Gold Medal Service Offers 10 Tips to Prepare your Home for Summer Vacation

Here are some suggestions that Agugliaro says are important to consider when your home will be empty for at least a week or more:

• Unplug small appliances and electronics - unplug your television, computer, toaster oven and other appliances to protect them from power surges. Do this to save power as well. According to the Consumer Energy Center, many appliances use power even when they're turned off.
• Change water heater settings - Put the water heater in vacation mode, or if you don't have that, dial the temperature down a few degrees to save energy.
• Turn your air conditioning up – Set the temperature to at least 80 degrees or more. There's no sense in spending money to cool an empty house. If you wish to cool your home before you return home, consider a Wi-Fi thermostat that will let you control the temperature remotely.
• Put lights on a timer - While leaving lights on 24/7 may seem like a good way to convince outsiders that people are at home, it accomplishes just the opposite. If a light remains on during the day when it wouldn't be used ordinarily, a would-be burglar might see it as an indication that nobody is home. It's best to use a timer to turn lights on and off at set times every day.
• Mow your lawn - If possible, mow your lawn the day before you leave. A yard that hasn't been cared for gives the impression that no one is occupying the home.
• Do not overshare on social media - Don't share your date of departure on social media. That can make you an easy target by letting everyone in cyberspace know you aren't home.
• Alert your alarm company - Notify your security alarm monitoring company that you plan to be away. Also consider using an outside motion sensor that will alert your neighbors and police if anyone attempts a break-in.
• Clean your garbage disposal - Sometimes we forget about what we can't see. There may be remaining food that has not been flushed away. Flush the garbage disposal with distilled white vinegar and water while letting it run for a minute. This will prevent any unpleasant odors when you return.
• Address standing toilet water – In order to prevent the ring that sometimes occurs from standing water, add ½ cup of chlorine bleach to the toilet bowl.
• Turn off water main valve – Before you head out the door, turn off the main water valve that leads into the house.  If a water pipe should suddenly burst, you could suffer extensive water damage that can go undetected. Don't return home to find that your floors, walls and important possessions have been ruined.

For New Jersey residents who would like help and suggestions for preparing their homes for vacation, the professionals at Gold Medal Service are ready to assist. For more information about electrical, plumbing or HVAC home safety and maintenance tips from the BBB A+ rated Gold Medal Service, visit www.goldmedalservice.com.

About Gold Medal Service 

Gold Medal Service was founded in by two New Jersey natives in 1994. Their goal is to provide homeowners with a reliable and trustworthy home service company customers could count on to fix just about anything that could go wrong in a home. Since then Gold Medal has grown to include more than 170 employees and experts solving plumbing, heating, cooling, electric, drain, sewer and waterproofing issues for homeowners across the state of New Jersey. Gold Medal Service is a Dave Lennox Award recipient, exclusive to the top 25 Lennox Premier Dealers throughout the Unites States and Canada. For more information, call 800-576-GOLD or visit www.goldmedalservice.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160720/391456

SOURCE Gold Medal Service

Related Links

http://www.goldmedalservice.com