Summer vacations are filled with amazing places, unforgettable experiences, and great memories. But before you go on your next adventure, your friends here at Royal Home Improvement wanted to take a moment to share a Pre-Vacation Checklist with you. These tips will help ensure that you come home to find your home exactly the way you left it.
Set your water heater on “vacation mode”
Typical water heaters hold around 40 to 50 gallons of water depending on the size of the tank and can use hundreds of energy dollars per year. However, most water heaters these days have a vacation mode that will only let it run occasionally while you’re gone. This is a beneficial tool to save money on your energy bill while you’re going out of town. If you have a natural gas water heater turning it on low or vacation mode while your away is a great way to save money. But if your homes water heater runs on electric instead of natural gas, then just turning the system off is the best way to maximize your homes energy savings.
Shut off water and prevent water damage
Water leaks can happen at any time but if it happens while your away on vacation you can be coming home to a disaster. Returning from your vacation to a flooded home can really put a damper on your homecoming. But here’s a tip to prevent that from happening. Turn off the main water. Turning off the water at the main shut-off valve will help prevent any plumbing leaks from occurring while you’re on vacation.
Unplug Electronics
Summer storms can cause power outages so unplugging anything that’s not a requirement while you’re gone on vacation is ideal. This can help protect your appliances from surges and lightning strikes. Also unplugging electrical devices before you leave for vacation is a great way to save money. So-called phantom power is where electricity is drawn from outlets even when equipment is off but still plugged in. Electronics such as, computers, printers, and televisions can all be culprits in your homes increased energy bill.
Invest in a timer
Nothing lets prying eyes or unwanted guests know your away like a house with lights that are continually off. But having a timer for your lights can be a great way to keep your home safe from intruders and give you piece of mind. So, set light timers to go off at various times throughout the night and day.
Adjust your Thermostat
Adjusting your thermostat before you leave on vacation is a great way to increase your homes energy efficiency. In the summer time your air conditioner can constantly run, increasing your homes energy bills. So, while you are enjoying yourself on vacation you might as well save some money in the process. Adjusting your thermostat to 85-90 degrees (or even turning it off) is a great way to decrease your homes energy bill.
Clean your home before you go on vacation
Going on vacation is a great way to relax and get away from all the stresses of life. However, coming home to a dirty house after a long vacation can be discouraging and create more stress for yourself. Also returning from that vacation can be exhausting and the last thing you want to do is clean your house once your return. So, don’t worry about anything but unpacking when you get home by cleaning up before you leave.
Clean out the kitchen
Don’t return home from vacation to a smelly refrigerator. Save yourself some trouble and toss out any foods that are likely to go bad while your away. This may seem like a trivial thing to clean out your kitchen or fridge before you leave for vacation. But whether you are gone for a week or a month, you need to think about the food and drinks that are going to be sitting around your kitchen while your away.
With kids going back to school and summer coming to an end, this may be your last chance to take a vacation with your family this summer. And we wanted to take a few moments to let you know about a few helpful tips to get your home ready before your summer vacation. Use our vacation checklist above to gain some piece of mind on your trip before you go. From all your friends here at Royal Home Improvement we wish you the best of luck on your summer vacation and hope that our tips were helpful.