbing system while the dwelling is unoccupied for extended periods of time.
Taking Care of Your Water Pipes While On Vacation
Water pipes are especially vulnerable to damage during cold weather. Water pipes can freeze and burst. Pipes that are most vulnerable are located in attics, crawl spaces, and outside walls. There are several simple precautions homeowners can take to reduce the chances of these pipes freezing.
-Pipes that are accessible can be fitted with foam or fiberglass insulation sleeves, or wrapping. The thicker the insulation, the better. It’s important not to leave any gaps in the insulation that expose the pipe to cold air.
-All cracks and openings in outside walls and foundations near water pipes should be sealed with caulking or foam insulation. Recheck sealed areas, as caulking can crumble with age and let in cold air.
-Keep kitchen and bath pipes exposed to warm air from your heating system by keeping cabinet doors open during periods of extreme cold.
-If you have a crawl space, make sure the outside air vents underneath the flooring are closed.
-For short absences, allow all your faucets to drip a steady stream of water. It is important to remember that if both hot and cold water pipes serve a single faucet, each one should contribute to the water flow, since both pipes are susceptible to freezing. You may wish to consider draining your water system and shutting off the main valve for extended absences
-If you return home and suspect a pipe is frozen, turn on all faucets. If a pipe has already burst, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve and call a professional plumber immediately. (Keep your faucets open until the pipe is repaired.) Never try to thaw a frozen pipe with a torch or other open flame!
