Which plan fits your absence
Keeping the heat on works for a shorter trip when someone can check the house. Ready PA and FEMA both use 55°F as the minimum thermostat setting. PWD adds that the water meter area should stay above 40°F, and that pipes in unheated spaces and along exterior walls, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, should be wrapped and insulated. Open the sink cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes, and fix or cover broken windows near the meter, since cold air blowing on a pipe raises the freezing risk.
Draining is the safer choice for a long absence, a house with no one checking it, or one where the heating is unreliable. That's a plumber's job, not a homeowner's, because it involves the water heater, the fixtures and anything connected to the supply.
Don't ask the city to shut off your water
PWD does have a way to stop water service, but it's a Discontinuance Permit, and the city says it permanently disconnects the service line from the main. Getting water back later means a new plumbing permit and a City-certified plumber installing a new service, which the city warns can cost thousands of dollars, and stormwater charges continue anyway. For a winter away, use your own house-side valve instead.
PWD's flyer says that valve is usually near the water meter, which in most Philadelphia homes sits in the basement against the street-side wall. Find it, make sure it turns, and tag it so a caretaker can find it fast. The pipes from the main to your house are your responsibility, not PWD's; see who pays to fix a leaking service line.
Before you leave
- Disconnect garden hoses. Close the indoor shutoff for each outdoor faucet and leave the outside faucet open so that section drains, as PWD advises. If one of those faucets already leaked last winter, read what to check when an outdoor faucet leaks inside the wall.
- Look over the water heater and any pipes you can reach for drips or corrosion, and get them fixed before you go.
- Write down the water meter reading on the day you leave. It lets you check for a hidden leak when you get back; here's how to read the meter for a leak.
- Consider water-leak sensors or an automatic shutoff valve. FEMA lists both as ways to limit damage from a burst pipe, but a sensor only helps if someone gets the alert and can get to the house.
What to ask the plumber who winterizes
- Which lines will you drain, and how will you confirm they're empty?
- What will you do about water left in toilets and drain traps, and what product, if any, will you put in them?
- Will you shut down the water heater first, following its manual? EPA WaterSense notes that draining a tank means cutting its power first and dealing with very hot water.
- Which appliances need their own shutdown: the washer, dishwasher, ice maker, water softener or filters?
- If the house has a boiler, radiant heat or fire sprinklers: will shutting off or draining the water affect them, and who needs to sign off?
- Can you leave a written checklist for turning everything back on?
Have someone check the house
Ask a neighbor or relative to stop by on a regular schedule and again after a hard freeze or a power outage. Give them the valve location and your plumber's number. If the water is still on, reduced flow from a faucet is the first sign of freezing, according to PWD.
If a pipe bursts, they should close the house-side valve, and if it's a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater, then call a licensed plumber. PWD says never to put direct heat on a frozen pipe; a space heater or hair dryer warming the area is the safer way. A leaking meter is PWD's to fix: call 215-685-6300. It's also worth asking your insurer whether a vacant house has to be checked on a set schedule under your policy.
When you come back
Follow the plumber's restart checklist, then walk the house looking for drips and wet spots, and compare the meter to the reading you wrote down. Water that sat in the pipes for weeks should be flushed before you drink it. A framework from the American Water Works Association and IAPMO, written for building managers and posted by PWD, suggests running cold water until it matches the water coming in from the street, and hot water until it reaches a steady top temperature. It says there's no set flushing time that fits every building, so ask the plumber what makes sense for yours.