leaving the stick and brick for the summer

ferndaleflyer....Interesting take on things. I wouldn't want my house to flood even if the insurance pays for it. And if I left my house a/c at 73 for 3 months that I'm gone, I'd have a much higher electric bill than if I had stayed at home.

Grit dog....That certainly would be a great practical joke! Hope we never forget the plastic wrap when we arrive back home and run into the house to go to the bathroom!

Lots of facts here. I have 3 homes plus the DP. In the houses I just set them on 73 and never change them. Never had a commode go dry and if it floods that's what insurance is for including the water bill. Once the water in the basement was up to the floor because the sump pump failed. Insurance paid for it all.

I turn my water off too. Had an incident years back. I also turn off the circuit breaker of my electric water heater. No need to reheat the same water over and over again while I'm gone.

Janss wrote:
86 also. Plus I lift up the toilet seat, put plastic wrap sealed very well over the toilet bowl, and put the seat and lid down. That water in the bowl will evaporate and could dry out your toilet if this is not done...which could cause problems. Don't ask me how I know.

Wow, the perfect practical joke turned into a useful home storage tool!

I turn my water off. Friends in our park have sprung leaks while they were away and had to replace all their floors and drywall a few feet up. Plus they were on metered water and had a big bill to pay.

Dale

I'm not in a position to leave for extended time but I have thought about it often. My brother in law's mom lives in palm Springs and one summer a piece of furniture cracked from excessive heat while she was traveling. Now she sets the temp at 95 when away and has never had a problem since. Personally I think setting it in the 80's would be a waste of money.

I also would pay a trusted neighbors kid $50 to come into the house once a month to flush all the toilets and run all the taps for a minute to refill any evaporating P traps.

That's $50 total not per month.

we leave it on 80. humidity is high enough. Also use the oil in the toilet water.

I set it at about 80.
bumpy

Rather than plastic wrapping the toilet just pour a thin layer of oil on top of the water to keep it from evaporating.

I am in Florida. My furnace guy told me to bump it up to 80 and turn the humidifier back to 55. I also use plastic wrap over the toilets.

Dale