Should We Shut off Our Water When We Go On Winter Vacation?

Before your winter vacation or cottage closing, shut off the water, lower the heat, and ensure the sump pump lines don’t freeze. As plumbing and drainage contractors, we’ve fixed many frozen pipe accidents. Take a moment to read through this before you go on vacation.

No one imagines a water issue happening when you aren’t home, but it can. If water leaks into the basement for a week or ten days while you’re on vacation, significant damage can occur.

We are here for you with your plumbing, wet basement, septic, sewer, and water main concerns. Read Best Plumbing and Drainage Contractors’ satisfied customer reviews here.

Have you arranged to have someone come by to feed your animals, water your plants, and pick up your mail while you’re on vacation? 

Make sure they go to the basement during each visit and know where your water shut-off is and any water pipes in case of an extreme temperature drop. They must turn off your water shut-off if a leak occurs around your water heater, dehumidifier, or washing machine. 

If the basement has a water problem while you’re gone, it might be because of a sump pump failure or an electrical fault. Tell your house sitter to unplug the pump, reset the breaker for the sump pump, and plug in the pump again.

Call Best Plumbing and Drainage Contractors at (519) 438 6565 to check your sump pump before vacation.

What should you turn off at home to have a carefree winter vacation?

1) Turn off your main water shut-off valve and drain the pipes.

• The shut-off valve for the water main, either a lever or a knob, will be in the basement at the water meter, likely at your home’s front (or street) wall. 
• After turning off the water supply, turn on a faucet at the lowest point of the house (basement), then make your way to the highest point of the house, turning on all faucets and leaving them open.

Added points to follow for closing up your cottage.

• Flush all the toilets starting from the highest level down to the basement. Remove the tank cover and hold the lever down until all the water drains out.
• Use environmentally safe antifreeze, either marine antifreeze or plumber’s antifreeze in your toilet bowls to prevent any remaining water from freezing. Never put automobile antifreeze into any water supply. 
• Empty your dishwasher, washing machine, and water heater. (Follow manufacturers’ instructions)
• Turn off the exterior water supply, which is usually a ground-level lever in your basement. Remove your outdoor hose, then drain the waterline by opening the hose connection water knob.
• Return to the basement, open the drain plug, and empty any remaining water into a bucket. Put the drain cap back in.

2) Turn off your icemaker and water dispenser.

Turn off your icemaker to protect your freezer against flooding, prevent stale ice (ice absorbs odours in your freezer), and save you money. Most modern icemaking units will turn off when the bucket is filled; ensure your ice bucket and its shelf are properly positioned. 

Older fridges with less reliable shutoffs may have a switch on the front of the icemaker; those without switches have a bar or arm that can be pushed to the up position to turn it off.

3) Keep pipes from freezing by shutting off our water.

Especially in older homes, your water pipes in the basement may be in danger of freezing during a long hard temperature drop. A cold spell can cause water pipes near uninsulated external basement walls to freeze easily. Insulate your water pipes or basement walls properly. 

4) Make sure that the outside sump pump line won’t freeze. 

The outside pipe should be insulated (even straw and a tarp will work.) If your sump pump line is pointed downward, away from your house, it is less likely water will freeze. (Never use automotive anti-freeze in a sump pump.)

5) Unplug your expensive electronics.

It isn’t folklore, it really happens; TVs, speakers, computers, and other electronics sustain damage to their circuit boards from electrical power surges during storms. Sometimes the damage is fatal, often, it weakens the electronic circuits progressively.   

6) Lower the temperature of your water heater.

Lower the temperature or set newer gas water heaters to pilot or vacation mode to save money. It extends the time of its cycle, remaining off longer. If your water heater is electric, simply turn off its breaker. 

7) Stop mail delivery.

Ensure you don’t alert potentially ill-intended people to the fact that you’re gone for a while. It takes a couple of minutes online to halt all mail delivery until you get home.

8) Use timers on table lamps to make it seem like someone is home.

Smart timers allow you to control your lights wherever you are on vacation. Whether you use plug-in timers or a smart app, timers mean you’ve added another layer of protection to your home while on vacation.

At BEST Plumbing and Drainage, we want homeowners to know about preventative measures to keep their home safe so they can enjoy their holidays without worry.

We are a leading plumbing and drainage company serving London and the area. You can feel confident you’ve chosen the right company with integrity, honesty, fair pricing, and over 30 years of experience.