5 Ways to Prepare Your Home Before Vacation
Planning a vacation can be an exciting time, but while it may be great to think of adventures in a far-off place, it’s also prudent to take steps to plan to keep your home safe and in perfect working order while you’re on your trip.
Home maintenance should always be on the itinerary, and these five steps will help you keep your home safe during your vacation:
Put Your Lights on Timers
An easy way to make your house appear occupied during an extended absence and make your home less likely to be a target for burglars is to set your lights on timers.
Timers are available at most home centers for around $10 and can be hooked up to lights in different rooms of your home to give the impression that someone is there during the evenings.
Turn Off Your Water Valve
Most homeowners know about the severe damage that a burst pipe can do, but even a small leak that is left unchecked for a few days or even weeks can cause thousands of dollars worth in damage to your appliances, electronics, and your home’s walls, ceilings, and floors.
Before you leave, shut off the water valve and make sure that your plumbing is still in perfect shape when you come home.
Shut Off and Unplug Appliances
Leaving electronics in “sleep” mode may not seem important, but leaving appliances and electronics plugged in while you’re away can be an additional drain on your energy bill even when you aren’t there.
Additionally, leaving items plugged in puts them at risk in the event of an unexpected electrical surge. Coming home to discover that your appliances no longer work is an unpleasant surprise that no homeowner should worry about.
Set Your Water Heater to “Vacation Mode
A wide selection of modern water heaters come equipped with a “vacation mode” setting, which lowers the internal temperature of the water stored in your water tank while you are away and can help keep energy costs at a minimum during your trip.
If your water heater doesn’t have a vacation setting, only lower the thermostat setting on the tank before leaving and turn it back up when you get home for similar results.
Flush Out Your Garbage Disposal
Lots of homes have garbage disposals installed in the kitchen. These useful units shred food particles and wash them down the drain, but if you’re going out of town, it’s important to “flush” them to make sure that there isn’t any debris present in your kitchen plumbing system.
Leftover items like potato skins, eggshells, and old fruit particles can attract ants, flies, and cause an unpleasant odor that you’ll discover when you get home, so take the time to flush it with some distilled white vinegar and water before leaving.
If you’d like more information on ways that you can keep your home safe while you’re on vacation, just contact the experts at Shamrock Plumbing, Orlando, FL. We’re always happy to lend a hand, so get in touch by calling (407) 305-6183.
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We Used Shamrock Plumbing for a commercial bathroom repipe. We were very pleased with the results. Great customer service, on time , fair prices and a fast high quality job. We will use them again and would highly recommend !
Mark M.
Positive: Professionalism, Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
We Used Shamrock Plumbing for a commercial bathroom repipe. We were very pleased with the results. Great customer service, on time , fair prices and a fast high quality job. We will use them again and would highly recommend !
Mark M.
Positive: Professionalism, Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
We Used Shamrock Plumbing for a commercial bathroom repipe. We were very pleased with the results. Great customer service, on time , fair prices and a fast high quality job. We will use them again and would highly recommend !
Mark M.