What is winterizing?
Winterizing gets a cabin or vacation home ready to sit empty through freezing weather. The goal is simple: keep water from freezing in the pipes, and know quickly if something goes wrong.
Mountain homes from Purgatory to Pagosa see long, cold winters, and a frozen pipe in an empty house can run for days before anyone notices.
What does winterizing include?
A typical winterizing visit includes:
- Shutting off the main water to the house
- Draining the water lines and opening faucets so water is not trapped in the pipes
- Blowing out the lines with compressed air where the plumbing allows it
- Protecting outdoor hose bibs, disconnecting hoses and adding insulated covers
- Setting the thermostat to the minimum temperature you and your plumber or property manager choose
- Smart freeze and leak sensors placed near pipes, the water heater and under sinks, set to alert your phone
- A checklist of what was done, so you or your property manager know the state of the house
Some homes stay heated all winter and only need the outdoor and sensor steps. Others are fully shut down. We go through which approach fits your home when you book.
What do we not do?
We do routine shut-down steps, not plumbing repairs. Frozen, cracked or leaking pipes, water heater repairs, sprinkler systems and anything that needs a plumbing permit go to a licensed plumber.
We also do not work on gas lines or gas appliances. If a step involves the gas supply, that is for a licensed professional. If we find a leak or damage while winterizing, we stop and tell you right away.
Smart sensors that watch the house for you
A smart freeze or leak sensor sends an alert to your phone if the temperature near a pipe drops too low or water shows up on the floor. Paired with a smart thermostat, you can check the indoor temperature from anywhere.
Sensors need working Wi-Fi to send alerts, and internet near the lake varies by address, so we check what works at your address first. See smart home and Wi-Fi and vacation rental smart home setup.
Spring opening
In the spring we can open the house back up: close the faucets and drains we opened, turn the water on slowly, look for drips at the fixtures we can see and reset the thermostat. If anything leaks, we shut the water off again and you call a licensed plumber.
When should I book?
Book before the first hard freeze. Fall fills up as owners close their cabins for the season, so an early date is safer. Call (970) 426-8215 to set a winterizing date, and a spring opening date if you want one.
What does winterizing cost?
Winterizing is quoted with a free estimate. The size of the house, the number of fixtures and outdoor spigots, whether the lines can be blown out and how many sensors you want all move the price.
See pricing for how quotes work. Pair winterizing with fire mitigation in the fall, or holiday lighting for the season. Request an estimate.