Before you leave for an extended trip, shut off the water supply to the appliances most likely to fail, set the water heater to its vacation setting, leave the thermostat at a moderate temperature instead of off, and have someone check on the place. A supply line that lets go while you're gone runs unchecked for days, and water damage is roughly one in four home insurance claims, averaging about $13,954. Most of this checklist exists to cut off the slow disasters that only become disasters because nobody is home to notice.
The risk on a normal day is small. The risk while you're away is that same small risk multiplied by however long nobody is there to catch it. A hose that drips for an hour is a towel. The same hose dripping for a week is a ruined floor, soaked drywall, and mold, which can take hold within 24 to 48 hours of water exposure. Spend ten minutes before you go and you skip the homecoming nobody wants.
Cut off the water
Water is the thing most likely to cost you real money. A burst pipe or failed supply line can run anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000 or more, and it can leak for hours or days without anyone noticing. The cleanest move is to shut off the main water supply to the house. If you'd rather not do that, shut off the supply valves to the appliances that fail most often:
- The washing machine. The rubber hoses behind it are a common burst point, and they're under pressure the whole time you're gone.
- The dishwasher.
- The ice maker line in the fridge. It's a thin line that's easy to forget and a frequent slow-leak culprit.
If you shut off the main, run a faucet afterward to bleed some pressure out of the lines.
Set the water heater to vacation mode
Most water heaters have a vacation or low setting. Use it. There's no reason to keep a tank of water hot for an empty house, and the lower setting trims energy use for the days you're gone. Bump it back to normal when you return.
Don't turn the thermostat off
Set the thermostat, but don't switch it off entirely. Off is the mistake. In winter, an unheated house lets indoor pipes get cold enough to freeze and burst, which is exactly the flood you're trying to avoid. Keep the heat at around 55 degrees so the pipes stay well above freezing. In summer, shutting off the AC lets heat and humidity build, and trapped humidity invites mold and warps wood. Set it warmer than you'd keep it while home, but keep it running enough to hold the humidity down.
Check the sump pump
If you have a sump pump and a storm rolls through while you're away, it's the only thing standing between your basement and several inches of water. Before you leave, pour a bucket of water into the pit and confirm the pump kicks on and clears it. If it doesn't run cleanly, you want to know now, on a dry afternoon, not from a neighbor's phone call.
Unplug what doesn't need power
Unplug the small stuff that draws power for no reason while you're gone: countertop appliances, electronics, chargers, the coffee maker. It trims a little off the energy bill and removes a few minor fire and surge risks. Leave anything you need running, like the fridge, the heat or AC, and the sump pump.
Deal with the trash and disposal
Take out every bit of trash before you go, including the kitchen can and any food that'll turn. Run the garbage disposal with water until it's clear so nothing sits and rots in there. A forgotten bag of garbage in a warm house for ten days is a genuinely bad welcome, and an easy one to avoid.
Arrange for someone to check in
Ask a neighbor, friend, or family member to look in every few days. They don't need to do anything technical. They just need to be a set of eyes. Most of the worst outcomes, a leak, a power outage that killed the fridge, a window left open, get caught early by someone walking through. Give them a key, your number, and the location of the main water shutoff in case they need it.
In winter, add freeze precautions
Cold weather stacks a few steps on top of the thermostat setting. Open the cabinet doors under sinks so warm air reaches the pipes against exterior walls. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off the outdoor faucet supply if you have an indoor valve for it, since water left in those lines freezes and backs up into the wall. If you're leaving for a long winter stretch and want the house fully protected, draining the plumbing is worth asking a plumber about.
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