A second home in Truckee, Tahoe Donner, Incline, or South Lake spends most of the winter empty. That changes what you are protecting it from. Burglary is on the list, but for most owners it is not at the top. The expensive problems are a furnace that quits during a cold snap, a pipe that splits, and a week going by before anyone finds out.
I set up a lot of these homes, and the goal is always the same: the house should be able to tell you something is wrong on the day it goes wrong, even when the power and internet are out and you are four hours away.
Start With Temperature
Frozen pipes are the classic mountain-home disaster. The furnace fails or the power is out for a day, the inside temperature falls, a pipe freezes and splits, and when things thaw the water runs until someone shuts it off.
A low-temperature sensor is a small wireless device that reports to the alarm panel when the room drops below a safe level, well before pipes are at risk. It is monitored around the clock like a burglar alarm, so you and the monitoring center both hear about it. Put one in the coldest part of the house with plumbing, which is usually a north-facing bathroom, a crawl space access, or the utility room.
A smart thermostat on the same system adds a second layer. You can check the indoor temperature from your phone, get an alert if it falls outside the range you set, and turn the heat up the morning you drive up.
Then Water
Water leak sensors sit on the floor near anything that can leak: the water heater, under sinks, behind the washing machine, beside the dishwasher. The moment one gets wet, it reports.
For a home that sits empty, I recommend pairing the sensors with an automatic shutoff valve on the main water line. When a sensor trips, the valve closes on its own. A leak that would have run for days is limited to what was already in the pipe. You can also close the valve from your phone when you leave and open it when you come back, which is the simplest protection of all.
Reporting That Survives a Storm
The same storm that threatens the pipes usually takes out the power and the internet. A system that depends on Wi-Fi goes silent at exactly the wrong time.
Every system I install reports over a built-in cellular radio as well as broadband, and the panel has its own backup battery. When the internet drops, the freeze alert still goes out. The panel also reports the power loss itself, which is your early warning that the furnace is not running. I go through the details in what your alarm does during an outage.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide
A smoke detector that only beeps is no use in an empty house on a quiet street. Monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detectors send the signal to the monitoring center, which calls the fire department whether or not anyone is home. In wildfire country and in homes heated with gas or wood, I treat this as part of the basic system.
Access Without Hidden Keys
Mountain homes have a lot of visitors who are not you: the plow service, the cleaner, a property manager, a plumber, friends borrowing the place, and guests if you rent it out. The key under the rock by the door is known to more people than you think.
A smart lock tied to the alarm gives each of them their own code. You see who came and went and when. Codes can be limited to certain days, and you can remove one from your phone in a few seconds. When the cleaner's code unlocks the door, the alarm can disarm for them and re-arm when they lock up.
Cameras That Handle Snow
Cameras on a mountain house answer practical questions. Has the driveway been plowed? How deep is the snow on the deck? Did the delivery arrive? Is that a bear at the trash enclosure?
Mount them under eaves where sliding roof snow cannot hit them, high enough to stay above the snowpack, and angled so a white landscape does not wash out the picture. Use detection that recognizes people and vehicles, or falling snow will fill your phone with alerts. If the picture is poor after dark, my guide on night camera problems covers the usual causes.
Before You Lock Up for the Season
Arrange a local person who can get to the house. An alert is only useful if someone can act on it, and in a storm that will not be you. A neighbor, property manager, or caretaker should be on the monitoring contact list with their own door code.
Check that the address is clearly marked and visible above the snow line, so responders can find the house. And test everything while you are still there: trip a leak sensor with a damp cloth, confirm the alert reaches your phone, and make sure your contacts know what to do when they get the call.
- Low-temperature sensor in the coldest plumbed area
- Smart thermostat with remote alerts
- Water leak sensors at the heater, sinks, and laundry
- Automatic shutoff valve on the main water line
- Cellular reporting and a healthy panel battery
- Monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Smart lock with individual codes, no hidden key
- Cameras mounted clear of roof slides and snowpack
- A local contact who can reach the house in a storm
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep pipes from freezing in an empty vacation home? +
Keep the heat on at a safe minimum, and install a monitored low-temperature sensor that alerts you and the monitoring center if the house gets too cold. Adding an automatic water shutoff valve limits the damage if a pipe does split.
Will my alarm still report if the power and internet go out in a storm? +
Yes, if the system has cellular backup and a panel battery. Kiwi Alarms systems report over a built-in cellular radio as well as broadband, and the panel reports the power loss itself, so freeze and leak alerts still go out during a storm.
What is an automatic water shutoff valve? +
It is a motorized valve installed on the main water line that connects to your alarm system. When a leak sensor detects water, the valve closes automatically. You can also close and open it from your phone when leaving or arriving.
How do I give a cleaner or property manager access to my second home? +
Use a smart lock connected to the alarm system and give each person their own code. You can see when each code is used, limit codes to certain days, and delete a code from your phone at any time.
Does Kiwi Alarms install security systems in Truckee and South Lake Tahoe? +
Yes. Kiwi Alarms serves Truckee, South Lake Tahoe, and the surrounding area from Reno, and Scott Ferguson installs every system personally.
Related reading: Truckee Home Security · South Lake Tahoe Home Security · Alarms During an Outage · Flood Detectors · Secure Your Home Before Vacation