Taking Off This Winter? Tips for Securing Your Home Before You Go

If you’re taking off this winter for vacation, you need to take a bit of time and secure your home before leaving. It will help ensure that your home is safe and secure while you’re away. When you return, you can quickly get the house back to normal.

Here are some tips for securing your home before taking off this winter:

• Adjust the thermostat. There’s no need to keep the house’s interior at a comfortable level when no one’s there. As soon as you get home, you can change the settings back to normal.
• Minimize water heater usage. Turn your water heater to the vacation setting or shut it off at the breaker box.
• Turn off your water at the house main. This ensures that any potential leaks that may develop while you’re away won’t cause extensive damage.
• Put the mail on hold. The U.S. Postal Service will hold mail up to 30 days. You can sign up on their website or fill out a form at your local post office. Piled up mail is a sure sign that people are not at home.
• Secure the house. Lock all windows and doors and set an alarm if you have one. Check if your local police department offers a vacation watch service.
• Put lights on timers based on your normal schedule. A light in the living area and a light in the bedroom, appropriately timed will do the trick. Use exterior motion-sensor lights also.
• Put a radio on a timer. Burglars will often listen outside the door or window before entering to see if anyone is home. A bit of noise can scare them away.
• Store valuables in a bank’s safety deposit box and guns in a gun safe. Burglars are after the easy to carry items. Either have your valuables with you or secured where a burglar can’t reach them.

For more information about protecting your home and HVAC system when while taking off this winter, contact Preferred Air Conditioning & Mechanical, Inc. We’ve been serving Palm Beach and St. Lucie since 1991.