 Today we're talking about shutting off your water main and draining your water lines. This is really important to know if you're going to be away from your home for an extended period of time, especially during those cold Canadian winter months. It's also important to know should you ever experience a water issue, like a leaking or burst pipe that needs to be resolved quickly. The first step is to learn where your water main shutoff is located in your home. In most cases it's found in the basement. It's usually in close proximity to the water meter or wherever the water line enters the home. If you have the lever style shut off valve, you might also want to mark where on and off positions are. If tap style, turning it clockwise will turn the water off. Remember, righty tidy is off, lefty loosey is on. Once the water is off, you're ready to drain the pipes. Turn up the faucet at the lowest point in your home first. Then open the rest of the faucets and flush all the toilets in the house, starting with the top floor and working your way down. Remove the toilet tank cover and hold the flush lever down until the water drains out. And to be extra safe, pour a little plumbing andie freeze into all sink and bathtub drains and to each toilet bowl. When you're ready to use the water again, turn on the main water valve and let each fixture run until there's a steady flow of water and all the air is out of the pipes. And that's it. Easy, fun, well, maybe not fun, but definitely easy. For more tips, check out GoodHandsAdvice.ca.