Shut your water off before you leave your house

[PlanB]

We have always done this with our house in Havasu to avoid water damage in case of a broken pipe or some other waterline in the house. Well, we were in Havasu for 12 days and came back to a broken irrigation pipe outside our California house. 110,000 gallons of water used in that 12 day period. Must have broken day 1 when we left. More water than we usually use in an entire year. Water in both house is getting shutoff now when we leave.

 

[AFTERSHOCK RACING+]

sorry to hear this

 

[Taboma]

We have always done this with our house in Havasu to avoid water damage in case of a broken pipe or some other waterline in the house. Well, we were in Havasu for 12 days and came back to a broken irrigation pipe outside our California house. 110,000 gallons of water used in that 12 day period. Must have broken day 1 when we left. More water than we usually use in an entire year. Water in both house is getting shutoff now when we leave.

So I understand, your Plan ( Is it A or B ?) is to shut off interior and exterior watering and just let your landscaping plants die ??
I know my shit would be dead during the summer being off for 12 days.

 

[PlanB]

So I understand, your Plan ( Is it A or B ?) is to shut off interior and exterior watering and just let your landscaping plants die ??
I know my shit would be dead during the summer being off for 12 days.

We are pretty close to the coast, and only water once a week in the summer (California). I can soak the plants for an hour and they are fine for two weeks. In Havasu there is no way I could shut the outside water off, but I also have neighbors there that are close enough to warn me about a river running through our property. In California we are spread out on acreage.

 

[thedan]

We have always done this with our house in Havasu to avoid water damage in case of a broken pipe or some other waterline in the house. Well, we were in Havasu for 12 days and came back to a broken irrigation pipe outside our California house. 110,000 gallons of water used in that 12 day period. Must have broken day 1 when we left. More water than we usually use in an entire year. Water in both house is getting shutoff now when we leave.

If you have WiFi, look into getting a Flume on your water meter! Monitors usage.

 

[Taboma]

We are pretty close to the coast, and only water once a week in the summer (California). I can soak the plants for an hour and they are fine for two weeks. In Havasu there is no way I could shut the outside water off, but I also have neighbors there that are close enough to warn me about a river running through our property. In California we are spread out on acreage.

I'm several miles inland of the coast (Del Mar area), this week was mild, but a week ago and next will be hotter than hell. I can soak my grove and due to all the leaf litter it will make it a couple of weeks, but my landscaping won't. We've got a tight hood up here on the mountain, so if there's any run-off it will get noticed and I'll get a call.
Over the years I've spaced out and left the grove water on, that usually results in a good scolding from my lovely, so I've got it on a shut-off timer. I'd put the grove on a clock, but I'm constantly cleaning heads thanks to the damned earwigs.
I've got a neighbor gone for a month, so I'm keeping an eye on his place, he reciprocates, it works.
My Havasu plants are on drip, that's the one that concerns me, but I've got eyes on it, mostly highly intoxicated ones however.

But that is a lot of water you lost !!!

 

[DirtyWhiteDog]

I have looked into automatic shutoff valves, some monitor your use and if it changes it shuts it off and/or notify you. Others use moisture detection pucks that you place in likely leak places, like under the sink. I didn't get any farther than that.

 

[PlanB]

^^^ Sounds like a good idea.

 

[rivrrts429]

I added an interior/house water shut off and irrigation remains on. I figured my luck it would be a house line or laundry room like that would break versus ran irrigation line.

Landscaping still works when the house is shut off.

 

[BHC Vic]

Damn I flooded the bhc house a couple years back. What a nightmare and damn time is just flying damn it... crazy

 

[PlanB]

I added an interior/house water shut off and irrigation remains on. I figured my luck it would be a house line or laundry room like that would break versus ran irrigation line.

Landscaping still works when the house is shut off.

That's how our Havasu house is. Everything is off but irrigation.

 

[SoCalDave]

If you have WiFi, look into getting a Flume on your water meter! Monitors usage.

I live in Buena Park and our city just sent me an offer to register to see my water meter in real time and can configure it to send alerts. Gonna sign up for it this week reading this.

 

[SixD9R]

I have a well and I always shut the valve off if we leave for an overnight trip or longer. I also throw the breaker on my electric water heater.

 

[thedan]

M

I live in Buena Park and our city just sent me an offer to register to see my water meter in real time and can configure it to send alerts. Gonna sign up for it this week reading this.

My dogs play/fighting sheared off a garden spigot at 10am, had an alert by 10:15, and had my neighbor check it and shut off the irrigation at my home house! Very nice. I got the rebate too. Had it a while, just changed the batteries on the sensor last month!

