Closing a Second Home: The Plumbing Checklist That Prevents Spring Disasters

A friend of mine bought a lake cabin and left it for the winter without draining the water system. The pump kept running — or rather, kept trying to. A pipe coupling had a hairline crack he'd never noticed. By the time he returned in April, there was standing water in the basement, a failed pump, and a contractor estimate for twelve thousand dollars in structural repairs. All of it was preventable in a ninety-minute October visit.

Start outside, work your way in

The gutters are the part people skip because they're inconvenient. Clogged gutters in winter don't just look bad — they create ice dams that force water under the roofline and into the walls. A gutter cleaning tool extension lets you clear from the ground without a ladder, and it takes maybe twenty minutes on a small cabin. If leaves are chronically the problem, gutter guard mesh installed once will save you this step in future seasons.

Prune any branches that overhang the roof. A wet, heavy snow on an unpruned branch that's already over the peak is a shingle problem or worse. Do a visual check of the chimney cap while you're outside — an uncapped chimney is an invitation for birds and squirrels to move in over the winter months.

The water system sequence

Turn off the pump first, not last. With the pump off, open the lowest faucet in the house and work upward through every fixture — sinks, showers, washing machine connections. Let gravity drain the lines. Then use a air compressor to blow out any water remaining in the horizontal runs, which gravity won't clear. The toilet tank needs to be emptied manually; so does the bowl.

Add plumbing antifreeze to toilet bowls, sink traps, and shower drains. Use the non-toxic RV-grade antifreeze, not automotive — it's safe for drains and doesn't corrode plastic fittings. Pour about a cup into each trap. If you skip this step, any water remaining in the P-traps can freeze and crack the trap, which is a repair you won't discover until you smell sewer gas in spring.

Rodent-proofing matters more than insulation

I've had a contractor tell me that the second most common call he gets on vacation home reopenings after pipe damage is rodent damage — chewed wiring, nested insulation, contaminated food storage. Before you leave, remove all food, including canned goods with cardboard labels that mice will shred for nesting. Empty the refrigerator, prop the door open, and unplug it. Close every gap you can find in the foundation and exterior walls with steel wool or expanding foam sealant — mice can get through a gap the diameter of a pencil.

Mothballs near entry points are a common folk remedy. They work marginally, but the smell is brutal when you reopen in spring. A better option is copper mesh stuffed into any obvious gaps before you seal them with foam.

What I'd skip

Skip leaving the heat on "just a little" if you've properly drained the water system. An empty, drained house doesn't need heat to protect plumbing. The only reason to leave heat on is if you choose not to drain the system — and that means keeping it at 55°F minimum, which is an ongoing energy cost over a long winter. Drain the system and save the money.

Also skip the impulse to cover everything with plastic sheets. Plastic traps moisture and creates the exact humid microclimate mold needs. Use cotton drop cloths or simply leave furniture uncovered and close the interior doors to limit airflow through the house. The bottom line on second-home winterizing: the water system takes priority over everything. Everything else is secondary.