Advise given to me from a plumber
 

I'll pass along some advice a plumber gave to me: I mentioned that I was going to turn my gas hot water heater off while I was away, since it made no sense to me to pay to heat water I wasn't using. The plumber advised against this. He said its better to turn the hot water heater DOWN, than to turn it off completely. He said that if you turn your hot water heater totally off, all kinds of scum starts to grow in your tank. He said it was better to keep it running at a low setting. And look to see if your hot water heater has a vacation mode. Hope this helps.

I’ve had a lot of homes in Florida and I don’t do anything when I leave except lock the door , sometimes I even forget that because I never lock it when I’m here . I have a friend who comes by maybe once a week maybe less and she picks up my mail at box all my bills are paid automatically including credit cards where full amount is taken , I put the thermostat on 80 and actually my bill is higher when I’m not here because I never sleep with AC on at night and usually shut it down once it’s dark and it only runs at 80 during the day .I realize this is the way of the grasshopper but I’ve never had a bug in the place or any other problem ,if something did happen we’ll help is only a call away , no worry ,

There is a curve in the drain called a trap that holds water to block any sewer gasses and smell. If that water evaporates the sewer gasses will not be blocked and will enter the house.

Does it affect connections in terms of accessing or losing a connection because the speeds on vacation mode are slower?

Interesting thread, and great responses. Very concise and helpful. A few follow up questions:

1. BobGoble2 and PackerFan, do you (or anyone else) have strong recommendations for a water leak detector or system?

2. PackerFan, where exactly are you pouring this cup of bleach?

3. Msilagy, What is Marsil?

4. I have USPS Advanced Notice, they email every day. However, I find them lacking. I was considering something like this, seemed reasonably priced and thorough: Affordable Virtual Mailbox | Traveling Mailbox

We used to shut off the valve to our toilet which prevents leaks and/or possible flooding in the home. But I think some water remains down in the drain.

Long story short - Do not cover the toilet with plastic wrap unless you turn off the water supply for the house or that toilet. The water in the tank will still evaporate and when low enough call for water to be added. Usually when one flushes a toilet the tank goes almost empty and fills up rapidly creating a slamming effect on the tank shutoff valve. The case I describe of losing a slight amount of water and fills back up total momentum has not been reached and there is a chance the water will not shut off. Normally not a problem since the tank has an overflow. The overflow pushes water out the toilet trap.However with the plastic wrap over the toilet it is possible to vapor lock and the water won't push out the trap. Water still runs and overflows out the top of the tank flooding your house.

How do I know this ? $28000 worth of experience.

Another tip. The water in your sink traps will evaporate over a long period of time and the sewer gas and bugs can get in. Solution - fill zip lock bags with water and set over the drains. The bag will conform to the shape of the drain and create an air tight seal.