Getting Your Home Ready for Your Absence: Packing Peace of Mind

Know Your Home is Safe and Sound

Summer’s here and the vacation season is straight ahead! Make sure your home is ready to be left alone while you’re away.

We’ve put together a helpful checklist to prevent plumbing problems while you’re away. This will give you the chance to pack something very important to bring with you: peace of mind.

Pre-Vacation Plumbing Problem Prevention

There are some simple steps you can take ahead of a vacation to make sure your plumbing – inside the house and outside – doesn’t cause any problems while you’re away. If you see any issues in the following areas, give us a call. We’ll send an experienced plumbing technician at your next earliest convenience.

Indoor Plumbing Tips

Visually inspect your water heater – Look for any signs of leaks from pipes going in or out, or for water on the floor. If there are no visible problems, put the unit into vacation mode, if possible. If you’ll be going away for several weeks, call us to help you to shut it off before you leave. If necessary, we can help you to turn it back on again once you’re home, too.
Check your washing machine hose – The average life expectancy for your laundry room’s washing machine hose is about 3 years. Before you head away, give yours a check for calcium buildup, cracks or leaks.
Test your sump pump and have a backup system in place – The last thing you want to do while you’re on vacation is worry about whether rain storms back home are causing problems. Test your sump pump to make sure it’s working properly. Don’t forget to have a backup system in place to kick in if the first system fails. A backup battery system can make all the difference if the power goes out in a storm.
Flush out your garbage disposal – Run lots of clean cold water through your garbage disposal. Consider sending some ice cubes through it as well. This will clear away any food left in the drain so you won’t return home to the odor of rotting food.
Shut off the main water valve – If you’ll be gone for several weeks, close the water’s main shut-off valve so you’re reducing the opportunity for water to enter your home in the first place. Don’t forget to turn on the faucets long enough to let the remaining water in the pipes drain away.

Outdoor Plumbing Tips

Check outdoor faucets and hoses – Examine outdoor water sources for drips, leaks, cracks and other potential problems.
Turn off the water – If you’ll be gone for several weeks, shut off the water to your exterior faucets. This will eliminate the risk of new water problems cropping up while you’re away.
Clear outdoor gutters and drains – Make sure that any rain that falls while you’re gone will be able to flow away from your home without problems. Blocked gutters can send water back into the house. Make sure they’re clear so water will be sent away, not inside.

Finally, don’t forget to provide a friend, family member, and/or neighbor watching your house with the number for McLoughlin Plumbing, Heating and Cooling. This makes it possible for them to reach your preferred experts in emergency plumbing repairs.

If you have any questions about what needs to be done in preparation for your vacation, don’t hesitate to call us. At McLoughlin Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, we’ll be happy to advise you or schedule a check of your home before you leave. Call our 24 hour service at 610-624-8037 to arrange for a expert plumbing technician to complete any pre-vacation checks or repairs you require.