How to Prepare Your Philadelphia Home's Plumbing for Summer Vacation

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Summer is here, and if you're like most Philadelphia-area families, you've got a vacation on the calendar — maybe a week down the Shore, a trip to the Poconos, or a longer getaway. But while you're relaxing on the beach or hiking mountain trails, your home's plumbing system is still running. And an unattended plumbing problem can go from a small drip to a catastrophic flood in just a few days.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, water damage is one of the most common — and most expensive — homeowner insurance claims in the United States. The average claim exceeds $12,000, and many of those incidents happen while homeowners are away. The good news? A 20-minute plumbing walkthrough before you leave can prevent the vast majority of vacation plumbing disasters.

1. Shut Off the Main Water Supply

This is the single most effective thing you can do. If no water is flowing into your home, a burst pipe or failed supply line can't flood your house. In most Philadelphia-area homes, the main water shutoff valve is in the basement near where the water line enters from the street. If you have a newer home in Delaware County or along the Main Line, it might be in a utility closet or near the water meter.

Turn the valve clockwise until it stops. Then open a faucet on the lowest level of your home to relieve any remaining pressure in the lines. If your shutoff valve is old, corroded, or hard to turn, don't force it — call a plumber to replace it before your trip. A broken shutoff valve is far worse than no shutoff valve at all.

2. Turn Off Your Water Heater

If you've shut off the main water supply, there's no reason to keep your water heater running. A water heater operating without incoming water can overheat and sustain damage. For gas water heaters, switch to the "vacation" or "pilot" setting — this keeps the pilot light lit without heating the tank. For electric water heaters, flip the dedicated breaker off at the panel.

This also saves energy. Running a water heater for a week or two while nobody's home wastes $15–$30 in gas or electricity, depending on your unit's efficiency and fuel type.

3. Check for Existing Leaks

Do a quick inspection of the most common leak points before you leave:

• Under sinks — Kitchen, bathroom, and utility sinks. Look for dampness, water stains, or musty smells.
• Around toilets — Check the base and the supply line connection. A slow toilet leak can dump hundreds of gallons over a week.
• Water heater — Inspect the base and the pressure relief valve for any signs of dripping.
• Washing machine hoses — Rubber supply hoses are one of the top causes of catastrophic home flooding. If yours are more than five years old, replace them with braided stainless steel hoses before your trip.
• Basement and crawlspace — Look for any standing water or recent moisture. In older Philadelphia row homes, foundation seepage is common during summer storms.

4. Test Your Sump Pump

Philadelphia summers bring thunderstorms — sometimes intense ones. If your basement relies on a sump pump, test it before you leave. Pour a bucket of water into the sump pit and confirm the pump activates, discharges the water, and shuts off properly. If you have a battery backup sump pump, check that the battery is charged and the backup system is functional.

If your sump pump is more than seven years old, hasn't been serviced recently, or made unusual noises during your test, schedule a service call. A sump pump failure during a summer downpour while you're in Ocean City is every Philadelphia homeowner's nightmare.

5. Address Your Drains

Drains that sit unused for extended periods can dry out, allowing sewer gas to seep into your home through the P-trap. Before you leave, run water briefly in every sink, tub, and floor drain to fill the traps. This is especially important in basements and guest bathrooms that don't get daily use.

If you'll be gone for more than two weeks, consider asking a trusted neighbor to run the water in each drain once a week — it only takes a minute and prevents that unpleasant sewer smell from greeting you when you return.

6. Inspect Outdoor Plumbing

Summer means garden hoses, sprinkler systems, and outdoor faucets are in heavy use. Before you leave:

• Disconnect and drain garden hoses
• Turn off the shutoff valve for outdoor hose bibs (if you have interior shutoffs for them)
• Set irrigation timers appropriately or turn them off entirely
• Check that your outdoor faucets aren't dripping — a dripping hose bib can waste over 2,000 gallons during a two-week vacation

7. Set Your HVAC Appropriately

While this is a plumbing article, your HVAC system plays a role in preventing water damage too. Keep your AC running at a higher set point (around 80–85°F) rather than turning it off completely. This controls humidity inside your home, which prevents mold growth, condensation on pipes, and musty conditions. In Philadelphia's humid summers, a sealed-up home without climate control can reach extreme humidity levels within days.

8. Consider a Smart Water Leak Detector

For added peace of mind, smart water leak detectors are an affordable insurance policy. Devices like the Moen Flo, Phyn Plus, or simple Wi-Fi leak sensors placed near water heaters, washing machines, and under sinks can alert you immediately if water is detected — even when you're hundreds of miles away. Some advanced models can automatically shut off your water supply when a leak is detected.

For Philadelphia homes with older plumbing — especially galvanized pipes in pre-war row homes in neighborhoods like Fishtown, Manayunk, or South Philly — a smart leak detector provides real-time monitoring of a system that's more prone to surprises.

Your Pre-Vacation Plumbing Checklist

Here's the quick-reference version you can walk through before you head out:

1. Shut off the main water supply valve
2. Set water heater to "vacation" mode or turn it off
3. Inspect under all sinks, around toilets, and near the water heater for leaks
4. Test the sump pump (and battery backup if applicable)
5. Run water in all drains to fill P-traps
6. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor water
7. Set AC to 80–85°F to control humidity
8. Check washing machine hoses — replace rubber with braided stainless steel
9. Give a neighbor a key and your plumber's number