[jtjigs]

Do people turn off the water main to the house when leaving for a couple of months. I have a toilet that sometimes doesn't seal and continues to flush, should I shut off the main before I leave?

[tophcfa]

Shut it off, you never know when a pipe could burst or the seal in a fixture could begin leaking. Our neighbor had a feeder line to a toilet bowl spring a leak and run for several weeks before being discovered. The damage was extensive, disruptive, and very expensive. If you have a cheap plastic throw valve, replace it with a quality brass fitting. Turning off your H2O when not there takes all of about 5 seconds and the peace of mind is well worth the effort. Just remember to turn off the power source to your hot water heater as well so you eliminate the risk of frying a dry tank.

[retiredguy123]

Yes, turn it off. But, don't wait until the last minute. You should test the valve to make sure it is not stuck, or if it leaks.

[dougjb]

From a snowbird....Always cut off your water heater and your water supply line. If you cut off the water supply line and you do not cut off your water heater, you could create an explosive situation.

[Kenswing]

We not only turn off the water but we also flush the toilets several times to clear the lines. Also run water down each drain to fill the traps. If you’re gone for extended periods it’s not a bad idea to have a home watch service come out and run each faucet on a regular basis.

[bsloan1960]

Originally Posted by jtjigs

Do people turn off the water main to the house when leaving for a couple of months. I have a toilet that sometimes doesn't seal and continues to flush, should I shut off the main before I leave?

In Mass our water bill jumped from $800 for a year to $1,800. I called the water department to tell them the bill was a mistake. The woman said, "Let me ask you a question- do you have a toilet the trickles all the time"? I told her we did and she told me that was why the bill was so high. I fixed the toilet and our water bill went back down.

[Babubhat]

Always. I had the misfortune of not turning it off once and returned to a mess

[village dreamer]

i think he means , to turn off or shut off. i can see someone with a hacksaw cutting off the water line.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by village dreamer

i think he means , to turn off or shut off. i can see someone with a hacksaw cutting off the water line.

Hmmmm, if someone is that stupid then they deserve the damage that would cause.

[MrFlorida]

First, fix your leaky toilet. Then, shut off the water main when you leave.

[HJBeck]

Always, then run the water in a sink till no more water comes out in order to eliminate pressure in the system due to the expansion tank on the hot water heater. Then turn off your hot water heater circuit breaker. Also put Plastic wrap over all drains plus toilets (reduces chance of sewer gas coming into house if a p-trap were to dry up due to lengthily a sense)

[me4vt]

I shut it off at the house and the main valve at the street.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Yes, turn it off. But, don't wait until the last minute. You should test the valve to make sure it is not stuck, or if it leaks.

Agree and shut off your water heater.

[JoelJohnson]

A toilet that leaks will cost you $$$, just fix it!

[retiredguy123]

If you have a plastic water shutoff valve, you need to test it to see if it turns easily and it is not stuck. If it is stuck, you can replace it with a metal valve, or buy a special wrench that will allow it to turn without breaking off the plastic handle. Here is one that I bought in the 3/4 inch size and it works very well. If you have a sudden leak, you need to be able to turn off the water quickly.

Amazon.com