A winter trip needs more than a final look at the weather forecast. Decide how your outdoor water equipment and garden will be cared for—and who will act if something changes.

A short absence from a heated home is different from closing a seasonal property. The checklist below helps organize routine preparation. It does not replace professional winterization of a building, irrigation system, or unfamiliar plumbing.

Decide What Stays Supplied and What Gets Winterized

List the outdoor faucets, hoses, irrigation zones, hose timers, and other equipment connected to water. For each item, record the appropriate winter method from its manufacturer or installer. A line that will be shut off and drained has a different care plan from a compatible line deliberately kept supplied.

Do not improvise a whole-house shutdown. Plumbing can interact with heating equipment, fire sprinklers, and other systems that must remain operational. If you are closing a home for the season, have a qualified professional establish the shutdown and restart procedure.

Check Heating and the Response Plan

The American Red Cross recommends leaving heat on and setting it no lower than 55°F when a home is unattended in cold weather. Treat that as general guidance, not a guarantee that every pipe in an exterior wall, crawl space, or unheated area will stay warm.

Know who can reach the property if heat or water service is interrupted. A remote sensor can be helpful, but it may depend on power, batteries, internet service, or someone actually responding to an alert. Confirm those dependencies before leaving.

Finish the Hose and Accessory Check

Walk around the property rather than checking only the most visible faucet. Disconnect seasonal hoses and accessories as required by the faucet’s instructions, drain them, and store them appropriately. Check side yards, hose reels, potting areas, and any connection hidden behind furniture.

Use our hose and watering accessory winterization guide for the detailed storage steps. Look for dripping joints, cracked fittings, loose connections, or moisture at the wall. Existing leaks should be assessed before you leave, not assigned to a neighbor to “keep an eye on” without a response plan.

Confirm Irrigation Winterization Is Actually Complete

Do not assume turning off the controller removes water from buried lines or protects a backflow assembly. Hunter’s winterization guidance distinguishes drainage methods and explains the risks of compressed-air blowout. The correct procedure depends on the system.

If professional service is required, ask what was winterized, which components need separate attention, and what should remain off. Keep the service record and leave clear instructions not to restart the system. Avoid compressed-air work without the appropriate expertise and equipment.

Give Plants a Condition-Based Care Plan

Inspect containers for drainage and choose plant-appropriate protection. Do not soak every pot immediately before departure merely to compensate for being away. A saturated container and frozen soil need different responses from dry, unfrozen soil.

For stored nursery plants, Iowa State University Extension recommends monitoring moisture and not watering frozen soil. Tell your helper which plants need checking, where they are stored, and what conditions mean they should wait. Do not restart a winterized irrigation system for a few pots; agree on a suitable alternative with your garden-care professional.

Leave a Five-Point Handoff

• Equipment status: which lines are winterized and which must remain supplied.
• Shutoff and contacts: the relevant shutoff location and who to call for a leak or heating failure.
• Inspection locations: faucets, discharge areas, vulnerable spaces, and selected plants.
• Do-not-change instructions: equipment or settings that should not be restarted, capped, disconnected, or adjusted.
• Escalation plan: what the helper should do if water leaks, ice accumulates, heat fails, or access becomes unsafe.

If a compatible outdoor line uses Polar Valve, the care plan must preserve its required supply and discharge conditions. No-electricity operation at the device does not guarantee water availability during a pump outage or protect the entire building.

Review our U.S. winter storm preparation guide before departure, then check current local forecasts and official alerts. A useful trip checklist ends with a person who knows the plan—not just a box marked “done.”