If you're going away on a Summer holiday, shut water off?
Posted by whatsreallygoingon88@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 190 comments
Context - relatively new homeowner (in the grand scheme of things), just over a year or so.
I'm going to be away for 4 weeks in the middle of summer - would the sensible thing to do here be to turn the water off at the mains (stopcock) on the day I leave, or is that over worrying? (then open taps to drain, etc)
I went away for 2 weeks for last summer, and it never even crossed my mind to do that. No issues when I came back. Just started thinking about it recently.
Seems to be conflicting opinions when asking people (yet to ask a plumber), with the trend being that the older generation are like 'just leave it/don't be daft'
nomorecrazystuff@reddit
If it's a new build, I'd turn if off if I went to the pub for an evening š
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Ha. Old house, circa 1930s.. from memory
nomorecrazystuff@reddit
So it's gotten through nearly 100 years without a pipe bursting....
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Dunno, I've only lived in it for 14 months! (and did have a double pipe leak behind the sink cupboard about 6 or 7 months ago)
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
The rage of opinions is both fascinating and concerning š¤£ (though not surprising)
RRW2020@reddit
Those pipes are built to remain āonā for 50-100 years. No need to turn them off. If you have like a cabin in the woods that you only visit in summers, I would turn the pipes off for the winter. But not in a real house. If you have a vacation in winter, leave your heating on to at least 12 and open the cupboards under your sinks. This lets the heat in so nothing freezes. No need to take precautions in summer.
BuncleCar@reddit
My central heating which is about 5 years old comes in occasionally in the summer, apparently itās an āintelligentā system. I donāt know if turning the water off would harm it, but I leave the water on, just in case
MasterPreparation687@reddit
I turn it off. My dad installed a surestop switch for me so I don't need to go rummaging around for the stopcock, I can literally just switch it off at the wall. This was after a flexi pipe randomly burst in my bathroom sink and within minutes the bathroom was flooded and water was dripping through the ceiling below.
Fortunately I was home and after a bit of panicking managed to turn the water off at the stopcock which is helpfully behind the washing machine.
If I'd been away for the weekend when this happened the house would have been absolutely fucked.
grotscif@reddit
My home insurance says I must turn the stopcock off if I'm away for 4 days or longer, so that's what I do, don't want to risk not being covered if anything happens.
keeperrr@reddit
Wow.Ā Just wow.Ā Make sure the taps inside are off?Ā Water is so cheap, maybe its expensive for you - do the taps turn themselves on??Ā Did you switch the fuses that arnt on the house alarm off?Ā What about the boiler? Do you leave it on defrost or switch it off entirely?Ā Does one leave it primed and ready tp switch on, or should we call corgi to come and disconnect it?Ā Perhapse notify the home insurance you will be away for more than the maximum agreed time of 28 days.... Did you cover the furniture in POLYETHYLENE?Ā Are you one of those people that have a seperate carry case wallet sleve for their passport and boarding pass?Ā I was kidding. Just make sure you lock the doors, hell. Leave em open, doubt anyone would steal your water.Ā
N64Andysaurus92@reddit
My parents always turned it off before we left so I do it now too.Ā
a-liquid-sky@reddit
I'd leave it on.
As a side note, check your home insurance policy about how long the property can be empty!
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Cheers.
Any particular reason you'd leave it on?
a-liquid-sky@reddit
I don't see any reason to turn it off, I guess. In winter I make sure the heating will come on at very low temperatures (5Ā°c inside the house) and wrap the outside tap in insulation. I wouldn't bother with anything during summer.
RayaQueen@reddit
Fwiw I believe 15Ā° is the recommendation. 5 is a bit touch and go for frost etc.
AnnieByniaeth@reddit
I left my thermostat on 8ā°C once. Went skiing for a week. Came back and found one of the bedrooms had recorded a low of 0.1ā°C.
So yes, don't trust the thermostat.
fezzuk@reddit
The bedroom was 0.1 deg, the water in the pipes was 5. And not freezing thats the point.
Nebulousdbc@reddit
Also to add, most boilers will activate the pump when the internal temperature reaches 7c and circulate for a bit and will fire the burner when it reaches 5c to prevent the heating pipes/heat exchanger freezing
scarby2@reddit
Most people only have a single thermostat in a single location this can definitely lead to hot and cold spots dependent on air circulation.
fezzuk@reddit
15 is massive, 5 is fine thata normal frost protection.
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
Is 15Ā° not recommended just for damp/mould etc?
RayaQueen@reddit
Exactly. Did say that earlier. That's why I do it. Have experienced the other option. Not good.
FlameFoxx@reddit
15 degrees turning my heating on almost every day
RayaQueen@reddit
For me that's a minimum to keep away condensation and black mould. I don't want my house to get colder than that. So if it comes on for a bit, so be it.