 

[HALLETT BOY]

You can file a damage report with water co and they might wave water fees , good luck

 

[Bigbore500r]

I live in Buena Park and our city just sent me an offer to register to see my water meter in real time and can configure it to send alerts. Gonna sign up for it this week reading this.

If you can see it in real time, so can they

 

[SoCalDave]

If you can see it in real time, so can they

View attachment 918488

 

[lbhsbz]

We have always done this with our house in Havasu to avoid water damage in case of a broken pipe or some other waterline in the house. Well, we were in Havasu for 12 days and came back to a broken irrigation pipe outside our California house. 110,000 gallons of water used in that 12 day period. Must have broken day 1 when we left. More water than we usually use in an entire year. Water in both house is getting shutoff now when we leave.

I would burn all your neighbors houses down since nobody noticed 9500 gallons a day running off the property or did notice it and did nothing to solve the problem.

That's almost enough water to change the tint of Lake Elsinore

 

[Jed-O]

After Thanksgiving last year and not being able to get home for 32 hours with the power outages in town, I decided to start using our stop and waste valve in the build up. We fortunately got home just in time before the pipes froze and potentially flooded the house.

It's kind of a tough decision for me because on that particular day we were only supposed to be in Redlands for a few hours for dinner and then come back home. Halfway down the mountain I knew that I was fucked when I saw a dozen charter busses coming up with no chains...

 

[185EZ]

We are pretty close to the coast, and only water once a week in the summer (California). I can soak the plants for an hour and they are fine for two weeks. In Havasu there is no way I could shut the outside water off, but I also have neighbors there that are close enough to warn me about a river running through our property. In California we are spread out on acreage.

If it's not an irrigation head leak then the water just soaks into the ground in Havasu especially in the summer.
There won't be a flood and you won't be able to tell until you get your next water bill.
Sometimes Epcor will show up at your house since the company can tell if water is constantly running but it's usually too late.
I've refilled my pool and they show up a few days later to tell me I have high water use

 

[PlanB]

I would burn all your neighbors houses down since nobody noticed 9500 gallons a day running off the property or did notice it and did nothing to solve the problem.

That's almost enough water to change the tint of Lake Elsinore

We have a large gully that runs through our property. It ran into the gully and down into the natural waterway. With 3 acres of fenced property and trees / bushes, there was noway anyone could see it.

 

[Echo Lodge]

Been really happy with my Flo! It has caught several leaks so far.

 

[tx-19]

Turn off your water heater breaker to

 

[ka0tyk]

We turn off toilets when we leave our residence. The house at the lake gets all water turned off and water heater breaker.

my dad left for Mexico once and one of his supply lines to a toilet burst. Flooded for days. They had to pull all the drywall off the walls 3’ up and ran fans everywhere to dry everything out. Door casings replaced. All floors ripped up. All furniture thrown out. It was a nightmare.

 

[SoCalDave]

We turn off toilets when we leave our residence. The house at the lake gets all water turned off and water heater breaker.

my dad left for Mexico once and one of his supply lines to a toilet burst. Flooded for days. They had to pull all the drywall off the walls 3’ up and ran fans everywhere to dry everything out. Door casings replaced. All floors ripped up. All furniture thrown out. It was a nightmare.

Thats what happened to the house we bought in 2013. Owners were away on vacation and were called by the neighbors a couple of days later stating there was water running off their property onto the curb. Complete interior make over through their insurance in 2011 and he contracted out most of the services to help them afford upgrades. When we got the keys we literally put our furniture down, walked out to the patio and had a beer...

 

[Shrub Lurker]

If yer place has fire sprinklers, might not be a good idea to shut off the water n shit

 

[mjc]

I had a 3/4 line break in my attic in havasu. It ran for 27 days as far as I could tell. City said it was the biggest bill they had seen at that time. Neither neighbor saw anything and that included the meter reader and the meter couldn't run much faster. Insurance claim was 62k on a house I paid 44k for.

 

[SlowMyRoll]

If yer place has fire sprinklers, might not be a good idea to shut off the water n shit

Fire sprinklers are fed before the shut off valve.

 

[DLC]

@PlanB If you need help with anything thing let me know! I’m sure I could really f things up more than they already are
lol

 

[spark2678]

My water company notifies me right away by text of abnormal water use. I would just have a neighbor check If I received a text and shut off the water at the street

 

[spark2678]

I can also isolate my interior water and outdoor irrigation separately. I shutoff indoor if I am gone for more than a few days

 

[colenighthawk]

If you have water damage inside your house, let me know, I can help
I do water mitigation

 

[sintax]

I have looked into automatic shutoff valves, some monitor your use and if it changes it shuts it off and/or notify you. Others use moisture detection pucks that you place in likely leak places, like under the sink. I didn't get any farther than that.

this is what we have. We have some under the sinks and in the garage. Its all tied to the smarthome system so it'll start blowing up our phones if something gets wet (yes we tested it). At that point I just have to get a hold of one of the neighbors to shut the main off for us until we can get out there.

