Vacation Home Plumbing Shutdown Checklist — Prevent Leaks While You're Away

Locate your main water shut-off valve (typically near the water meter, in the basement, or in a utility closet) and turn it fully clockwise (gate valve) or perpendicular to the pipe (ball valve). This single action prevents every supply-side water disaster — burst pipes, failed supply hoses, stuck fill valves, and ice maker line failures. If you've never operated this valve, test it now rather than discovering it's frozen on the morning you leave. A stuck main valve needs a plumber ($150–$400 to replace).

After shutting off the main valve, open one faucet on the lowest level and one on the highest level of the house. Let them drip until water stops flowing — this relieves residual pressure in the supply lines. Pressurized lines with no relief can still leak at a weak fitting even with the main valve closed. Close the faucets after pressure is relieved. This takes 2–3 minutes and eliminates residual pressure throughout the system.

With the water supply off, the water heater has no incoming cold water to replace what it heats. Running a water heater on an empty or partially empty tank can burn out the electric elements ($20–$50 each, $150–$300 to replace) or overheat a gas unit. Gas units: turn the control dial to 'Vacation' or 'Pilot' mode. Electric units: turn off the dedicated breaker. Tankless units: these are fine — they only fire when water flows, which it won't with the main valve closed.

Ice maker supply lines (typically 1/4-inch copper or braided line behind the refrigerator) are one of the most common sources of water damage in vacant homes. The small supply valve behind or under the fridge should be closed in addition to the main valve. Turn off the ice maker switch on the fridge as well. A failed ice maker line can leak 2–4 gallons per hour — enough to cause major floor and subfloor damage over a week's absence.

Walk through the house and check under every sink, behind every toilet, around the water heater, and at the washing machine connections. A slow drip that's manageable when you're home becomes a flooding event when you're gone for 10 days. Look for moisture, water stains, or mineral deposits on fittings — these indicate an active or recent leak. Fix any drip before you leave, even if it seems minor. A drip at 1 drop per second wastes 5 gallons per day.

P-traps in floor drains, guest bathroom sinks, tubs, and basement drains hold water that blocks sewer gas from entering your home. These traps evaporate over 2–4 weeks without use, allowing sewer gas (hydrogen sulfide, methane) to fill the house. Pour a quart of water into every drain you won't be using. Add a tablespoon of mineral oil on top — it floats on the water surface and dramatically slows evaporation, keeping the trap sealed for months.

Food residue in the dishwasher and garbage disposal decomposes, creating odors and potentially attracting pests. Run an empty dishwasher cycle with a cup of vinegar on the top rack. Run the garbage disposal with cold water for 30 seconds to clear any food waste. Leave the dishwasher door slightly cracked to prevent mildew from moisture trapped inside. These small steps prevent the unpleasant surprise of a pest infestation or mold growth upon return.

Your sump pump is the only thing preventing basement flooding during rain while you're away. Pour 5 gallons of water into the pit and verify the pump activates, pumps the water out, and shuts off. Verify the battery backup (if equipped) by unplugging the primary pump and repeating the test. If either pump fails, fix it before you leave — a flooded basement while you're gone for two weeks means mold, destroyed belongings, and a $5,000–$15,000 cleanup.

Interior pipes along exterior walls, in crawl spaces, and in unheated areas freeze when indoor temperatures drop below 40°F. Setting the thermostat to 55°F provides a safety margin while reducing heating costs. Never turn off the furnace entirely to save money — a single burst pipe costs far more than weeks of heating an empty house at 55°F. If you have a smart thermostat, set temperature alerts to notify you if the indoor temperature drops unexpectedly.

Pipes behind closed cabinet doors on exterior walls are insulated from the house's heat and exposed to cold from the exterior wall. Opening the cabinet doors lets warm room air circulate around the pipes. This simple step is particularly important for kitchen sinks on exterior walls and bathroom vanities in unheated or poorly insulated areas. It costs nothing and prevents the most common residential pipe freeze location.

If you haven't already insulated pipes in vulnerable locations, do it before leaving. Foam pipe insulation ($0.50–$2.00 per 6-foot section) slips over pipes and provides significant freeze protection. Focus on: pipes in crawl spaces, attic water lines to ice makers or humidifiers, garage water lines, and any pipes running through unheated spaces. Pipe insulation is a permanent improvement — do it once and it protects every winter.

A garden hose left connected traps water in the hose bib and the pipe behind it. When this water freezes, it can split the pipe inside the wall — and you won't discover the burst until spring when you turn the water back on and the wall floods. Disconnect all hoses, open each outdoor faucet to drain, and close the interior shut-off valve for each outdoor faucet if your home has them. Frost-proof sillcocks still need hoses disconnected to drain properly.

Place battery-powered leak sensors ($15–$30 each) near the water heater, sump pit, washing machine, under the kitchen sink, and near any toilet. Wi-Fi connected sensors ($30–$60) send phone alerts immediately when water is detected — critical when you're 1,000 miles away. Some smart home systems can pair leak sensors with an automatic main valve shut-off ($200–$600 installed) that closes the water supply the moment a leak is detected, even if you've already shut the main valve manually.

If a leak sensor alerts you to a problem, someone local needs to be able to enter your home and take action. Provide a key, the location of the main water shut-off valve, and your plumber's emergency number to a trusted person. Brief them on what to do: shut off the main valve, identify the source if safe, and call you. Response time is everything with water damage — 24 hours of unchecked flooding causes 10x the damage of a leak caught in 2 hours.

Your emergency contact needs to know both locations. The main valve inside the house is the primary shut-off. The water meter shut-off (usually a valve in a box at the street, operated with a meter key) is the backup if the main valve fails. Draw a simple diagram or take photos showing both locations and leave them with your emergency contact and on the refrigerator. In a crisis, the person responding shouldn't have to search.