PsychologicalDish430@reddit
Yes I do this too. I don't then feature on reddit subs trying to geti rid of mould using dehumidifiers.
FlameFoxx@reddit
Damn, the average temp of my house is around 12 degrees
simundo86@reddit
Donāt worry about it just open windows my house is 14 degrees a lot except winter no mold what so ever
RayaQueen@reddit
I feel like we've been in this conversation before! Am I getting deja vu? :-))
Is your house mould free still? Also do you have a lot of big jumpers? ;-)
FlameFoxx@reddit
My house is mould free, apart from a little bit in the shower.
I'm naturally a warm person so a cold house suits me perfectly.
72dk72@reddit
Many insurance policies specify your heating should be set to a minimum of 15C when you are NOT at home (leaving the house unattended). Not just in winter.
a-liquid-sky@reddit
5Ā°c is what my heating system is automatically set to. But good to know!
RayaQueen@reddit
Hmmm interesting.
TyrannosauraRegina@reddit
Check your home insurance on minimum temperature - ours says the house must be heated to 12C.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
a good 25 years off, re the generational theory š
Juuudes@reddit
My father (b.1916) used to turn the water off and I've only remembered it because of your post! Mind you, he would also ring the local police station and inform them that the house would be empty.
RayaQueen@reddit
When there was a local police house in every village. Our village policeman always did Jake the Peg at the annual village show! :-)) Everyone agrees the 70s was the sweet spot :-)
scarby2@reddit
Only if you ignore interior design, fashion and women's/minority rights.
RayaQueen@reddit
Yeh there are a few things I wouldn't want to include. Tho interior design and fashion aren't on that list!!
NeilDeWheel@reddit
IMO donāt list to the person saying leave it on. Woke up one day to my kitchen floor soaked because a pipe joint had decided to give way. It was as behind a kitchen cupboard and when I removed the cupboard back I could see by the damp going up the wall it had been dripping for some time. If that had happened the day after I set off for a month the damage would have been enormous.
Another thing that Iāve witnessed is a TV started smoking and would have caught fire had my uncle not been able to throw it into the garden. This tv wasnāt being used but was plugged with the socket on.
If youāre going away for a long time turn off the water and unplug any electrical items that do not have to stay on.
Perception_4992@reddit
Wrap the tap in summer, where do you live?!..
a-liquid-sky@reddit
In winter!
CarpetPedals@reddit
Iāve come back from holiday to find a leak had sprung under the bath! So now I always turn off the stop cock. Thereāe no reason to keep it on, so why not? Get rid of the worry!
I think what got us was it was during winter, and the thermostat was just set to 5 degrees, which meant the pipes likely got way colder than they otherwise would, contracting slightly more than they have before and it just broke the seal on that pipe.
In future Iāll be keeping the house above 14-15 degrees when we leave it, and stop cock always off. Itāll limit how bad any leak can be.
Apprehensive_Bus_543@reddit
If youāve got lots of flexible tap connectors and they are old then turn it off.
bonshui@reddit
Maybe in the depths of winter - not in summer
Taken_Abroad_Book@reddit
It'll be fine, leave it on.
Just make sure your home insurance covers you for that length of time.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
60 days the insurance is
Snoo87512@reddit
Iām a plumber , always turn mine off but donāt bother opening taps or anything, Iāve seen what can happen if a pipe bursts in the night let alone middle of a holiday! If it goes with the water off you get a bit of water but nothing like when the mains is on full!
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
is the advice not to open taps (briefly) after turning off at the stopcock, so any excess water/pressure can be released?
Snoo87512@reddit
Either way canāt hurt really , I prefer to leave the pressure in there so thereās no air introduced when turning back on, plus if thereās a leak you will see it as itāll let off a small amount of water (just whatās in the pipe)
richpinn@reddit
I donāt see any issue in turning off the internal stop tap for peace of mind. I wouldnāt touch the external stop tap, it could be a joint supply and turns off the neighbours water as well.
Decent_Confidence_36@reddit
I always turn it off if Iām away for a week or more for no other reason than my dad did when I was a kidā¦ Iāve also never heard of anyoneās house flooding when there away in my 31 years of being alive still do it though
fozzybear706@reddit
I always turn the gas and water off and keep minimal electric going.
AffectionateJump7896@reddit
Most people don't. It's pretty belt and braces/unnecessary worrying. But then it doesn't cost you much - a moment of hassle if your value is easily accessible - so if someone wants to do that, cool.
Personally I never have. It just doesn't cross my mind, even though we have a super easy and accessible quarter hand turn value that came with the water meter.
If it was a winter holiday I might want to more, but would probably still forget.
