A question for a plumber (or one who knows) regarding a small home down cape with gas forced hot air and gas water heater in basement. In years past we fully shut the place down, had plumber turn off gas, water & electric turned off for the winter. Lately we have been keeping it open as my family and I enjoy going down and spending a weekend or two a month or so just to bum around or get a few improvements done on it. My question is if there is a happy in between where I can basically shut off heat and be OK.

My thoughts were to fully drain water except the water heater in basement and to shut furnace off. I have a drain right about my main that would take out everything but the water heater, probably leave some small amount of water in the pipes in basement. I could put a shutoff right above WH and use a compressor to blow whole house clear except for that if that amount of water would be a concern. I would then fill RV antifeeze into all the traps and be done.
Is this a good or bad idea and why? Thoughts come to mind of - its gas, exactly how would I do that and is it safe to keep turning it on and off? Water heater will be turned down but will need to call for water cause issues? Am I over thinking this, main issue is I don't want to worry about the place.
Thanks

what town are you calling" down cape"?

If you truly don't want to worry about the place then consider draining the water tank and gas/off.
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I am not a plumber.


At 1 or 2 weekends per month I would just leave it fully functional and just throttle the heat back to45- 50 and turn the hot water to low. I would not leave a hot water heater running with no water connection. To me , a couple of qweekends a month is worth just having it a thermostat turn away from normal.

down cape is Harwich. I don't mind draining tank, its more of a pain, would have to hook up pump etc but not a huge deal. I am a little weird about gas. Can I just shut off outside? Safe? Never really messed with it - I am sure the on off process is safe but still a little cautious.

does the gas furnace have a piliot light?