There’s nothing like a vacation to help you relax, recharge, and reconnect with what matters most to you. If you’re getting ready to take some much-needed time away from it all, it’s important to make sure your home will still be in good condition when you return. Here are four things you can do to prepare your home before you leave.
1. Turn Off the Water
Shutting off the water supply while you’re gone reduces your risk of returning to disasters like water leaks and frozen pipes. Your home’s shut-off valve is probably in your basement near your water meter. Locate it and either turn it clockwise (for faucet-style valves) or flip the lever into the “Off” position (for lever-style valves). Then turn on all the taps and flush the toilet to drain any remaining water out of your pipes. You can even pour some anti-freeze down your drains to give you extra protection against the cold.
2. Reprogram Your Thermostat
There’s no reason to keep your home at a comfortable temperature while you’re away, so set your thermostat to reflect this. Depending on the season, you’ll want to set it 5 to 10 degrees hotter or colder than your usual setting – whichever will bring your home closer to outdoor temperatures. For safety’s sake, don’t go any lower than 60 degrees or any higher than 85 degrees.
3. Check Your Sump Pump
You never know when flooding might seep into your home, so having a working sump pump is critical. If you haven’t checked on yours in a while, now is a good time to do so. Pour a bucket of water into your sump pit and watch what happens. If it doesn’t drain away, call a plumber for an inspection and get it fixed before you leave.
4. Unplug Non-Essential Appliances
Before you leave, walk around your home and unplug appliances like your kettle, wall mounted TV, toaster, and sound system. You won’t need these things while you’re away, and cutting off their power supply will reduce your electricity consumption for the month and make it less likely that a fire will break out. Appliances that need to keep working during your trip (such as your fridge) can stay plugged in.
Bon Voyage from Syles Mechanical!
Taking steps to keep your home safe during your absence will give you the peace of mind you need to fully enjoy your trip. If you need professional help at any point during this process, contact Syles Mechanical. Our expert team can be at your home within 24 hours to make sure all of your systems are in peak condition before you leave.