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Leaving on vacation? Beware. Experts say it's not enough to just lock up

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VANCOUVER -

The long weekend is coming up and many folks will be getting away. Don’t just close the windows, lock the door and leave. That could be a mistake.

Before you go, you might want to spend a bit more time around the house. A lot can happen while you’re gone and you need to protect yourself.

Some people might forget the obvious things, like taking out the garbage. How many times do you think folks would make that mistake?

“Once in a lifetime,” said Tim Kester, British Columbia general manager at Reliance Home Comfort.

Kester demonstrated things you should do.

“Clean out anything that might go bad,” he said while opening the fridge.

That doesn’t mean you have to throw it all out. You can freeze of a lot of stuff, like bread and milk, or give away fruits and vegetables.

More important than avoiding spoiled food is making sure you don’t come home to a soggy, water-logged, damaged home.

Shut off the water supply lines to the dishwasher, icemaker and taps.

Even the toilet can be a problem. Kester says hairline cracks can develop in the tank and if the water supply valve is not closed, it will run constantly until you return home. The safest way to handle it all is to shut off the water main valve.

Another precaution you should take is to unplug small appliances and electronics. It can protect them from power surges, prevent short-circuit fires, and save you money on your electric bill, as some appliances continue to draw power even when not being used.

A power strip comes in handy when you want to turn off many items with a single switch.

If you have air conditioning, you might want to turn it up a bit – Energy Star recommends between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius – but don’t turn it off. It could take forever to cool down when you return home. Leaving the AC on helps to control humidity too.

Security

Set your light timers. Some electronic timers have random functions, so if someone is casing your house your lights will not come on and turn off at the same time every day.

“Really minimizing signs that would show you’re not around,” explained Kester.

Forget about the vacation brag on social media. Thieves look for signs that you’ll be away and you don’t want to announce it. Try to save your vacation photos to post when you get home. If you do post regularly on social media, try to make it look like you’re still home with occasional generic post.

Other steps

Other steps to take include: appointing an emergency contact, letting your security monitoring company know that you’ll be away, having someone check on your home to water the plants etc., and be sure to hold your mail and deliveries.

Make a list of things in advance. It will make it easier for you and ensure you don’t forget something.

So that that when it’s time to relax, you really can, knowing you’re protected. 

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