GraceEllis19@reddit
I have literally never even considered doing this
julemeister@reddit
Only in my parents caravan over winter
Jamz3k@reddit
Firstly, yes Turn it off. I came home from holiday to my kitchen ceiling fucked due to a water leak in my bathroom.
Secondly, test your stopcock now. If it hasnāt been used, it could be seized or leak when trying to use it for the first time and thatās not something you want to deal with 2hours before your flight.
WizarddOfAhh@reddit
TURN IT OFF, Iāve had 2 braided pipes to taps pop for no particular reason. Fortunately both times we were at home, it would have been a mess after an hour let alone weeks! Only takes a moment
kittykat7931@reddit
It has never even crossed my mind to turn the water off when I go away. The only time I turn anything off like that is turning off the supply to the outside tap when it is really cold to stop that pipe from freezing. Just think about the dilemma when you get back and are desperate for the toilet but need to turn the water back on before you can goā¦..
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Fair.
What's the longest period of time you've left the homer unattended, out of interest?
RayaQueen@reddit
Months. It will be fine. I've never heard of anyone even considering this before.
(My heating is always on a thermostat so if it gets cold in the winter it comes on. Basically I leave the house 'alive'. Houses need to be lived in. Don't think it's wise to shut it down).
simundo86@reddit
My neighbours pipe bursted and it wasnāt even winter they was away, took months to repair
AmishHoeFights@reddit
I'm in Canada, didn't notice i was on a UK sub, saw the guy say he leaves for months at a time and to just leave the water on, and almost died.
Not certain about this but i think my insurance states i must have the house checked every 3 days if we're all gone, and i must turn the water off also.
But then, it gets to -20c and worse here for months at a time, so it just makes sense to shut the water off when gone on holidays.
simundo86@reddit
3 days is mental, my house insurance says maximum of 60 days unoccupied
72dk72@reddit
Hope you informed you insurance company as most won't provide cover after 30 days (or less) with no-one living there. So.eone checking or staying a couple of hours doesn't count.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Cheers. Yeah same with my thermostat - that will be in holiday mode, circa 13/14 degrees, though that shouldn't need to kick in at that time of year (he says... )
RayaQueen@reddit
Yeh you'd think not but I've known the heating come on in in July so....
kittiestkitty@reddit
Weāve traveled away for 6 weeks and not shut it off. Turned off heat tho. And all outlets, which was good bc we had a power surge, while away, on our street and everyoneās appliances got fried but ours.
elgrn1@reddit
I live in a flat so perhaps not exactly the question you asked the other redditor, but I've been away for 5 months before and left my water connected. I switched off major appliances and ensured all plug sockets were off only.
72dk72@reddit
But it takes seconds to turn it on and off .. you can still use the toilet anyway and there should be a flush left in the tank.
tradandtea123@reddit
As long as you leave water in the toilet cistern that shouldn't be a problem. You can go to the toilet, flush the water that's been there since you weny away and then turn on the water.
SpinnakerLad@reddit
Personally I turn it off when I remember, especially for longer periods away. Minimal effort and a pipe leaking for days can do major damage.
If nothing else it's good to exercise the valves and stop them from seizing. External stop cocks especially can get all jammed up.
TheRealGabbro@reddit
Most insurance policies require you to maintain a minimum temperature in your house when itās not occupied. In the summer, sure you could turn off the water and therefore your heating, but in the winter there is a risk you might not meet the requirements of your insurance policy.
mailywhale@reddit
Iāve got back from a holiday once and found loads of water damage from a slow leak. After that, yes I will always turn it off
IssacHunt89@reddit
So easy to turn off for peace of mind as well
72dk72@reddit
Exactly this and devices and taps fail. I went out for a day and came back to find water all over the kitchen floor. The water board had tuned off the water supply nearby to repair an leak and when turning it on again excess pressure caused the small inline water filter pipes to come off and water flowed out for several hours. Small pipe so not as bad but had that been a week away the whole ground floor would have flooded.
IssacHunt89@reddit
Always off, had a drip leak under sink happen from worn copper pipe while home and took a while to notice. It had already gone under the flooring etc.
When I replaced the section of pipe the copper wall was paper thin like tin foil, so I don't risk it going away.
Markee6868@reddit
Iād turn it off if I were you, if you have any kind of leak whilst youāre away thatās going to potentially do a lot of damage if youāre not there to catch it and turn it off.
Physical-Bear2156@reddit
I'd leave it on tbh. Not least because disturbing the stop cock can lead to the thing dripping for weeks after when you turn the water back on.
Mrmagicdan@reddit
We do.
A few months ago we were chilling in the lounge when we heard a noise like someone was having a shower. We went to the kitchen and the flexi hose that connects to the kitchen sink tap had burst. Water everywhere! Thankfully the pipes had a shut off valve on them so turned that off and then turned it off at the mains. Used every towel in the house and had a dehumidifier on for a few days. And it was a Sunday at about 3pm so had an hour to go and get a replacement part!
