A Shutoff Checklist Before Leaving a Home Empty for the Summer

Water shutoff and appliance checks

The main water shutoff valve is the single most useful thing to know before you leave. It's usually near the street-facing side of the house, sometimes in a box in the yard or near the water heater. Shutting it off stops a slow leak from becoming a flooded house while you're gone for weeks. If you'd rather leave water on for a fridge line or irrigation timer, at minimum shut off the supply lines to the washing machine, dishwasher, and any ice maker, since these are common points of hose failure. Check under sinks for any weep or corrosion on supply lines before you go, since a valve that looks fine but has been slowly failing for months is exactly the kind of thing that turns into a real loss over a long absence.

Water heater and drain considerations

A water heater left running with no one home for months is a risk that's easy to overlook. Many homeowners switch it to vacation or pilot mode rather than leaving it at a normal temperature setting, which reduces both the energy use and the chance of a tank failure going unnoticed. Pour a cup of water down rarely used drains, like a guest bathroom or laundry sink, before leaving. Dried-out P-traps let sewer gas back into the house, and in Arizona's dry heat that evaporation happens faster than people expect.

Gas and electrical shutoff points

If you're leaving for an extended stretch, know where the gas shutoff valve is even if you don't plan to close it, since that knowledge matters more in an emergency than as a routine step. Unplug small appliances that don't need to stay on: coffee makers, toaster ovens, hair tools, chargers. These draw a small amount of power but also carry a small fire risk if there's ever a power surge while no one's there to notice a smell or a spark. Leave the air conditioning running at a higher-than-normal setting rather than off entirely. In Phoenix summer heat, a home with no cooling at all can reach interior temperatures that stress the roof, warp doors and cabinetry, and create conditions where any small moisture source turns into mold within days.

A final walkthrough before you go

Walk the perimeter and check that exterior hose bibs are off and hoses disconnected, since a dripping bib can waste water for months unnoticed and, worse, points to a fitting that could fail outright. Check the roof and gutters for anything that could funnel water into the house during a summer monsoon storm while you're away. Ask a neighbor or a trusted contact to physically check the house periodically, not just watch it from the street, since some of the most damaging problems (a slow roof leak, a failed toilet supply line, a dead HVAC system in 110-degree heat) only show themselves inside.

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