Snowbird Checklist: Protect Your Arizona Home From Leaks While You're Away

Before leaving your Arizona home for the summer, shut off the main water valve and drain the lines, turn off or lower the water heater, set the AC to a safe temperature, clear roof drains, and arrange for someone to check the house after storms. These steps prevent the long-running leaks that cause most water damage in seasonal homes.

Why do seasonal homes get so much water damage?

A leak in an occupied home gets noticed in hours. A leak in an empty home can run for weeks or months. Apache Junction, Gold Canyon and Queen Valley have many winter residents in site-built homes, park models and manufactured homes. Summer heat, monsoon storms and aging supply lines all hit while those homes sit empty, and by fall a small drip can become a soaked subfloor and a musty, moldy house.

What should you do before you leave?

Water and plumbing

• Shut off the main water valve at the house.
• Open faucets to drain the lines, then close them.
• Turn the water heater off, or set it to vacation mode.
• Shut off the water supply to the washer, ice maker and swamp cooler.
• Flush toilets after the water is off to empty the tanks.
• Check under sinks and around the water heater for existing drips.

Cooling and humidity

• Leave the AC on at a moderate setting rather than off, to limit heat and humidity.
• Change the AC filter and flush the condensate drain line.
• Shut down and drain the swamp cooler if you won't need it.

Roof and outside

• Clear roof drains, scuppers and gutters before monsoon season.
• Make sure yard drainage flows away from the house.
• Turn off the irrigation system or set it for minimal watering.
• Secure loose items that monsoon wind could throw.

Manufactured homes and park models

• Check the belly wrap underneath for sags, tears or wet spots.
• Make sure the AC condensate line drains outside the skirting.
• Tell the park office when you're leaving and who to call.

For under-floor leaks, read leaks under a mobile home.

Who should check your home while you're gone?

Ask a trusted neighbor, your park or HOA manager, or a paid home watch service to check inside every couple of weeks and after big storms. Give them a list:

• Look under sinks, around toilets and near the water heater.
• Check ceilings for new stains, especially under the AC and cooler.
• Note any musty smell.
• Check that the AC is running and the house feels cool.
• Look for water around the foundation and garage after storms.

Leave them your contact information, your insurance details and the location of the main water valve.

Are leak sensors and smart shutoff valves worth it?

For a home that sits empty for months, yes. Battery or Wi-Fi leak sensors placed near the water heater, washer, sinks and AC air handler send an alert to your phone when they get wet. A smart shutoff valve on the main line can close automatically when it detects a leak or unusual flow. Some insurers offer discounts for them, so ask your agent.

What should you check when you get back?

1. Smell the house as you walk in. Musty air points to hidden moisture.
2. Turn the water back on slowly and listen for running water.
3. Check the water meter with every fixture off to rule out a hidden leak.
4. Look at ceilings, baseboards and under sinks.
5. Turn the water heater back on only after its tank is full.

If something smells off, see how to find the cause of a musty smell. If you find water, read how fast mold grows after water damage and get it dried quickly.