Are you going away for Memorial Day weekend? Or maybe you have a vacation planned later on in the summer. Either way, it’s best to know how to prepare your home for while you’re away.

This way, you can be on vacation-mode, knowing you’re coming home to a problem-free house.

5 Ways To Prep Your Home For Your Vacation

1. Turn Off Your Main Water Supply

If you don’t know where your main water meter is, before going on vacation is as good of a time as any to go locate it! You’ll want to turn off your main water supply to prevent any water damage from leaking pipes.

2. Turn Down Your Water Heater Dial

Or you can put it on “vacation mode,” but do not turn it off! While you’re away, your water heater will continue heating a huge amount of water, wasting money and energy since no one is around to use it.

When you get home, turn the dial up to 120 degrees, not the standard 140 — the higher temperature will make your energy bill skyrocket.

3. Raise Your Thermostat

But don’t turn it off! You’ll want your home to remain at a comfortable temperature for when you return.

TIP: If you have a programmable thermostat, remember to set it to a lower temperature at least 24 hours before you arrive back home.

4. Turn Off Your Lights and Electronics

We’ve discussed vampire appliances before. Short recap, they are the appliances that stay plugged in and unnecessarily use energy and raise your utility bill. Plug your devices into a power strip so you can easily turn off the power to all the plugged-in devices at once.

5. Check Your Drainage

Check all your faucets, your basement, gutters, and your sewer system to ensure there won’t be any leaks or water damage while you’re away.

Contact Aqua PHC For Flood Control In Skokie

Sometimes, a small plumbing leak can turn into a big issue, like flooding! Even relatively small floods can be devastating. Especially when no one is home to find the damage. Most people don’t realize that flood waters are also often contaminated with raw sewage. This poses a unique risk by exposing your home or business to high levels of bacteria.

How We Can Help:

One option is excavating to the sewer, removing existing sewer pipes, and installing two backwater valves and an overflow tee. The overflow tee then feeds into an ejector pump, which then processes the raw sewage. All this equipment is then encased and bolted down in a 48” pre-cast concrete manhole. When the sewer does back up, the valves close. With this system, you can run water as long as you have power, and you won’t have to worry about the health hazards associated with raw sewage.
The second option is an overhead sewer system. An overhead sewer system reroutes your existing sewer so raw sewage leaves the building from below the first story. Sewage from your basement is rerouted to an ejector pump. This means you don’t have to rely on city sewers during flooding which allows you to use your sewer whenever you need it.

Emergency Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling Services in Skokie

Imagine having a plumbing company on speed dial that can have an expert at your house within an hour? Well, day or night (and holidays, too!), the professional experts at Aqua PHC are around to help you out!

That sort of fast service could help prevent a flooded toilet or bathtub from damaging your floors, walls, and ceilings.

Time is of the essence to prevent ceilings and floors from caving in. So program (847) 260-9889 into your phone, so you don’t have to worry.

Contact Aqua Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Services for your home/business maintenance or emergency issues.