Is flushing toilet once a month adequate in empty home?

[Cida]

Once a month might be fine for flushing, but I'm paranoid enough that I'd do it at least ever two weeks if the toilet is open. Saran works fine, if you do it carefully, in which case it can go for months. But if you're really not around, many people also recommend turning off the water (while leaving the bowl full).

[Steve Pickering]

I lived in Arizona year round for many years. The things you speak of are anomalies and cheap products. It just ain't so.

Humidity increases the problems. Again this is all old wives tales and Realtor hype. Your house does not care about temps under 120 degrees unless they are made of wax. I never in 15 years had Air Conditioning except in my RV’s. My houses were just fine.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

I lived in Arizona year round for many years. The things you speak of are anomalies and cheap products. It just ain't so.

Humidity increases the problems. Again this is all old wives tales and Realtor hype. Your house does not care about temps under 120 degrees unless they are made of wax. I never in 15 years had Air Conditioning except in my RV’s. My houses were just fine.

Do tell; why do you think Realtors want to hype up why some fabrics and carpets don't appreciate hot and dry extended conditions?

I had to replace several batteries in my security system after last summer. They were rated for 3 years yet several batteries prematurely failed in 9 months. The contractor said that by leaving off the air in the summer, it will quickly take away from the life of the battery. I double checked his work. It seems it just wasn't another "wives tale" or "Realtor hype" statement.

From Why Batteries Fail Prematurely

"..... On the other hand, high temperatures kill batteries. Every 15°F rise in operating temperature cuts battery life in half. High temperature increases float current and, subsequently, corrosion. It also causes gassing, loss of water in flooded cells, and dryout/thermal runaway in VRLA cells."

I am very sure that nearly every fabric and that most woods won't mind hotter dry temps over the summer. For that matter, I put my candles in zip lock bags "just in case" and they were perfectly fine. That's because it doesn't mean that every candle will have a problem. While I didn't have a problem, others might because several waxes have different melting points.
See Encyclopedia of Waxes

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Humidity increases the problems.

Tell that to these Arizona wood contractors. Arizona Wood Flooring featuring Armstrong, Bruce

"Hardwood moves. It’s natural and typical.
Wood floors will expand and contract due to moisture and temperature changes, causing hairline cracks, slight height variations or both.

So, in dry climates, you may want to consider the use of a whole house humidifier to help minimize shrinkage and hairline cracking."

Gee. Maybe I should add in humidity (a.k.a. buckets of water) especially with some wood floor species and when you don't control the summer temperatures.

In summary, just because your trailer home didn't have a problem for 15 years without air-conditioning doesn't mean people won't have isolated issues. Isolated issues could mean thousands of dollars in damage. If your entire research is comprised of what happened in your home, then you need to think a little deeper and be a more technical.

[Twincam666]

If you will be gone...Turn off the water...Much safer

[Steve Pickering]

And if you leave on the air conditioner you will dry out the house.

[Kimballette]

And this would be the spot where I insert clip art of beating a dead horse. You've made your point. This has now devolved into a thinly veiled "will so...will not" argument. Move on, please.

[Steve Pickering]

Some people just will not let go of an Old Wives Tale. Betting a dead horse, maybe. Trying to keep a pertinent point active and not buried in several pages of misinformation, yes. But you’re the boss and I will not convince those who believe in myths to change their thinking.