While you may be looking forward to vacation, you probably aren’t looking forward to all of the things that could go wrong while you’re gone. There are several home safety tips you should consider before heading out on vacation. First, ask a friend or neighbor to check on the house, bring in the mail, water the plants, etc. Since your friend will have a key to your house, make sure he knows the locations of the water shut-off, the electrical panel and your trip itinerary. The latter is so if problems arise, you can be notified. You just never know when your hot water heater could go out or your central air conditioner could stop dead in its tracks. Another important home safety tip is to make sure you don’t let strangers know you’re on vacation. Do not mention going out of town on your social media sites unless this information is only available to close friends. You also should not close all of your window coverings or leave all the lights off. You may want to close some of the curtains and set you lights on a timer. Nothing says “We’re not home” like a lonely light left on all day and all night. For the same reasons, you should leave your A/C running while you’re gone, though several degrees higher than usual. The outside compressor occasionally kicking on will make it seem as if someone’s at home. Plus, having some cooling in your home will protect your plants, food and belongings from excessive heat. If your neighbors notice a problem at your home, make sure they know they can contact you at anytime. In the middle of summer, a malfunctioning A/C unit can cause a lot of problems. You may need to have service on your A/C before you get home. Planning for a much-needed vacation can be overwhelming. Once you have your home checklist complete, your hot water heater turned down, and your A/C on a programmable thermostat, check over the home safety tips and make sure you will have peace of mind while you’re gone. If you do have a problem with the A/C, please contact our professionals at Senica Air Conditioning, Inc.. We provide exceptional HVAC services to the Tampa, St Petersburg and Clearwater areas.
