Pre-Vacation Appliance Prep: Protect Your Home While You’re Away
Avoid Returning to a Mess: Easy Pre-Travel Appliance Prep
The end of summer is almost here, but there’s still plenty of time for a quick vacation if you’re dying to get out of the heat. While you’re away enjoying cooler weather (or maybe an island, we don’t know what you prefer) your house still is here. Unless we’re going away for months, we tend to leave our homes connected to water and electricity, gas and internet. All of this is to say that while you’re gone, your home continues on as it normally does. What about your appliances though? We’ve all heard horror stories about people going away on vacation only to come back to a fridge full of mold and slime, or a flooded laundry room. How do you protect against those sorts of things?
The answer is that like may things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We’ll walk you through everything you’ll need to check on or adjust in the week before you head on vacation to ensure you come back to a house as perfect as you left it.
Simple Steps To Start You Off
Unplug Small Appliances -
Small appliances like your toaster oven, your instant pot, your coffee maker, they all eat up energy whether they're in use or not. If they're there using them every day this makes sense to keep them plugged in. But while you're gone why not save a few bucks on your electric bill?
Equally important although rare, these can cause fire if left unattended.
Turn Off Your Water Supply
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This solves several different problems at once, although we're not saying that you should go to your water main and turn that off. This can be a hassle, and not something you’ll want to deal with right after returning from vacation. Instead turn off the water supply at the different appliances especially your dishwasher and washing machine. If either were to get a cracked line while you're gone you can come home to water damage or flooding depending on how long you're gone for.
Don’t Turn Off Your AC
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Unlike with your appliances, you don’t want to turn off your ac. The reason is mold and mildew, and heat damage around the home. With your home heating and cooling in accordance to the temperatures, it can easily get warm enough to allow mold and mildew to begin growing while you’re gone. Additionally, anything around the house that is temperature sensitive can be damaged. A few quick examples include medicines, cleaning products, and your spices. Instead, set it to around 80* while you’re gone to use less energy, but not risk anything becoming damaged while you’re gone.
Time to Tackle Your Major Appliances
Run The Dishwasher
Running the dishwasher before you go kills two birds with one stone. One, you’re not going to come back to a sink of moldy or sentient dishes, and two, if you leave the dishwasher door open after running and emptying it, the dishwasher itself won’t smell musty. You also want to make sure that it is completely drained before you leave. Unwanted guests love stagnant water, and yes we're talking about bugs and mosquitoes.
Washing Machine
Many travel lists will tell you to do laundry before you leave home. We feel that this is an unnecessary step if you don't need to already do laundry. However whether you do laundry or not you do need to leave the washing machine door open. Just like with your dishwasher you don't want it to develop a musty smell while you're gone.
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Additionally, you want to make sure to inspect all hoses for any blisters, bulges, cracks, or leaks. Taking the time to do this now means you can spot problems before they grow into something much larger.
Dryer
Take a minute to clean out the trap and you’ll be good to do as much laundry as is needed on your return. Since it won't be running while you're gone, there's little to worry about with this one.
Oven and Stove
Whether gas or electric, these are the easiest to handle prior to going on vacation.
You don’t need to unplug it, or turn off the gas, just make sure that all burners are off before you leave. Other than that, the only rthing you’ll need to worry about is cleaning up any residue or burnt food before you leave, to avoid attracting any unwanted pests.
Water Heater
Although not an appliance, we do recommend turning down or even powering off, your water heater, as one more way to cut down on bills while you’re away.
Finally, Check Smoke Detectors And Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Ensure that all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are functioning correctly before you leave. Replace batteries if necessary to guarantee your home’s safety in your absence.
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Now that you’ve taken all the right steps to protect your home while you’re soaking up the sun or savoring cooler breezes, there’s just one more thing to check off your list. Before you head out, make sure your appliances are in top shape with a quick inspection from our expert technicians at Appliance Rescue Service. Whether it's checking for potential issues or giving your appliances a little extra care, our team is here to help ensure everything runs smoothly while you’re away.
Don’t leave it to chance—schedule an appointment today by giving us a call or visiting our website. That way, you can truly relax on your vacation, knowing your home is in good hands. Safe travels, and we’ll see you when you get back!
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