If you’re planning a holiday (or even just a weekend escape), you probably have a list of tasks to get your home ready for your absence. Your household plumbing system needs some quick-and-easy preparation as well.
Avoiding plumbing disasters
If a pipe, were to spring a leak in your house, you would shut off the water supply at the first sign of trouble, right? But what if you aren’t around to spot that first indication? The water will just keep pouring out and continue creating a potentially catastrophic mess to greet you when you arrive home from your trip.
While the chances of this happening to a well-maintained house are slim, the stakes are still high – and the solution is much easier than you may think.
Precautionary steps
Whenever you plan to leave your house for more than a day, you can buy yourself some insurance by shutting off the main water valve which supplies water to your home.
In most homes, the main shutoff valve is located right next to the water meter and in most cases the water meter will be found in your front yard or depending how old your house is it may even be in your back yard. Most times this shut-off valve is a knob (similar to a garden tap handle) that can be turned by hand clockwise to isolate the water supply, sometimes these valves can become stuck and require a shifter or some multi grips to loosen.
If you’re having trouble locating or turning your water meter valve, you should contact a plumber for help; even if you’re home in the event of a plumbing emergency. Knowing where the shut-off valve is and how to shut it off may help you prevent a flood inside your home saving you thousands of dollars in damages caused by the water.
One last thing to keep in mind: If you have a lawn and garden irrigation system, this will also be shut down if you close your water meter off. In this situation, you may want to use other shut-off valves to reduce your flooding risk while keeping water flowing to your lawn and garden. If you’re unsure where your other shut-off valves are located, a licensed plumber can show you.