Getting ready to go on vacation means building excitement about your trip, packing, AND it also needs to include checking your home’s plumbing and furnace. Yes, you heard right. Typically, most people are so busy packing for their holiday vacation that they forget to think about prepping their homes. This prep process includes keeping your plumbing and heating in check while you’re away.
With the holiday season almost here, your friends at Service Plus want to remind all Indianapolis and surrounding area homeowners to add these three extra to-do items to their list. Yes, we know – you don’t want more things on your to-do list, but these checks should be prioritized.
Turn off the water supply
It’s Murphy’s Law … if your home is going to flood, it usually happens when you’re away and unable to deal with the leak or water problem. Trust us, you don’t want to be welcomed home by three feet of water. To prevent this potential problem, you just simply close the valve on the main water supply. Turning off your water supply won’t cause issues in the long run and is easy to do, and it could potentially save you thousands of dollars.
Check the thermostat
If you have a programmable thermostat, you’re in luck! While you’re away during the cold winter holidays, you can set it for a lower temperature before you leave and program it to rise just as you return from your holiday vacation. Whether you have a programmable thermostat or not, you should still lower the temperature while you’re away to save energy. Remember that you shouldn’t set the temperature lower than 68 degrees, as this could cause freezing or bursting pipes. Whatever you do, do not completely turn off your furnace.
Change water heater temperature
While we don’t recommend you completely turn off your home’s water heater, lowering the temperature may be a good idea. If your water heater has a “vacation mode,” also consider this setting to lower the temperature as well.
We hope that you and your family have a festive and safe holiday season. If you need plumbing repairs, drain cleaning, furnace tune-ups, or furnace repairs, give our Service Plus team a call at (317) 434-2627.