Leaving Home For The Holidays? Be Smart And Shut Off Your Water

It’s estimated that water damage to homes costs roughly $9 billion a year in insurance claims, accounting for a whopping 23% of all homeowner property losses.

Water damage and flooding is a growing problem in Southwest Florida due to aging structures and faulty pipes made from poor materials that were installed with shoddy contracting work. It’s a huge issue that’s often overlooked and underreported, but there are some things that can be done to protect your home, especially if you’ll be traveling for the holidays. Remember, most catastrophic flooding and accidents occur while homeowners are away from their residences for extended periods of time.

Could you imagine coming home from a wonderful vacation, only to find thousands of dollars in water damage and many of your belonging destroyed?

With that in mind, it is a good idea to shut off the water supply to your home as a proactive measure in preventing pipe leaks and flooding while you are away. We have previously posted how to locate your home’s water shut off valves, but the easiest and most common method to turning off your home’s water supply is through the water meter box located in front of your home.

The video below gives a brief tutorial on how to shut off your home’s water supply through the water meter box. The tool being used in the video below is a water valve shutoff key that can be purchased for under $10 at Home Depot or Lowe’s:

An important thing to remember: After you return home and are ready to turn your water supply back on, be sure to turn on multiple faucet locations inside of your home before turning the main supply back on. This will help minimize the amount of pressure placed on the pipes and appliances when the main valve is re-opened and will help eliminate the risk of damage from a “floodgate” effect.

If you have any questions about how to turn off your water supply through your water meter box, call the water company and ask – they will be happy to assist you.

As always, Avis Plumbing and Air Conditioning is here for you 24/7 in the event of an emergency. Call at (239) 542-4421 if any issues arise.