One of the most exciting and rewarding times of year is the summer: Kids are out of school, usually work isn’t quite as crazy as other times a year, and people are just generally happier. I love getting home from work, throwing a pile of things into my suitcase, and heading to my destination. I love the warmer weather. I also love the fact that my family takes some vacation time with me. Summer has turned into a hallowed time to bond and share with my family and friends.
Packing your Bag
Photo Credit: Danielle
I don’t know about you but I am infamous for forgetting something. I’m known for doing this routinely. I always forget my bathing suit. Even when we are going somewhere tropical, where people generally wear their bathing suits to travel in while they are on their voyage to the destination, I just seem to forget anyway. I’m sure some members of my family and some friends of mine think I’m doing this on purpose, as a way to get a new bathing suit every year. If I’m being honest, these friends and family members have figured me out. What do you always remember to bring, or always remember not to bring when you’re going on vacation?
A lot of people arrange for a pet sitter, baby sitter, house sitter, plant waterer, etc… while they are away. Most people overlook seeing that their home ventilation system is taken care of properly before departing on their holiday. Here are some basic tips to remember so that you will not be among the crowd of people who neglect their HVAC system:
- Double check that your doors and windows are closed securely and tightly before leaving, this will make sure that drafts are avoided.
- Program your thermostat. Many people just have the thermostat hold on a higher temperature so as to completely minimize airflow if possible.
- Unplug appliances before you leave.
- Close curtains and shade in areas of your home where a lot of light enters, this will healp keep the inside temperature reasonable without having the air conditioning running while you are away.
Never completely turn off your HVAC system or water heater. It’s always better to turn these to a low level setting and continue running them while you are away. This avoids problems with relighting pilot lights or a spike in your utilities bill.
Leaving with Confidence
Utah heating and air can often times be a day to day thing. Sometimes we have crazy weather patterns here: Snow on Monday and eighty degree sun tan weather by Wednesday morning. Before you leave on vacation, it is important that you set your HVAC systems to continue to run on low level, comfortable settings that would keep your home at an appropriate temperature regardless of the weather and in spite of our Monday blizzards and Wednesday sun tans.
Going on vacation, regardless of the season, can be one of the most memorable times of year. Vacations allow for bonding time and growing with your loved ones. So often we are pulled in several different directions all at once. A well-deserved vacation can become a mental and spiritual respite from all the tumultuousness of our everyday lives. By preparing our homes for our vacations by readying all systems in the house, we are ensuring, almost completely, the avoidance of any additional tumultuous happenings upon our arrival back at home.
By Ben Vaugh
Like most people, Ben really enjoys spending time with his family on fun vacations. Ben loves to research and share with others the tips that he has found useful in his travels.