[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by rpribu

I leave my home for 4 months in the summer and go north. I saran wrap the toilets and put a small amount of cooking oil in the toilets and all the drains. I also cover the drains with magnetic covers same as the ones used to cover heating vents. You cut the magnetic cover to fit the drains. I set my thermostat at 80 deg's. Last summer I had a humidistat installed but I was not comfortable with the setting so I turned it off. Wrong move because it shut off the power to the thermostat. The thermostat worked until the battery died. So make sure you have a fresh battery in the thermostat. Shut the water off and drain the lines enough to relieve the line pressure. Leave a light on a timer. Clean your dishwasher with Tang and then pour a little of the oil in the bottom also. Turn your ice maker off. Stop your newspaper and the will start it back if you give them a return date. Ask who ever is watching your house to turn on the ceiling fans and crack a window just before you arrive. Hope this helps.

What, pray tell, does cooking oil (vegtable oil, olive oil , ?) do in the toilet (bowl?), drains and dishwasher?

You turn off the water and relieve the pressure - because you're afraid of a burst pipe?

Tang in the dishwasher because______________?

How about mail?