How long can you leave home and leave it empty?

[Malcolm2]

We moved back into our house last year after extensive renovations. As we plan on routinely being gone for 2-3 months we allowed for this in the technology portion of the remodel.

We have a robust alarm system with an independent cctv that notifies us, (and our nearby neighbor when we are gone) via sms. CCTV records in a secure onsite location and also offsite. We can view from our smartphone/iPad, etc. HVAC is monitored by a network thermostat that also reports in. We can monitor/alter/arm all systems from afar. Lights on automatic as needed. A 'Beware of Dog' sign near the front door works wonders also.

I would never leave the water main on for any reason, too many things can happen. A watchful neighbor cannot be over-emphasized. Mail in our area can only be held for 1 month by the USPS, so when overseas we forward everything to a mail service that allows us to view items online sent first class online. Not that expensive actually, and we minimize normal mail anyway.

Goes without saying that all high theft items like jewelry go to the safe deposit box. We sometimes also ask someone to take a look now and then also, even though we are in a low risk area. There are still risks, but it is only stuff and we do not intend to be slaves to the house.

 

[lynxville]

I snow bird so I have one house to winterize and one to summarize. First I hate oil in the toilet, in Florida it turns black and makes a mess. Instead I use press and seal and blue masking tape on sink drains and overflows. If the drains get dry, roaches have an expressway into your house.

I turn most breakers off at the box. I cut the red knob off the garage door opener so someone doesn't open the door with a coat hanger. I now put a padlock through the garage door track. Just in case someone gets in the house, makes it harder to unload the house.

Turn off water, set alarm, and I can stay away for years.

 

[meierlde]

I snow bird so I have one house to winterize and one to summarize. First I hate oil in the toilet, in Florida it turns black and makes a mess. Instead I use press and seal and blue masking tape on sink drains and overflows. If the drains get dry, roaches have an expressway into your house.

I turn most breakers off at the box. I cut the red knob off the garage door opener so someone doesn't open the door with a coat hanger. I now put a padlock through the garage door track. Just in case someone gets in the house, makes it harder to unload the house.

Turn off water, set alarm, and I can stay away for years.

Does the door have a lock, with a bar that goes over to the track. Imagine you had no garage door opener, then how would you lock the door? If there is a bar one could drill a hole in it and put a pad lock there, that would mean the door would not open since the bar could not retract.

 

[lynxville]

Does the door have a lock, with a bar that goes over to the track. Imagine you had no garage door opener, then how would you lock the door? If there is a bar one could drill a hole in it and put a pad lock there, that would mean the door would not open since the bar could not retract.

My door does have the slide lock, but it's too easy to remove with just two small screws. With a padlock through the track, it makes it harder to open. But like anything else nothing is fool proof.

One time in another house my security system went off in a storm, I had a friend installing siding, when it started to rain he was scrambling to finish. The police pulled up and told him to come down the ladder he refused and after a few minuets the cops drove off. What a nice feeling that was.

 

[nanannjen]

A Phoenix tale of woe

We have a condo in Phoenix that can sit empty for several months. We noticed that the toilets got dry, but didn't think that much about it - until we had a rat come up the toilet! He chewed the bottom of the seat to get out. When we got there and discovered this, we flushed several times to get water back in. DH sat down (guys, you may want to stop reading here) and felt something bump him in a sensitive area - he jumped up (yes, screaming!) and there was another rat in the bowl. He was a little worse for wear, and more flushes got rid of him.

We found out (after much research) that when there's a toilet on the first story, the drain pipe doesn't slope much - and when it's dry, it's a highway to your house! Ever since then, we use a combination of saran wrap and mineral oil. We pour just enough mineral oil to cover the surface of the water. I don't know if that's any better or worse than vegetable oil. It does work to maintain the water level, though.

Getting rid of the first rat was another story....

Also - if you stop the newspaper, make sure that you have a neighbor watching out for deliveries. We stopped our paper for 10 days a couple of months ago, and it was delivered 6 out of the 10 days. The next trip we just cancelled it (it wasn't our first problem with vacation deliveries.)

