Is it good to turn your water off if you go on vacation in winter?

You would need to empty the pipes after turning the water off.

Hi Kari,

I'm Linda and yes it is a good idea. As Mona said, you should also drain the pipes if the temperatures will go below freezing. My sister & her husband went on a cruise and while they were gone, one of their pipes in an upstairs bathroom sprung a leak. What a mess that they came home to find! It could have been worse, but they had a neighbor checking their house and the neighbor spotted water seeping out from under the downstairs front door. They were able to get in and turn off the water. Something like this is very rare, but it does happen so I think you're smart to turn off the water before you go. At least you can have a worry free vacation! Have fun. :)

I personally turn the water off whenever I leave my home for longer than a day. Growing up my parent's home was flooded at least twice because of various reasons. If the water would have been turned off before we all left, there wouldn't have been any water to cause damage.

Yes. Turn off your water and drain the pipes. Even though you have turned off the water there is still water in the pipes. Once the water is turned off open all your faucets until the water stops running. Flush your toilets too. If you are going to be gone long--consider shutting down the water heater, water softener.

Fill your sink, tub and toilet drains with non-toxic antifreeze. it will help reduce the chance of pipes bursting if any water left in the pipes freeze. Here's a good tutorial on what to do:

https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/prevent-water-damage-while-you-are-away/view-all/