As many Sun City residents pack for warmer climates, it is important to spend an hour or so to prepare your house for the winter. When you are going to be away for a week or more you should prepare your home so there will be no surprises on your return.
The main water valve should be turned to the off position, and faucets and showers should be opened for a few minutes and then closed to allow pressurized water to drain from the lines. The main water valve will be found near the water meter. If you have an ice maker in your refrigerator, be sure to turn it off. If you do not and the water is turned off the ice maker will dry cycle because no water will flow into it to make ice. This may cause it to burn out; an expensive repair.
In winter, you should leave the heat on and set your thermostat to 55 degrees. In summer, you can leave the air conditioning on with the temperature set to 85 degrees or you can turn it off. If you have a temperature set back thermostat and the batteries are more than a year old replace them. If the batteries die the thermostat will revert to the default settings, and in some cases the furnace can shut down.
Change the air filter in the furnace before you leave. Turn off the furnace humidifier.
Pour two cups of water into and then plug all sink, shower, and basement floor drains to prevent sewer gases from entering the house which may happen with a lack of use as the water that plugs the drainpipe evaporates. Water in the trap normally provides this function, but it can evaporate over time.
Close all toilet lids. If you will be away a month or more, put half a cup of bleach in each toilet bowl and cover them with saran wrap.
Close the dishwasher, but do not latch it, and put two cups of water in the bottom of the dishwasher to keep the seals from drying out. Remove all perishables from the refrigerator. Turn off the automatic ice maker in the refrigerator and empty the ice bin. Make sure the gas stove is off.
Turn off the faucets to which your washing machine hoses are connected. Pour two cups of water into the washing machine tub to prevent the seals from drying out.
After the last use of the kitchen sink pour ½ cup of salad oil into the drain to lubricate and prevent rust in the garbage disposal.
Unplug all TVs, DVRs, computers, printers, modems, routers, and other electronic equipment to prevent damage from a power surge. Unplug all small appliances in the kitchen and bathroom and unplug the microwave oven.
If the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are more than a year old, replace them before you leave. You should also do the same with the battery in your thermostat.
A surge in the electric power can, on rare occasions, cause your garage door to open. You can prevent this by turning off the garage door opener by pulling the plug or tripping the circuit breaker.
If you have a fireplace, make sure the gas starter is turned off and the flue is closed.
If you will be away in the winter, remove all hoses from the outside faucets, drain them, and store them in the garage. If you have a basement with a sump pump remove the extension hose from the sump pump discharge pipe. These tasks should be done every winter even if you don’t go away.
The water heater should be set on the low vacation setting following the instructions in the manual.
If you will be away in the winter and have a neighbor who can check on your home, there is a good way to do this. You can get an electronic thermometer with a remote sending unit. Put the remote unit in your house and give your neighbor the master unit so he can check the temperature in your house while you are away.
You can also get an advanced thermostat that connects to the internet so you can log on to it from anywhere with your phone and read the temperature in your house. You can also change the temperature with your phone. For example, when you are on your way home, you can set the temperature up to a comfortable level so it will be warm when you return home.
There is a temperature sensor available that will dial a phone number if the temperature in the house drops below a preset level. There is also a sensor that will detect if there is water on the basement floor from a failed sump pump and dial a phone number.
It is a good idea to put one or two lights on a timer to make the house lived in. Set the light to come on at 6 p.m. and go off at 12 a.m., or pick your own schedule.
Turn off the ceiling fans at the wall switch, not just with the remote.
Be sure to stop your mail and newspapers. Don’t forget to take any last-minute garbage out of the house. We give ours to a neighbor to put in his bin for the next pickup. Lock the doors and windows when you leave.
If you follow this check list you can relax while you are away and you will not come home to preventable problems.