Thankfully no lasting damage. But it did get us thinking, if that had happened while we were on holiday (and weād not long got back from 10 days away) then that would be be coming out, unchecked for days. And it wouldāve been a very different story!
So we now turn it off if we are away longer than a weekend.
gavo360@reddit
Yes we had a flexi burst on us last year. I wouldnāt trust them in an empty house for more than a long weekend away. Some flexiās can bust within a year and some will last 20+ years. After dealing with the stress of the damage water causes I donāt trust them and turn the water off when we go away for more than a few days and itās probably good for the stop tap to be used a couple of times a year to help it not seize up.
HashDefTrueFalse@reddit
I do. Takes 10 seconds and could save me a lot of hassle if something unlikely happens and I'm not there to shut it off, so I don't really see why you wouldn't. That said, my mains stopcock has always been easily accessible, e.g. right under the kitchen sink, or in a little cupboard somewhere...
toady89@reddit
I had a leak last year when a washer on a cold water pipe gave out, luckily I was home but I'd consider turning water off now.
donalmacc@reddit
You really don't want to learn that the stopcock doesn't work just before you go on holiday. Only do this if you regularly turn your water off.
Leave your boiler on frost protection mode, and forget about it.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
I had a small leak about 7 months back, and the plumber turned it off/on - so I know it works, albeit it was him doing and not me (and it was stiff, given the age of it)
72dk72@reddit
You should then it on and off at least monthly.
bacon_cake@reddit
It's interesting how many people are saying no.
I don't / have never done so, but it makes perfect sense to. Honestly I can't see a downside.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
This thread has only made the dilemma bigger, such a mix of opinions
72dk72@reddit
It's simple. Turn off the water stop cock. Zero chance of flooding and damage. Leave it on a chance (however small) that a lea will occur and you will be flooded or damage occurs and the insurance may no pay out. Similar if going away for a month or more speak to you insurance company as you may not be insured at all.
MegaMolehill@reddit
I turned my stopcock once and it started leaking and I had to get a plumber out to replace it. It hadnāt be turned in a few years but still I wouldnāt want to risk that just before a holiday.
72dk72@reddit
That's why regularly turning you water off is a good thing. Stops the tops cocktail from seizing then leaking.
Hangry_cat_lady@reddit
We leave ours on, my MIL turns EVERYTHING off, even if theyāre away for one night.
audigex@reddit
I've never turned it off
I do turn off outdoor taps in winter but wouldn't bother in summer. Although my mother in law comes round daily to feed the cats so it's not like anything would be left alone for weeks
seven-cents@reddit
I wouldn't bother, but here's a tip for the future.
Turn the stopcock every 6 months or so to prevent it from seizing. Also never have it fully open. Open to full then close it by about a quarter of a turn (which also helps to prevent it from seizing)
72dk72@reddit
I turn my water off whenever I go away for more than a couple of days. It does no harm and it takes seconds. Its not not just freezing pipes you need to worry about. Also regularly turning off the stop valve causes it from seizing up.
WrongExplanation1065@reddit
Family member didn't turn it off, went away for 3 weeks. In the 1st week a pipe burst for some reason in the attic and the whole house has to be gutted back to the walls and re done.
wildflower12345678@reddit
I wouldn't turn it off. What would be the purpose? I suppose if it was mid winter so the pipes don't crack, but with central heating now set to come on automatically if it drops below a certain temperature its not even necessary for that.
KhaelonVoss@reddit
I have never known anyone of any generation turn water off when leaving the house for a holiday. Exceptions may be if you know there's a problem (leaking tap, etc) or if the house won't be checked for many months (house in probate, etc)
jimmywhereareya@reddit
I can't think of any reason to turn off the water in the summer.
Ljw1000@reddit
For the 2minutes it takes to turn it off, I would & do.
I do live in an older property, 1920ās, but if something failed while I was away, Iād hate to come home & find it flooded.
DIY_at_the_Griffs@reddit
I turn it off and turn the boiler off, donāt bother to empty the loft tank but at least if there was a leak itād be limited to a hundred litres or so rather than a constant stream.
I will add though that I bought this house cheap because there was a burst water pipe when the house was vacant during the winter and it flooded the place & brought the ceilings down.
Less of a worry in the summer of course.
Downtown_Tale_2018@reddit
It wouldnāt cross my mind to switch off the water but a number of years ago I had an outside tap rupture while at work for the day and it had flooded the garden, god knows how much water it wasted because I wasnāt on a meter so 10 seconds to turn the stop tap off is not really any trouble for peace of mind.
Candid-Bike-9165@reddit
Honestly its not the worse idea in the world
we had the ballcock fail in a toilet while on holiday once we were on a water meter too luckily the overflow worked correctly and took all the water into our driveway instead of the house
Although we never did turn it off after that....
