Leaving a Clarksville house empty for the winter

Why is an empty house at more risk in winter?

Nobody is there to notice a cold room, a slow faucet or a wet floor. A pipe that freezes on a January night in an occupied house is usually found the next morning; in an empty house it can thaw, split and run for days. The months from November through March hold 75.7 of Clarksville's 78.4 average freezing nights, by our addition of NOAA's monthly normals (NOAA NCEI monthly normals).

That is why the line in the lead matters. The full freeze calendar, with first and last freeze dates, is on our freeze nights page.

How warm should you keep an empty house?

No lower than 55°F. The Red Cross says that if you will be away in cold weather, leave the heat on and set it to at least 55°F (American Red Cross, archived copy). It also says to open the cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks so warmer air reaches the plumbing, which matters more when no one is opening them each day.

How hard the furnace or heat pump works depends on the month. Heating degree days, a standard measure of heating demand, peak in January.

Keep the utility accounts active and paid while you are gone. A heat pump or gas furnace that loses power or fuel leaves the pipes with no protection at all. Our gas and electric rates page shows what CGW, CDE Lightband and CEMC charge.

Should you shut off the water before you leave?

For any absence longer than a few days, closing the main valve limits what a split pipe can release. With the main shut, a broken line can only drain the water already in it. Find the valve before winter, try it, and tag it so a neighbor or house-sitter can find it fast.

Then open a cold faucet on the bottom floor to relieve pressure in the lines. Draining a whole house, blowing out lines or adding antifreeze is a job for a licensed plumber; the Red Cross, writing about pool and sprinkler lines, warns against antifreeze unless someone qualified directs it.

If the main valve is stiff, corroded or will not close, have a licensed plumber replace it before you leave.

Who is responsible for the pipe if it breaks?

The owner. CGW puts the line beyond the meter yoke, right up to the building, in the property owner's hands (CGW FAQ). A leak on that stretch, or anywhere inside, is the owner's to find and fix, and the water it loses passes through the meter.

What does an empty house cost on the CGW bill?

At least $30.28 a month inside the city, by our arithmetic from CGW's rate schedule effective July 1, 2024. Water carries a $9.00 meter charge even at zero use, and sewer has a $5.00 environmental compliance fee plus a minimum bill based on 2,000 gallons at $8.14 per 1,000 (CGW Water Rate Schedule A).

A leak changes that quickly. EPA puts a toilet leak at roughly 200 gallons every day (EPA WaterSense Kids); over a two-week trip that is 2,800 gallons, about $35 at inside usage rates, by our arithmetic. Every rate line is broken out on the CGW bill page.

How do you check for a leak when you get back?

Read the meter as you leave and again when you return. With the main closed, the dial should not move at all. If you left the water on, EPA's test is to read the meter before and after a two-hour stretch with no water in use; any change suggests a leak (EPA Fix a Leak Week). Our leaks on the meter page explains the low-flow dial.

When you reopen the main, do it slowly and walk the house and crawlspace for drips. If a move or deployment leaves the house empty for months, ask a neighbor or house-sitter to check the heat and look for water at least weekly, and leave them a note of where the main valve is.