Hi all,
We are finalizing out big lap plans and preparing our home for us not being here for approx 12 months.
Hot Water System, do we turn it off?
Google says yes if away for 1 month or more.
Anyone our there had experience with this?
Appreciate all comments.
Whenarewethere said
04:36 PM Mar 31, 2021
If it a bit older turn it off & the water to it, they can burst any time. In my block of units 3 neighbour's have gone & 1 of them was only 4 years old.
The electricity simply to keep the tank hot AS1056.1 per 24 hours is:
25L 1.18kWh
50L 1.39kWh
80L 1.67kWh
125L 1.95kWh
160L 2.16kWh
250L 2.58kWh
315L 2.86kWh
400L 3.07kWh
KymLou said
04:41 PM Mar 31, 2021
Thanks, it will be 3 years old when we get back.
Corndoggy said
05:32 PM Mar 31, 2021
Anyone house sitting for you?
oldbloke said
05:47 PM Mar 31, 2021
Was just discussing this.
Mains gas of.
Mains water of.
Mains power of, unless you have a security system that depends on it.
Check insurance cover is ok if away more that 3 months
Whenarewethere said
06:09 PM Mar 31, 2021
As we are in a block of units we can't turn the mains water off. Other residents would not be happy!
We turn off the toilet taps, under sink taps, dishwasher tap, water filter tap, washing machine at the wall tap.
In you have a built in toilet, the flushing button plate comes off, often to the side spring loaded. There is a tap inside.
A neighbour's horror story:
They had put in a new timber floor throughout their living level. A couple of weeks later one of the flexible tap hoses under the kitchen sink burst. The whole floor had to be pulled up & redone, the floor level below flooded as well. At least it was covered by insurance, but by then they had had enough.
Make a turn off & lock up list, it's easy to miss something.
Actually pull the plugs out of the wall & TV antenna signal cable, due to lightening. I have another story on that one.
Corndoggy said
08:34 PM Mar 31, 2021
With no one in the house do check your insurance. My mother was out of her house for what might have been 10 weeks from memory and the insurance wouldn't cover the break in and theft of stuff when it happened.
Rob Driver said
09:06 PM Mar 31, 2021
KymLou wrote:
Hi all, We are finalizing out big lap plans and preparing our home for us not being here for approx 12 months. Hot Water System, do we turn it off? Google says yes if away for 1 month or more. Anyone our there had experience with this? Appreciate all comments.
To be honest and to keep it simple, if you turn the power or gas off to your HWS and leave the water on then any water leak will be a problem. That may be something as simple as a leaking tap or a broken pipe or joint. If you turn the power or gas and the water off until you return home you will not have any problems unless you are in the block of units controlled by Whenarewethere then apparently you are not able to isolate your HWS or the service of water at all.
This is hard to believe and in many jurisdictions actually illegal ( brother is a plumber ) so check it out but any unit, cabin or dwelling in a multiple block will have an isolation tap or ball **** by law. If not put a report in tho the manager..
If you are in an ordinary house or unit just turn both water and power/gas off.
Go travelling with piece of mind an not accepting what is not complying with current regulations.
Regards
Rob
-- Edited by bentaxlebabe on Wednesday 31st of March 2021 09:08:37 PM
jebs said
08:41 AM Apr 1, 2021
You must be able to turn your water off without effecting anyone else or how would you change a tap washer
Whenarewethere said
01:16 PM Apr 1, 2021
I can turn the hot water off as it has a tap.
There are isolating taps around the building but you need to get up a ladder for many units. Plumbers just turn off the mains, get the job done quickly, & water back on. 1950s plumbing!
If it a bit older turn it off & the water to it, they can burst any time. In my block of units 3 neighbour's have gone & 1 of them was only 4 years old.
The electricity simply to keep the tank hot AS1056.1 per 24 hours is:
25L 1.18kWh
50L 1.39kWh
80L 1.67kWh
125L 1.95kWh
160L 2.16kWh
250L 2.58kWh
315L 2.86kWh
400L 3.07kWh
Mains gas of.
Mains water of.
Mains power of, unless you have a security system that depends on it.
Check insurance cover is ok if away more that 3 months
As we are in a block of units we can't turn the mains water off. Other residents would not be happy!
We turn off the toilet taps, under sink taps, dishwasher tap, water filter tap, washing machine at the wall tap.
In you have a built in toilet, the flushing button plate comes off, often to the side spring loaded. There is a tap inside.
A neighbour's horror story:
They had put in a new timber floor throughout their living level. A couple of weeks later one of the flexible tap hoses under the kitchen sink burst. The whole floor had to be pulled up & redone, the floor level below flooded as well. At least it was covered by insurance, but by then they had had enough.
Make a turn off & lock up list, it's easy to miss something.
Actually pull the plugs out of the wall & TV antenna signal cable, due to lightening. I have another story on that one.
To be honest and to keep it simple, if you turn the power or gas off to your HWS and leave the water on then any water leak will be a problem. That may be something as simple as a leaking tap or a broken pipe or joint. If you turn the power or gas and the water off until you return home you will not have any problems unless you are in the block of units controlled by Whenarewethere then apparently you are not able to isolate your HWS or the service of water at all.
This is hard to believe and in many jurisdictions actually illegal ( brother is a plumber ) so check it out but any unit, cabin or dwelling in a multiple block will have an isolation tap or ball **** by law. If not put a report in tho the manager..
If you are in an ordinary house or unit just turn both water and power/gas off.
Go travelling with piece of mind an not accepting what is not complying with current regulations.
Regards
Rob
-- Edited by bentaxlebabe on Wednesday 31st of March 2021 09:08:37 PM
I can turn the hot water off as it has a tap.
There are isolating taps around the building but you need to get up a ladder for many units. Plumbers just turn off the mains, get the job done quickly, & water back on. 1950s plumbing!