Shutting off water….

[jarodrig]

Say you’re away from the house 7-10 days …. Good idea to shut off the water supply to the house usually in the garage.

Is it advisable to relieve the water pressure in the house by opening the faucets ???

Or , just leave it be after shutting off the valve ??

[tophcfa]

We always throw the value when not there but have never opened faucets to relieve the pressure. Never had a problem not relieving the pressure and knowing the water is off gives us piece of mind.

[jarodrig]

We always throw the value when not there but have never opened faucets to relieve the pressure. Never had a problem not relieving the pressure and knowing the water is off gives us piece of mind.

Thanks , I’ve done it both ways with no issues either way .

Just curious as to what others do….

Thanks

[retiredguy123]

It really doesn't matter if you relieve the pressure, but it won't hurt to open the faucet at the far end of the house for a few seconds
This will also confirm that the water is off.

[Arctic Fox]

Just curious as to what others do...

I'm in the 'relieve' camp.

[wisbad1]

We always throw the value when not there but have never opened faucets to relieve the pressure. Never had a problem not relieving the pressure and knowing the water is off gives us piece of mind.
You should turn a faucet on when you turn water back on so as not to blow pressure tank. You have 60-70 lbs of pressure coming on all at once.

[tophcfa]

You should turn a faucet on when you turn water back on so as not to blow pressure tank. You have 60-70 lbs of pressure coming on all at once.

Thanks, will do, never thought about that.

[dewilson58]

I'm in the 'relieve' camp.

Me too.................more than I use to unfortunately.

[Mrmean58]

Say you’re away from the house 7-10 days …. Good idea to shut off the water supply to the house usually in the garage.

Is it advisable to relieve the water pressure in the house by opening the faucets ???

Or , just leave it be after shutting off the valve ??
Unless there is a forecast for extended below freezing temps while you're gone, IMHO there is no reason to turn off the water to the house. We turn off the water to the clothes washer if we're going out of town for two-three weeks.

[dewilson58]

IMHO there is no reason to turn off the water to the house. .

Leaky toilet, leaky valve, a worker or mower gets a drink from your outside faucet and does not get it totally shut off.

(Know someone with the toilet issue............big water bill)

:)

[MandoMan]

You should turn a faucet on when you turn water back on so as not to blow pressure tank. You have 60-70 lbs of pressure coming on all at once.

Is there that much pressure here? Everywhere in The Villages? I don’t feel that I have that much.

[rmellone]

I turn off the water and the hot water heater. Why heat water and I you a have a leak it will drain the tank and you will be heating an empty tank
Possible fire threat

[eeroger]

Say you’re away from the house 7-10 days …. Good idea to shut off the water supply to the house usually in the garage.

Is it advisable to relieve the water pressure in the house by opening the faucets ???

Or , just leave it be after shutting off the valve ??

Plumbers told us to turn the water back on very slowly. Maybe 1/4 turn at a time. Wait 30 seconds for each turn. This alleviates the pressure. Otherwise, the first stream of water at an elbow joint (usually utility sink) is like hitting a brick wall, which can damage the joint and cause a leak.

[HiHoSteveO]

10 year old house - I always turn off the water at the main garage valve if leaving for extended period. Have a fear of returning home to find water running down the driveway...

Also relieve "a little" pressure.
And if turning off the water, I also always turn off the electric water heater in garage along with the refrigerator ice maker. NOT the refrigerator itself.
(new houses have gas water heaters I understand, so likely different)

Upon returning, VERY slowly turn valve in garage back on.

[retiredguy123]

Unless there is a forecast for extended below freezing temps while you're gone, IMHO there is no reason to turn off the water to the house. We turn off the water to the clothes washer if we're going out of town for two-three weeks.
I have personally seen two houses that were totally destroyed by a water leak that occurred while the owners were on vacation. In one case, a home watch person turned on the water, flushed the toilets, and then forgot to turn the water back on. A toilet on the top floor overflowed and ran for 3 weeks and destroyed almost everything in the house, which took a year to rebuild. By the way, I don't see any reason to have a home watch company turn on the water to flush the toilets.

