The long awaited moment has come, and it is time to grab your stuff and head off to your deserved vacation. But wait, didn’t you forget something? Nobody wants to come home after a vacation and see their home basement got flooded while they were relaxing on a beach. Thus, you should compile a nice checklist of things to do before going on a vacation, so you will be able to enjoy it in peace. If you do not know where to start, then let us give you a hint of some of the most important things.
1 Set The Thermostat Properly
For those who have programmable thermostats – turn it up, but do not turn off the A/C unit. Set it to hold the house temperature at 85 degrees during the summer, while you are gone, and the day before your return, get it down to 72 degrees. If the thermostat you have is a manual one, it is still worth to turn it up in order to avoid wasting energy, but you will have to deal with a hot house when you return home.
Next, you want to keep the air circulating throughout the house so it does not have time to condensate, leave the furnace or air conditioner on while you are gone. It will prevent the excessive heat from making an impact on wooden flooring, cabinets, and doors. Just make sure that the temperature does not climb too high, or else it will cause doors to not close properly, and wooden flooring to expand and buckle. If your vacation is during wintertime, then do everything opposite – turn the thermostat down, but leave the furnace to keep the pipes from freezing.
2 Turn Off The Main Water Supply
A leaking supply line can cause a flooding while you are away, and that would be a disaster, especially if the water tanks are placed somewhere high, like the attic. By closing the main supply line valve, you will cut off water to the house. It will be under some initial pressure, but the water will not continue to spray. This can save you thousands of dollars in potential damage.
3 A Soaker Hose For The Garden
When there is no neighbor kid to water your garden or an in-ground sprinkler system, keep the vegetation alive with a soaker hose. Use a timer and set it up so it turns the hoses on and off and preset times.
4 Is Your Sump Pump Working?
Rainwater can also cause damage to your house. Do not set your sump pump without checking whether it works or not before you depart, say at the highly-esteemed Monmouth County plumbing service. If the pump fails to work during a major storm when you are not around, a flooded basement will be waiting for you to return. Check if your sump pump works by dumping a bucket of water in there. When the pit fills with water and the pump starts working, then you are safe.
5 Light Up Your Premises With Timers
In order to turn the burglars and thieves away and protect your home while you are gone, you should make it appeal occupied. Do this by putting timers on lights in different premises of the house. They will turn the lights on and off a different times of the night, and make the house look like it is lived in.
6 Unplug Electronics
Electronic devices, if plugged in directly into the wall, should have their plugs pulled out in case of a power surge. If they are plugged into a surge protector, just flip the switch and power them off. Even though they are not turned on, electronics continue to draw small amounts of power when in standby mode so you can save yourself some money by turning them off.
7 Prevent The Toilet From Freezing
This is a tip for winter travelers. After turning off the main water supply line to the house, flush the toilets to drain the water in the tanks, so the water does not freeze and crack the porcelain if your furnace stops working. However, there will still be some water in the bowl, even when you flush it. What you should do is pour some antifreeze into the toilet, and simply flush it away when you come back home. It is called winterizing a toilet.
You have waited a long time for a well-deserved relaxation time, so bear in mind that what you do before leaving the home can be as important as what you do while away. Vacations should be spent carefree and you are the one who is responsible for making it happen.