Should I turn off the water heater when I leave for months?

Electric: breaker off if the house is drained. Gas: leave it to the plumber at the closing visit.

Can I drain the tank myself?

On gas units, no. On electric units, this manual still recommends the plumber does it as part of the closing visit.

What if the heater is under the house in a flood zone?

Ask about raising it above the flood level. See RF-1.

CD-3Closing day

The water heater at closing

When you close a shore house, switch an electric water heater off at its breaker before any water is drained, and leave a gas heater to the licensed plumber at the closing visit; draining the tank, and every setting or valve on a gas unit, is the plumber's or the gas utility's job.

Time: 10 minutes for your partWho: You + a licensed plumberWhen: Fall, at closing

By the Shore House Pipes editors · sources checked October 31, 2026 · how this manual is written

Open electrical panel door showing rows of breakers in a utility closet. AI-generated picture.

Bring

The heater's label or manual
A pen to mark the breaker

The procedure

Electric heater: breaker off first. Find the heater's breaker, switch it off and mark it "Water heater — tank drained, do not switch on until full."
Gas heater: hands off. Leave the control, the gas valve and the burner alone. Note the model from the label for the plumber; many gas heaters have a vacation position, and the plumber decides whether to use it.
Heat-on houses. If the house stays heated with someone checking it, ask the plumber whether the heater should stay on and at what setting; on gas units they set it.
Leave the relief valve alone. Don't cap, plug or remove the relief valve pipe.
Plumber's step: draining the tank, and every setting or valve on a gas unit, is handled by a licensed plumber or the gas utility.

Why switch off an electric heater before draining?

If water is drained while the breaker is on, the elements heat in air and fail. It is an easy closing mistake on electric tanks.

Does a drained heater need anything else?

Yes. A drained tank and its fittings should be left as the plumber says. Their notes from CD-2 tell you what to undo in spring at OD-3.

The numbers behind it

Figure	What it means	Source
120°F	the setting to return to when the house reopens	U.S. Department of Energy

Questions owners ask

Should I turn off the water heater when I leave for months?: Electric: breaker off if the house is drained. Gas: leave it to the plumber at the closing visit.
Can I drain the tank myself?: On gas units, no. On electric units, this manual still recommends the plumber does it as part of the closing visit.
What if the heater is under the house in a flood zone?: Ask about raising it above the flood level. See RF-1.

Sources for this procedure

Each source was opened and the cited figure or sentence checked on October 31, 2026. Steps marked PRO are described, not taught: they belong to a licensed plumber or the utility.