One step of summer vacation planning is making sure your residential plumbing is ready for you to leave!
It’s that time of year again when northern Utah families are planning out their upcoming summer vacations, and we all know just how important extended getaways are for our outdoor recreation and family time.
But when you’re planning out an extended summer vacation, you can’t forget about prepping your residential plumbing system. Getting your home’s system ready to be unoccupied can help you avoid all sorts of accidents while your gone, because no one wants to come home from vacation to find a clogged drain or flooding!
So below are some of our expert tips to help you prepare your plumbing system for your next summer vacation!
Make Sure Your Water Supply Is Shut Off
The first thing you should do to prepare your plumbing system for an extended vacation is shut your main water valve off. This is something you should do whenever you know you’ll be away from home for at least a few days, and it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious and shut off any secondary water line valves that go to your washing machine and dishwasher as well.
We highly recommend everyone to shut off their main water valves prior to getaways, as well as going the extra mile and turning off individual water lines. This is the easiest way you can avoid potential flooding in your home while you’re away!
Drain Your Pipes
If you’ll be away from home for several weeks, you’ll definitely be better off when you drain your pipes after shutting off your main water valve. By taking this precautionary next step, you’ll essentially eliminate all risks of inadvertent water damages.
Although turning off water valves will always go a long way to prevent flooding, there’s still the possibility that some water damages can arise via the water that’s left within your pipes. So by draining your pipes, you’ll fully guarantee that no water can damage your home, even when a serious accident occurs.
Turn Your Water Heater Off
Even if you’ve already shut off your main water valve, you’ll still need to shut off your water heater unit prior to your next big vacation. Keeping your water heater on while you’re away is never a risk that’s worth taking!
This is an increasingly important prevention method after taking the above two steps, because if your water heater is on but has no water within it, you could potentially burn your heating components and destroy the entire system.
So prevent any massive water heater repairs by keeping your unit shut off while you’re on your next summer trip.
Make Sure Your Sump Pump Is Functioning Correctly
If your home’s sump pump is functioning as it should, it’ll help you prevent any basement flooding during our seasonal stormy season. A lot of people also tend to forget that gutter failures and other issues can quickly lead to basement flooding, which is where your sump pump will be a vital defense strategy.
This is why you should always test out your sump pump prior to your next extended vacation, and you’ll do this by initially increasing the water levels in your sump pit. If everything gets ejected as normal, then you’re likely fine; but if not, you’ll need to have it checked out.
Our team will be sure to closely inspect your sump pump’s float component, discharge line, and inlet screen to see if a repair is necessary. So even though it might be unlikely that you’ll experience basement flooding while you’re away, there’s still no reason to take these risks by ensuring the functionality of your home’s sump pump system.
Clear Out Your Gutters
It’s also important to make sure your gutters are cleared of debris prior to your next summer getaway, because this will help them be better prepared for any summer rainstorms that come through northern Utah. No one wants to come home after a trip to find out that they’ve experienced foundational flooding, and avoiding this catastrophe is the main purpose of your gutter system.
So be sure to remove any clogs in your gutters prior to your vacation!
Reach Out To Beehive Plumbing When You’re Prepping Your Residential Plumbing System Before Your Next Summer Vacation!
Beehive Plumbing has supported the northern Utah community for over twenty years, so we understand how important it is for homeowners to prepare their plumbing systems prior to extended summer vacations.
We’ve seen all sorts of problems that have occurred within residential plumbing systems while people were away, so trust us, the above tips aren’t to be taken lightly.
Reach out to us online or give us a call at 801-661-8155 to let us know how we can help you prepare your home’s plumbing system for your upcoming summer getaway!
