Vacation Check

When you're getting ready to go on vacation, your furnace and water heater are probably the last things on your mind.

But if you don't give your appliances a vacation too, you'll probably return home wondering why an empty house doesn't mean lower energy bills.  In addition, oftentimes, I get calls from folks who had a wonderful vacation, but completely forget about that when they come home to a house that "sprung a leak" while they were gone.

Furnace & Air Conditioner
If you'll be taking a winter vacation, set the thermostat at 55 degrees - but don't go any lower. This will help prevent your water pipes from freezing and bursting.

If you'll be away for several weeks, ask a neighbor to check your house once in a while to make sure the furnace is still running.

Or you can use a device called a “winter watchman” - plug it into an outlet, then plug a lamp into it. The device is temperature sensitive, so if the room temperature drops below the set point, the lamp will come on to your neighbor. You can find one of these at your local home center or hardware store.

During the summer, turn the thermostat off. If you have a window air conditioner, it's best to remove it; if it's difficult to remove, cover the compressor and unplug the unit.

Water Heater
Many homeowners wonder about how to adjust their water heater while they're away. If you have a gas water heater, set the temperature dial to the VAC or "vacation" setting. If you don't have this setting, turn the thermostat as low as it will go - but don't turn it completely off. If you do, you'll have to relight the pilot light when you get home, and with most water heaters this requires a service call from a professional. If you have an electric water heater, cut the power at the breaker or fuse in the service panel. With either type of water heater, It's not necessary to drain out the water

Refrigerator
If you'll be gone for several weeks, empty out the food and unplug it.  If that's not practical, get rid of easily spoiled items like milk and yogurt, and turn up the thermostat a notch or two. You can raise the internal temperature up to 38 degrees and still keep 
your food safe. The same advice applies to the freezer. Remove fast-melting foods like ice cream, and raise the temperature a few degrees. Meats and vegetables will remain solidly frozen if the freezer temperature is five or below.

Other Appliances
Before you head out the door, take a few minutes to turn off and unplug any appliance or electronic device that doesn't need to stay on.  Many appliances use power even when they're not being used. Unplugging appliances will also help prevent damage in case of a storm or power surge. Don't forget to unplug bigger items like your washer and dryer. Turn off the water supplies to the toilets and give it one final flush. Always turn the water supplies off to the washing machine, regardless of how old they are.  If it's wintertime, open the cabinets in the house where plumbing is present.  This will help to keep any pipes from freezing.  Also, make certain that your outside hoses are disconnected from the valve and place a protector over it.

Safety and Security
sure to give your house that lived-in look while you're away.It's always a good idea to have a motion detector light outdoors, and 
while you're on vacation, use a timer on an indoor light. Look for a and off at exactly the same times every day.
If you'll be gone more than a few days, hire someone to mow the lawn or shovel the walk. And no matter how short your vacation, have a collect your mail and newspapers.