Turning off the water mains when traveling

[travelover]

One related question: Do you turn the shut off the water to the washing machine when not in use? I did not do so in Houston, and had to have a plumber out to get a new washer (put in a new valve). Now because of all the stories I turn the valves off when the washer is not running.

You buy washing machine hoses that have a braided steel outer layer. Probably a good idea in any case.

GE 4 ft. Stainless Steel Universal Washer Hoses (2-Pack)-PM14X10005DS at The Home Depot

 

[RAE]

Just turn off the main valve, that will prevent washer lines from causing damage if they break. No need to drain the lines, since you will have heat. You can get a freeze protector that will notify you if somethings happens.

Yes, this is what we do when we leave our house in Michigan for two months each winter. I keep the heat at about 54 degrees while we are gone. I purchased a temperature monitoring device that lets me check the house temp. from any computer or smartphone, and that works great. You do need to have a computer router that is on at the house for this to work. If the furnace fails and the house temp. starts to drop, I should know it before any serious damage is done, and can call my neighbor to go over and check things out asap. I have a couple of small electric infrared heaters that can be turned on for a short while to keep the house warm enough to keep pipes from freezing, until the furnace can be fixed (haven't had to use them yet, but you never know). Alternatively, if you have a landline phone, you can buy a device that monitors temp. and phones three different numbers if the temp. drops below a pre-set temperature. We have no landline phone here, so that wouldn't work for us. We've done this for 4 winters now, and have had no problems.

 

[walkinwood]

.... clorox have cut mold growth in the toilet bowls a bunch....

We're planning to use those Clorox thingies that go into the flush tank & use them for a while before we leave to prevent the mold in the bowl.

 

[Ronstar]

I check my AC in the summer remotely by checking electricity usage through the elect co website. If my usage is consistent with the previous year, then I figure my AC is working ok


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[calmloki]

We're planning to use those Clorox thingies that go into the flush tank & use them for a while before we leave to prevent the mold in the bowl.

As a landlord I hate those in the tank clorox thingies - really hard on most of the rubber components - flapper valve, washers for the toilet tank - be warned. I just shut off the valve, hold down the flush lever, plunge as much water as I can, pour in a cup or so of clorox in the bowl and swirl it up onto the sides with a brush, then add the pink antifreeze, which loses it's pink color (thus also not staining the porcelain pink).

 

[meierlde]

As a landlord I hate those in the tank clorox thingies - really hard on most of the rubber components - flapper valve, washers for the toilet tank - be warned. I just shut off the valve, hold down the flush lever, plunge as much water as I can, pour in a cup or so of clorox in the bowl and swirl it up onto the sides with a brush, then add the pink antifreeze, which loses it's pink color (thus also not staining the porcelain pink).

To boot on recent tank valve packaging is a statement that using those tablets voids the warranty on the valve.

 

[pb4uski]

One related question: Do you turn the shut off the water to the washing machine when not in use? I did not do so in Houston, and had to have a plumber out to get a new washer (put in a new valve). Now because of all the stories I turn the valves off when the washer is not running.

I assume you mean generally rather than when putting a house to bed for the season? If so, we don't even though we have the washer plumbed with a simple single throw valve that turns off the water to the washer. We've never had a problem.

If you are talking about where one puts a house to bed for the season, it would be redundant if you turn off the main and the electricity to the well pump (if applicable).

 

[meierlde]

I assume you mean generally rather than when putting a house to bed for the season? If so, we don't even though we have the washer plumbed with a simple single throw valve that turns off the water to the washer. We've never had a problem.

If you are talking about where one puts a house to bed for the season, it would be redundant if you turn off the main and the electricity to the well pump (if applicable).

I was thinking of the day to day issue. After all if one is gone for a couple of hours and a hose bursts it can still do a lot of damage.

 

[Amethyst]

If your home is in a rural fire district with no hydrants, then turning off your water leaves the fire dept. with no water source if your home should catch fire.

Anyone know how the Insurance Companies are likely to deal with such a situation?

Amethyst

 

[ERD50]

If your home is in a rural fire district with no hydrants, then turning off your water leaves the fire dept. with no water source if your home should catch fire.

Anyone know how the Insurance Companies are likely to deal with such a situation?

Amethyst

I'd like to hear opinions on this. Our well provides only about 3 GPM once the reserve of ~ 20 gallons is used, that won't do much for a fire in progress, unless it's a really small one.

They have pumpers and there are nearby swimming pools and retention ponds with a hook up to draw from, but from what I've heard, once a house has a significant fire going, it's gone. And water damage might be as bad as the fire.

-ERD50

 

[splitwdw]

Rural area where my parents live, the fire company uses water tanker truck and will pump water from my parents pond and pool. When I was young, I remember a field fire where the fire company had hoses running from two different directions. One hose to my parents pond and another hose to a neighbor's pond about 1/4 mile away. My parents have 3 wells (1 house, 1 carriage house, 1 barn) and I never remember the fire companies using the wells. Have to ask my Dad.

 

[Amethyst]

No pools or ponds nearby...but that isn't really what I was asking. I wondered if insurance companies would refuse to pay for fire damage, if the homeowner didn't leave the water on. We do pay a higher HOI premium because there are no hydrants.

Amethyst

Rural area where my parents live, the fire company uses water tanker truck and will pump water from my parents pond and pool.

 

[travelover]

No pools or ponds nearby...but that isn't really what I was asking. I wondered if insurance companies would refuse to pay for fire damage, if the homeowner didn't leave the water on. We do pay a higher HOI premium because there are no hydrants.

