I will be gone for three ish weeks. Apart from closing the main water pipe, what should I do?
There is a small pamphlet given and it says dont turn off the main electric breaker so the water heater wont stop? It says 給湯器を止めないため
Kinda not feeling at ease leaving electric on
16 comments
Lock the door.
Leave the power on but unplug every appliance, table lamps etc., everything.
Do nothing Buddy! How much can you save on UNused water in 3 weeks? Zero. Your basic monthly charge will be just the same:)
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Why would you need the water heater on?
Pour some bleach into the sinks slowly, so that it will pool in the curve of the pipe.
That will keep sewage smells from rising into your apartment if the water in there evaporates during your vacation.
It also keeps roaches from using the pipes.
If you’re above the first floor, consider leaving some windows cracked open to let fresh air flow through
I personally leave the bathroom fan on. I actually just never turn that off especially in summer.
Other than that, just make sure your bills won’t be late(especially phone and gas). If your gas is cut, they need to send a guy over to turn it on. If your phone bill is late, it’ll kill your credit score.
No need to close the water pipe. If you want to close any pipes, it’s gas.
If you live in an area with very cold winters, the reason for not turning off the water heater is perhaps so that the pipes within doesn’t freeze and burst. The only other way to prevent it would be to turn off the main and drain all the pipes, which might not be easy to do.
For longer trips, I usually…
Empty my refrigerator, unplug it, and leave the door ajar.
Unplug all other appliances too (air conditioner, lamps, coffee machine, etc).
Turn off the water supply to the washing machine, and disconnect it.
Cover the sinks (with the stopper if there is one, with saran wrap if there isn’t).
Cover the drain in the bathroom (saran wrap will do).
Leave the bathroom ventilation fan on.
Take out all the trash.
If it’s hot and humid, litter the place with dehumidifiers. 3 per room, 1 per closet or cupboard. Heed your landlord’s advice but turn off everything else. I wouldn’t leave the bathroom extractor fan on for 3w without supervision. Bleach in the drain is a great idea, cling film to seal off drains is also good – why not both!
Whenever I leave the house for any extended amount of time I generally do the following:
1.) Clean the whole house
2.) Clean out the fridge of any foods that might perish while I’m gone.
3.) Take out the garbage
4.) Unplug everything from the walls / turn off some
breakers (if I leave for over a month)
5.) Make arrangements for my pets
6.) Insure all points of entry are locked.
I, personally, have never turned off gas or water. I don’t think it’s necessary and I’ve got on trips for as long as 3 months.
Also Google will give you more thorough checklists by many aspiring bloggers.
Unplug everything that has a light on it, save a few yen. Empty, unplug and clean your fridge. I also like to make a check list with boxes after each item
Air con
Fridge
And so on. About 15 minutes before I leave, I do a final check, checking off each box. (The final box is Front door: locked). Then I bring the list with me, just for peace of mind. But then I’m definitely the person that thinks, halfway to the airport, that I left 5 blow dryers
plugged in and turned on, air con on full blast, and front door wide open…
Drop by your local post office, and fill out a notification of absence (不在届) to hold your mail for the period that you’ll be away.
More information [here](https://www.post.japanpost.jp/question/115.html) (Japanese).
Hold mail?
I don’t really understand the point of turning off the electricity or water completely. You can unplug some appliances and maybe turn off the water to the washer, otherwise not much to worry about. As many have noted you definitely want to keep a fan on or have a way to have some kind of air circulation going
I think I left my air conditioner on auto dry for a month.
Hot & humid weather is serious yo. Check the underside of everything when you get back. Especially rugs & mattresses.
Dah….
Put it on Airbnb.