If you’re going away for more than a couple of days, it’s a very good idea to turn off the main water supply. Many leaks and burst pipes happen when nobody’s around to notice them. A small failure – a loose joint, a cracked hose to the washing machine, a faulty toilet valve – can release thousands of litres of water into your home while you’re happily on vacation.
Turning off the main valve dramatically reduces that risk. It takes less than a minute and can save you from coming back to flooded rooms, damaged furniture and angry neighbours. If you have separate valves for specific appliances, like the washing machine or geyser, turning those off is smart as well.
Just remember to run taps for a few seconds when you return to let air escape and things settle. This simple habit, combined with switching off sensitive electrical appliances, is a quiet form of insurance that doesn’t cost anything.