Community Forums

seadogjim · 11-14-2013, 09:40 PM

When leaving on long(3-4 month) trips, do you turn off your home water heater? Mine is a 40gal. electric, is there any risk turning it off when leaving on an extended trip? Since it would save money and energy, it seems there isn't any good reason to not turn it off while traveling.
Just curious what everyone else does.

Thanks,
Jim

dons2346 · 11-14-2013, 09:47 PM

I would turn it off.

brobox · 11-14-2013, 09:56 PM

I turn the circuit breaker off as well as shutting off the water main to the house.

96 Wideglide · 11-14-2013, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brobox

I turn the circuit breaker off as well as shutting off the water main to the house.

+1

Cypressloser · 11-14-2013, 10:24 PM

Same here, even when we're away for a single night. We also have a water sensor and temperature sensor hooked up to our home alarm system. We learned a very expensive lesson a number of years ago when the furnace vent froze up in 40 below weather and high wind

, better safe than sorry.

Cobra1 · 11-15-2013, 04:56 AM

Yes turn it off. But put a note somewhere you will see it upon returning to remind you to turn it back on. You don't want to remember when your standing in the shower waiting for hot water. This is a voice of experience.

djbmsu · 11-15-2013, 06:39 AM

Everything off that is non essential !

jpharley · 11-15-2013, 07:01 AM

We do not have a house, just a garage with a full bath and washer/dryer in it. We run antifreeze into all the water lines and washer and we drain the water heater before we depart for the winter, We find that our small 12 gallon water heater tends to be rather odiferous after sitting with water in it for several months. We also turn off the breakers to the water heater and the appliances except for the fridge. That we leave running. Can't be too cautious.

vraines · 11-15-2013, 07:25 AM

We have a house with several levels and four and a half baths, so draining the lines is a big deal. We just leave the furnace set low and turn the water supply off. We use a temperature monitor that call me and several other numbers if it gets too cold or to hot. It is battery operated and is cell phone based, so it will work if the power is off. We had a furnace fail four years ago. That was a winter that fairly mild and it did not freeze anything in the house. We dodged that bullet! That is when I installed the monitor.

Dog Folks · 11-15-2013, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobra1

Yes turn it off. But put a note somewhere you will see it upon returning to remind you to turn it back on. You don't want to remember when your standing in the shower waiting for hot water. This is a voice of experience.

I thought I was the only one that did that!

JayGee · 11-15-2013, 07:48 AM

Even if I leave for a few days I turn off the water heater, the ice maker, and the main water supply, (city water). Too many things that can leak.

SeeTheUSA · 11-15-2013, 08:09 AM

Turning off the water supply is very good advice! Fortunately the building code where we live has the house shutoff valve after the lawn irrigation system shutoff valve, so while the water to the house is off, the lawn, flower beds and foundation still get watered. Very important if your house is in North Texas!

Regarding the other stuff, I agree with turning off all of the other non-essentials. If we are gone for more than a couple of weeks, we flip off breakers, turn off the gas water heater, even empty the refrigerator and shut it down (but leave the refrigerator doors ajar). We do, however, set the furnace or A/C at a reduced level to properly protect the assets.

Not only does all of this save energy, but it provides piece of mind as we're out to "See the USA."

algolfer · 11-15-2013, 08:39 AM

I turn off the circuit breaker to the hot water heater, turn off the ice maker and also turn off the main water supply to the house. Saved us a few months ago. Returned from Alaska to find the hot water heater had sprung a leak. Fortunately, the water heater is located in the garage so the water just ran out the driveway. Had I not turned off the water supply, water would have continued to run down the driveway for who knows how long!!

Wayne M · 11-15-2013, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brobox

I turn the circuit breaker off as well as shutting off the water main to the house.

x2- learned a lesson once when we were just out shopping and came home to find water on the floor. A riser to the toilet had broken and flooded the place. Happy that we have all tile floors in the house. I periodically change the risers with the nice metal mesh ones, but when we leave for extended periods of time, or even a week or so, i turn the heater off and turn off the water.

Peace of mind.