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I just moved in to a house from an apt. So this is all new to me. Whenever I go away for a couple of days or longer, would like to know if it's a good idea to turn off the main water valve (the one right after my water meter in the basement).
Also, what else should I do before leaving? I can think of a few things, like turn off or lower the heat/AC, turn down the water heater temp setting. I already have a valve (switch) at the washer and that is always in the closed position unless it's in use.
Double check that the iron/coffee maker/toaster/space heater is unplugged. Set the thermostat to heat at less than 60 or to cool at over 85. Leave an over head light on somewhere in the middle of the house. Arrange to stop mail or have someone pick it up for you if it will overfill the mailbox. Lock all the doors and windows. Put fruit or bread in the refrigerator or discard. Water any house plants or put them outside to get rained on. Take the dog with you.
I have a valve that turns off water to the house but leaves the outside sprinklers on. A/C is never left on when I'm gone. I have master switch that shuts of all office electronics with the exception of the phone/answering machine. Turn off the ice maker and unplug instant hot water at the kitchen sink.
I had to set this stuff up in advance so it was easy, if you have to run around too much, shutting things off, you won't do it.
I leave my house for a few days at a time usually several times a month, so it has to be simple. Last thing I do is shut off the water, then set the alarm and head out....
Go around the house *twice* and make sure appliances are off. You don't want to be on an airplane and suddenly remember you left the coffee maker on!
Turn off the water.
DO NOT turn off heating in the winter! Rather turn it down. Water pipes can freeze and burst if no heating. And do this anywhere you live... It got down to 16 degrees in "always hot" Tucson, Arizona a couple of years ago.
With a timer, set a light to come on around dark and go off around bed time. That makes it look like someone is there.
Have someone pick up your mail/newspapers if gone a long time. Again this makes it look like someone is there.
If you will be gone for many months, read the following. Also with some utilities like water/sewer, you can switch to a lower rate "2nd home" or "vacation" billing while away - much cheaper! How to Winterize a Vacant Home: 7 Methods - wikiHow
1. Refrain from announcing ont he interenet that you are going to be ogne for a long time. It invites theives.
2. For a few weeks, unless it will be freezing temps, I ould nto turn off the water but you can. It is a good safety precaution. Turning off the gas is also a good safety precaution, but I have never done either.
3. Tell a trusted neighbor or two and ask them to watch you house.
4. Hire a trusted neghbor kid to mow the lawn while you are gone.
5. Buy a handful of light timers and set them up to turn lights on and off and create the appearance of someone moving through the house.
6. Leave the drapes open. This is so neighbord or police cna see if someone is inside. A lot of idiots use flshlights. Nothing tells people theivery is going on like flshlights in a house.
7. Leave a shoe on the porch - makes it look like you are home.
8. If you want to be extreme, get a loop tape like they used to use for answering machines. Record some noise, walking stomping, talking and leave it playing on a tape player.
9. Leave a radio on.
10. Tell your local police department when you will be away and when returning and who you have left a key with and authorization to go into the house. (Btw - leave a key with somone and ask them to just walk through and check on the place once a week). If you do nto trust the police department, skip this step.
In a cold climate, arrange to have the driveway plowed if it snows, or at least ask that "trusted neighbor" to run their car up and down the driveway a couple times to put some tire tracks on it. Nothing screams "no one home" like a virgin driveway.
If you have neighbors who have a lot of cars, due to teenagers or adult children at home, tell them they can park one or more in your driveway while you're gone.
I just moved in to a house from an apt. So this is all new to me. Whenever I go away for a couple of days or longer, would like to know if it's a good idea to turn off the main water valve (the one right after my water meter in the basement).
If you have a hot water boiler and it doesn't have a low water cutoff you're going to want to leave this on unless it's warm out and you can shut the boiler off.
I travel an awful lot. I can be gone for 24 hours or 24 days. I have nobody at the house but my pets and they are indoor/outdoor pets so no need to do anything for them except for the pet looker inner who coems by once a day if she doen;t have too much homework.
Here's what i do on week or longer trips.
1. Make sure anything in the fridge that can go bad during my trip is tossed.
2. Take out all the garbage and empty the cans.
3. Run water in all the traps, flush all toilets, leave anything wet open slightly for ventilation.
4. Makes sure any dirty stinky cloths are laundered.
5. Make sure I have suupplies for the pet sitter.
6. Pay any bills that come due and pay the pet sitter her money
7. Make sure all dishes ands stuff are clean so there's nothing rotting anwhere.
8. Adjust hvac control to away mode.
9. check windows, doors, outbuilding, appliances, water etc and make sure everything is off or on as it should be and everything is closed or open as it should be. and basically....
10. ..... go on trip and not worry about anything else cause if its going to happen, its going to happen.
I mean, what are you really saving and preventing with all the precations that involve a major alteration of services? My washer has aauto valve that opens only whne the machine is running. The valve also has a water detector incase of a flood. The water heater is in a pan that can detect a leak and shut off the supply. The propane is also ona flow sensor and anything that exceeds that limit (broken pipe) and it shuts off. I mean there could be a bust water pipe of a slow propane leak, but the hassels of shutting these thing on and off is probably a greater danger of causing problem (had a co-worker who did this and one day after a trip he couldn;t get the water back on, the main house valve just wouldn;t open no matter how much he moved the lever). Spending too much time futsing with these big things usually results in forgetting the little thing like you left the coffeepot on!
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