Things to Do Before Leaving on a Spring Vacation
A spring vacation brings a needed break from the dreary winter. You have probably planned it well and have taken care of things like halting newspaper delivery, but have you thought about HVAC and plumbing? Keep your vacation stress-free by taking these steps.
Change Your Thermostat Setting
If you are still running your heating, set the thermostat between 50 to 60 degrees. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can set it to bring the house up to your normal setting right before you are due to arrive home.
Adjust Your Water Heater
There is no reason to have your water heater wasting energy by heating water during your spring vacation. Turn the setting down several degrees or, if you have a new water heater, take advantage of the vacation setting.
Schedule Maintenance
For your peace of mind and for the security of your HVAC system during your spring vacation, schedule a spring maintenance visit. The HVAC contractor can make sure everything is functioning correctly and take care of any potential problems.
Safeguard Plumbing
Unless you will have someone coming over every day to check the home, it is wise to shut off water completely to avoid unpleasant surprises. This is especially relevant in cold regions where spring doesn’t always guarantee warm weather. If a surprise freeze occurs, you won’t be there to baby your pipes, and if they burst while you are away, you might come home to flood damage and a high water bill.
Water standing in the toilet will breed microorganisms, even if the bowl looks clean. Either have a friend come by to check on the home and flush the toilet each day, or add a cup of swimming pool chlorine. This is safer than using laundry bleach, which can cause corrosion of some plumbing components.
At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues — especially HVAC and plumbing issues — so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.
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