Family returns from vacation to find home flooded, frozen

[stetwood]

A real simple lesson. Turn off your water at the source, whether a well or city water and open several faucets to allow ice expansion.Maybe add some pink stuff to toilet tanks and bowls. This may cost a few dollars but makes for cheap insurance. Have a relative or neighbor check house daily if possible.

[hotbyte]

ScottG wrote:
Turning off the water and opening a faucet is not going to keep pipes from freezing.

But it will minimize damage if pipes freeze, burst, and thaw out. If water is left on, it will flow and flood while person is away on vacation.

[K_Charles]

With the water shut off the furnace auto feed won't work and it will quit running when it gets low on water. I will leave the heat on (and water) when we go away. There is a small brook in the basement when it rains hard so I am sure the water will find it's way out. If the heat is off to long the doors don't shut good, the drawers get stuck and the tables worp.

[wgriswold]

My house has a stop and drain system. Turning off the water also drains the cold water pipes and the hot water pipes have a drain that opens when the water pressure drops. Opening the faucets helps the water to drain.

[ScottG]

Turning off the water and opening a faucet is not going to keep pipes from freezing.

[BurbMan]

The heat WAS on, the Nest t-stat just told him that it stopped working. OPening faucets does nothing, if you turn the water off, then also drain the pipes.

[DrewE]

Opening the faucets isn't going to do anything useful to keep pipes in walls from freezing and bursting.

Turning off the water supply is probably the most important preventative measure. It at least means that a broken pipe will not cause an unending stream of water flowing and flooding once it thaws. This is the difference between a mess and possibly a complete loss. It's also good advice even if it's not freezing weather as leaks can sometimes come from causes other than ice.

[DutchmenSport]

Standard practice for us when leaving for any activity where we are gone more than a day, shut the water pump off. At most, if something broke, it would only run until the water pressure ran out of the lines.

However, for the last 4 years, we've had my son living with us, with his (now almost 5 year old) son. So, the house is occupied 24x7x365 now. (hoping someday he'll finally move out again!)

[gbopp]

Try to look at the bright side. It's a good reason to full time. 🙂

[2oldman]

wnjj wrote:
Read post #2 above. Leaving the heat on is no guarantee.

No, but the OP didn't mention anything about leaving the heat on.

Would YOU leave your home in winter with no heat on because it's "no guarantee"?

[wnjj]

2oldman wrote:

stetwood wrote:
Maybe add some pink stuff to toilet tanks and bowls. This may cost a few dollars but makes for cheap insurance. Have a relative or neighbor check house daily if possible.

I don't want cheap insurance, I want good insurance. No mention of leaving the heat on??

Read post #2 above. Leaving the heat on is no guarantee.

[2oldman]

stetwood wrote:
Maybe add some pink stuff to toilet tanks and bowls. This may cost a few dollars but makes for cheap insurance. Have a relative or neighbor check house daily if possible.

I don't want cheap insurance, I want good insurance. No mention of leaving the heat on??

[fj12ryder]

Yep, stuff happens. Sometimes even if you think you're planned for all eventualities. Murphy's always hanging around, just waiting.

[GordonThree]

stetwood wrote:
A real simple lesson. Turn off your water at the source, whether a well or city water and open several faucets to allow ice expansion.Maybe add some pink stuff to toilet tanks and bowls. This may cost a few dollars but makes for cheap insurance. Have a relative or neighbor check house daily if possible.

Yikes, sorry to hear that happened to you.

Hopefully no treasured heirlooms were damaged.

[spoon059]

Good advice. My buddy was out of the country visiting family and called me at 11 one night frantic. He has a Nest thermostat that was showing 42 degrees and the outside temp was in the single digits. He was mainly worried about his birds.

I went over and got the heat working again, but that could have been catastrophic if it had deeply frozen. I laughed at him when he bought the $300 thermostat... but that was cheap prevention for what could have happened!!!