#2 What would happen to this unit if it is in a shore house that has the heat turned off(winterized) for the winter season?
The unit should be fully operational in cold temperatures, but the life expectancy of the battery could be reduced. Lithium battery lifetime is optimized around 65 degrees farhenheit, more or less. At 32 degrees, the life expectancy is reduced to about half.
Cold temperatures decrease the performance of all batteries, so the only way to eliminate this problem would be to get a wired detector (one connected up to your house electrical wiring). Of course, getting a detector with replaceable batteries might be cheaper in the long-run than this one if the battery lifetime is going to be seriously reduced.