Plumbing Tips When You’re Away from Home
Are you planning on going on a mini winter vacation? You should consider following these plumbing tips when you’re away from home. This will help you save money and prevent the shock of coming back to unpleasant plumbing surprises.
Make Sure You Set Your Water Heater to the Lowest Setting
Please ensure that you turn down the temperature of your water heater before you leave your house. This will keep your energy on the low while you’re away. Alternatively, you could also shut off the water heater completely and drain it. This may help to prevent flooding. There is no point in paying for hot water that no one is going to use.
While you’re at it, you should check the condition of your water heater. If there’s an issue, call a plumbing company in Appleton, Wisconsin, for water heater replacement services.
Fix Any Issues with Faucets and Other Appliances
Before leaving, you should set aside time to check on your appliances and faucets for any signs of leaks and loose hoses. Additionally, any small issues, such as your toilet continuously running, should be fixed before you leave.
Make a list of everything that has an issue ad get it fixed before your departure. You can contact Tureks Plumbing Services to fix leaking faucets at an affordable price.
Leaving these issues unfixed can be costly, especially if the leak worsens while you are away. Prevent damaged flooring by getting the leaks fixed immediately as they may also increase your water bill.
Empty and Clean Your Refrigerator
A few days before you leave, empty your fridge of the items that can easily spoil, such as meat, dairy products, fresh produce, and tofu. This will allow you to turn up the fridge thermometer, which will help cut down on energy costs.
If you do end up throwing these perishables out, ensure that you dispose of the waste properly. Fox Valley plumbers warn that pouring everything down the drain may clog your garbage disposal.
Also, if you are using trash bags, please take everything out for garbage collection before you leave. Forgetting may mean you are coming back to your house smelling of rotten eggs and spoilt milk, and no one wants that!
Adjust Your Thermostat
Turning up down thermostat during the summer, whether manual or programmable, may help avoid wasting energy. However, do not turn off your AC as the heat buildup may affect wood floors, doors, cabinets, etc.
Our friends at Gilmore Heating and Air, a heating and cooling company in Folsom, says that if you are leaving during the winter, turn down your thermostat but do not turn off your furnace completely.
Check on Your Sump Pump
If you live in a house with a basement, Tureks Plumbing Services recommends that you ensure that your sump pump is working properly before you leave. A sump pump’s work is to divert water from a house to other places like a dry well or a municipal storm drain. Unexpected weather changes such as heavy storms may damage your property, especially if your sump pump is not working and your basement may flood. A working sump pump prevents the basement from flooding.
Have a professional plumber from a Fox Valley plumbing company come to your house and perform routine maintenance to make sure your sump pump is running smoothly at least a week or two before your departure.
Do Not Turn Your Pool Pump Off
If you have a pool, turning off your pool pump before you leave may cause a buildup of algae in your pool. Instead of turning off your pool pump, you should keep it running at optimal settings and have a friend come to your house once every few days to check on your pool and make sure that the pump is operating properly.
Ask a Trusted Friend to Check on Your House
It’s always advisable that you have a relative or friend look after a house when you are out of town. Ensure that you leave them with your emergency contacts, including your plumber’s phone number.
Alert Your Alarm Company
If your home has a monitored alarm system, ensure that you contact the company to let them know that you will be away. Provide them will your contacts as well as that of a trusted neighbor, just in case the company can’t be able to reach you.
Checking on these things before you leave for vacation will wipe any worry away. You can actually enjoy your vacation without any hassle, knowing that your house will be dry and clean when you come back.
For more expert plumbing tips, contact the team at Tureks Plumbing Services. We are more than happy to offer our plumbing services!