[defrey12]

Unless there is a forecast for extended below freezing temps while you're gone, IMHO there is no reason to turn off the water to the house. We turn off the water to the clothes washer if we're going out of town for two-three weeks.

You’ve never had an ice-maker line blow, have you? Toilet line? They all go unexpectedly…at THE worst times. Shut it off when gone…even for a long day at Disney or whatever.

[defrey12]

Plumbers told us to turn the water back on very slowly. Maybe 1/4 turn at a time. Wait 30 seconds for each turn. This alleviates the pressure. Otherwise, the first stream of water at an elbow joint (usually utility sink) is like hitting a brick wall, which can damage the joint and cause a leak.

Just open the sinks before turning it back on.

[Blueblaze]

Your plumbing is under pressure all the time. Leaving it under pressure when the source is turned off will make no difference whatsoever.

The bigger issue is that cheap plastic shut-off valve. It's there for emergency use only, and is not designed to me messed with all the time. You're liable to cause the leak you're trying to avoid by using it regularly.

The first thing I did when I bought this house was replace that valve (which was already leaking, I might add), along with all those stupid plastic pop-off valves in the house. It cost me about $300 to save tens of thousands. I still get a shiver down my back every time I look at all those plastic stub-outs I couldn't afford to replace. It boggles the mind that those are legal in Florida. All it would take is someone bumping that toilet stub-out while mopping to have a disaster. CPVC becomes as brittle as glass as it ages.

And, yes -- do relieve the pressure when you turn the water back on, by opening a faucet at the far end of the house.

[retiredguy123]

Your plumbing is under pressure all the time. Leaving it under pressure when the source is turned off will make no difference whatsoever.

The bigger issue is that cheap plastic shut-off valve. It's there for emergency use only, and is not designed to me messed with all the time. You're liable to cause the leak you're trying to avoid by using it regularly.

The first thing I did when I bought this house was replace that valve (which was already leaking, I might add), along with all those stupid plastic pop-off valves in the house. It cost me about $300 to save tens of thousands. I still get a shiver down my back every time I look at all those plastic stub-outs I couldn't afford to replace. It boggles the mind that those are legal in Florida. All it would take is someone bumping that toilet stub-out while mopping to have a disaster. CPVC becomes as brittle as glass as it ages.

And, yes -- do relieve the pressure when you turn the water back on, by opening a faucet at the far end of the house.
I agree about the main shutoff valve. That is why you don't want a home watch company turning your water on and off every 2 weeks or so to flush the toilets, even if you have a metal valve.

[Malsua]

Is there that much pressure here? Everywhere in The Villages? I don’t feel that I have that much.

I'm a home inspector. I measure water pressure on every inspection. The lowest I've ever found in The Villages was 61psi. The highest was 81. I've inspected homes right off 42, all the way down to Middleton. The average is 67.

If you're pressure is somewhere south of 61, verify with your neighbors. Maybe you're at the end of a line somewhere, possibly elevated.

I've seen pressure on the downstream side of a whole house filtration system well below 61 though. I recommended a filter change on that one.

Above 80 is an issue as standard valves like toilets and such are designed to a max nominal pressure of 80. In those cases a pressure reducing valve might be something to consider as it won't blow past your toilet filler and run it when you're away.

[daca55]

Say you’re away from the house 7-10 days …. Good idea to shut off the water supply to the house usually in the garage.

Is it advisable to relieve the water pressure in the house by opening the faucets ???

Or , just leave it be after shutting off the valve ??

I always shut the water off to my house when gone for extended periods of time. If you don’t you may come home to a house full of water with everything ruined. I do bleed the pressure only to make sure the the main shut off valve isn’t leaking past the seat when shut. When I do shut the water off I always shut the hot water heater and the ice maker off. I have never came home to a problem. I would definitely recommend it.

[Captainpd]

Plumbers told us to turn the water back on very slowly. Maybe 1/4 turn at a time. Wait 30 seconds for each turn. This alleviates the pressure. Otherwise, the first stream of water at an elbow joint (usually utility sink) is like hitting a brick wall, which can damage the joint and cause a leak.
Just open a house faucet before opening the shut off valve.

