Before you go on holidays you generally think of arranging care for your pets, redirecting your mail, popping your lights on a timer and having a neighbour or friend put your bins out for rubbish collection. But most people don’t even consider whether they should undertake any plumbing maintenance before they go away. 

With Easter just around the corner, if you are planning a trip away, we suggest that you prepare your plumbing for the holidays too with our holiday plumbing tips below.

Check for leaks

The last thing that you want when you return from holidays is to discover that a fitting or pipe has burst and your house or yard have flooded. Before you leave for holiday, check to make sure you don’t have any obvious leaks or damaged or rusty flexi hoses that may burst in your absence. If you do note anything that doesn’t look right, ensure you have a licensed plumber rectify it before you leave. 

Turn off your water

If you are going away for more than a couple of days, it is a good idea to turn off your water. While you may have checked for leaks where you could, you may have missed an issue in your wall or roof cavity that you could not have foreseen, so isolating your water at the main is a good idea for extended trips. 

Turn off your hot water system

In the event that you are going away for an extended period of time, it is a good idea to turn off your hot water system using the isolation switch in your electricity box. This will save you power and prevent you from coming home to discover a serious issue with your system has gone unnoticed for a prolonged period. 

Disinfect your toilets

Prolonged periods of no use can result in your toilets staining, it is a great idea to pop ½ a cup of bleach in the bowl before you leave (provided it is compatible with your sewage treatment/septic system). If you are going for a shorter period, it is still nice to come home to clean, fresh smelling loos!

Clean your drains

Much like your toilets sitting without use, drains too can smell if you aren’t using them for a long period. We recommend popping ½ a cup of vinegar mixed with 1 cup of water in each of your sink and basin drains before you leave.

Ensure your gutters and stormwater drains are clear

While you are away, it is possible you may get heavy rain. Ensure you are prepared by clearing your gutters and stormwater drains of any debris before you leave. 

Pool owners!

Make sure you have thought about who can care for your pool while you are away, you will need to ensure that your pump continues to run, that someone is regularly clearing your filter, topping up the water volume so your pump doesn’t run dry and maintaining the water quality, or you will likely return from holidays to a pond, not a pool!

Undertaking this basic maintenance prior to leaving will ensure you return home to a dry, fresh smelling home and not a horrendous and expensive mess!

If you need any assistance preparing your home for the upcoming Easter break, give us a call on 0439 648 390.