The worst calls we take all summer start the same way: "We just got back from a week at the beach…" A burst supply line with nobody home doesn't do an hour of damage — it does a week of it. The prevention is ten minutes by the front door.
Turn off the main water valve. This is the whole game. A failed washing machine hose or toilet supply line flows several gallons a minute; with the main off, the worst any of them can do is drain what's already in the pipes. If you do only one thing on this list, do this one. (Not sure where your valve is? Ask us to show you on any visit — it's free, every time.)
Set the water heater to vacation. Gas units have a VAC or Pilot setting on the control; for electric, flip its breaker. No sense heating 50 gallons around the clock for an empty house — and with the main off, a heater left blazing is working on a tank that can't refill.
The thermostat, Tennessee edition: nudge it, don't kill it. In a Mid-South summer, never turn the AC fully OFF — a sealed house at 90° and our humidity is exactly the recipe for mold, warped trim, and a miserable homecoming. Set it to 78–82° instead; the system cycles occasionally and keeps the moisture in check. Winter trips are the mirror image: heat stays at 55 minimum to protect the pipes, and if a hard freeze is possible, the main goes off regardless.
The two-minute extras that earn their keep: glance at the washing machine hoses (bulging rubber ones are the #1 flood source we see — braided stainless replacements are cheap insurance). If storms are in the forecast and you have a sump pump, pour a bucket of water in the pit and watch it run before you leave. Unplug the garage fridge if it's empty. Done.
A neighbor with a key beats every gadget. Cameras show you the flood; a neighbor who walks through mid-week stops it. Trade the favor.
Coming home to something wrong anyway? Main valve off first, then call — we answer 24/7, tan lines and all: (901) 699-7763.
