Tips to Keep the Plumbing Safe During Summer Vacations
Summertime is the busiest time of year for people to go on vacation. With kids out of school and the weather making the great outdoors enjoyable, more people leave home than at any other time of the year. While there is no convenient time to deal with a plumbing emergency in the home, undoubtedly, the worst time is when no one is around to catch the problem. When plumbing problems occur while people are on long vacations, they can turn homes into disaster areas. To prevent this problem, homeowners should include a few simple tasks on their pre-vacation to-do list before they leave town for prolonged absences.
Turn off the Main Water Valve
One of the most important things that homeowners should do regarding plumbing before they leave for an extended stay elsewhere is to shut off the water supply. They will likely want to delay this until the moment just before they leave, but the task itself is simple and can help protect the home from damage.
Two of the biggest threats to the home from plumbing are leaks and burst pipes, both of which can happen when people are gone. The home can become flooded, and major rehabilitation will be needed to fix the water damage. Turning off the main water shutoff valve can prevent flooding and water damage if a leak or pipe burst occurs.
Switch off the Water Heater
Water heaters are major sources of comfort and convenience, but they can be a liability when the home is unattended. Water heaters can also leak and cause water damage. In addition to the water heater leaking and causing damage, leaving it running when no one is home to use hot water wastes energy and money.
Shutting off the water heater and draining it before a long vacation can prevent these issues. It will prevent water damage and other issues from a leak and save homeowners money on their water heating costs.
Get Professionals to Help
Most people like to plan their vacations in advance, which makes it easy to schedule other activities around them. A plumbing maintenance visit and inspection is one of the best things to add to the pre-vacation calendar. Not only is this a valuable service to do every year anyway, but having it done before a vacation allows plumbers to catch and fix any existing plumbing issues, giving peace of mind to homeowners on their trip.
About Lascko Services
Lascko Services is a full-service provider of HVAC and plumbing services for homes and businesses. They offer flat-rate pricing, personal attention, and easy scheduling. Call today for plumbing services in Muskegon, MI.