Significant_Air_1662@reddit
My home insurance says I have to. So I do.
user852578964322467@reddit
Thanks, now I have another thing to worry about while being on holiday, lollll
Kvark33@reddit
No, leave it on. Also, when you return from holiday, depending on the temperature, run all taps and outlets (hot and cold) for 5 minutes, this is to clear any bacterial growth that may of occurred during your vacation i.e Legionairres.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Cheers.
Why leave it on rather than turn off, out of interest?
Kvark33@reddit
There is not really any issue to turn it off with modern plumbing. If you have a cold water tank in the loft, if it is hot, it may evaporate, leaving it on allows the water to be topped up.
UniquePotato@reddit
How much evaporation do you think happens in a week? Plus with push fit fixtures, Iām more concerned of a failure than with soldered connections
Kvark33@reddit
I can't answer that as it depends on the outside temperature, the amount of insulation and if the cold water tank is insulated, good fitting lid etc.
Soldered connections, the only time I would be worried is if you are going on holiday during winter and the heating is switched off, or it is running at a very low temp, this is most likely when pipes will burst, I would recommend cutting off the water at the stop cock, possibly to the cold water tank too if you can. During the spring/summer months there is no reason to worry than any other day about soldered connections.
UniquePotato@reddit
I always turn ours off, its a mixture of the two, but donāt see the point taking the risk
The worry comes from the damage from tens of thousands of litres of water ruining my home, and the months of inconvenience following. Not the actual breakage.
Kvark33@reddit
Ok, go for it, just be sure to run all outlets hot and cold to flush the system of any bacteria
PipBin@reddit
I wouldnāt have done in the past.
Until that is a few years ago when we had a burst pipe in the bath room which resulted in water pouring down the walls. Fortunately we were in, however we were meant to be away. Had we been away it would have been a serious flood.
iknowuselessstuff@reddit
There is no down side to turning it off.
I have known a couple of people who have returned from holiday to a flooded house (both in summer, buth because something failed inside their boiler rather than a plumbing fault). For this reason I turn mine off!
Monkfish786@reddit
If you have no one who can pop round once a week to make everythingās ok then you can if you want to but unless youāve got a ropey tap or pipe thatās currently leaking then thereās no need to.
Only thing differently I do is switch off things at the switch that Iād normally leave on like extension cables / tv / Xbox / fans etc.
If your that worried about it install an indoor camera , we have one for the cat so you could buy a temporary one that sits on the kitchen or somewhere your worried about so you can periodically check in with.
Similarly I used to have a car that would periodically once every few months the alarm would go off on its own , I was so riddled with worry about it I disconnected the battery before going away for 2 weeks.
Boggyprostate@reddit
I remember my neighbours, across the road from me, went on holiday and about a week and half of them gone I noticed all their windows steamed up! I knew straight away a pipe had burst, because of the tell tale sign. They got back 2 weeks later and their house was ruined š„“
Even_Video7549@reddit
why would you think you needed to turn it off?
SpeechWeird5267@reddit
š².. is that a thing? I didn't know that water can be turned off like electricity at the mains.š¤ I'm 39.
grey-zone@reddit
Do you own a house? Whether owning or renting you should know how to turn the water off if you need to.
SpeechWeird5267@reddit
I am paying towards a mortgage with a lot of ignorance. We lived in a council house. My parents bought the house but my siblings paid it initially. The responsibility transferred onto me.
This is my ignorance. š¤¦š²
UniquePotato@reddit
Just after the gas meter there will be an isolation valve that turns 90degrees to shut off supply into the house. It should be readily available should you get a gas leak
notemark@reddit
One of the first things I do in a new house is locate the stopcock, always find the isolators for gas, electric and water even if the majority of the time you'll never need them.
SpeechWeird5267@reddit
š².. I wasn't taught any of that.
notemark@reddit
Neither was I and it took me a few years of living after moving out to appreciate the necessity of it!
Saying that my mindset over the years has very much shifted to a "what could go wrong here" mentality
Togger82@reddit
I usually turn it off. My parents always did to theirs too when I was a kid. Im 41. Recently my dad went away on holiday. On the first day, the water company phoned him to say they had detected a leak on his property. He had shut all the water off. When he got home, and turned the water back on, he found a small leak in a pipe under the floorboards in his hallway. So it was a good job he turned it off when he was away. Always better to be safe than sorry.
UniquePotato@reddit
Its amazing how many leave it on, but in a post a few months ago, people are paranoid of going out when the washing is running incase it leaks.
Temporary_Ebb9486@reddit
This seems mad. Never ever heard anyone, ever, turning off their whole homes water for any reason.