Amethyst

The pipe that delivers water to a home is too small for firefighting. The firemen either hook up to a hydrant or use a truck with it's own water tank.

 

[Amethyst]

Makes sense. Either way, we'd literally be toast...the same neighbors who wouldn't notice we were dead, would not notice the house was on fire until it was way too late to call the FD. So all I care about is whether the insurance would pay off.

A.

The pipe that delivers water to a home is too small for firefighting. The firemen either hook up to a hydrant or use a truck with it's own water tank.

 

[45th Birthday]

Our condo has this www.flologic.com. It's pretty neat. If it senses certain flows of water, a motor (with battery backup) turns the water off. It is good for places that might be unoccupied for a period of time, but it is also good for small leaks that might happen in an area of the house you don't visit often. It distinguishes between normal water use and a leak.

 

[springnr]

I don't have fire sprinklers, but some areas are requiring fire sprinklers in single family dwellings. Does the main water shutoff valve disable the sprinklers too?

 

[Ronstar]

I don't have fire sprinklers, but some areas are requiring fire sprinklers in single family dwellings. Does the main water shutoff valve disable the sprinklers too?

My condo building in Az has separate water lines for sprinklers and individual condo (townhouse) units. Tenants/owners cannot shut off the sprinkler lines

 

[Ronstar]

The pipe that delivers water to a home is too small for firefighting. The firemen either hook up to a hydrant or use a truck with it's own water tank.

Exactly. I think the pipe running from my well to the house is 1". In northern Illinois, new city water water mains are a minimum 8" diameter. These 8" pipes are sufficient are residential fire fighting.

Most fire departments have tanker trucks with sufficient water to put out a residential fire. I live in an area of lakes with no water mains and therefore no fire hydrants. , The fire department installed a "dry hydrant" in the lake. It rises out of the water a foot or so and has a fitting that firemen can use to replenish the water supply in their tanker trucks using lake water if needed.

 

[Sunset]

I have one of those devices that monitor temperature, and the power, when we get a power failure, or flood it phones me and 2 other programmed numbers.
It works as it has called me a couple of times. Its called "Home Sitter" .
I tested it for flood phoning and it worked.
You need a land line for it to work during power failure as landlines have their own power, but I'm thinking it would also work with internet phone if you added a 15 min battery backup (kind used on computers) to the router and internet phone box.
The device itself uses 9v or AA batteries, its the phone that needs to work in power failure that is the tricky part.
Flooding is no issue as electricity would still be on for a while to get out the phone calls.

 

[Sunset]

I have not been turning off the house water and this bit us.
When we returned from a 2 week trip. I found the downstairs toilet shutoff had started to leak right where the knob is turned.
It was about $150 of water and a new bathroom cabinet, new shutoff, and some wall-boards.

 

[48Fire]

Timely thread, as the temperature hit 22 degrees last night, and we will be preparing to winterize soon! With a new (110 year old) house, I am updating my plans.

Not turning off water is a risk in any climate. In our townhome in Florida, ruptured plastic connections at toilets are common, causing upwards of $40,000 damage.

If you just rely on heat, that can fail in a power outage. We have had two lengthy ones caused by ice storms in the past 30 years. Yeah, maybe you were lucky last winter, but you are rolling the dice.

Considering my remote thermostat options at the moment. At the previous home, I had an HP that was very user friendly, and it had a great app for smart phone. I was leaning to a NEST based on earlier thread. ADT has offered a thermostat for $160 (uninstalled), so don't know if it is any good. They have a couple other adders to for lamps, light switches, and cameras. We will be making decisions today for those. Tuesday is install day.

 

[fidler4]

I just came back from winterizing our vacation home in NW PA. I keep the water on but shut off the flow right before it leaves the basement and just after the baseboard heating pipes. I keep the heat on at 54 degrees all winter. I use RV anti freeze in the toilets and drains but didn't think about putting bleach in also. I like that idea since I always come back to moldy toilets. I put plastic wrap over the toilets for the first time this year to dry and reduce evaporation. I also use a compressor to help blow out the pipes.

Does anyone know on baseboard heating if I need to keep the water on for the system to work properly? If I keep the existing water in that part of the system and turn the water main off are there going to be issues?


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[CherylGrrl]

I was thinking of the day to day issue. After all if one is gone for a couple of hours and a hose bursts it can still do a lot of damage.

You buy washing machine hoses that have a braided steel outer layer. Probably a good idea in any case.

GE 4 ft. Stainless Steel Universal Washer Hoses (2-Pack)-PM14X10005DS at The Home Depot

This is a low-cost upgrade and definitely worthwhile. I know two different people who had their cheaper hoses fail while on vacations, costing thousands of dollars of damage in both cases. We also turn the water off to the entire house when we leave for more than a weekend and leave the furnace on at 50 degrees in the winter.

 

[misanman]

Here's sort of a "belt and suspenders" solution to burst washing machine hoses -


FloodSafe® Automatic Water Shutoff Connectors - What's New - Watts

 

[Sunset]

Those flood safe connectors are a good idea, unfortunately for me, when we had our leak it was the shut-off tap itself that gave way.
This is a tap in the downstairs bathroom that we never had touched, so its not like we wore it out turning it on/off. The water was squirting out right where the handle stem goes into the value.
Since then, I replaced all the downstairs shutoff valves with the new 1/4 turn type.