[retiredguy123]

Is there that much pressure here? Everywhere in The Villages? I don’t feel that I have that much.
For about 10 dollars on Amazon, you can buy a pressure gauge that will screw onto an outside hose bibb and measure your house water pressure in less than a minute.

Note that, if the expansion tank on your water heater fails, the pressure in the water tank and the entire house can increase significantly due to thermal expansion.

[Berwin]

Sadly, I learned the hard way to turn the water off when gone for more than a couple of days. Twice. Years ago, we had a house in the DC area and a beach house in Virginia Beach. Came to the beach house one Friday evening for the weekend to find the water heater had ruptured. Restoration company found asbestos holding down the wood parquet flooring so the entire house had to be cleared out and asbestos remediated. Several weeks after everything was fixed, we arrived to find a coupling for the new water heater had failed and all the flooring had to be stripped out again. After that, I turned the water off every time we left for more than a couple of hours.

[MidWestIA]

Our friend left for a few months and the house flooded when on of those plastic shutoffs by a toilet leaked - turn off in the garage

[retiredguy123]

You can replace the plastic main shutoff valve and the plastic push-pull valves with metal valves. But, you will still have a metal valve attached to a plastic pipe. Often, leaks that occur will be at the connection between the valve and the pipe, not within the valve itself. So, good luck.

[HogPilot]

You should turn a faucet on when you turn water back on so as not to blow pressure tank. You have 60-70 lbs of pressure coming on all at once.

Good tip.
Also I have a recirculating pump on mine. You have make sure it is off too. That was an expensive lesson. I needed a new pump when I returned. I also plugged it into a wireless plug that I can control from anywhere.

[srswans]

… I also always turn off the electric water heater in garage along with the refrigerator ice maker. NOT the refrigerator itself.
(new houses have gas water heaters I understand, so likely different)…

So, what is recommended for the gas instant HWH? Do I need to shut off gas supply too? And electric supply?

I keep forgetting to ask the plumber.

[DavidK]

So, what is recommended for the gas instant HWH? Do I need to shut off gas supply too? And electric supply?

I keep forgetting to ask the plumber.

Most tankless water heaters have a built-in vacation mode. You may want to read the user manual to see what this setting provides. The instant, or tankless, water heater runs on demand and while you are away, the demand is zero.

[DavidK]

My advice is to shut off the drinking (potable) water when away for an extended time, open a faucet to relieve the pressure, and then close the faucet. Turn off the electric or gas to your water heater. Homes in The Villages have many features to consider when away for an extended time. I provide an economical, thorough, and customizable weekly home-check service for villagers who are away. If interested, call Dave at (513) 257-1247.

[Bruceg0028]

I always turn our water off whenever we leave for an extended period. I also shut off the water heater and ice maker.

I do have my home watch guy turn the water back on each visit and run water in all the sinks with drains. This keeps the bugs from coming up.

[HJBeck]

Say you’re away from the house 7-10 days …. Good idea to shut off the water supply to the house usually in the garage.

Is it advisable to relieve the water pressure in the house by opening the faucets ???

Or , just leave it be after shutting off the valve ??

If we are gone more then 5 days I turn it of and relieve the water pressurre at any available faucet. Since the water runs for about 15-20 seconds after it is shut off , Im thinking that is a lot of water still in the system if you have something leak. Turn on of system is done by just cracking the main shut off untill sysytem is full back up to pressure and then open it up all the way. Very easy to hear when it is back to full pressure because you will not hear any water running at the main valve.

[Keefelane66]

Say you’re away from the house 7-10 days …. Good idea to shut off the water supply to the house usually in the garage.

Is it advisable to relieve the water pressure in the house by opening the faucets ???

Or , just leave it be after shutting off the valve ??
It's more common sense than asking for others opinion.
Who will you blame should you not shut off water and have a major leak if you are away?

