You look forward to your family’s summer vacation all year long. And you put a lot of time and effort into planning it. Before you leave the Summit, NJ area, it’s a good idea to also plan to avoid HVAC and plumbing problems while you’re away. Nothing turns wonderful vacation memories into instant misery like returning home and finding your home flooded by a ruptured water heater tank or a broken central air conditioning system.
With that in mind, Stashluk offers the following checklist to help you protect your home throughout the summer vacation season:
1. Plumbing
When you’re away for weeks at a time, the safest way to protect your home is to turn the water off to your whole house using your emergency water shut-off valve. If you’re unsure how to do this or you’re having a hard time turning off the valve, give Stashluk a call because it may be signaling you that it’s time to be replaced. Do not attempt this during the winter without having a professional drain all of your pipes.
Note: If you have a sprinkler system for your lawns, shutting the whole house valve will most likely cut off water to your sprinkler systems. Stashluk can install a shut-off value that can control water to your house but keep your sprinklers on and your lawns green and happy!
2. Water Heater
Did you know many water heaters have a vacation setting? Simply set the knob to VAC to stop the water heater from firing up and burning gas while you’re away soaking up the sun. You may save a few dollars on your next utility bill. Consult your owner’s manual for further details.
3. Leak Defense Systems
If you leave your home for an extended amount of time, you may want to consider installing a leak defense system which can monitor your water usage and automatically perform an emergency water shut off in your absence if it detects an unusual amount of water usage. Give Stashluk a call and we’ll provide you with more details. Many homeowners’ insurance companies will provide funds to help defray the costs of installing a leak defense system.
4. Heating and Cooling Systems – HVAC
Before you leave home, Stashluk recommends raising the temperature on your thermostat to 80 degrees rather than shutting off your central air conditioning system altogether. Shutting off a central AC system during the summer will not only make your home oven-like upon your return, it can increase the humidity in your home which can lead to warped wooden floors and furniture, peeled wall paper and damp conditions that are ideal for mold growth.
5. Enhance security
Pull all of your window blinds and storm windows down to help protect your home from intruders.
6. WiFi Thermostat
WiFi thermostats can be monitored from your smart phone or laptop computer when you’re away so you’ll always know the status of your home’s temperature and humidity. You can also lower the temperature of your thermostat remotely to cool your home before you return from vacation.
7. Automatic Standby Generator
If you haven’t had your standby generator checked or serviced in a while, call Stashluk to ensure it’s ready to go in the event of a power outage. A Stashluk technician will make sure your standby generator is in proper working condition so you won’t have to worry about it while you’re away. We also install and service today’s modern WiFi-enabled generators which keep you up to date on the status of your generator 24/7.
8. Pool Protection
Before you leave home, be sure to turn off your pool heater and cover your pool to enjoy energy savings during your vacation. If you’re going to be away for an extended period of time, be sure to make arrangements for your pool chemicals to be tested and balanced weekly or bi-weekly so you don’t return home to pea soup.
9. Window Protection
Secure or store away lightweight outdoor furniture that can become airborne and smash into windows during violent summer storms.
10. Save Energy, Unplug
When it comes to saving money, every little bit helps. That’s why you should consider unplugging appliances and TVs, coffee makers, and even charge cords to reduce your home’s energy usage.
11. Suspend Daily Deliveries
Mail and newspapers that pile up in front of your home are a sure sign for intruders that you and your family are away. Make sure you stop all such deliveries until you return home.
12. Set Light Timers
Keeping a light or two on an automatic timer will give intruders second thoughts about forcing entry if they think someone is at home.
13. Turn On Your Security Alarm
If you have a home security system, use it. Set your alarm, lock your door and garage, and enjoy the relaxing vacation you’ve planned for all along. It’s also a good idea to tell your neighbors and local police department that you’re going to be away in case there is suspicious activity at your home.
Happy Vacationing from Stashluk! The NJ HVAC and Plumbing People You Can Trust!
With three generations of the same family providing more than seven decades of outstanding service to the community, you can rely on our reputation and dedication to serving homeowners and commercial properties in the Summit, NJ-area! Honesty and integrity are the cornerstones of our family-owned business.
Contact Stashluk for your NJ home plumbing and HVAC systems pre-Vacation planning.
Simply give us a call at 908.277.6200 to schedule an appointment and we’ll target our arrival time to meet your convenience.
