6 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Vacation

June 30, 2016

Summer is a time for vacation. School is out, the weather is nice, and that trip you’ve been planning for months is finally here. You might be ready for vacation, but that doesn’t mean your home is.  Without proper planning, a plumbing emergency could instantly ruin your trip once you return home. Take a look at these tips to ensure that your home is as ready for vacation as you are.

Check your laundry machine hose.

Your laundry machine hose only lasts about three years. Before you leave make sure your hose doesn’t have any cracks or calcium deposit build up.

Visually inspect your appliances for leaks.

Make sure there is no water on the floor, which could indicate a leak in your appliance. If this is the case, give Eastern Plumbing a call immediately. Inspecting your appliances will help prevent mold and damage that could occur while you’re away.

Avoid foul odors.

You never want to come home from a nice vacation only to have your house smelling bad. Before you leave, run ice cubes and cold water down your garbage disposal to push any food particles down the drain. This will ensure they wash away properly and don’t cause an odor.

Turn off the main shut off valve if you will be gone for multiple weeks.

If you’re going to be gone for a few weeks, consider turning off your main shut off valve. This will not let any water enter your home and will help prevent flooding emergencies. Just be sure to run the remaining water out of your drains after your shut the valve off.

Shut down you water heaters

There is no point in heating water that you aren’t using, so shut off your water heater or put it in vacation mode before you leave. This will help save money on your electric or gas bill depending on what type of water heater you have.

Provide a list of emergency contact numbers.

If you have someone looking after your home while you’re away, leave them a list of contacts in case of emergency and be sure to include Eastern Plumbing!

Summer vacations should be worry free and by following these simple tips they can be. However, if you happen to return home to a plumbing emergency, give Eastern Plumbing a call. Our 24/7 emergency service and highly trained staff can help you with any problem that occurs, hoping to help keep your vacation a great memory.