[Annie66]

After purchasing our home,, we found out from the homeowner insurance company that the cold-water hose for the washer ruptured, and the water ran for several days. There was no declaration by the previous owner. All the carpeting and flooring had to be ripped out and replaced. Molding, drywall and trim had to be replaced also. Fortunately, we have not experienced any residual mold. Thus, we always turn off the water and relieve the pressure when we leave the area.

[dshoberg]

10 year old house - I always turn off the water at the main garage valve if leaving for extended period. Have a fear of returning home to find water running down the driveway...

Also relieve "a little" pressure.
And if turning off the water, I also always turn off the electric water heater in garage along with the refrigerator ice maker. NOT the refrigerator itself.
(new houses have gas water heaters I understand, so likely different)

Upon returning, VERY slowly turn valve in garage back on.

I always shut off the water heater also

[Blueblaze]

You can replace the plastic main shutoff valve and the plastic push-pull valves with metal valves. But, you will still have a metal valve attached to a plastic pipe. Often, leaks that occur will be at the connection between the valve and the pipe, not within the valve itself. So, good luck.

A leak is no more likely on a connection to a metal valve than a plastic one. In fact, the connection itself is plastic -- it's exactly the same, because the plastic connection is molded onto the metal valve, and that gets glued to the the pipe. Go look at one at Lowes, if you don't believe me. However, a leak is almost guaranteed on a plastic valve that's used all the time. And there's a very good chance that if you don't use it regularly, it will break when you actually do need to shut it off in an emergency. They're just junk, and need to be replaced.

[BrianL99]

Unless there is a forecast for extended below freezing temps while you're gone, IMHO there is no reason to turn off the water to the house. We turn off the water to the clothes washer if we're going out of town for two-three weeks.

Don't tell your insurance company. Half the sink hole problems in Florida are related to undetected water leaks.

[retiredguy123]

A leak is no more likely on a connection to a metal valve than a plastic one. In fact, the connection itself is plastic -- it's exactly the same, because the plastic connection is molded onto the metal valve, and that gets glued to the the pipe. Go look at one at Lowes, if you don't believe me. However, a leak is almost guaranteed on a plastic valve that's used all the time. And there's a very good chance that if you don't use it regularly, it will break when you actually do need to shut it off in an emergency. They're just junk, and need to be replaced.
I don't disagree that the plastic push-pull Accor valves are cheap. But, there are tens of millions of them being installed around the country and they do comply with the National plumbing code. They are even installed in multimillion dollar houses. I have had 12 of them in my house for 8 years, and have had no leaks or other issues. I only use them occasionally when I need to fix a toilet. If it isn't broken, I probably won't fix it. But, I don't fault someone who wants to replace them. But, any valve you install can fail.

[photo1902]

I don't disagree that the plastic push-pull Accor valves are cheap. But, there are tens of millions of them being installed around the country and they do comply with the National plumbing code. They are even installed in multimillion dollar houses. I have had 12 of them in my house for 8 years, and have had no leaks or other issues. I only use them occasionally when I need to fix a toilet. If it isn't broken, I probably won't fix it. But, I don't fault someone who wants to replace them. But, any valve you install can fail.

Precisely!

[Garywt]

Say you’re away from the house 7-10 days …. Good idea to shut off the water supply to the house usually in the garage.

Is it advisable to relieve the water pressure in the house by opening the faucets ???

Or , just leave it be after shutting off the valve ??

Anytime we we leave town we shut off the water, the water heater, raise the temp of the AC to 80 and lock the garage door. Never open a faucet after shutting it off.

[Starpilot]

I have an automatic shut off valve that I can turn the water main on or off via an app. Or geofence the control autonomously.
It will also detect unusual water flows and shut itself down.

A few companies make such. Mine is Phynn.

Love it.

[Andyb]

Leave it off at the valves. Rubber gaskets can dry out if left dry too long.

[MrFlorida]

We just shut off the main, no need to open faucets.

[PompeyKing]

Unless there is a forecast for extended below freezing temps while you're gone, IMHO there is no reason to turn off the water to the house. We turn off the water to the clothes washer if we're going out of town for two-three weeks.

