# What services do you disconnect/suspend/turn off prior to going on vacation?



## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

I am not sure whether this thread belongs here or in the General section but I reckon it involves saving some money so here goes...

We will be visiting family overseas for a period of time and have done the following (if you have anything else to add/suggest, please feel free)

- contact my car insurance company and only pay a reduced rate because the vehicle is considered to be *in storage* while we are away

- contact Rogers and downgrade Internet and cable to the lowest plan. They do have a seasonal hold in place but you have to be away for a minimum of 2 months

- contact Rogers and remove data plan from my phone. I will NOT bring the phone with me. Again seasonal hold is available for a nominal fee but you have to be away for at least 90 days

- I will turn off all computers and electronic devices prior to leaving

- We will finish all the perishable food before I turn the fridge thermostat to a lower setting

- I am debating whether I should turn off the water heater. Your thoughts?

My dad will come over every now and then to collect mail and flyers and to water the lawns.


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

You can unplug everything, not just "turn them off".

hairdryers, microwaves, fans, tv's, computers, lamps, "night lights", cell phone chargers.

You may be able to just go downstairs and switch a few breakers off in the fuse box, if you really want to be frugal.

(just make sure if you switch off breakers, you don't get the one that has the power for the fridge!!)

Also, make sure you turn the heat and A/C completely off, along with the "house fan" if you have one.


----------



## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

I would just eat or give away everything in my fridge and freezer before I left and flip all the switches off at the circuit breaker.


----------



## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

I have turned down the water heater to a lower temp setting, but have never turned it off in the past.

And alot of times I will unplug the computers, tv, coffee maker and such, just to reduce any electricity that it may pull while plugged in.


----------



## alwayscurious (Feb 18, 2011)

*one other thing...*

I'd also recommend turning off the hot and cold water taps to your washer. Those supply hoses don't fail often, but if they do when you're away for an extended period of time the combination of the damage to the house and the cost of all that wasted water can be very large!


----------



## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

^ variation of the above...I would in fact go one step ahead and turn off the water shut off knob for every faucet, hose, sink, etc.
I assume every water outlet in your home has a shut off?
If not, it should.

This is esp. important for toilets on upper levels.
A collegue of mine from the US was temporarily working here in Canada for a few weeks and went back home to find his first level and basement had gotten flooded because of an overflowing toilet on the 2nd floor during his absence.
Hardwood flooring, furniture, etc. ruined. Huge insurance claim. Not fun.

You /could/ turn off the water main too, but make sure there is nothing in the house that might need a tiny bit of water supply every day.


----------



## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

It depends. I'm never gone for more than 2 weeks, so altering car insurance or reducing internet isn't worth it.

I lower the water heater, unplug most every item that carries a phantom load, and then I shut off the water at the meter. 

Since you aren't opening and closing the fridge/freezer everyday, the hydro usage on the fridge isn't that big a deal.


----------



## rookie (Mar 19, 2010)

i have gone on long vacation twice, both times in the winter. i turned off the main water supply in the basement and ensured theres no water anywhere by running the bathtub faucet in the master to completely drain. as cal said, not just turn off appliances, its better to unplug them as they still consume power if they are plugged.

i completely turned off the water heater as well. i was not afraid of freezing as i had set the temperature to 15 degrees.

do not forget to disconnect your car battery. depending on how long you are away, you may want to add a fuel stabilizer, keep the gas at full and may also want to support your car by jacks and remove the tires.

i also found that this is a good opportunity to completely clean the fridge as you will be emptying it.


----------



## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

We're only at our vacation home for a few days every month or two. In the spring/summer, we will just turn off the main breaker to the whole place. We of course empty out the fridge. When there is a chance of freezing, we turn the fuse off everything except the water heater (we turn down the temperature) and the heat. We used to leave the freezer stocked, but found there was almost an $60/month difference from when we would just unplug everything we could vs. turning off some of the fuses in the winter. 

How long are you going for?


----------



## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Some other thoughts:
1) I leave the fuel tank almost empty because gas will break down. Then I fill up right upon return as well as doing tires.
2) Shaw Cable will downgrade to minimum service maintaining your email, websites, and photo share for $1.99 but requires 10 days notice and will only do it for 6 months maximum once a year. There is a reconnect charge of $30.
3) We leave a voicemail message saying to call an alternate number (VOIP). Then we retrieve the messages via email. We do not say any reason or dates.

Some satellite receivers have a problem with extended power outages (onboard battery) so I leave the power on to the unit. The same is true for PCs so be aware.


----------



## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

@Plugging: We will be away for about 5 weeks, not quite enough for Rogers to put us on their seasonal hold (minimum 8 weeks) but long enough for me to try to save some money here and there as we are not here to use any of the services...

@kcowan: Good idea on the VoIP voice mail. I just set it up with VoIP.ms where I will be notified of new voice mail via email. Not that I want to be that *connected* while away or anything but it's nice to know what's happening.

@rest: I'll talk to my dad and see how often he plans to stay here before turning off the water main.

Cheers!


----------



## Financial Cents (Jul 22, 2010)

@canabiz,

I'm in Ottawa as well....

Here is what we do for short-term vacas:

-turn off all computers and electronic devices prior to leaving.
-put thermostat to a lower setting in the winter and a higher setting (>26 Deg. C) in the summer.
-close all blinds.
-stop Canada post.
-notify neighbours.
-set alarm system.

Then enjoy the vacation


----------



## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

kcowan said:


> Some other thoughts:
> 1) I leave the fuel tank almost empty because gas will break down. Then I fill up right upon return as well as doing tires.
> 2) Shaw Cable will downgrade to minimum service maintaining your email, websites, and photo share for $1.99 but requires 10 days notice and will only do it for 6 months maximum once a year. There is a reconnect charge of $30.
> 3) We leave a voicemail message saying to call an alternate number (VOIP). Then we retrieve the messages via email. We do not say any reason or dates.
> ...