You sound like a conscientious and thoughtful person, but this is a step too far.
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
It's quite a normal thing to do, just probably not something most people talk to you about. It takes seconds.
eelam_garek@reddit
Haha. FYI the reason people do it is because the system is under pressure. Usually, this pressure is released with regular use - but when you're away this doesn't happen. So there's a minor chance of leaks. I always leave mine on for clarity, I'm just explaining the thinking here.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Ha.
Tbh, it never cross my mind until recently. I can't even remember what triggered the thought - next minute I have a search and people (various threads on here, and elsewhere) think you're mad for not doing it
Temporary_Ebb9486@reddit
Do report back if your house floods, make sure to rub it in my dumb face.
CasualNormalRedditor@reddit
I know plenty of people have said just leave it. But is there any reason to not turn it off? If there's no downside then surely the increased safety of it would be a wise thing to do?
Captaincadet@reddit
I tend to turn it off if Iām going away in the winter (outdoor taps) but never really thought about it in the summer
I think I did turn it off lasting, however my stop cock is extremely accessible
xycm2012@reddit
We have a cat so my in-laws visit each day to check on him and keep him company. Subsequently Iād happily leave the water on. If that wasnāt the case and we had nobody coming in I would absolutely shut it off. Itās not going to cause any damage shutting it off and reduces the risk of a small leak turning into major water damage while nobody is home.
A friend of mine went away a few years ago, and the water tank in the loft sprung a massive leak. As the mains water was left on, the tank continuously filled and dumped water for weeks whilst they were away. They came home to the house absolutely wrecked. Everything internal needed to be gutted, all the ceilings, flooring, plasterboard, two bathrooms and a kitchen, all their electrics. They had to move into a Premier Inn for six months whilst their home insurance sorted everything. If theyād shut off the water before leaving the damage would have probably been superficial, largely cosmetic and isolated to one or two bedrooms at most.
Familiar9709@reddit
Yes, I turn all services off, you never know what can happen while you're away (happened to me, e.g. pipe burst and then it'll be really bad for 4 weeks).
Electricity, gas and water off
grey-zone@reddit
Thatās why you got a burst pipe though. Leave low heating on when you are away in winter. Most systems have an anti ice setting, otherwise just put the temp on 7 or something. This does assume central heating.
Familiar9709@reddit
This was in summer. I meant a pipe got a leak.
grey-zone@reddit
Ok, thatās unfortunate!
endianess@reddit
The house opposite my MIL sprung a leak in the water tank in the loft while the owners were on holiday and caused tons of damage. They had only just finished renovating the house and had to move out into temporary accomodation whilst the damage was fixed. It took months.
I have a lever that does most of the house. I normally turn this one off. I wouldn't touch the main stop cock because I fear I will do more damage than leaving it alone. Turning it off at the meter is also pretty easy if you have the long tool. Its just a hassle to do and I wouldn't do it unless I was worried about something specific.
deano2099@reddit
It's one those things where the chance of a leak happning while you're away is miniscule to the point you don't really need to worry about it.
But: if you turn off the water, that leak will just be small amount of water already in the system. If you don't, it could be water at mains pressure flowing directly into your house non-stop for two weeks. The difference between a minor inconvenience and an absolute nightmare. And all you need to do is spend ten seconds turning the supply off.
hecateheh@reddit
Turn it off! I was away for a month when I got a notification I had "used significantly more energy this week" from one of my smart meter monitoring apps. Turned out one of my hot water taps broke whilst I was away and I not only used a lot of metered water, but Ā£350 of gas as well. Lucky had a mate go and turn off the water from the street.
WealthMain2987@reddit
I shut water and gas off. My neighbour had a leak when they went away for the weekend. They went through insurance and it was a nightmare. They went back and forth with insurance which took around a year till they moved back in.
Complete_Desk_9173@reddit
Plumber here, I always turn my water off when I go away, seen too many disasters not to.
Tiny_Major_7514@reddit
Someone hasn't got plants to water!
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
I actually do, x 5 haha.
Someone would be coming midway through the trip so they could easily do that, with or without the water on.
GetInYourBasket@reddit
Don't forget to tell them they'll need to bring their own water and not to use the toilet while at yours! Or you could just leave it on so your not adding an extra inconvenience for someone doing you a favour
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Yeah, already crossed my mind. Cheers
Red-Peril@reddit
Definitely do it. Back in the day, we went on holiday for two weeks with my parents-in-law (had a ball, theyāre lovely folks) and came back to their beautiful Victorian house with soaked carpets and ruined ceilings. The hot water tank had, somehow, sprung a leak and had been pissing water over the house for two whole weeks. Luckily theyād turned the heating and hot water off so at least thereās that, but it has been sitting there wet and unventilated for a fortnight so not only was everything soaked but it all smelt musty and awful.
