Passport. Check. Suitcase packed. Check. You’re all set for your long­ awaited vacation. But before you leave your home, there are a few home maintenance steps you should take to ensure you’re not greeted with an unwelcome surprise when you return. Many people fret about whether they turned off the coffee pot or whether the garbage was taken out; these are things that you shouldn’t be thinking about on your vacation. For peace of mind and to protect your home from damage, here are a few simple tips to follow before you leave home.

Shutting off Main Water Valve

Yes, sometimes flooding and water damage occurs while you’re away on vacation causing massive water damage. This is a nightmare. The best way to mitigate this is to turn off the main water valve. This way you can hopefully avoid burst frozen pipes, ruptured washer hoses and leaking pipes. If you’re reluctant to turn off the main water valve, say because you have a friend coming over to water your plants, you should at least turn off the individual supply to major appliances such as icemakers, dishwashers, and washing machines.

Unplug Unused Appliances

There’s no point leaving appliances and electronics plugged in to drain your electricity. Look around your house and disconnect appliances such as electric kettles, coffee pots, DVD players and desktop computers. Depending on how long you’re gone, you might save some money on your utility bill.

Clean and Empty Garbage Disposal

There’s no point leaving appliances and electronics plugged in to drain your electricity. Look around your house and disconnect appliances such as electric kettles, coffee pots, DVD players and desktop computers. Depending on how long you’re gone, you might save some money on your utility bill.

Set Your Water Heater on Vacation Mode

If you have a water tank, your water heater is working constantly, 24/7 to heat water to your preset temperature. To give your hard working water heater a break, and to reduce energy consumption, set your water heater to vacation mode. Sometimes this is called ‘low or ‘pilot’ mode. Once you’ve taken care of your plumbing home maintenance, don’t forget to ensure your home still looks ‘lived in’ while you’re gone. This means ensuring your newspaper delivery is put on hold, your mail is picked up by a friend and your lawn is mowed if you’re away for a period of time. Are you looking for quick and reliable plumbing service? Call Cardinal Plumbing in Sterling, VA at 703-721-8888 for honest pricing.