 

[Crazyhippy]

Had the flex line to the bathroom sink burst 3 years ago. Upstairs. Away for 3 days, came home to a waterfall where the dining room ceiling used to be.
New floors, drywall (bottom 3ft upstairs, everything down), kitchen, etc.

Took 18 months, 4 contractors, and a lawsuit to finally get it finished.

Water gets shut off now.

 

[Rajobigguy]

Well damn it, you guys have to bring this up now. I just left Havasu a few days ago and the one thing that I forgot to do is shut off the water to the house. I have been worrying about for days now and then I read this.

 

[530RL]

Our insurance company Chubb, paid to put on a water leak sensor and shut off device in the house. They stated it costs about 500 bucks to install and is way cheaper than a claim for a water leak.

Our monthly water usage in the summer is about 100,000 gallons a month and whether we are there or not, it is supposed to detect a leak and shut off the water to the house while leaving the water on for the landscaping?

 

[mash on it]

100,000 gallons? Doesn't sound like residential. I'm at 2K gallons a month, wife and I, summer time, winter is nearly half that.

Dan'l

 

[rush1]

Been really happy with my Flo! It has caught several leaks so far. View attachment 918506

I have the same thing,they work

 

[wzuber]

100,000 gallons? Doesn't sound like residential. I'm at 2K gallons a month, wife and I, summer time, winter is nearly half that.

Dan'l

Clearly you don't live in hersts castle as the Oracle does. He always manages to let the little people know of his eminent superiority in some manner.

 

[mash on it]

Clearly you don't live in hersts castle as the Oracle does. He always manages to let the little people know of his eminent superiority in some manner.

Even at GVID prices, that's a $1540 water bill a month. Over double my mortgage.

Dan'l

 

[boatdoc55]

That's how our Havasu house is. Everything is off but irrigation.

I'm pretty sure that's how most are plumbed in Havasu or should be. We take care of a few friends houses (5) as they are not full timers and ALL of them are plumbed like this. House off outside on.

 

[SummitKarl]

That's how our Havasu house is. Everything is off but irrigation.

don't forget to shut off the water heater too when you do that, if it's the water heater that fails or it's level drops you will come back to find only a chard slab instead of just a soppy carpet

 

[73mandella]

We have always done this with our house in Havasu to avoid water damage in case of a broken pipe or some other waterline in the house. Well, we were in Havasu for 12 days and came back to a broken irrigation pipe outside our California house. 110,000 gallons of water used in that 12 day period. Must have broken day 1 when we left. More water than we usually use in an entire year. Water in both house is getting shutoff now when we leave.

Sorry to hear about what happened, but thanks for writing about it. I never thought about shutting off the water.

 

[thedan]

It gives great alerts. I turned on 3 drip circuits in the garden, and I get an alert within 5-10 minutes of high water usage, same with the sprinklers. It has monthly usage reports too. I’m happy with it. I got a rebate from my water company.

 

[thedan]

Can you turn off alerts? Or program them?
Do you get an alert everytime you flush the toilet?

Yes to both. Not for flush. Customizable.

 

[WhatExit?]

If yer place has fire sprinklers, might not be a good idea to shut off the water n shit

Fire sprinklers going off in the house causing water damage is often worse than fire damage.

Automatic Water Shut Off Valves Reviews (Best Wifi Water Valves)

Automatic Water Shut Off Valves protect your house from any water damage. In this article, we reviewed 13 best wifi valves for every budget and need.

smarthome.university

 

[185EZ]

Yes to both. Not for flush. Customizable. View attachment 919883 View attachment 919884 View attachment 919885

Awesome! Thank you!

 

[WhatExit?]

Smart-Home Devices That Stop Leaks and Water Damage

Consumer Reports previews new smart leak detectors and water-shutoff valves that can stop leaks and help minimize damage to your home and valuables.

www.consumerreports.org

Flume sounds great but it doesn't shut the water off - you need someone to do that

Flume Smart Water Monitor review: Smarter than your average leak detector

Flume is a smart leak detector that will save you money—even if it never detects a leak.

www.techhive.com

It was rated the best DIY whole-home leak detection system

Best water leak detectors 2024: Reviews and buying advice

Fires can be devastating, but water damage is a far more common risk. These smart devices will alert you if your home springs a leak, so you can take action quickly.

www.techhive.com

7 Best Automatic Shutoff Valve of 2020 – (Reviews & Guides)

This automatic water shut-off valve can be combined with Wally Hub and Wally Sensors (not included in price) that will, on detecting any leakage, shut off the

www.keepthewaterflowing.net