Shut Off Water Supply (SOWS): Always Do This Before Travel

SOWS~ an acronym for “SHUT OFF WATER SUPPLY,” is a practice that just might save you thousands of dollars and a HUGE headache.

I had a small plumbing issue a few weeks ago, and while talking with my plumber learned a savvy piece of advice that is worth sharing. He told me that he had just left a job where an entire house was flooded while a family was on a short vacay. He said everything was ruined~carpet, hardwood, furniture~and that the family would have to move out to have repairs and remodeling.

He said that this particular incident could have been prevented with one simple turn of a valve. Had the family turned off the main water supply to the house, the leak would either never had happened OR had been largely insignificant (i.e. the only water that would have leaked would have been a small amount of residual water in pipes).

So….one simple, easy step to take to prevent a world of headache is to Shut Off Water Supply when leaving home~even for one night. We have started doing this, and it has now become habit.

Our main water valve is in our basement, mounted high upon the wall near the garage door. Knowing where your valve is located is the first step. Making sure that it will easily turn is the second. Some valves are difficult to turn and may require a tool to rotate them.

If YOU have any savvy safety tips, please share them in the comments section of the post. Thanks so much for reading. Be blessed, and stay savvy!