Should You Drain a Water Heater Before Vacation in Winter?

Whether you're a snowbird heading south for the entire winter or just a cold-month vacationer, part of the prep work includes protecting your home while you're gone. Frozen pipes create a serious risk that can damage your plumbing, flooring, ceilings and walls. To prevent those issues, you might consider draining your system, including your water heater.

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Can You Drain Your Water Heater When You're Not Going to Use It for a While?

Deciding if you should drain your water heater before going on vacation for an extended period depends on the circumstances. Shutting off and draining the appliance offers several advantages that could save you money and protect your home from water damage. However, it also creates more work and comes with some risks. Consider your comfort level with draining the appliance and the details of your absence to help you decide.

What Is Water Heater Vacation Mode?

Water heater vacation mode lowers the tank temperature to conserve energy. The "VAC" or "Vacation" option on the dial will lower the water temperature to around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In vacation mode, the water won't be constantly heated as if you're at home to take showers and run the dishwasher, but it's still warm enough to keep from freezing. Using water heater vacation mode may be a good alternative to turning off and draining your water heater.

What Are the Benefits of Draining a Water Heater Before Vacation?

The benefits of draining a water heater before vacation include:

• Damage prevention. Water left in the tank could freeze if your home loses power or the temperature drops significantly.

• Clean tank. It's a good idea to drain your water heater at least once a year to remove sediment. If you're going on vacation, emptying the tank before you leave helps you check this task off your to-do list.

• Energy savings. There's no point in keeping water hot when no one's there to use it, and emptying and shutting off your water heater can save you money.

What Are the Disadvantages of Draining a Water Heater?

Draining your water heater isn't ideal in all situations. Potential disadvantages include:

• Refilling time. When you return home from your vacation, you won't have hot water right away. You'll need to refill the water heater and wait for the water to heat up. That interferes with even basic tasks such as washing your hands.

• Bacterial growth. The water heater's high temperature while it's on helps kill bacteria. Legionella bacteria are a common risk when the water isn't hot enough.

• Pre-vacation work. Draining your water heater adds another task before your trip when you're likely already busy.

• Difficulty restarting. If you have an older system, it's possible the water heater won't work well upon your return. It might be slow to restart or not turn back on at all.

• Expensive reheating process. To use your water heater again, you'll need to fill it and give the water time to heat up. This increases your water and energy bills.

Should You Leave Your Water Heater Empty If You're Leaving for Vacation During Cold Weather?

Whether you should drain a water heater before vacation in the winter often depends on the length of the trip. You may not benefit much from draining the appliance if you're taking a shorter trip lasting only a few days. If your water heater has a "vacation" setting, you can choose that instead. It lowers the temperature to save energy while you're away.

If you're taking a longer vacation, draining the water heater is often beneficial. You'll save more energy by turning the water heater off when you're leaving for an extended period. The longer you're away, the greater the risk of issues such as power outages that can cause the water to freeze.

The exception is if you have a house sitter helping out while you're gone. Even if they don't stay there full-time, the time they do spend at your home may be more comfortable with access to hot water.

How to Drain the Water Heater Before Vacation

If you decide to drain the water heater, follow these steps:

1. Shut off the power supply to the appliance.

2. Turn off the water supply.

3. Connect a hose to the water heater's drain valve.

4. Position the other end of the hose in a drain, out a window, into a bucket or to another safe place for draining.

5. Turn on a hot water faucet.

6. Open the drain valve to start the flow of water.

7. Once the water heater is empty, close the valve.

8. Disconnect the hose.

When you return home, you'll need to turn on the cold water supply, making sure the drain valve is closed. When the tank fills completely, turn the power supply to the water heater back on.