It was a pretty massive insurance claim, loads of work needed doing (plastering the walls and ceilings, new hot water tank, new plumbing, new carpets etc) and it took well over a year before it was all sorted and the house was back to its original state.
That was nearly 40 years ago and Iāve never forgotten to turn ours off since. Our experience was much luckier - our own hot water tank sprang a leak the day before we were due to go away for two weeks. Luckily it hadnāt done much more than make the carpet wet outside the airing cupboard and cause a small stain on the ceiling below it, and after some frantic phoning around to find a replacement water tank the same size, my amazing husband was able to change it the same day. But it did gave me nightmares about what we could have been facing had it decided to let go 24 hours laterā¦
Kizzieuk@reddit
I went to the USA for 6 weeks came back to my beautiful goth door smashed to bits. something had gone wrong with the loo and it was pouring outside down the wall into the flats below. Fire brigade had to get in. So smashed the door in
OriginalStockingfan@reddit
Iād leave it on. It feeds the boiler circuit too. Whilst I set the boiler to holiday mode it comes back on for hot water the day I come back. Low pressure on the boiler circuit can mess up the boiler.
In 35+ years of owning houses, Iāve never had a water leak when away. As youāre not using taps etc thereās little reason for things to break.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Yeah fair.
Believe my boiler (combi) wouldn't be affected turning it off, but I'm hardly knowledgable about these things
Rude-Possibility4682@reddit
Turn off at the stop cock in the house. Make sure you run all the taps on your return, to flush out any debris, and also legionnella, that could build up in standing water.
Lonely-Department329@reddit
100% must switch it off.
If a valve or seal on a toilet starts to leak it will just keep leaking and refilling and leaking and refilling...
theModge@reddit
My parents always did when they were away. I haven't bothered and it's never been a problem, but it'd do no harm.
Hell you could turn the gas off whilst you're at it, some people do.
Most I do is unplug / switch off at the plug stuff that won't be used. Now I'm back to not having cctv (new house) the Internet enters that list of things.
Decard_Pain@reddit
I guess if you're worried about burst pipes, usually it's a winter thing.
I have a managed system that can handle all of this automatically anyway so I'm not worried.
Public-Temperature-1@reddit
I set the fridge freezer to holiday low power mode, I run a clean cycle on the dishwasher and washing machine then leave the trays/filters out in the sink and the doors open to they don't get musty. I set the heating to be on for 30 minutes in the evening, but I never touch the stopcock.
redheadedsweetie@reddit
I have never shut the water off. We do turn our hot water heating system off so that we aren't paying to heat water that we won't be using.
No_Ring_3348@reddit
In summer? Just leave it be, you only turn it off and drain if the pipes might freeze.
Chris-TT@reddit
I just went away and left the sprinklers on a timer for the whole holiday, as we have just had new grass put down. Iāve never once thought about turning off the mains water while away, but itās probably not the worst idea in the world. We do, however, have a smart water leak detector, which should alert my phone if we get a leak. Worst case, I would have a friend or neighbour come around and check, but I guess thereās always a chance the sensor could fail.
Shoulder-Ordinary@reddit
No harm in doing so I think. Peace of mind is invaluable I think.
Also if you have a freezer, freeze a small cup of water and then once frozen place a penny on top. You can then tell if you've had a power outage and your food has spoiled.
tradandtea123@reddit
I used to manage empty properties that were owned by HS2, generally houses that were closed to the line that were compulsory purchased and sometimes let out but often empty for long periods.
I never understood why water was left on in most of them (I had no say in it) and I'd find 4 or 5 a year with significant flood damage due to pipes that had failed and I've always turned mine off since if I go away.
I never came across pipes inside a house that had burst due to being frozen in winter, even though that seems to be more of a worry for people, not saying it can't happen but I think failed old pipes that are under pressure (often ones that weren't designed to be under pressure as a combi had been added without changing pipes) is much more of a problem.
Dead_Bones001@reddit
I would turn off the water and then flush the toilet/s just so if they leak there won't be much water left in the cistern to spill everywhere.
I once went away for just 4 days and on return found my kitchen flooded from a leak. Imagine that over 4 weeks!
EyeAware3519@reddit
What would the percieved benefit be of turning the water off?
Postik123@reddit
If something bursts or starts to leak with the water on, you wouldn't be around to notice it and fix it.Ā
My concern would be turning the water off and then through a cruel twist of fate the stop cock itself starts to leak.
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Yeah I keep reading about that, which adds to the dilemma
The_AJR@reddit
In that case, go one step further and turn the water off at the main supply on your driveway (if you can), if that leaks then that's the water boards problem not yours!
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
I believe the thinking is - should there be a leak from a pipe, the system is empty so the damage would be minimal compared to a constant supply
EyeAware3519@reddit
Ah right. I was thinking you were just worried about a tap leaking which would be a waste of water but ultimately just go down the sink.
