going away/snowbird

Hi,

I need some advice. I live in Winnipeg, which is one of the coldest cities in Canada. In the winter, the average temperature is probably -20 Celsius.

I am going to be away this winter. I will not be home for close to 3 months.

What do you guys recommend I should do in terms of winterizing my house?

- Shut off the main water valve bringing water into the house?
- Drain all the pipes? Do I just open all the taps to drain the water out? Someone told me that I should leave the taps open to prevent pressure from building up, does that make sense?
- Do I flush all the toilets too?
- Someone says I should pour anti-freeze in the toilets, toilet tanks, and all the traps. Someone says I should use olive oil to prevent evaporation. Any of this makes sense? And what are traps and how do I pour things into the traps?
- Someone suggests putting plastic food wraps over the sinks, and toilets to prevent sewer gas from coming in?
- I was also told to drain all the water from the pipes outside of the house. Do I just turn on the outside faucets after I turn off the main water valve in the basement?
- I have an electrical water heater. Do I just turn it off with the breakers? Do I need to drain the water heater?

Sorry for all these questions. I am not very knowledgable when it comes to these things. Please help.

 

With no disrespect intended, I would suggest that you hire a plumber to help you out with this. If the house isn't winterized correctly it could cause serious damage.

Also note that if you leave a house unattended for 3 months and something goes wrong, your insurance may not cover it. Talk to your insurance agent before you go.