You don't want to have to worry about water damage or flooding from burst or leaking water pipes while you're traveling or on vacation. The Los Angeles Times just ran an article about how to prevent such damage from happening; the key take away is this - prevention is your best bet.
Here are some suggested steps from the article to take to prevent water damage or flooding from happening while you're away:
- Inspect water lines and try shutting the valves off gently to make sure they're not frozen. If they don't move, replace them.
- Make sure faucet and toilet hoses aren't cracked.
- Consider shutting off your water while you're away, and turn the water heater to vacation. When you return, turn the water back on slowly.
- Think about using a sensor system that detects leaks and shuts off the water if any are detected.
Review our Household Leaks and Caring For Pipes webpages to get some more ideas.