How to Prep Your Plumbing for Vacation

You’ve booked all your travel plans, your swimsuits are packed, and your mind is already on the beach. But now you can’t shake the feeling that you’ve forgotten something. How about your home’s plumbing? The last thing you want after a relaxing vacation is to come home to a plumbing disaster. We’ll we’ve got you covered! Here are the 4 steps you must take prior to your departure date to prevent a major plumbing mishap while you’re away.

Check Your Fixtures for Leaks

Set aside some time before you leave on vacation to inspect all the fixtures in your home. Check for dripping faucets and shower heads. Check the exterior hose bibs and yard hydrants too. We also recommend inspecting the p-traps under your sink for light drips when you run the water. You might be surprised to find minor leaks throughout your home when conducting a thorough walk-through.

Turn Off Your Main Water Valve

For an extra layer of precaution, you always have the option of turning water off to your home while you’re away for an extended period of time, such as a summer vacation. If you need help locating your home’s main water valve, your local plumber can come out to coach you through your home’s water system. While they’re on-site, he or she will be able to identify all your shut off valves to control water to appliances such as your dishwasher, water heater or water softener.

Test Your Sump Pump

Is your basement or crawlspace prone to flooding? Before you leave on summer vacation, conduct a thorough inspection of your sump pump. A sump pump is designed to remove excess water from unwanted spaces in the home. To test your sump pump yourself, simply add water into the sump pit so that the water level rises enough to elevate the float mechanism. This will engage the pump. If this test fails, we recommend contacting a local plumber to repair or replace the faulty sump pump.

Set Your Water Heater to Vacation Mode

Last but not least, setting your water heater to vacation mode when you’re gone will allow the system to keep running but with less energy consumption. Most modern water heaters have a mechanism you can toggle between “low” or “vacation mode”. The other option is to completely shut off your water heater until your return home.

Don’t Have Time to Do it Yourself? Let Hudson Prep Your Plumbing For You!

Enjoy your vacation all the more this summer with peace of mind that your home’s plumbing is par for the course! Contact your local plumber by phone or text at 765-769-2066 to schedule a whole-home plumbing inspection.

• Prev Post
• Next Post