 

[Ronstar]

We have a condo in Phoenix that can sit empty for several months. We noticed that the toilets got dry, but didn't think that much about it - until we had a rat come up the toilet! He chewed the bottom of the seat to get out. When we got there and discovered this, we flushed several times to get water back in. DH sat down (guys, you may want to stop reading here) and felt something bump him in a sensitive area - he jumped up (yes, screaming!) and there was another rat in the bowl. He was a little worse for wear, and more flushes got rid of him.

We found out (after much research) that when there's a toilet on the first story, the drain pipe doesn't slope much - and when it's dry, it's a highway to your house! Ever since then, we use a combination of saran wrap and mineral oil. We pour just enough mineral oil to cover the surface of the water. I don't know if that's any better or worse than vegetable oil. It does work to maintain the water level, though.

Getting rid of the first rat was another story....

Also - if you stop the newspaper, make sure that you have a neighbor watching out for deliveries. We stopped our paper for 10 days a couple of months ago, and it was delivered 6 out of the 10 days. The next trip we just cancelled it (it wasn't our first problem with vacation deliveries.)

Wow! I haven't been to our az condo in a few months, and was happily looking forward to my next trip until I read this. I didn't know that Phoenix has rats - I'm just used to the rattlesnakes

 

[samclem]

We found out (after much research) that when there's a toilet on the first story, the drain pipe doesn't slope much - and when it's dry, it's a highway to your house! Ever since then, we use a combination of saran wrap and mineral oil. We pour just enough mineral oil to cover the surface of the water. I don't know if that's any better or worse than vegetable oil. It does work to maintain the water level, though.

These measures will help a lot, but as previously mentioned, there's still some water loss going on due to evaporation through the vent stack of the plumbing. Eventually the toilet (and other) traps may go dry, even with a perfect seal on the "upstream" side.

 

[aida2003]

Another thing to do before leaving the house for vacation: Turn off the water supply to the washing machine (and leave a note to yourself on the machine that you've done that.)

This is a great tip, but how to do it? I have no clue where I'd need to find the right knob to turn it off. Any pointers?

 

[omni550]

This is a great tip, but how to do it? I have no clue where I'd need to find the right knob to turn it off. Any pointers?

It should be where the hot and cold water hoses to your washer hook up at the supply lines. For me, they are under the adjacent laundry tub. At my sister's condo, they are behind the washing machine where the water supply copper pipes are. Be sure to turn off both the Hot and Cold knobs.

Additionally while we're on the subject of washing machine water supply hoses, a plumber told me that the #1 homeowners insurance claim in my state (MI) is water/flood damage caused by burst/leaking washing machine hoses. It is recommended that you NOT use the cheap rubber hoses at all. Use the stainless steel wrapped hoses..and even they should be replaced periodically (I've been told every 5-10 years).

Here's a short blog post on it Is There a Ticking Time Bomb in Your House? - Austin Plumbing Company

omni

 

[Meadbh]

Wow, the rats in the toilet give me the willies! One more reason why I live on the top floor....

I second the advice about turning off the water taps before going away. If they are behind the washing machine where you can't get at them, it is probably worth bringing them out where they are visible. I now turn off all the internal taps. Luckily they are all easy to find and it's a simple procedure.

In my condo building we have had a couple of floods, either due to a hose popping off, or a toilet backing up. It causes havoc, particularly for the people who live downstairs. If the homeowner is not home it requires getting an emergency order to enter the suite and stop the leak. Cleanup must be immediate to forestall the risk of mould. Think drywall removal, wet carpets, shop vacs, etc! The homeowner is responsible for the damage to the common property and to other owners' property as well as their own.

Another problem after a long absence is a "sewer gas" smell. This is due to proliferation of bugs like pseudomonas with gases wafting up through a dry trap. I run all showers at least once a week and if I run into this problem after being away, I mix up some baking soda and vinegar and pour it down the drain. Repeat as needed. Bleach works too, but it must be diluted.

