The obvious article to write here would be about living in a safe place, and making your environment healthy while you’re at home.  Since you’re already churning away with those ideas, I’ll be happy to introduce fresh food for thought.  The last thing you think about when you’re going out the door is usually where your going.  In your mind there is a checklist of items that need attention; keys, wallet/purse, sunglasses, etc.  There are important items you’ll need to get you to where you’re headed or once you get there.  I’m focusing on what you’ll need to prepare your home when you go on vacation.

You’ve probably left your home so many times you often forget that it may not be exactly the same way when you return.   The first consideration should be the pets.  There are caregiving kennels who make it there business to host your animals while you are away.  Cats, dogs, and other four-legged roomates can be shuffled to family or friends’ places also for accomodation.  Depending on the length of absence the fish can fend for themselves with a slow release feed solution, good for up to a week.  Clean the tank the day before you leave and ensure the water is stabilized before your trip.  You should have a friend or neighbour stop by to check on things if you’re away and the power fails.  It’s always nice to open the door to your dwelling and see that everyone is alive and well as you left them.

Onto the technical systems, lets talk water.  Depending on the age of your home, pipes can leak or burst at the least expected times.   I’ve actually called a friend to check on my kitchen because a vision of a flooded floor came to mind.  An open tap left attached to a roll-away dishwasher can be very messy.  If an extended journey keeps you away, why not shut off the pressure at the incoming supply, turn off the hot-water heater at the breaker (or remove the fuses, both solutions for an electric tank style heater), then half-open a hot water tap on an upper floor to relieve the pressure on the pipes.  When your trip is through, open the supply, shut the tap upstairs, and flick on the breaker to warm things back to where they need to be.  If you have a gas or propane hot water tank, simply dial the temperature down as low as it will allow (shutting the valve will extinguish a pilot flame that can later be difficult to light).  I especially recommend this if you are gone in the winter months because a failed furnace can lead to your basement becoming an indoor swimming pool.

Ah yes, the furnace.  What is the right temp to leave your abode whilst navigating abroad?  It is tempting to shut things off completely in order to shrink the cost of utilities, and in summer months I say go for it, even leave a second story window a crack open for some vent.  In the cold however I recommend no lower than 14 degrees Celsius (57 F).  The pipes won’t freeze and frost won’t form until zero it’s true however the thermostat is located in a central area, and the pipes are more remote.  By the time heat reaches the extremities, under and inside cabinets, it can be ten degrees cooler.

An aquaintance  left a single lamp in a front window lit when she traveled.  In her mind it served as a deterrent to would be burglars.  Switching it on one time she realized the bulb was burnt and quickly replaced it with the only type she had, and promptly left for an overnight visit with friends.  She recieved a phone call telling her her house had suffered a fire that could have been prevented if a lower wattage bulb had been used for that lamp.  If you feel more secure knowing that a light is on, small CSA approved timers attached to a couple of lamps in different rooms can easily be set-up a night or two in advance to make sure they work properly.  You may find they are useful even when you’re home.  In most cases, insurance will cover break and enter, so when I go somewhere, I shut everything off except the refrigerator and freezer.

What is that smell?  After a two week Alaskan cruise the salmon salad in your fridge will be unrecognizable.  Make it a habit to look on the other side of the most opened door in the house before long trips.  Don’t forget the drawers,  rotten cabbage, need I say more?

Well that’s it, I’m carrying on and running late for the show.  Now . . . where’d I put my keys?