Shut off water at home???

[Rbertalotto]

When you leave home for a few days, do you turn off the main water valve at your house?

[mlts22]

Main reason I shut off the water is peace of mind. A small drip can be caught and fixed if one is there, but if one is out on a long trip, that drip can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

[frankdamp]

We always did. Unfortunately, the first time, I forgot that we had a hot-water recirc system (because the run of pipe from the h/w tank to the kitchen is so long that you waste about a half-gallon each time you want hot water!).

With no incoming water from the street, the pump destroyed itself. $450 error - never did it again!

[tenbear]

I turn off the water and the water heater. I have had a washing machine hose break when we were home so I don't have a lot of confidence that nothing will break.

[Campinfan]

I turn off my pump as we are on a well. I turn the water heater to "pilot".

[wa8yxm]

You're assuming that you will have more of a chance that a pipe will break while on vacation than away at work or asleep at home. This is not the case (at least time wise) because I have shown the math. In my case it's around 18 times more probable that it will happen when I'm NOT on vacation.

I'll ask you one more time, do you have any evidence that pipes break more when on vacation then when a work or asleep? If so, post it up so we all can see.

Most people who live in the great frozen north turn the Thermostat down all the way when they vacation I mean why pay for a house heated to 72 when you can heat it to 55 and thus save big bucks on heating?

Ok, now power fails.. If I am working it will take longer for the house to freeze than it will for me to get home (or my wife) and connecte up the motor home's high current outlet (30 amp) to the house INLET (genuine inlet) Fire up ONAN and start flipping switches on the E-panel (Generator transfer, or Emergency power take your pick)

Click and the basement lights come on (Shut off flashlight)
Click and the FURNACE comes on (AHHHH Heat)
Click, click ... click and the Freezer, Refrigerator, TV/Radios, other lights, Microwave and kitchen outlets All have power

NO PIPES FREEZE.

If I burn more than a third of a tank of fuel then houses on my block would have frozen pipes less they drained them quickly.

Finally when the hall light (Which we almost never used and thus was not on the E-panel) Comes on.. Back to the basement and click those switches back to normal.. the RV to shut down the Onan and all is still warm.

[Turner__P]

I shut off the water and the water heater. My friend had a leak when he was away and had to replace all carpet, underlayment, base molding and some drywall. Washing machine hoses only have a life expectancy of around 10 years so if you don't shut those valves, you could have a major leak right there. But it is your house and your time, do as you think best.

[riven1950]

You're assuming that you will have more of a chance that a pipe will break while on vacation than away at work or asleep at home. This is not the case (at least time wise) because I have shown the math. In my case it's around 18 times more probable that it will happen when I'm NOT on vacation.

I'll ask you one more time, do you have any evidence that pipes break more when on vacation then when a work or asleep? If so, post it up so we all can see.

You are right to a point. In the example I cited earlier the leak was in a vacation rental and was a washing machine hose spraying a fine stream out, not a major break. In 8 hours it would make a mess by the time you got off work, maybe a few days to clean up. In my example it had been spraying for several weeks. Water was 2 inches deep in the house and literally running down the block foundation on the outside. They had to replace ALL of the floors in the house.

Although it would likely be covered by my HO insurance I don't want to take a chance on going through that hell of a repair. The house would never be the same. I'll take the five minutes it takes to turn the valve off / on.

[Raften]

I shut off. Everything, but we live in quake country.

[Bumpyroad]

my mother had a washing machine hose burst but fortunately, they got home shortly after this happened and luckily it was in the basement close to a floor drain. i have no basement for a washing machine at the lake.
bumpy

[Anmacc2]

If this thread was my only experience I would be thinking that pipes are bursting everywhere, but it's not my only experience. In my experience I have never known anyone who has had a pipe burst in their house while they were on vacation. One of my friends had his bulk head give way and his entire back yard fell into the intercostal, but he was home. I have a brother who walked into an elevator and was electrocuted. He survived but has severe burns. I even have two separate friends who hit the lottery.... But not one burst pipe. My late father used to say, "don't take life too seriously everyone makes it to the end." My late mother used to say, "I have too many people I love to worry about things." I'm proud to be their son. So I'm not going to shut my water or unplug things. I'm going to ask God to protect us and joyfully go about my days and if and when life throws a curve ball I'll field it.

[ncrowley]

Yes, we turn off the water to the house and we shot off the breakers to the hot water heater. There are just too many things that can happen while you are away to risk it.

[john_bet]

Only thing we do is unplug the electronic items. No problems in 25 years. We have family look in on house every day or two while gone anyway.

[Duck]

We turn off the main valve where the water enters the house. Over the years in the insurance business have had several clients who had claims for water pipe or fitting leaking. I also set the a/c to 82 degrees and turn off the water heater. All this takes 5 minutes.
Don

[tpi]

A pipe may not just break. I've seen scenarios of it starting with a slow leak and getting much worse. At home I will run across it in hours. When I'm on vacation I may not run across it for weeks. I've certainly got up at night when I thought I heard water running.

There will be far more damage from 20 days of unnoticed leakage than a worse case scenario of 10 hours unnoticed leakage. I've heard of absolutely moldy horror story of a home with water running for three weeks. Plus huge water bill and gas bill because it was the hot water.

It takes me 30 sec to turn off my house interior water. Always part of my travel plans-even one night! I also had all the flex fittings under sinks, toilets, washer, DW, etc replaced proactively.