How to Prep Your Plumbing for Vacation
Take These Steps to Avoid a Messy Situation
Vacation hype is a feeling like no other. Emails from work? They’ll have to wait. Bills to pay? They’ll be there when you get back. Time to leave it all behind and head out the door. Your summer vacation has officially begun.
Fast forward one week. After some much-needed “me” time, you’re ready to head home. You open the door, walk inside and that’s when it hits you. You’re standing in a pool of water, surrounded by ruined furniture, awful smells and damages that will cost you thousands of dollars. Vacation has never ended so disastrously.
Luckily, you can prevent this situation. Even when you aren’t scheduling sewer replacement or other plumbing services in Rockville, MD, you should always make your plumbing a priority—especially when you aren’t home.
Want to take the safe route this summer? Here’s what you should do before your vacation:
The Plumbing Prep Checklist
- Turn off the main water supply. This is the best way to prevent a major flood in your home. If water leaks from a faulty pipe or plumbing fixture, turning off the water supply prevents additional water from coming in. If you own a sprinkler system or pool pump and you’d rather not turn off the entire supply, you can turn off the water for individual fixtures such as the toilets, sinks, washing machine, etc.
- Drain the outside faucets and disconnect the hoses. Once you’ve turned the water off, run the outside faucets and disconnect the hoses to remove all of the water from your pipes. You don’t want to go through the trouble of turning off the water, only to face a flooded home thanks to leaking pipes.
- Test the sump pump. If your basement unexpectedly floods, it’s important to ensure your sump pump can remove the water. Test the sump pump by pouring water into the sump pit until the pump turns on. As an extra precaution, it’s always best to have a battery backup pump in case there’s a power outage.
- Drain the water heater. Did you schedule maintenance for your water heater this year? If not, now is the perfect time to do so. Your plumber will inspect the water heater for any leaks and can help you drain water from the system. This will not only save energy while you’re away, but it will also reduce your chances of water damage. In addition, you should either turn off your water heater or set it to “vacation” mode if your system has this feature. If you shut off the main water line and your tank leaks, the unit will continue to run and become a fire hazard. For this reason, we recommend turning your system off.
- Clean the gutters. Summer storms come and go quickly—but the water stays behind. Before you leave, remove any debris from the gutters to help prevent roof leaks.
- Clean the drains. Have you been meaning to get those drains cleaned for a while? Without water running through the drains, those clogs can create unpleasant odors. Vito Services specializes in drain cleanings to get your drains working properly and to keep your home smelling fresh!
- Have a friend stop by. When you aren’t there to protect your home, that’s when problems can become costly. If you’re leaving for an extended period of time, ask a friend or relative to check on your home every now and then. This can be the best way to prevent any problems from getting out of hand.
Protect Your Plumbing With Vito Services
As a company that’s been around since 1934, you can say we’ve seen our fair share of plumbing mishaps. By taking these preventive measures, you can rest easy on vacation and know that things are A-OK back at home.
To schedule service with our plumbers or HVAC contractors in Rockville, MD, you can call your local Vito Services office or contact us online today.