I went to get my paper and noticed water running down the driveway from the garage. Hot water tank problem.
We always turn the water off and trip the breaker for the water heater.
Works for us.

[DavidK]

I learned a lesson regarding shutting off the house water and then relieving the pressure. As a handy neighbor, I agreed to replace the expansion tank on the top of a water heater. Normally a very easy task, but it needs to be done in a particular order. First, shut off the water, second, open a faucet to relieve the pressure, third remove and replace the tank, fourth, turn on the house water, fifth, close the faucet. Unfortunately, I did step three before step two. The 65 pounds of pressure that remained in the lines sprayed all over me, the closet, and my friend as I loosened the threads. We were very wet. Had I opened a faucet, there would have been very little water that dripped from the tank.

[photo1902]

I learned a lesson regarding shutting off the house water and then relieving the pressure. As a handy neighbor, I agreed to replace the expansion tank on the top of a water heater. Normally a very easy task, but it needs to be done in a particular order. First, shut off the water, second, open a faucet to relieve the pressure, third remove and replace the tank, fourth, turn on the house water, fifth, close the faucet. Unfortunately, I did step three before step two. The 65 pounds of pressure that remained in the lines sprayed all over me, the closet, and my friend as I loosened the threads. We were very wet. Had I opened a faucet, there would have been very little water that dripped from the tank.

Easier method is to turn off the water and power to the water heater (or set gas heater to pilot) Attach a garden hose to the water heater. Open the TPR valve and turn the screw on the water heater drain valve. Let the water drain for 10-15 minutes. Turn off the drain valve, then remove expansion tank

[BusDriver]

We're currently living the nightmare of a water heater rupture while we were out of town for 10 days.
We don't know how long the leak was occurring before water running down the driveway was spotted by my eagle-eye neighbor, but half the house was seriously damaged -- base cabinets in the master bath and laundry room were trashed. Custom closet cabinets are also damaged beyond repair. 2 feet of drywall in all flooded rooms had to be removed and the drying-out process is taking about 2 weeks. The house is uninhabitable. I think we are looking at damages beyond 40 grand. And all could have been avoided had I turned off the whole house water valve.

This is a 10-year-old house and the water heater is the original. Forensics on the dead water heater showed two possible contributing factors to the failure:
The drip pan drain line was not installed properly and there was evidence of poor grounding of the electrical wiring at the water heater itself.

My advice to everyone is:

Shut the water off to the entire house when going out of town for extended periods of time.

Do the preventative maintenance suggested by the water heater manufacturer, (see the manual that came with the heater).

[daca55]

So, what is recommended for the gas instant HWH? Do I need to shut off gas supply too? And electric supply?

I keep forgetting to ask the plumber.

Shut the gas off that supplies the water heater. You can also unplug the blower on top of water heater.

[jarodrig]

It's more common sense than asking for others opinion.
Who will you blame should you not shut off water and have a major leak if you are away?

You obviously didn’t read my post or understand what it said. NOWHERE did I ask whether or not to shut the main water off.

The question was “should I relieve the pressure” AFTER shutting the water off.

Judging by the responses, it’s a toss up …..

I have done it both ways and was curious as to what others choose to do.

If you wish , you can provide an answer to the question rather than providing a snarky, useless response…..

[retiredguy123]

You obviously didn’t read my post or understand what it said. NOWHERE did I ask whether or not to shut the main water off.

The question was “should I relieve the pressure” AFTER shutting the water off.

Judging by the responses, it’s a toss up …..

I have done it both ways and was curious as to what others choose to do.

If you wish , you can provide an answer to the question rather than providing a snarky, useless response…..
I would just add that, if you don't open a faucet, how do you know that the water is really turned off?

[jarodrig]

I would just add that, if you don't open a faucet, how do you know that the water is really turned off?

Good point but I had shut the water off and a day later , my landscaper went to use the side spigot and found that it was not working. So, I know eve valve functions as it should.

I had to give him access to the garage to turn the water on so that he could finish his job and he turned it back off upon leaving.

But again, good point…..