No one wants to come home to a mess after a vacation. But that’s likely to happen if you leave your home with leaking pipes and forget to turn off your main water supply. Don’t wait to find yourself in such a circumstance. Take the necessary steps now by using the plumbing checklist below as your guide!
Step 1: Check, Inspect, and Clear
Begin by checking for leaks in your home before leaving for vacation. This entails checking the pipes under the sinks and water heater for rust and cracks. Take a look at your windows as well and see if the seals are in good condition. Don’t forget the shingles on the roof and replace them or re-caulk the seals if necessary.
Next, you need to look at the hoses connecting to your major appliances, including the dishwasher, washing machine, and refrigerator. Check for kinks and damaged hoses, and replace them. Lastly, you need to inspect the rain gutters for debris and clear them out. Do the same with the downspouts to see if there are any blockages.
Step 2: Inspect the Sump Pump
The sump pump is the system that keeps the groundwater away from your basement. It is an important system that helps keep your home from possible water damage. So, ensure to visit and test yours before going away to see if it is doing its job of pumping out water well. You can conduct the test by filling its pit with water, then running the pump, and listening if the motor is producing any strange sounds. You may also install a backup battery to guarantee that the system will keep working even with a power outage.
Step 3: Have Someone Check Your Home
For the next item in the plumbing checklist, you need to have someone who could check your place while you are away. Let the person know where the main water valve is so he or she would know where to go in case a pipe bursts or leaks.
Step 4: Turn Off Your House’s Main Water Supply
Turning off the house’s main water supply would be the core of the plumbing checklist. The previous steps are all essential, but the last step is what matters most. By turning off the main supply valve, you prevent the possibility of flooding inside your home. In this case, it won’t matter if a pipe breaks since no water will leak through to cause the flooding. However, if you still require some accessible water for your plants or pets, you can just turn off the valves to the faucets, toilets, refrigerator, and washing machine.
Aside from doing all these steps, it helps to install a water sensor or monitoring system. Some best examples of the systems you may choose to install are an electronic leak detector, a water flow sensor, and a temperature sensor.
Want to ensure that there are no leaking pipes in your place? Contact Sin City’s plumbing water leak detection services then! Sin City’s services are available both in Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sin City Plumbing is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within this blog. While the information contained within the site is periodically updated, no guarantee is given that the information provided in this blog is correct, complete, and up-to-date.
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