Yeah turn them off, turn them all off.
BenRod88@reddit
If a pipe were to burst while youāre away itās just gonna keep flowing until you return. Turning off the water stops this risk. I turn mine off if Iām away for a night it takes seconds to do
OddlyDown@reddit
Sure, turn it off.
There are no down-sides, but thereās a tiny chance of a leak. I donāt turn mine off, but thatās really down to laziness rather than logic. It takes two seconds and could theoretically save thousands of pounds of damage.
FourInTheBack@reddit
An old neighbour of mine went away for a week and came back to a flooded house. Home insurance would not cover it as it was in the t&C's that if left vacant for more than 48hrs water should be shut off at the mains. I've never done it tbh, even after they told me this.
cooky561@reddit
I turn the water off when I travel in winter, for fear of a sharp cold spell damaging the pipes while I'm away.
(Central heating doesn't use fresh water, so it works even with the mains off)
During the summer I leave most things on as there's much less damage of that.
MrDavieT@reddit
Turn it off over winter, sure.
No need to turn it off over summer unless itās a metred supply and you have a leak
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
It is a metered supply.
No leak, to my knowledge (I did have two some months back but that was sorted, no issues since)
MrDavieT@reddit
Turn it off at the main stopcock and look at the meter. If itās still turning, you have another leak.
Otherwise, leave it on. It will serve no purpose switching it off šš»
usedqueendream@reddit
shut it off, better safe than sorry
Anglo-Euro-0891@reddit
It depends if you are going to have anyone check the house in your absence. And if not, how paranoid you are going to be otherwise.
I personally would switch the water off, following personal experience of cat sitting for my mother.
There was a leak in the bathroom on the VERY FIRST DAY!!! The plumber was at the house, BEFORE my mother had even reached her holday destination on the plane (Canada).
If I hadn't been there to look after the cat, who knows what damage she would have come back to 2 weeks later (we lived some distance apart and I don't drive).
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
I'll have someone to check once around the midway point, but that'll be it.
CorpusCalossum@reddit
It's an interesting idea. Despite the story that follows I hadn't actually considered it.
We went away for the weekend and when we got back and opened the front door I could hear water running... walked into the lounge and there was a steady stream pouring through the ceiling into the couch.
I ran upstairs and found that a flexi-hose to the shower pump had failed. There was a handy isolator valve to turn it off, and we got buckets set up downstairs.
The crazy thing about it though is that it must have started leaking less than 5 minutes before we got home! It was all really minor in terms of amount of water and no damage.
If it had failed 3 days earlier, just after we left, and had run for all that time, it would have been a massive disaster.
The_AJR@reddit
I always turn the water off if my house is going to be empty even for one night. Iāve been the victim of flooding before and the damage and chaos it does is unbelievable so always turn it off to avoid any situation where a leak occurs and nobody is there to stop it. Call me paranoid but for the 2 seconds it takes to do, I sleep easy whilst Iām away.
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
It wouldn't occur to me to do either.
Perhaps if it was mid winter where a frozen pipe might causse a burst? But given that my pipes have never burst before, I am not sure if the chance of that would go up during my trip...
loveswimmingpools@reddit
I do turn it off if I'm away for more than a few nights.
kelvinside@reddit
I donāt think it would make any difference either way. No need to worry about something for no reason.
Maybe in the middle of winter you might want to avoid water sitting in the system which could freeze? Depends on your house / pipes.
C
George_Salt@reddit
Just leave it/Don't be daft
(read into that what you will about my age..)
whatsreallygoingon88@reddit (OP)
Ha!
Jeoh@reddit
I'll close it if I go away for longer than a week. Nice way to make sure my stopcock hasn't seized either, you never know.
Saltysockies@reddit
My colleague went away and left the water on. A pipe burst and flooded the entire ground floor.
They left the water on. Haven't got a clue if that made a difference.
Cool_Doubt2152@reddit
I have never heard of this before or done it. I went away for 2.5 weeks & had no issues
AssociationGold8745@reddit
Not a plumber, but had family who were and their thinking was if frost was likely whilst they were away, you wouldn't have the heat in the house and taps being used to stop it freezing , so there was a chance a pipe could burst as ice expands. Also if you have a small leak already that you've not noticed, it'll keep leaking and you could come home to worse damage than if you caught it early.
With modern plumbing I believe it's less of a concern as there's more plastic pipe in the system to flex and absorb the pressure (mains lines and newer internal pipework), and frost isn't a concern in summer, but I can't imagine it'd do much harm if you shut it off, and flushed a toilet/ran the tap to take the pressure out.
Miserable-Ad7835@reddit
I do if I go away for more than a week.
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.