Maintaining SFHome While Snowbirding

[aza455]

For those of you who snowbird, when you leave home for a few months, do you shut off water completely?

If you do, are there any issues with the the faucets, toilets, dishwasher, water heater, etc. upon return?

 

[harley]

I do. We're on a well, so I just turn that off and drain the pipes. I put marine/RV antifreeze in anything with a trap, and I put plastic wrap over the toilet seats and tanks to slow evaporation. I turn off the water heater.

The only issue I've had is that I seem to have to replace the toilet flappers fairly often. They tend to leak/run after sitting for 6 months or so. It's a really cheap and easy fix though, so I don't worry about it. I keep a box of them around.

 

[pb4uski]

I turn off the water where it goes to the rest of the house so in the unlikely event that we lost heat and the house froze that I would have less of a mess. We keep the house at 55F when we are gone and have a number of ways of monitoring the temperature.... our Blink cameras and Sensi internet thermostats.

 

[aza455]

I turn off the water where it goes to the rest of the house so in the unlikely event that we lost heat and the house froze that I would have less of a mess. We keep the house at 55F when we are gone and have a number of ways of monitoring the temperature.... our Blink cameras and Sensi internet thermostats.

Any issues upon return?

 

[Ronstar]

Yes - shut off water, shut off water heater, water softener, and iron filter. And run a little water out of the lines to reduce pressure.

Never had an issue when returning a few months later.

 

[pb4uski]

Any issues upon return?

Never.

 

[Souschef]

Being anal, I have made up a vacation checklist on a room by room basis. The last things we do is to shut off the water in the house and put the hot water heater in the vacation setting.
We have never had a problem even after a 32 day cruise.
We also live in Southern California, so no worries about pipes freezing.

 

[old medic]

We shut of the water at the well, turn off the WH... even for a 3 day camping trip....
But then again we live in a 5th wheel camper...

 

[calmloki]

I do. We're on a well, so I just turn that off and drain the pipes. I put marine/RV antifreeze in anything with a trap, and I put plastic wrap over the toilet seats and tanks to slow evaporation. I turn off the water heater.

The only issue I've had is that I seem to have to replace the toilet flappers fairly often. They tend to leak/run after sitting for 6 months or so. It's a really cheap and easy fix though, so I don't worry about it. I keep a box of them around.

We are on city water, but I do just as Harley does, Though I saran wrap the top of the toilet bowls. I shutoff water at the water meter, my side, and have the city shut off on their side. Then use a compressed air tank to blow out the lines. We have gas, and my norm has been to shut off the gas at the meter. Last winter i decided that the pilot lights at the stove were unlikely to blow out in a closed house and left them on and the gas on at the meter. Aaand the gas company decided to change our meter - I assume after leaving a hang tag on the door - which did me no good 1100 miles away. A month or so later talked with a neighbor about checking our mailbox and she mentioned the gas visit. Got her to look at the shutoff by the meter. It was on, so for about six weeks we had had gas hissing from the two stove top pilots into the closed house. Got her husband to shut the valve off and; though he wanted to, told him to PLEASE stay out of the house and not check it. Visions of him going in, flipping a switch, and leveling the block.
We have no heat on, so when we get back the house interior is kind of damp feeling, but it equalizes in a few days.

 

[rk911]

For those of you who snowbird, when you leave home for a few months, do you shut off water completely?

If you do, are there any issues with the the faucets, toilets, dishwasher, water heater, etc. upon return?

completely, no. i shut off water to the washing machine and i turn down the water heater to LOW. since it's winter the sprinkler system has already been blown out and put to bed and the inside shutoffs for the exterior hose bibs are closed. i have remote leak sensors by each toilet and sink and another by the water heater and washing machine.

 

[JP.mpls]

I turn off the water, and drain all the pipes and the water heater. If it leaks or freezes, I want to limit the damage.
I have a boiler heating system. If that system shuts down or leaks, I'm in big trouble.
I have a security system with temperature monitoring. If it goes below 40F, my plan is to have my brother stop over, turn on my basement gas fireplace to temporarily prevent boiler pipe freezing, and call a boiler repair shop.

In hindsight, my place isn't ideal for leaving unattended for 5-7 months.

If I like staying in Florida for that long each winter, I will start getting more serious about selling my SFH.

JP

 

[Sunset]

When we travel, we have a big list to not forget anything, and it includes:

• shut off the water in the house
• put the hot water heater in the vacation setting
• Adjust the thermostat (in Winter to 60F, in summer set A/C at 85F, in between turn it off)

Never had an issue when turning the water back on. Just run the taps for a couple of minutes to flush out old water.



We have forced air heating.

 

[harley]

Just for additional information, we have a (mostly) whole house generator, so I leave nonperishable foods in the fridge and freezer, and we keep the house at 48 degrees. So while I drain the water from the pipes by opening a faucet and a hose bibb I've never completely blown out the pipes to prevent freezing. I monitor the generator to make sure it's exercising once a week. If we had a problem with that I'd call the generator company and get them to check it out.

We also have propane for our stove and generator. I've never turned it off. I suppose if the house blew up it would resolve our issues about how to downsize.