How to Get Your House Ready Before Leaving on Vacation
Chances are if you’re planning a summer vacation anytime soon, you have a running checklist of things you need to pack or prepare before leaving. Whether you’re leaving for a week or six weeks, there are a few vital tasks that need to be taken care of before leaving to go on vacation.
When it comes to home maintenance tasks, it’s important to start at one end of your home and go right through to the other, making sure you’re taking care of everything. Here are the rooms and tasks you should focus on to ensure your home plumbing is covered while you’re away on vacation:
The Kitchen
While you’re making sure, everything in the kitchen is good to go, pay particular attention to the garbage disposal. Nothing is more frustrating than coming home and realizing there was food in the disposal that is now rotten and smells bad. Make sure your garbage disposal is thoroughly cleaned before leaving on vacation. To do this, run hot water mixed with a little bit of white vinegar through the system to clean the blades quickly and remove excess food.
Since we’re still in the kitchen, it’s also a good idea to unplug your appliances. Your stove, oven, and dishwasher are all safe to unplug while you’re away. We also recommend unplugging your fridge or freezer but make sure they are both empty before leaving for your trip.
The Bathroom and Other Faucets
After checking your faucets to make sure none of them are running or leaking, we strongly recommend turning off your main water switch. Shutting off the water valve is a precaution that pays off. By turning off the water, you will prevent burst pipes, water leaks and other damage that occurs from running or leaking pipes and faucets. You will also save money since any leaking or drip faucets will also be turned off. Just remember to turn the valve back on when you get back.
Water Heater Vacation Mood 
Once your checklist takes you to the cellar, use this opportunity to either put your water heater in “vacation mode” or turn it off completely. Most modern, gas-powered water heaters have a vacation setting that allows you to program your departure and return date. The vacation setting conserves energy and allows your water heater to sit on standby.
On the day before your arrival home, the programmed water heater will turn back on, ensuring you have hot water upon your return. For older water heaters, this may not be an available feature. Instead, we recommend only turning down the thermostat to the lowest setting to conserve energy or shutting it off completely.
By focusing on each room individually, you will ensure that your entire home is protected when you are away on vacation. You’ll be able to enjoy your time truly away with peace of mind that everything is taken care of.
For assistance with your home maintenance preparations, call 772-919-7108 and speak with the experts at Allore’s Plumbing Services LLC in Stuart, FL.