Prepare Your HVAC System For Vacation

As the winter and holiday season is quickly approaching, the urge to ditch the snow shovel for the sand shove can get stronger and stronger. As you begin to plan your winter getaway, don’t forget to add your HVAC prep to your to-do list. Neglecting your HVAC system and heading out to the sand and sun can leave you coming home to a major heating disaster. To ensure your home is comfy and cozy by the time you return, be sure to follow these HVAC steps.

Step #1: Turn off the water supply.

If you’re jetting off to somewhere tropical, swimming pools might be top of mind. However, we’re willing to bet you’d prefer not to come home and find one in your living room. Sometimes plumbing can be unpredictable, which is why your best bet is to switch off the water main before you leave. No water, no leaks, no problem.

Step #2: Power down appliances.

Not only will turning off running appliances save you electricity, but it will help prevent fire hazards while you’re away. This means not only shutting off, but unplugging any electric-powered items. There’s one exception! Leaving one light on can help deter burglars while you’re away.

Step #3: Turn down the water heater.

Unless you’ve got a house sitter, no one is going to need hot water while you’re gone. Save yourself the money and set your water heater to ‘vacation mode’ if possible. If your system doesn’t have a particular vacation setting, make sure you turn down the thermostat before you depart.

Step #4: Lower the thermostat.

Heating your home can be expensive, so why keep it toasty when there’s no one around to enjoy it? Drop the temperature setting down to 55 degrees to ensure your pipes won’t freeze, but your heating bill won’t be sky high. If you’ve got a smart thermostat, you can even program it to raise back up the morning you’re coming home so you can arrive to a nice warm home.

Step #5: Call on a friend.

It’s always good to let a friend or neighbor know that you’ll be gone. That way, there’s always someone watching over your home. Urge neighbors to park in the driveway to avert break-ins, and ask someone with a key to check on things every now and again, especially if you’ll be gone for a while.

Could your home’s water heater or central heating system use a tune-up before you heat off for the holidays? Just give Tyler Heating, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration LLC a call at (203) 378-4700.