Going away for winter: Turn off water?

We are going abroad for the next 6 months and want to leave the house as prepared as possible for the winter months. I am thinking of turning off the water at the stopcock ( located under the stairs in our case ) in order to minimise damage if there was a burst pipe. The pipes and water tank in the attic are all well lagged so hopefully there won't be any problems but with the harsh winters we had in 2009 and 2010 I can't take any chances. What I want to know is would the heating system be affected by turning off the main water supply coming into the house. We have a sealed system heated by gas boiler. I am thinking of asking my next door neighbour to put on the heating on the timer to come on for a short period each evening if the weather gets very cold. Does the heating work independently from the cold water supply and would it be safe to turn off the water? I appreciate any advice offered.

Turn off the mains and drain the system.

I turned off the mains while away for a week during start of the 2010 cold spell. Saved the house from flooding.

Another idea might be to let a relation stay there rent free. Even empty houses need looking after. I'd call a plumber to ask whether what you propose to do is a good idea.

Also, have you examined your house insurance. Most policies do not cover absences of longer than 30/35 days - so I'd advise you to have a family member/friend stay overnight on a monthly basis. Re the water, I'd turn it off at the stopcock, drain the system and leave it at that. If somebody is staying, you don't want to make it too difficult for them with all of the preventative measures in place.

I would advise getting a relative to house-sit. 6 months is a long time to leave a home empty.

Even staying one night in a month probably wouldnt be enough. You receive a premium based on full-time occupancy and Im afraid someone staying once a month isnt full-time in the eyes of an insurance company.

Thanks for all the useful advice. I have arranged for a family member to stay in the house part of the time so would probably be ok with the insurance. I live in a terraced house in the city so the house is not as exposed to the elements as a detached house would be. We went away and left it a few years ago and no problems but we've had a couple of very bad winters since. jhegarty,talking of draining the system do you mean the cold water supply only or all the water including in the heating system? I would be reluctant to do the latter as it could potentially cause problems for anyone staying in the house for a period of time and needing heat. Does the heating still work if the cold water is turned off at the stopcock and would not having the cold water feed harm the heating system in any way?

Hi Alexa

I have arranged for a family member to stay in the house part of the time so would probably be ok with the insurance.

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There is no "probably" with insurance.

Check your policy to determine the number of days your house can remain unoccupied.

Marion

I have to agree with Marion - from my experience in the industry unless the property is FULL TIME occupied then your insurance will be invalid if you have a leak. A loss adjuster will request ESB bills if they are in any doubt regarding occupancy and this will show whether someone has been staying in the house full-time or not.

My original post was not about house insurance, it was about measures to take in order to avoid problems in the first place. I appreciate what those of you who are focussed on the house insurance side of things have to offer and I have had sufficient comments on that but I really would have liked more replies that answered my OP. So house insurance pundits thanks but I am familiar with my policy and have that end of things covered.

I agree that very little information was forthcoming about your origonal question which was nothing to do with insurance! I would advise that you have the heat come on even for short periods on a timer. You should have a frost stat fitted so the heat comes on if it gets very cold. There are also small electric attic heaters which will come when the temperature gets very low . They dont use a lot of power and will stop the attic from freezing. Turning off the mains water should have no effect on the heating in the short term.

I feel a Key Post coming on...here's a start, anyone want to take on putting more info/sctructure to it? Or any suggestions, reply here and I'll integrate it.


Regarding water/heating, you really have two options:
1. Switch off the heating and completely drain down the system.

2. Leave the heating on periodically and don't drain the system.

In either of the above, you should turn off the mains to limit possible damage in the event of a burst pipe.

Option 1 - Drain the system
Advantags:

• Little to no water in the heating system throughout, minimal chance of these pipes bursting, minimal damage if they do.
• No cost (heating).

Disadvantags:

• Possible damp problems unless there's adequate ventilation.
• Time required to re-fill and re-start heating system upon return.

Option 2 - Do not drain and run the system on timer

Advantags:

• No humidity/damp issues
• House is comfortable when you return, no re-filling/ re-starting o deal with

Disadvantags:

• Cost of running heating
• Cost of installing frost-stats if not already fitted

Thanks John and Leo. Your advice is excellent and has answered my OP. I think Option 2 is best for me and will be easier for anyone staying in the house when we are away. I am not concerned about the cost of running the heating for short periods and my next door neighbour will also keep an eye on the weather and put the heating on the timer when the temperature drops. Hopefully all will be ok.

If you expect to have people calling/staying during the period, I think leaving the system on is best.

If you go for the drain-down (no heating) option, consider adding antifreeze to toilet bowls and any "U" bends or traps that contain water. Don't forget to empty all water tanks including DHW cylinders and toilet cisterns.

Mystic Oil said:

If you go for the drain-down (no heating) option, consider adding antifreeze to toilet bowls and any "U" bends or traps that contain water. Don't forget to empty all water tanks including DHW cylinders and toilet cisterns.

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Good idea about the anti-freeze. I wonder if there might be any issues subsequently flushing this into a septic tank for those not on mains sewage?

Interesting, I've never heard of people draining down the DHW tank, bit of effort required there. Have you ever done this yourself?

I would be very suprised if we ever get weather so extreme as to freeze a DHW tank indoors and which is probably insulated.