Water stop tap before going on holiday

Old_Git

just leave a tap dripping .It will keep the water flowing .

EssexExile

The point of turning the stop tap off is to reduce the damage if there is a leak, once the pipes (& tank if you have one) are empty water stops running. Leave the stop tap on & water could be flowing through your house for a fortnight.

As Robotrobo said turn all radiator valves right down & room stats down to a temperature of your choice. How cold do you want the house to be when you return?

agrinnall

peachyprice wrote: »

Do people really do that, just to go on holiday?

Four months travelling around SE Asia over a Highland winter - saved a lot in oil, although having to replace the shower ate into those savings.

meer53

Seems a bit OTT though for a couple of weeks away.

Wonder if the OP empties the fridge and switches it off too ?

Hedgehog99

I've always turned my water off when on holiday - and (having no loft tank) I then turn on the taps to empty the last bit before turning the taps off again.

Despite my vigilance, my washing machine still flooded because its solenoid failed and the water still in the household pipes drained out through the washing machine. Un-bloomin-believable. So the moral of the story, if you are someone who does bother about turning your water off is to also turn off the supply to your washing machine and dishwasher.

I have a colleague who's never bothered to turn his off & has never had a flood. I had another colleague who, while away, got phoned by his neighbour to say there was water gushing out of his front door :-O

paulsad

I always turn mine off when going on holiday - doesn't affect your heating - I've had a burst when a pipe supplying a washing machine suddenly broke after being weakened by rat bites! In just 10 mins the flood was pretty damaging to laminate floors etc - so imagine if you were away for a week ... nasty! You can even have a button type stop tap fitted which is easy to use although my son (a heating engineer/plumber) doesn't like them. He also turns off his water when away BTW.

peachyprice

agrinnall wrote: »

Four months travelling around SE Asia over a Highland winter - saved a lot in oil, although having to replace the shower ate into those savings.

That's not the average holiday though, is it. I'm more referring to people who are only going away for a week or two.

callum9999

meer53 wrote: »

Seems a bit OTT though for a couple of weeks away.

Wonder if the OP empties the fridge and switches it off too ?

The inconvenience of emptying and defrosting a fridge/freezer is a magnitude higher than simply turning off the water and letting the taps run dry... The consequences of a fridge going wrong is also a magnitude lower than a burst pipe.

I never bother, but if you've ever had a burst pipe or know someone who has, I don't think you'd be so dismissive of those who worry about this type of thing...

meer53

callum9999 wrote: »

The inconvenience of emptying and defrosting a fridge/freezer is a magnitude higher than simply turning off the water and letting the taps run dry... The consequences of a fridge going wrong is also a magnitude lower than a burst pipe.

I never bother, but if you've ever had a burst pipe or know someone who has, I don't think you'd be so dismissive of those who worry about this type of thing...

I'm not being dismissive. I've had a burst pipe, luckily i was at home when it happened. I just don't see the point in doing it thats all IMO.

callum9999

meer53 wrote: »

I'm not being dismissive. I've had a burst pipe, luckily i was at home when it happened. I just don't see the point in doing it thats all IMO.

So your burst pipe caused no damage whatsoever? That was lucky!

And of course you were being dismissive... You called it over the top then seemed to mock them (surely the fridge question wasn't serious?).