A long trip, a seasonal stay somewhere else, or a house that will sit empty for a while is a good time to walk through your water system before you lock the door. Homes in Lake St. Louis may run on very hard city water or on a private well, and each setup has its own small list of things to check. The steps below focus on keeping the plumbing and softener in good shape while nobody is using the water.

Decide what stays on

Not every part of the system should be shut off the same way. Your water heater, softener, and any well equipment each need different handling, so decide on each one before you leave.

Water heater

For a short absence, many homeowners leave the heater on its normal setting. For a longer one, switch an electric heater to vacation mode if it has one, or turn off its breaker. A gas heater can be set to its pilot or vacation setting as described on the manufacturer's label. Shutting down the heater is the usual choice when the house will be empty for a long stretch, because a tank that heats water nobody uses only adds wear.

Water softener

A softener needs power for its control head and a supply of salt to keep the brine tank working. Check the salt level before you leave so the brine tank does not run dry while you are gone. Then look at the regeneration schedule. If the unit regenerates on a timer, a house with no one using water may draw very little from the resin, so a regeneration that runs with little to clean up wastes salt and water. Many control heads can be set to regenerate on demand instead, and your manual will explain how to change it.

Shut off the supply

Find your main shutoff before you need it. In a home on city water, it is usually near the water meter or where the line enters the house. On a well, the main shutoff may sit near the pressure tank, and the pump usually has its own breaker in the electrical panel. Label the breaker if it is not clear which one serves the pump.

  • Close the main shutoff valve for the house.
  • Turn off the breaker for a well pump so it does not run without water.
  • Note the reading on any pressure gauge so you can compare it when you return.

Drain the lines when it matters

Once the supply is off, open a faucet on the highest floor and a cold faucet on the lowest floor so the pressure in the lines drops. Close those faucets again after the lines drain unless you have a specific reason to leave them open. In cold months, draining matters more, because water left in pipes can freeze and split them. If the house will sit through a freezing spell, drain the water heater through its drain valve as well, and keep the thermostat high enough that the rooms with pipes stay above freezing.

Protect the house while you are away

  • Check under sinks and around the water heater and softener for drips before you leave.
  • Place a water leak sensor near the water heater, softener, and any plumbing in the basement if you have one.
  • Ask someone you trust to walk through the house during a long absence and look for signs of moisture.
  • Keep the thermostat set high enough to protect pipes in cold weather.

When you return

Reverse the steps in order. Open the main shutoff slowly, then run cold water at each faucet until the air clears and the flow runs steady. Turn the water heater back on only after the tank is full again, so the heating element is never exposed. Check the softener display, confirm the salt level, and reset the clock if the control head lost power.

Run water at a few faucets and watch the color. Air and loosened sediment usually clear within a short time after the supply comes back on. If the water stays cloudy or discolored, stop running extra water and check the source and the sediment before you go further. A discolored supply after a shutdown is a different problem from ordinary air in the lines.

Test after a long idle period

If your home is on a private well, a long idle period is a sensible moment to schedule a water test once you are back, especially if the pump sat unused for a while. Well water in the Lake St. Louis area can carry iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, or nitrates depending on the aquifer and what is nearby, and the only way to know what is in your water is a lab test. Ask the lab for sample instructions and follow them closely so the results are useful. Homes on municipal water can read the local supplier's annual report for an overview of the system, though that report does not describe conditions inside your own pipes.