3 Tips To Prepare Your Home Before A Vacation
Headed out for a weekend road trip or even a month-long break at the cabin? Don’t forget to prepare your home before you go! We recommend taking simple steps to keep your home safe and healthy while you’re away. Create peace-of-mind while traveling with these pre-vacation home maintenance tips.
Tip #1: Turn Off The Water
Whether you're headed out for two days or a few weeks, nobody will be using the water while you’re away. Simply turn off the main water supply to your home, and then drain any remaining water from the pipes by running all the taps and flushing the toilets. This way, pipes won’t have the opportunity to leak, freeze, or damage your home while you’re away.
If you want to be extra cautious of water leaks, we recommend placing water leak detectors near common problem areas like water heaters, sump pumps, and kitchen sinks so that you can be alerted of leaks sooner than later.
Tip #2: Adjust Your Thermostat
While it might be tempting to turn off your air conditioner or heater while away, doing so may result in major damage to hardwood floors, pipes, and houseplants. Adjust your thermostat to 78°F in summer and 55°F in winter to conserve energy and preserve those items that are sensitive to drastic changes in temperature and humidity.
If you’re leaving the house for a weekend road trip and not taking your pet to a sitter or boarding facility, we recommend monitoring temperature and humidity conditions remotely using sensors that are connected to My AcuRite.
Tip #3: Prep Your Outdoor Plants
If you’ve asked a friend or neighbor to water your plants while you’re on vacation, make sure they keep your tasty veggies, lush lawn, and sweet-smelling flowers growing in the right direction with a little help from soil sensors. Using a soil moisture meter will assist your friend or neighbor in knowing when to water by taking the guesswork out of watering, and easily adjusting their watering cycle based on the rainfall that your outdoor plants actually receive.
