Leaving home and water

Going on holiday for 6 weeks and wondering if I should turn my water off at the mains? Is this advisable for safety, or is it safe to ensure all taps tight and maybe turn toilet water off?

Comments

  • We are probably (famous last words ?) past the worst of the cold/freezing weather so it should be OK to leave water on.

    However, there is no reason why you can't turn it off at the main stopcock - and drain off any water in the pipes at the cold taps.

    Remember to switch off the central heating system completely of course - and you may have to re-pressurise the system to around 1.5 Bar when you get back before switching it back on again.
  • Adly812
    Adly812 Posts: 558
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    Thank you I will defo leave the central heating off.
    I hope like you it’s over the worst of the weather
    I was just uncertain if I should switch the mains off, or just leave things as they are. It’s always nerve wracking when you start to tamper with things you don’t usually do.

    I’ll get regular check ins from neighbors but wondered what the best way to leave the water was
  • daveyjp
    daveyjp Posts: 12,468
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    For the sake of a small amount of time to turn a tap its a no brainer. It doesn't have to be cold for pipework to fail.
  • zagfles
    zagfles Posts: 20,274
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    I'd definitely turn it off for that length of time. I've had leaks not caused by freezing that would have caused major problems over 6 weeks. I wouldn't bother draining anything, existing water in the pipes/tanks is going to cause nowhere near the damage that a non stop mains water leak would.

    Check your home insurance policy - most have an exclusion if the house is unoccupied for over a month or so.
  • maisie_cat
    maisie_cat Posts: 2,059
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    What does your house insurance provider say on the subject? They may require systems to be drained down and they possibly will not cover you for that period anyway
  • Adly812
    Adly812 Posts: 558
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    Yes I checked and have sorted my insurance so it will not be affected. Thank you for your advice, I’ll switch off the mains and get regular check ins from neighbors to make sure it’s all good.
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