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From the Field
Leaving Home for a Trip? Plumbing Steps Before You Go
You are packed and the car is loaded. Fifteen minutes now can keep a small leak from turning into a flooded house while you are gone.
Short answer: For a trip of more than a few days, turn off the main water, set the water heater to vacation mode or off, and make sure someone can check the house. For a short trip, the key is the water heater and the washer hoses.
- Longer trips: close the main valve and open one tap to relieve pressure.
- Gas water heater: use the vacation setting. Electric: turn the breaker off only after the water is off.
- Winter trips: keep the heat on and have someone check the house.
- Well homes: turn off the pump breaker if you shut the water off.
- Ask a neighbor or friend to walk through. A leak found on day two is a very different bill from one found on day ten.
Should you turn the water off when you leave?
For most homes, yes, if you will be gone for more than a few days. A pipe, a hose or a valve can fail at any moment, and while you are home you catch it in minutes. While you are away, water can run for a week. The main valve is the one thing that stops it all.
For a weekend, many people leave it on, and that is a judgment call. The risk is small, and the inconvenience is small too. If you have a lot to lose, such as hardwood floors or a finished basement, close it for any trip. If you are not sure where your main valve is, our water main guide will show you.
The shutoff routine, step by step
- Close the main water valve where the water enters the house.
- Open one faucet on the lowest floor and one on the highest floor. This lets the pipes drain and releases pressure.
- Flush each toilet once so the tank is empty, and leave the lids down.
- Close the faucets again when the water stops. Leave the drains alone.
- If your house is on a well, turn off the pump breaker so the pump does not run dry.
Take a photo of the closed valve and keep it on your phone. When you get back, you will know exactly what position it was in.
What to do with the water heater
The water heater holds a full tank of hot water, and keeping it hot for an empty house wastes energy. You have two good options.
If it is gas or propane, many units have a vacation or pilot setting on the control. Use that, and read the label on the unit. If it is electric, turn off the breaker, but only after the main water is closed, and never turn the breaker back on until the tank is full again.
Tankless units are different. They do not store hot water, so there is less to shut down. Check the manual for a vacation or standby mode. Before you leave, look at the floor around the heater for any sign of water. A slow drip at the tank is easier to fix before a trip than after. Our page on a leaking water heater has details, and the water heater service page covers repair and replacement.
Leaving soon and not sure about your valves?
Text Ryan a photo of your main valve or water heater and he can tell you whether it looks ready for a long trip.
The hoses and appliances people forget
The most common vacation flood does not start at a pipe. It starts at a washing machine hose, an ice maker line or a dishwasher connection. Braided steel hoses hold up better than rubber, and a hose with a bulge, a crust or a stain at the end should be replaced before you go.
- Turn off the valves behind the washing machine if you can reach them.
- Turn off the ice maker supply, or at least empty the bin.
- Do not run the dishwasher or washer on the way out the door.
- Check under the kitchen and bathroom sinks for damp spots.
- Turn off the sprinkler or irrigation system if it ties into the house water.
Winter trips and the heat
In winter, shutting off the water is one defense, but the other is a warm house. Pipes in walls and crawl spaces freeze first when the heat goes off or fails. Set the thermostat to a low but steady temperature, instead of turning it off to save money. Our freeze guide for North Georgia explains the full list, and the page on frozen pipes covers what to do if one freezes.
Leave cabinet doors under sinks open on exterior walls for a cold snap. Ask someone to check that the heat is still running. A power outage on a cold night in the mountains is a real risk, so a check-in matters as much as the thermostat setting.
Who checks the house while you are gone
Give a neighbor, friend or family member a spare key and a short list. The list should say where the main valve is, where the water heater breaker is, and who to call or text about a leak. Tell them what normal looks like, so they do not panic about a pump that runs.
A leak sensor near the water heater and under a kitchen sink will send an alert to your phone. A smart shutoff valve can close the water for you from anywhere. These are products you buy, but they are worth thinking about for a long trip.
When you get home
Do the reverse, in order. Open the main slowly, fill the water heater before you give it power, and then look for drips. Run every tap for a minute to clear stale water. If something looks wrong, shut the main off again and call or text. Our page on opening a mountain cabin for spring covers the full restart for a house that has sat much longer.
Questions People Ask
Is it okay to leave the water on for a short trip?
For a weekend, many people do. Close the washer valves and make sure nothing is dripping. For a week or more, close the main.
Should I turn off the water heater before a vacation?
For a long trip, yes. Use the vacation setting on a gas unit, or turn off the breaker on an electric one after the water is shut off. Wait until the tank is full before you power it back on.
What temperature should I leave the heat in winter?
Keep the heat on at a steady, lower setting, and do not turn it off. Our freeze guide explains why a warm house is the best protection for pipes.
Do I turn off the well pump too?
If you shut the water off at the main, turn off the well pump breaker as well, so the pump does not run with no water to move.
Will a leak sensor really help?
It helps because it tells you early. A sensor near the water heater, the washer and under sinks can alert your phone. It does not stop the water, so pair it with someone who can check the house.
Who can I call if something leaks while I am away?
Call or text Ryan, (706) 669-5727. He is a licensed Master Plumber and the business is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tell him who can let him into the house.
Related Reading
Heading Out of Town?
Call or text Ryan before your trip with any plumbing question, or when you get home and something looks off.