14 Mar Prepping Your Home for Spring Vacation
Finally, spring vacation has arrived! Get ready to spend time with your family and friends and unwind after weeks of hard work. If you plan on leaving the cold weather behind to escape to somewhere warm, follow these tips to prepping your home for your vacation.
Make Sure It Looks Like Someone is Home
- Contact your post office, and have all your mail stopped until you come home. If you don’t do that, ask a trusted neighbor or friend to collect your mail each day so it doesn’t pile up & signal an empty home.
- Ask your neighbor to park in your driveway every so often so it seems like there are people coming and going.
- Install timers on a few lights in your home so they turn on and off every few hours. Also, install a motion-activated sensor light outside your home.
Take Care of Little Things Around Your Home
- Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly.
- Throw out any food that could go bad while you’re gone so you don’t return to a rancid-smelling home.
- Run your garbage disposal with a mix of vinegar and water so it’s rid of any lingering bacteria.
Take Necessary HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical Precautions
- Turn off the water valves attached to your dishwasher, sinks, and washing machines.
- Set your water heater to “vacation mode” so it doesn’t waste energy.
- Unplug your electronics so they don’t run up your electric bill.
- Set your thermostat to temperatures closer to the ones outside your home.
It’s important to take precautions in keeping your home safe while you’re on vacation. However, if you come back to find you have an issue with your HVAC unit or pipes, call Wahl Family Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing! We can handle any HVAC or plumbing problem you have – no job is too big or small. We’ve been serving the Pittsburgh metro area since 1980, so call us today at (412) 265-2662