You have planned your vacation for months, made reservations, mapped out a route and looked forward to getting away for some much-needed relaxation. Do a little planning for your home, and you can make those relaxing days even more enjoyable.
Security first
Thieves and burglars love vacation time -- your vacation time. They look for clues that the home is empty and strike when they have the opportunity. A home security system is a great way to prevent coming home to a surprise. For those who don't have one, here are a few tips to confuse the burglars:
- Cancel newspaper subscriptions for the time you'll be away. Have a neighbor get your mail daily.
- Have a neighbor or a service come to mow while you're on vacation. A newly mowed lawn indicates someone is at home.
- Place a few timers on lamps in the home. Set them to come on at night for an hour or so at staggered times, giving the home a lived-in look.
Cut your energy costs
Before you start out, there are some things you can do in your home to save money while you're away:
- Turn down the water heater thermostat. Put a storage water heater on its lowest setting or, if it has one, use the vacation setting. That will reduce the costs of your third largest energy user.
- Televisions, stereos and other gadgets can still use power while their off. Unplug them and reduce your electrical usage while you're away. This will also prevent damage from storms while you're gone.
- Set your programmable thermostat to hold at 80 degrees or so. Program it to bring the temperature back down an hour or two before you return and your home won't be hot and stuffy.
Plan a little, and you'll enjoy time away a lot more. If the heating and cooling experts at Rodenhiser can be of help with your home comfort, please contact us today. We're always ready to answer your questions.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about preparing your HVAC equipment for your vacation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Solutions Guide.
Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning serves the Route 495/128 area of Massachusetts. Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!