The short answer
Leaving a Northern Virginia house in winter comes down to two moves: leave the heat on at 55 or higher, and shut off the water at the main. Then get someone to look in on it. A frozen pipe with the water off is a repair. A frozen pipe with the water on, and nobody home for a week, is a ceiling, a floor and a long call with your insurance company.
The thermostat
The Red Cross’s number is 55, and that’s the floor. We’d go 60 if you have a sink on an outside wall, a bathroom over the garage, or a house that has already frozen once, because the thermostat reads the hallway and not the back of the cabinet.
Put in fresh batteries if it takes them, and if it’s a Wi-Fi model, turn on its low temperature alert. On a heat pump, leave it in regular heat, never emergency heat. Here is the difference. More on picking a number in our thermostat setting post.
The $67 Heating Check
We check your furnace, heat pump or boiler before winter. Through December 31. See the offer
The water
Find the main, usually where the line enters the basement or the utility room. Close it, then open a faucet on the lowest floor and one upstairs to take the pressure off and let the lines drop. Close them before you leave so nothing runs when the water comes back.
Swipe to see all columns →
Swipe to see all columns →
| Your setup | What changes |
|---|---|
| Fire sprinklers on the house water line | Don’t shut the main. Ask whoever services the sprinklers which valve is safe. |
| Well | Turn the pump off at its breaker as well as closing the valve. |
| Boiler | A hot water boiler has its own water feed. Call us if you aren’t sure which valves to leave alone. |
| Tank water heater | Use vacation mode if it has one. Leave it on otherwise, unless you’re draining it. |
| Sump pump | Leave it plugged in, and don’t shut that breaker off with the rest. |
| Humidifier on the furnace | Turn it off and close its small water valve. |
What not to do
- Don’t shut the heat off to save money. Water stays in the pipes, the traps and the tank after the main is closed.
- Don’t leave a hose on the spigot. That can split the pipe inside the wall.
- Don’t leave a space heater on as backup. Never with nobody home.
- Don’t close interior doors and vents. Let the heat reach the far rooms. Open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls too.
- Don’t count on the phone alert alone. It tells you there’s a problem. Somebody still has to go open the door.
- Don’t skip the policy. Plenty of homeowners policies have conditions about keeping a house heated, or how long it can sit empty. Check yours before a long trip.
Who checks on the house
Give a neighbor a key and two jobs: walk through every couple of days, and read the thermostat. If it’s way under the setting, the heat has quit, and that’s the call that saves the house. Show them the main shutoff, and put your plumber’s number on the fridge. A leak sensor under the water heater and each sink is cheap, and useful if you left the water on. Know what happens if the power goes out while you are gone too.
The real risk is the furnace quitting
The whole plan rests on the heat staying on while nobody’s there. Run the system a full hour before you go, the same test as the first cold night, and swap the filter (which one to buy). Back home, open the main slowly and walk the house before you unpack. The rest of our winter list is right here.
Book it
Going away for a while? Get the system looked at before you leave. The heating check is $67 per system through December 31, on a furnace, heat pump or boiler. Book it from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer and free MOLTN cookies come with the visit. Or call (703) 997-9757. SwiftPro is rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
What should I set my thermostat to when I go away in winter?
No lower than 55, the Red Cross’s number. We’d go 60 if you have pipes on outside walls or a bathroom over the garage. Heat pump owners set it and leave it, without emergency heat.
Should I turn off the water when I go on vacation in winter?
Yes, for any trip longer than a night or two, unless you have a fire sprinkler system on the same line. Shut the main, then open a faucet to take the pressure off. On a well, turn the pump off at its breaker.
Can I turn the heat off if I shut off the water?
No. Water sits in the pipes, traps and the water heater after you shut the main. Keep the heat on.
Should I turn off my water heater when I go away?
Use the vacation setting if it has one. It saves a little and keeps the tank from freezing. Shut it off only if you’ve drained it or plan to be gone a long time.
