To prevent damage to your home, it is advisable to turn off the main shut-off valve before going on a vacation. You can find the main valve in the basement, crawlspaces, concrete slab, or the attic.
First, locate the mains water supply valve in your home. You should know where this is anyway, in case there is a plumbing emergency. The valve should have a wheel control or lever handle to open and close it. It is perfectly safe to turn it off by either turning the wheel clockwise or closing the lever.
Even if you're only leaving for a few days, it's a great idea to shut off the water supply to your house. It's quick and easy to do and it lets you have one less worry while you're away. You don't need to turn off the water at every valve under sinks, behind the toilet, or near the water heater.
Extensive Damage
Water damage can devastate a home. Some of the causes are frozen pipes, leaking equipment lines, dripping water heaters, or washing machines. The best way to protect your home from significant damage is to turn off the water before you go on vacation.
If your main water supply is turned off for any reason, it's best to shut down the water heater as a precaution until the supply resumes. Continuing to run your water heater when the tank isn't full could cause heat damage to the internal components.
As a water heater heats up, the water expands Unless you have an expansion tank, a small amount of water must be allowed to backup into the water mains. If the main water valve is turned off, there is no place for the water to expand into. So, do not turn off the water and leave the water heater on.
Turning the valve clockwise will close it, reducing the amount of water passing through. It may take a few minutes for the water to stop altogether.
How Long Can You Turn Off Water to a Toilet? Like turning off your toilet's water for a night, it's safe to do so for a week. While you can keep your toilet water off for as long as you'd like, we wouldn't recommend it unless you have a problem with your toilet's plumbing system.
How to turn off your home's water supply and drain indoor pipes. Whether you're closing up your cottage for the winter or planning on taking an extended winter vacation, draining the pipes in your cottage or home can help prevent them from freezing (and possibly bursting) while you're away.
Details: Toilets can collect bacteria, which can cause stains. Short-term: Pour a half cup of chlorine into the bowl (not the tank). Long-term: Do the same. Have a friend periodically flush the toilets while you are gone.
Your Home's Main Water Shut Off
Sometimes it can be found along a wall in your garage, or even under your kitchen sink. When turned off, it shuts down all water flowing into your home. As you can imagine, when a pipe bursts, knowing how to turn off that water flow becomes invaluable knowledge.
After all faucets are open, let the COLD WATER run for at least 30 minutes. During this time, also flush each toilet in your home 2 or 3 times. Running the COLD WATER should remove any old (stagnant) water which may contain higher concentrations of metals including lead, if it exists in your service line or plumbing.
Once all your faucets are turned on, including the outside spigots, turn the water valve all the way on. Let the water run through all of your faucets for 10-15 minutes to make sure you are seeing a steady stream of water, or aren't hearing any noises coming from your piping anymore.
Generally, none of the valves in your house should be left all the way on. Turn it all the way on, then back off just a little bit.
Can you flush the toilet when the power is out? Most toilets have a large enough water reserve to flush one more time, even when the water is off. After someone uses the final flush, more water will need to be added to the bowl.
Simply fill the toilet tank with water until it reaches the top of the overflow tube. You can then flush your toilet with the flush handle as you normally would. There's also another method to consider, which is referred to as a "gravity flush." You'll need to quickly pour about 1.6 gallons of water in the toilet bowl.
How to close the main valve (Shut-off/Turn-off) Round “wheel” handle valves will turn off by turning the handle clockwise. It may take two or more full revolutions.
One should normally open all faucets then turn on the main. This will allow any trapped air to be purged from the system and eliminate any 'banging'.
Unplug Appliances and Electronics
Save money on your energy bill and avoid the risk of an electric fire while you're gone by unplugging any electronics not associated with home security, lighting or your refrigerator. There's no need to leave your printer or bedroom TV plugged in when no one's around to use it.
To prevent damage to your home, it is advisable to turn off the main shut-off valve before going on a vacation. You can find the main valve in the basement, crawlspaces, concrete slab, or the attic. You might also find the main shut-off valve in a utility box near your front sidewalk.
Unplug Electronics
If any of your televisions, computers, sound systems, and other electronics are plugged directly into the wall rather than into a surge protector, pull the plugs in case a power surge happens while you're away. If the devices are plugged into surge protects, simply flip the switch to power them off.