Plumbing

While summer vacations with family or friends can be a blast, there’s always the worry that something could happen to your home while you’re away. One of the biggest concerns in this regard is your plumbing leaking or part of your home otherwise getting flooded.

Luckily, these issues are fairly easy to avoid by taking some steps to check and prepare your plumbing before your vacation. By following this checklist, you’ll have added peace of mind knowing that no plumbing issues should arise while you’re away.

Check Plumbing for Leaks

Even though you should always shut the water to your house off before leaving for vacation, it’s still important to go around your house and check for any signs of leaks. If there’s a leak inside a wall or ceiling, it obviously will result in the drywall and insulation getting waterlogged. If you don’t take steps to dry everything out, there’s a high chance that mold will quickly start growing while you’re away and potentially create a major infestation.

Ideally, this step is something you should do a week or so before your vacation. That way, if there is a leak, you’ll have time to get a plumber out to your house and fix it. There will also be time to make sure everything is fully dry before you leave.

In terms of visible signs of a leak, the things to look for are yellow or brown stains on drywall, wet spots on a wall or ceiling, peeling wallpaper and bubbling paint. Most water meters have a leak indicator dial that spins whenever water is running. This dial is helpful for checking for hidden leaks, such as a leak under a concrete slab foundation. All you need to do is make sure no water is running and then check to see if the dial is moving.

The only issue is that a tiny pinhole leak often won’t cause the dial to spin. That’s why it’s also a good idea to check the reading on the water meter before leaving for work and then again as soon as you get back home. If no one was home during the day and the reading is higher when you check the second time, it’s a sure sign there’s a leak in one of your water lines.

Shut Off the Water

Shutting off your water before leaving is essential for preventing potential flooding while you’re away. While the risk is fairly small, there’s always a chance that a pipe could burst or start leaking at any time. If this were to happen while you’re on vacation, you could come home to find major flooding, extensive water damage and severe mold issues.

The main shut-off valve for your water is usually located near your water meter. All you have to do to shut the water to your entire house off is close this valve. We’d recommend trying to close the shut-off valve at the same time you’re checking for leaks.

Shut-off valves can sometimes get stuck when not used for a long time, in which case you won’t be able to turn off your water. If you find that the valve is stuck, you’ll want to have a plumber fix or replace it before you leave.

Drain Plumbing Fixtures

Even if the water is shut off, all of your pipes will still be full of water. Making sure to drain them is an extra precaution that will fully ensure no water damage occurs while you’re away. To drain your pipes, all you need to do is turn each plumbing fixture on until no more water comes out. However, it’s important to remember to drain both the cold and hot water pipes as well as all outdoor plumbing fixtures.

Test the Sump Pump

Many homes in Georgia are at risk of the crawl space or basement flooding due to the amount of rainfall we receive and the fact that most areas have clay soil that doesn’t drain very well. This is why so many houses have a sump pump that works to prevent any potential flooding.

The only concern is that a sump pump can suddenly just give out and no longer work, especially if it’s older. The screen on the water intake can also get clogged and prevent the pump from working effectively enough or even cause the motor to burn out.

If your home has a sump pump, these potential issues are why it’s important to test that it works properly before going on vacation. That way, you shouldn’t have to worry about your crawl space or basement possibly flooding if the area receives heavy rainfall while you’re away.

All you need to do is fill a 5-gallon bucket with water and then pour the water into the sump pit to make sure the pump comes on and quickly pumps the pit dry. If the pump doesn’t come on, doesn’t pump effectively or makes excessive noise, you should have it inspected before you leave if possible.

Turn Off the Water Heater or Set It to Low

Most tank water heaters nowadays have a “vacation” mode or low setting, which functions to minimize energy usage when you’re away for a prolonged time. When set to this setting, the water heater keeps the water at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The purpose of this setting is to ensure that the water in the tank can’t freeze if the heating goes out when you’re away during the winter.

If you’re going away during winter, we definitely recommend switching the water heater to this setting. When leaving for a summer vacation, it’s better to just turn the water heater off so it doesn’t use any energy while you’re away.

Pour Vinegar Down Each Drain

The P-traps underneath drains usually contain a substantial amount of bacteria that can give off nasty odors. The reason you normally don’t notice any bad odors when a drain is used regularly is that the water in the P-trap continually gets flushed out and replaced.

However, if a drain sits unused for an extended time such as when you’re on vacation, the bacteria can start to make it smell terrible. That means you could come home to all of your drains and your entire house smelling terrible. The best way to avoid this is to pour 1 cup of water followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar down each drain. Contact us for drain cleaning services!

Make Sure the Washing Machine and Dishwasher Are Dry

Making sure your dishwasher and washing machine are completely dry is important for preventing mildew from growing in them while you’re away. Once you’ve finished doing all the laundry you’re taking on vacation, all you need to do to make sure the washing machine is dry is to run a full spin cycle and then leave the door open.

For the dishwasher, it’s best to run it on the shortest cycle with the heat dry function on. Once the cycle is complete, open the door and leave it open until the inside is completely dry.

For award-winning plumbing services in Cumming, GA, turn to Kennon Heating, Air & Plumbing. We’re a family-run business that’s been serving the community for over 15 years, and our expert team is here to help with all of your plumbing needs. Whether you’re facing a plumbing leak, a stuck shut-off valve or any other issue, give us a call to get the reliable assistance you need.

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