Do you find yourself feeling nervous when you leave home for an extended vacation? There’s a lot worry about when your house is unattended. That’s why homeowners lock doors and install security systems, after all.
If you plan to leave home for even a short period this winter, it’s critical to take precautions for your plumbing, wiring and appliances. Winter can get pretty frigid in Essex, Passaic and Bergen Counties. You could return home to find a broken microwave or a busted pipe if you aren’t careful.
The professionals at JW Pierson Co. know a few tips to protect your home while you’re on a winter vacation.
Frozen pipes can be a real pain in the neck to fix, and cracked or burst pipes require immediate repair. When temperatures drop below freezing for several days, the water in your exposed pipes can become a freezing risk.
Luckily, you can preemptively deal with this issue by shutting off the main water valve to your home and opening all your faucets. This simple step will clear water from your plumbing. Your pipes can’t freeze because there’s nothing in them.
One of the fringe benefits of taking a long vacation is reducing your home temperatures and saving cash on energy bills. It can be tempting to switch off your home heating completely, but that’s a bad idea. It can lead to damage to your pipes, requiring costly repairs.
Before leaving home, you should lower your thermostat to 60° and set your fan for “auto” rather than “on” to prevent it from running 24/7.
Even better, you can invest in a smart thermostat that allows you to check and adjust your home temperature remotely from a smartphone or tablet.
Believe it or not, 10% of the average home’s energy costs come from electronics that leech power just by being plugged in. You can save money on your electric bill by unplugging these “vampire” appliances – including microwaves, coffee makers, laptop computers – while you’re gone.
Doing this will also protect these appliances and the wiring they take power from. If there is an electrical surge while your gone, plugged-in devices could get fried.
One more thing—no homeowner wants to return from vacation to find a nearly-empty heating oil tank. New Jersey families trust JW Pierson to keep their tanks full. Contact us today to see the difference we can make!