 

[nanannjen]

Wow! I haven't been to our az condo in a few months, and was happily looking forward to my next trip until I read this. I didn't know that Phoenix has rats - I'm just used to the rattlesnakes

We had no idea that there were rats around - we were just used to using our blacklight flashlight to check for scorpions. Haven't seen any snakes near our place - knock on wood!

 

[aida2003]

It should be where the hot and cold water hoses to your washer hook up at the supply lines. For me, they are under the adjacent laundry tub. At my sister's condo, they are behind the washing machine where the water supply copper pipes are. Be sure to turn off both the Hot and Cold knobs.

Additionally while we're on the subject of washing machine water supply hoses, a plumber told me that the #1 homeowners insurance claim in my state (MI) is water/flood damage caused by burst/leaking washing machine hoses. It is recommended that you NOT use the cheap rubber hoses at all. Use the stainless steel wrapped hoses..and even they should be replaced periodically (I've been told every 5-10 years).

Here's a short blog post on it Is There a Ticking Time Bomb in Your House? - Austin Plumbing Company omni

OK, thank you. I'll need to check when I get home after work. I think I've see red and blue knobs in the wall just behind the washing machine.
The second paraghraph is quite scary. Should I call a plumber to replace the houses or is it straight forward to do yourself? I'll have to ask my neighbor who's quite handy. We've not done anything to the washer and it's 10 y.o. now. We did have lint cleaned out from the dryer a couple years ago.

 

[nanannjen]

OK, thank you. I'll need to check when I get home after work. I think I've see red and blue knobs in the wall just behind the washing machine.
The second paraghraph is quite scary. Should I call a plumber to replace the houses or is it straight forward to do yourself? I'll have to ask my neighbor who's quite handy. We've not done anything to the washer and it's 10 y.o. now. We did have lint cleaned out from the dryer a couple years ago.

It should be a DIY - basically you're unscrewing one hose and replacing with a new one (after turning off the water, obviously!). Easiest thing would be to take the existing one to the store with you to make sure you get the right one!

 

[meierlde]

Actually if you do not have an automatic irrigation system I suggest turning off the water in the house completely. Toilets have been know to fail, as indeed have pipes. If the water is turned off the damage will be minimized, and not really occur until one returns and turns the water on. If one has an automatic irrigation system and is gone a lot, one might consider having it plumbed such that all inside pipes are behind a shut off.
(In Houston for example pipes are typically in the attic, and every few years it gets cold enough for improperly insulated pipes to freeze and break. One time enough pipes broke in the city to take water pressure to zero for a while. (It got down to 8 degrees).

 

[omni550]

Actually if you do not have an automatic irrigation system I suggest turning off the water in the house completely. Toilets have been know to fail, as indeed have pipes. If the water is turned off the damage will be minimized, and not really occur until one returns and turns the water on. If one has an automatic irrigation system and is gone a lot, one might consider having it plumbed such that all inside pipes are behind a shut off.
(In Houston for example pipes are typically in the attic, and every few years it gets cold enough for improperly insulated pipes to freeze and break. One time enough pipes broke in the city to take water pressure to zero for a while. (It got down to 8 degrees).

Before deciding to turn off ALL the water off in the house for a prolonged absence, make sure your home doesn't have things (like a water-powered back-up sump pump or a water supply line to the humidifier on your furnace, etc.) that you may want/need to have supplied with water continuously in your absence.

omni

 

[obgyn65]

To answer the OP's question, I have a condo with full security, guards etc but I would not feel comfortable being away for month than one month at a time.

 

[drb391]

We've had an uptick in burglaries in our neighborhood, and the police came to give us tips to make your home look occupied.

He strongly suggested outside, motion-detecting lighting, fake cameras, having a couple of lamps in the house on alternating timers, doing the same with a radio turned up loud, and finally a fake TV light. I'd never hear of it either, but we got one (on Amazon) and I use it whenever we're away after dark.

