Leaving Town? A 9-Step Leak Check for Your Murrieta Home

What should I check before I leave?

Start with the water meter test, then look at every place water enters the house: under sinks, behind toilets, at the washer, fridge and water heater, and outside at hose bibs and the irrigation controller. Finish by setting the water heater to vacation mode and deciding whether to shut off the main valve.

1. Run a meter test. Turn off every tap and appliance, note the meter reading and the low-flow dial, and wait 30 minutes. Any movement means water is going somewhere. Our water meter leak test guide shows each step.
2. Check under every sink. Look for damp cabinet floors, swollen wood or white mineral crust on fittings.
3. Test each toilet. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If color shows in the bowl after 15 minutes, the flapper is leaking.
4. Inspect the washer hoses. Rubber hoses with bulges or cracks should be swapped for braided steel before you go.
5. Look behind the fridge. The ice maker line is a common slow leak. Pull the fridge out a few inches and check the floor.
6. Check the water heater. Look for rust, a wet pan or drips from the pressure relief valve.
7. Walk the yard. Look for soggy spots, a hose bib that drips or sprinkler heads that weep.
8. Pause the irrigation or set it to a short schedule, so a broken line can't run every morning while you are away.
9. Decide on the main valve. For trips longer than a few days, shutting off the main is the safest choice, unless you have fire sprinklers or a landscaper who needs water.

Should I turn off the main water valve?

For most trips longer than three or four days, yes. With the main closed, a burst hose or cracked fitting can only leak the water already in the pipes. Leave it on only if your home has indoor fire sprinklers tied to the domestic line, or if someone needs to water plants. Turn the water heater to vacation mode first.

Not sure where your main valve is or how to close it? Our guide on how to shut off your water in an emergency shows the common spots in Murrieta homes.

Do I need a leak check for a second home too?

Yes. A second home sits empty more than your main one, so it is more at risk. Run the same 9 steps each time you leave it, shut off the main water, and ask a neighbor to look in once a week. A smart water shut-off valve is worth it for a home that sits empty for months.

Plenty of Murrieta families also have a weekend place in Mohave County or along the Colorado River. The same checklist works there. For plumbing repairs on a home in that part of Arizona, a local plumber Kingman AZ residents use is much closer than we are. For homes here, read our guide to smart water leak detectors.

What should I do when I get home?

Open the main valve slowly, run each tap for a minute to clear air, and flush every toilet. Set the water heater back to its normal setting. Then check the meter one more time with everything off. A musty smell, a new stain or a meter that won't stop all mean it is time to call.

We serve every part of the city, including Bear Creek, Los Alamos Hills and Historic Murrieta.