It takes 3 months or more for gas to break down. Also, you are inviting water/condensation to invade your tank when leaving it almost empty.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

canabiz said:


> I am not sure whether this thread belongs here or in the General section but I reckon it involves saving some money so here goes...
> 
> - I am debating whether I should turn off the water heater. Your thoughts?


if it's the old tank style gas water tank, you are only going to save about $2 a month on pilot gas consumption. 

The other thing that I ran into last summer when I shut off the pilot, was a LOT of condensation on the tank inside.
When I turned it on again after about 3 months, there was water dripping off the tank underneath (in the burner area), and hissing as the water dripped onto the burner.
Not a nice feeling, as I thought the tank was done for at that point..but eventually as the water heated it, it was fine and still is.

So just some info from my experience.. now I just turn the gas valve control to Vacation setting.

You are not going to escape the minimum bill from Enbridge anyway which is about $25 a month these days..even if you use Zero nat gas for that entire month.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

crazyjackcsa said:


> It takes 3 months or more for gas to break down. Also, you are inviting water/condensation to invade your tank when leaving it almost empty.


Yes, that is true, but not as much condensation occurs in the summer months, when it is hot. Condensation in the tank/fuel lines is more apparent in the winter due to moisture and extreme temps.

What is going to happen is that the gas will break down in the hot weather
over a month or two, and you will get varnish deposits from the gas clogging
up your fuel injection system..which will lead to "check engine" light and
an expensive purge and fuel injection cleaning bill. 

I would recommend to add a gas preservative to the tank if you are going
to leave it for more than a month...but you need to mix the gas preservative
(available at CTC) with 4-6 liters of gas then pour it into that mixture into
the tank.

But don't just dump a capful or two of the preservative into the
gasoline tank filler neck and hope for the best.


----------



## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

crazyjackcsa said:


> It takes 3 months or more for gas to break down. Also, you are inviting water/condensation to invade your tank when leaving it almost empty.


We go away for 6 months but have never noticed a problem with water condensation. The car always starts and runs no problem. The cap is watertight.


----------



## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

kcowan said:


> We go away for 6 months but have never noticed a problem with water condensation. The car always starts and runs no problem. The cap is watertight.



Not really what I meant... The air in the tank has moisture in it. With temperature changes, that air can condense on the inside of the tank and drip into the gasoline. From there, if enough condenses and collects at the bottom of the tank, you can draw it into the engine.

It is rare, but it does happen.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

crazyjackcsa said:


> Not really what I meant... The air in the tank has moisture in it. With temperature changes, that air can condense on the inside of the tank and drip into the gasoline. From there, if enough condenses and collects at the bottom of the tank, you can draw it into the engine.
> 
> It is rare, but it does happen.


Air does contain humidity, but unless you leave the cap off, the amount of humidity in the air in SUMMER months, isnt the big issue, it is the gas breaking down into its refined components. Most gasolines have additives put in to mimimize the effects of freezeup from condensation in the winter or breakdown of the gasoline itself due to high ambient temperatures.

Even if there was sufficient moisture in the tank, it will settle at the bottom, because water doesnt mix with gas. In modern cars, the fuel pump is located in the tank for fuel injectors. The screen for the fuel pump will be
higher than the bottom of the tank, so unless you have a few litres of water in there, the water isnt going to cause any problems normally, even if a bit of it gets to the running engine in the summer months.


----------



## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

The best thing to do with fuel tanks is 1) add fuel stabilizer if it will sit for several months 2) fill the tank completely

I always fill the tank on my bike and snowmobile. People used to drain the tanks, but that can lead to rust and condensation. It's just so much easier to add stabil and fill the tank than to drain it, plus it prevents the rust/condensation issue

Some people fill the tank and then drain it and refill before using it later. I find fuel stabilizer works fine


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

mode3sour said:


> I always fill the tank on my bike and snowmobile. People used to drain the tanks, but that can lead to rust and condensation. It's just so much easier to add stabil and fill the tank than to drain it, plus it prevents the rust/condensation issue.


An empty gas tank can lead to some rust and condensation over a long storage period, generally in the winter months. While I was able to own motorcycles, 
I winterized mine the same way as you describe. 



> Some people fill the tank and then drain it and refill before using it later. I find fuel stabilizer works fine


The big problem with that is draining the tank and 
what do you do with the gas? 
You are not legally allowed to pour it down sewer drains or onto soil. You can't dispose of it unless you take it to hazardous waste depot.

Draining gas from a vehicle fuel tank is no easy chore these days, because most newer vehicles have baffles in the gas tank to prevent gas theft with siphon hoses. 

On mine, you can't put a siphon hose into it because the tank has a coarse screen in the filler neck somewhere.

I tried it once to see if it was possible to get some for my lawnmower, and couldn't get any gas from the tank that way. I suppose with rising gas prices and hearing gas theft incidents on the news, it's a good thing too. 

You can run old gas in small low compression carbureted engines like lawn mowers etc. 
If you don't fill the tank completely, you can also add fresh gas to whats in there, and burn it up even with the stabilizer already in the tank.


----------



## martinv (Apr 30, 2009)

We leave for 5 months each winter.
The car fuel tank is left nearly full. 10 years in a row and the little Toyota Echo starts without hesitation on our return.
Everything that can be unplugged is.
The power to the well is off ( saves worrying about water leaks.).
The phone is left on as it is used by the alarm company.
We use our Shaw sat tv in Baja.
Shaw internet is reduced to $1.99 per month to keep the email account.
Oops! now the internet world knows our schedule!


----------

