Before a trip, most Metro Vancouver homes are better served by turning a gas water heater or boiler down to a low or vacation setting rather than shutting it off completely.
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For most homes leaving for a vacation of a week or two, the safest approach is to turn a gas water heater down to its lowest setting or dedicated vacation mode rather than shutting the gas off entirely, and to leave a boiler running at a reduced setpoint if it also supplies space heating. Fully shutting off gas to either appliance removes the pilot or ignition source and, in winter, removes the background heat that helps protect pipes from freezing in an unheated or poorly insulated home. Homeowners leaving for an extended period, or whose home has known freeze-prone areas, should have a licensed technician advise on the right setting for their specific system before departure.
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It is tempting to think that turning everything off saves money and eliminates risk while a home sits empty, but for a gas water heater or a boiler that also heats the house, a full shutoff removes a layer of protection rather than adding one. If a boiler provides space heating and is switched off during a cold snap, the home's interior temperature can drop enough that exposed or exterior-wall plumbing freezes, and a burst pipe discovered after a week away is a far more expensive and disruptive problem than the modest gas cost saved by shutting down.
A water heater used purely for domestic hot water, with no space-heating role, carries lower risk from being turned to its lowest setting rather than fully off, since it is not the only thing standing between the house and a freeze. Even so, most manufacturers and technicians recommend a low or vacation setting over a full shutoff for trips under a few weeks, largely because it avoids the need to relight a pilot or go through a restart sequence on return, and it keeps the tank's contents from sitting stagnant and cooling to room temperature for an extended stretch.
| Trip length | Water heater | Boiler (if also heats the home) |
|---|---|---|
| A few days | Normal setting is fine | Normal setting is fine |
| One to two weeks | Vacation or lowest setting | Reduced setpoint, not off |
| Several weeks in winter | Vacation or lowest setting | Reduced setpoint, plus check insulation on vulnerable pipes |
| Extended absence, home unoccupied long-term | Discuss with a licensed technician | Discuss with a licensed technician |
Metro Vancouver's climate is milder than much of the country, but the region still sees periodic cold snaps, particularly outflow wind events that can drop temperatures quickly for several days at a time. Homes with pipes running through unheated crawl spaces, garages, or along exterior walls, which is common in older character homes and some newer builds with awkward mechanical layouts, are the most exposed to a freeze if the home's background heat drops during exactly this kind of cold snap while the owner is away. A boiler-heated home left with the heat fully off during an outflow event is at meaningfully higher risk than one left at a modest reduced setpoint.
Laneway homes and secondary suites sharing a single water heater or boiler with the main house add another wrinkle, since a full shutoff affects everyone relying on that appliance, not just the departing homeowner. If a tenant remains in a suite while the owner travels, that needs to factor into whatever setting is chosen.
Adjusting a water heater's temperature dial to a lower setting, or selecting a labelled vacation mode, is a task most homeowners can do safely themselves without opening any gas connections. The same is generally true of a boiler's room thermostat or setpoint dial. What should not be attempted without a technician is shutting off and later relighting a standing pilot light on an older appliance, since that involves a specific gas-safe sequence, and homeowners unsure of that sequence should simply leave the pilot lit and rely on the temperature setting instead.
Arranging for a neighbour, house sitter, or property manager to check the home partway through a longer trip is a reasonable extra precaution, particularly during winter months, since it allows an early response to any leak, cold snap, or heating failure rather than discovering it only on return.
Safety note
If a gas smell is ever present when preparing a water heater or boiler for a trip, leave the home immediately and call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 before doing anything else. Do not attempt to relight a pilot light or adjust gas valves without a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter.
For most homes, a low or vacation setting is preferable to a full shutoff, since it avoids relighting a pilot on return and keeps a layer of protection in place if the home also depends on that heat source indirectly.
Yes, a boiler is designed to run unattended and doing so at a reduced setpoint is generally safer for the home than shutting it off, particularly during winter when it may also protect pipes from freezing.
Any setting change should account for the suite's needs as well; discuss the plan with the tenant and consider leaving the system closer to normal if someone remains living in the home.
Basic foam pipe insulation on accessible, exposed piping is a reasonable do-it-yourself task, though a technician can identify less obvious freeze-prone runs during a pre-trip check.
A reduced setpoint uses meaningfully less gas than full operation, and the modest ongoing cost is generally worth the protection it provides compared with a full shutoff in winter.
Leave the home immediately without turning on lights or switches, then call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 from a safe distance before doing anything else.
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