DIY - Leaving on Vacation

When you plan to leave your home for more than just a few days, we recommend taking the following steps.

No matter what temperature is expected during your absence, first turn off your main water supply. Then open all faucets and flush all toilets. Put pink or RV antifreeze in drain traps, toilet bowls, showers and tubs, and your dishwasher. Use 1 cup for sinks, and 2 cups for your dishwasher, showers, tubs, toilets bowls and tanks. This will prevent the unpleasant smell associated with sewer gas from entering the home, as well as prevent frozen pipes in case of cold weather. If you have an electric water heater, go to your electrical panel and turn off the breaker for it. We recommend taping this off as a reminder not to turn it on. If you have a gas water heater, turn the valve to the pilot position. Consider setting your thermostat to an energy efficient level. Regardless of temperature, you don’t want to overpay for heating or air conditioning while you are away. If you are leaving for an extended period of time, remove food and ice from your refrigerator and unplug it. This will save you an average of $17 a month on your utility bill. Finally, you can give your home the appearance that someone is still there, by using timed outlets to turn lights on and off. And consider either contacting the post office to have them hold your mail, or as a neighbor to pick up the mail or deliveries. You might also ask them to park in your driveway, or walk through the home once a week.

If you have any questions about the instructions in this video, please call HomeGuard at (855) 331-­‐1900.

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