Dear Heloise: Joyce M., in Fayetteville, Tennessee, had a good idea about shutting off the water if you are going to be away from your home for an extended period of time. An easier way to do this is to locate the water shut-off valve that should be at or very near the water meter inside of you house. — Paul L., in Lincoln, Nebraska

SHUTTING OFF WATER CONT’D

Dear Heloise: If you shut off the water before going on a trip, also shut off or unplug the water heater. If the water level in the water heater drops below the heating elements, the elements will burn out, which is an additional cost for repairs.

We even unplugged the water heater when we lost power here in Texas. If our power came back, and the water company could not supply water, we could have had heater element issues again. —

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