Vacant house = NO water! (kinda gross)

[bhskittykatt]

So, posting this here, because they're prospective customers, though I don't deal with them. Mods can move if they think this is better somewhere else.

Basically, it's my job to do weekly checks on the house my parents are trying to sell. They're on the other side of the country, but haven't sold the house yet, so for insurance purposes I check the house, and I maintain the yard to make it look pretty and sellable.

Today I went out for a check, and noticed Realtor had put signs on all the toilet seats that said "Warning: Water is SHUT OFF". I cautiously lifted the seat and....yeah, on my next check, I'm bringing a large container of water to flush that out with.

I suppose I can forgive whoever did it. I mean, it's not something you probably think about beforehand. But yeah, in a vacant house, it's a good idea to check to see if there's running water before you go...

[BrenDAnn]

Um....Who uses the bathroom at a house showing??? I mean...what? Why? Can't you WAIT??

[MadMike]

Um....Who uses the bathroom at a house showing??? I mean...what? Why? Can't you WAIT??

My son did when we were looking at the house that we ended up buying. Then again, he was only 5 at the time.

[bainsidhe]

Well I can sorta understand. If I'm gonna invest that much in a new place, I'd want the "throne" to be comfortable.

[Sapphire Silk]

Um....Who uses the bathroom at a house showing??? I mean...what? Why? Can't you WAIT??

I did, at several of the houses I looked at. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go.

But the water was running in all the houses I looked at . . . checking the taps is part of what I do when I look at houses anyway.

[Yarnil]

Nods. Its important to see if the water is CLEAN if you get a new place.... If theres no water in the pipes, the pipes corrode. So shutting down the water is stupid.

[Mikkel]

Nods. Its important to see if the water is CLEAN if you get a new place.... If theres no water in the pipes, the pipes corrode. So shutting down the water is stupid.

And unnecessary - except if there are holes in the pipes or they are doubtful.
As long as the taps are closed the meter won't go up anyway.
It's a warning to prospective buyers that something is wrong.
In winter, of course, you may have to shut the water down and empty the system to avoid frozen pipes.

[EricKei]

Maybe the sellers were trying to avoid having any bills at all to pay...? Tho I suspect that power was still on. At least here, water usage is actually only a small part of the "water bill", as it also includes taxes, garbage pickup, park maintenance fees, etc...

[Dave1982]

It may be that the house was unoccupied during the winter, in which case you'd either have to shut off the water (and drain the pipes) or leave the heat on to prevent the pipes from freezing and bursting. Shutting off the water is cheaper. And if it's PVC the pipes won't corrode.

[Twinblade]

I must admit I have had to use the throne at a few houses/apartments/shacks I was looking to buy/rent... but I have gastro issues. But I ALWAYS not only check the taps, but also verify with the person showing the house first too.

[sirwired]

Well, you need to bring water with you anyway to top off the traps for every drain in the house. When my brother was selling his house, it came down with sewer flies in the sinks because we never ran the faucets.

[Frantic Freddie]

Nods. Its important to see if the water is CLEAN if you get a new place.... If theres no water in the pipes, the pipes corrode. So shutting down the water is stupid.

Realtor here:

I don't know where you got this piece of information but it's dead wrong.Modern pipes are made of PVC or some equivalent,they don't corrode.With older metal pipes they should be shut down & drained to prevent solids from precipitating out of the water & causing clogs.

In the US a lender will usually require a home inspection which will include testing of the taps.In cold climates the water on a vacant house will be shut off & drained to prevent pipes bursting,it will be turned on for any inspections.

[Caractacus_Potts]

Realtor here:

I don't know where you got this piece of information but it's dead wrong.Modern pipes are made of PVC or some equivalent,they don't corrode.With older metal pipes they should be shut down & drained to prevent solids from precipitating out of the water & causing clogs.

In the US a lender will usually require a home inspection which will include testing of the taps.In cold climates the water on a vacant house will be shut off & drained to prevent pipes bursting,it will be turned on for any inspections.

This. My current house was on the market for over a year when we first saw it and had been winterized. Our P&S had several contingencies including the water being turned on and tested.

I do agree that the OP may want to add water to the tub and faucets depending on how long the house has been without water. In our case the faucets had a real funky smell because the water in the P traps had evaporated. We knew what was going on and weren't turned off by it but a less savvy buyer may think there is a problem when there isn't.

[Captain Trips]

Uh, something doesn't ring right to me here. Even with the water shut off, there should be enough in the tank for one good flush. So, someone used the toilet in the open-house, and didn't even TRY to flush?!?!!?

[Aethian]

Uh, something doesn't ring right to me here. Even with the water shut off, there should be enough in the tank for one good flush. So, someone used the toilet in the open-house, and didn't even TRY to flush?!?!!?

Could have already been used.