What an empty home needs on the coast, inland or islands

Terms used

• Certificado energético — The certificado energético is the official energy rating document for a home, and it states the home's climate zone.
• Calima — Calima is Saharan dust carried on hot air, mainly in the Canary Islands, which coats surfaces and clogs filters.
• DANA — A DANA is an isolated high-level depression that can bring torrential rain, flash floods, wind and hail, mostly in autumn.
• Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros — The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros is the state body that covers extraordinary events such as floods when your policy includes its surcharge.

Key rules

• Humid coast: Salt and damp cause mould and corrosion, so air the home often and protect metal.
• Frost: Only inland and mountain homes usually need pipes drained or minimal heating in winter.
• Islands: Wind, salt, calima dust and limescale are the main concerns, so arrange regular visits.
• Autumn storms: Before leaving between September and November, clear drains and move valuables off the floor.
• Flood cover: Check that your insurance includes the surcharge for extraordinary events such as floods.

Start with your zone

Work out where your home sits, then follow only the sections that fit. The risks are climate risks: humidity, frost, dust, wind and storms. They have nothing to do with how comfortable the home is for people.

Your energy performance certificate (certificado energético) states your climate zone. The Ministry of Housing also has a lookup by province and municipality. The zone is a letter for winter severity (A to E) and a number for summer severity (1 to 4), for example B3 or E1. It is built for building energy rules, not weather forecasts, so use it as a guide and read the sections below by where you live.

Humid coast: Mediterranean, Atlantic and the north

Humidity and salt air cause mould and corrosion. This applies to Galicia, the Cantabrian coast, Valencia and the Costa del Sol.

• Air the home every two to four weeks, on dry days.
• Use moisture absorbers or a dehumidifier that you can monitor.
• Look for condensation behind furniture and in wardrobes.
• Rinse, lubricate and repaint metal window frames, hinges, shutters, balcony railings and air-conditioning units. Salt also attacks electrical contacts.
• Keep leather, books and clothes in sealed containers.
• After heavy rain, check the roof and terraces for leaks.

Inland and mountain areas: frost

Frost bursts pipes. The risk is highest on the northern plateau (Castilla y León), in Teruel, Soria, Burgos, Ávila, Segovia, Cuenca and Guadalajara, and in the Pyrenees, the Sierra Nevada and other mountain ranges. It can also happen in the interior south. Coasts and islands rarely freeze.

Before a cold spell, do this:

1. Close the stopcock and drain the pipes and the water heater.
2. Insulate exposed pipes and outdoor taps.
3. If someone can monitor the home, you can instead keep minimal heating on, a few degrees above freezing.

AEMET, the state weather agency, issues cold warnings. Check them in winter.

Islands: Canaries and Balearics

Wind and salt corrode metal fittings, air-conditioning units and shutters. Wind can also slam open windows. Secure terraces, awnings and loose furniture.

In the Canary Islands, calima (Saharan dust with hot air) coats surfaces and clogs filters. Keep windows and shutters closed during episodes and clean surfaces and filters regularly.

Near the coast, humidity can be high, so air the home on dry days. If your water is desalinated or brackish, limescale can build up and affect pipes, so check the water heater. Arrange regular visits.

Autumn storms, mainly on the Mediterranean coast

From September to November, a DANA (a high-level depression, once called gota fría) can bring torrential rain, flash floods, wind and hail, as in Valencia in October 2024. Ground floors and garages can flood. Drains can block, and roofs and windows can be damaged.

Before you leave:

• Clear gutters, terraces and drains.
• Secure outdoor furniture.
• Move valuables and electronics off the floor.
• Close the shutters.

Follow AEMET colour warnings (yellow, orange, red) and civil-protection alerts. Standard home insurance covers many weather damages. Flood and other extraordinary events are covered by the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros only if your policy includes the surcharge, so check yours. Leave a contact who can enter the home.

Use the tools below

The checklist, timeline, documents list, decision and questions below cover the steps by zone.

Choosing between options

How should you protect the pipes of an empty home against frost?

• Drain the pipes and water heater: Fits an inland or mountain home that no one visits during winter and is not monitored.

• Keep minimal heating on: Fits a home where someone can monitor it, so heating stays a few degrees above freezing.

• Do nothing special for frost: Fits a coastal or island home, where frost rarely happens.

If your home is inland or in the mountains and unmonitored, close the stopcock and drain the pipes, and insulate exposed pipes and outdoor taps.

Timeline and deadlines

• Air the home on dry days and check for condensation behind furniture and in wardrobes (humid coast): roughly every two to four weeks

Documents you need

• Energy performance certificate (certificado energético) of your home, which states its climate zone; an optional way to find your zone if you already hold one

Checklist

• Place moisture absorbers or a monitored dehumidifier in the home if you are on the humid coast

• Secure terraces, awnings and loose furniture against strong wind on the islands

• Check the water heater for limescale if your island water supply is desalinated or brackish

• Clear gutters, terraces and drains before autumn storms, then move valuables and electronics off the floor and close the shutters

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out which climate zone my home is in?

Look up your municipality in the climate zone tables the Ministry of Housing publishes, or read the zone on your home's energy performance certificate. The zone is a letter for winter severity and a number for summer severity, such as B3 or D3. It is set for building energy rules, so use it as a guide to frost or heat, not as a forecast.

Does frost matter if my empty home is on the coast or on an island?

No, frost rarely matters on the coast or the islands, so pipe protection is mainly an inland and mountain concern. Your bigger risks there are salt, damp and wind. Frost can still touch the interior south occasionally, so check the cold warnings if your home is a little way from the sea.

What does a DANA storm warning mean for my empty home?

A DANA is an autumn storm system that can bring torrential rain, flash floods, wind and hail, mostly on the Mediterranean coast from September to November. Watch the yellow, orange and red weather warnings and keep a contact who can enter the home. Ask your insurer whether your policy includes flood cover for extraordinary events.

What is calima and should I worry about it in an empty home?

Calima is Saharan dust carried on hot air, mostly in the Canary Islands, and it coats surfaces and clogs filters. Keep windows and shutters closed during episodes and clean the home and filters regularly when you return or when someone visits.