From the outside, it really does look like you've got a TV on:

FakeTV - The Burglar Deterrent

Enjoy your travels!

thx so much for this. ordered 1 as soon as I saw it

 

[drb391]

as for mail & paper, I take my mailbox & newspaper box off the house before leaving. even with mail being fwded, I find that fill-in carriers don't know house is vacant and leave the junk mail that isn't automagically taken out of the mail stream before getting to your local carrier. even had a couple subs force my porch storm door open (it was only locked at the handle) and toss it on the porch floor. this year got a hook&eye lock to stop that silliness

 

[seraphim]

Original question:

We've been gone months at a time. Got a PO box, and a friend checks it once week while we are gone, in return for a real cool souvenir lol. The mailbox is sealed shut, because sometimes junk bypasses the PO box and the mail person tires to deliver it waters turned off, everything unplugged, hot water tank set to 'vacation' setting. Lights on a timer. Local PD has a vacation home list which they check periodically, and has emergency contact information. There's insurance for the stuff. Rather have someone break in when we are NOT at home. Neighbors check around the house occasionally. Not going to let worry about 'things' prevent us from the travel we enjoy.

 

[Malcolm2]

To answer the OP's question, I have a condo with full security, guards etc but I would not feel comfortable being away for month than one month at a time.

There are solutions for most of the concerns. We decided not to be a slave to the house and have made arrangements, via technology with human backup. 1-2 months away is normal for us, no problems.

 

[daytripper]

Has anyone tried using the floodstop devices to prevent water damage?
The major drawback I see with these is you have to install one on each source you want to protect ie water heater, washing machine, dishwasher, etc..

I am always concerned about a break in a water supply line and flooding the house.

I am considering turning off the water supply to the whole house when we go on vacation, but then we would damage a lot of the landscaping that is watered from the automatic sprinklers

I am also thinking about floodstop because even if we are out for just the day, a lot of damage can occur if a water supply line breaks to say the washing machine.

 

[pb4uski]

With a newer house we have a manifold and can turn hot or cold water on or off for each fixture. So when I leave I'll probably leave the half bath off the great room on for DS when he stops in to feed the cat and check on the place but I'll leave the rest of the house off.

You could probably have a plummer set it up so you can leave the sprinkler system on and turn off everything else when you are away.

We actually have a valve that cuts the water to the washer but we hardly ever use it - and have never had a problem either.

 

[meierlde]

With a newer house we have a manifold and can turn hot or cold water on or off for each fixture. So when I leave I'll probably leave the half bath off the great room on for DS when he stops in to feed the cat and check on the place but I'll leave the rest of the house off.

You could probably have a plummer set it up so you can leave the sprinkler system on and turn off everything else when you are away.

We actually have a valve that cuts the water to the washer but we hardly ever use it - and have never had a problem either.

I would second the notion of having a plumber plumb a line from the incoming line directly to the irrigation system, and then put a valve for the inside water fixtures. This way you can be sure that things will not happen while you are gone, such as toilet fill valves breaking (I have had this happen 3 times in 30+ Years). At a minimum you get a humongous water bill, and at worst a major repair bill. Of course I turn the water to the washer off when not in use (learned this from my parents who made the transition from wringer to automatic. Did not do this for a while at my prior house, and when I had to change washers I had to get a plumber to change the valves out, as they were stuck).

 

[jIMOh]

I have never left my primary residence for more than 2 weeks.

Thinking of after RE, DW and I will start travelling. Let's say we will be gone for 2 months. I am not sure what to do with the house.


I can think of these actions:

Shut off water
Turn water heater to pilot
Stop mail
Call home security we are gone for (... days)
Ask a friend to come to check once in a while.
(No pets)
(kids should be at college dorms)


I am always wondering what happens if you come home and found it demolished (have you seen that news?) or burglarized or burned down?

I think its more awareness.

I would not advertise you left (meaning don't post to facebook where you are, for example). I would not tell many people you are out of town. I would tell one neighbor, and might even leave an interior hallway light on (to give illusion someone is there at night).

Buy a stuffed animal dog and put them in the window.

 

[jIMOh]

For those which empty the toilets, what if you do all 3 or 4 bathrooms in your residence (remove water, add oil etc, then nature calls that minute before you need to leave?