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Make sure your house is ready if you hit the road for the holidays

A few minutes of preparation before your vacation can help avert a Scrooge of a situation at home
RoadTripWinter
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NEWS RELEASE
RELIANCE HOME COMFORT
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With December, arrivel, some lucky Canadians start the countdown to winter vacation.
 
To ensure the Scrooge of a power outage or property damage doesn't occur while you're away, Lina Alviar, Regional Operations Manager at Reliance, offers a pre-trip checklist. A few minutes of preparation before hitting the road is the best holiday gift of all.
  • Furnace Check: If you haven’t done so already, schedule a furnace check-up to ensure your furnace is working properly. A qualified technician can ensure that burners and filters are clean and dust-free and confirm that the furnace is operating safely.
  • Temperature Control: Thermostats should be set lower (approximately: 16°C or 60°F) to save energy.  Do not set your thermostat below 15C to prevent damaging your furnace and to keep pipes and appliances from freezing. 
  • Spoiler Alert! Purge your refrigerator of any perishable foods before leaving town.   
  • Get Unplugged: Disconnect minor appliances (i.e. computers, toaster ovens, coffee makers, etc.) to avoid using energy while you’re gone and protect them from electrical surges in the event of a winter power outage. An automatic timer for holiday lights can help conserve energy while also giving the appearance of someone being home.
  • Between the Pipes: Turning off the main water supply can mean the difference between a small drip and a major flood. Pipes and all other water appliances should also be drained Once the main water supply is shut off, simply open the taps at high and low points throughout the house. Do not drain the water heater. If you have a gas water heater make sure it is off, if you shut off the water in your home.

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