When you're not home for holidays, tips can help you minimize damage risk

November and December are traditionally busy months for travel.

Whether you're leaving your home for a long Thanksgiving weekend or for an extended season of sunshine, there are steps you can take that will minimize the risk of damage to your home when you're not there.

All those little hoses and lines - in the kitchen, bathroom or utility room - that bring water to your sinks, toilet and washing machine are potential floods in the rooms they serve. They spell disaster if you're out for the day - and a catastrophe if you're gone for weeks or months.

Turn off the water supply valves to each water-fueled fixture in the home. This provides iron-clad flood insurance (at least for these items) for as long as you intend to be away.


Check the rubber hoses leading to your washing machine periodically and especially before leaving on a trip. If they feel brittle, it's time for replacement. Even when you're home, you should always keep these hoses fresh to prevent problems. You can reduce risk even further by upgrading hoses with an outer covering of braided stainless steel.

The same thinking goes for the small water leads to your kitchen and bathroom sinks and toilets. Over a period of time, these small lines (often only lightweight metals) can corrode due to natural electrolysis and may develop pinhole-size leaks that can wet down a room in minutes.

These water leads need frequent inspection to spot potential problems - and like their washing machine cousins, they too can be easily and inexpensively replaced or upgraded (again with stainless steel braid covered lines) for greater peace of mind.

Here are some rules of thumb:

- If it uses water, turn off the supply.

- If it uses electricity, unplug it.

- If it uses energy, turn it down, up or off.

- If it burns fuel, remove the ignition source.

- Turn down the furnace - or turn up the air conditioner thermostat.

- Lower the water heater temperature setting.

- Turn off all washing machine water hoses and sink/toilet water leads.

- Unplug all electronics and appliances. Resetting clocks is easier than replacement or a possible malfunction that results in a fire.

What about having your home broken into while you are away? According to law enforcement statistics, more than 50 percent of all break-ins are simply crimes of opportunity. These are situations in which intruders are virtually invited in by unlocked windows and doors.

Some homeowners often make things even more inviting by providing shrubbery to conceal actions.

A few simple guidelines can make your home as tight as the proverbial bug in a rug, affording you greater safety while you are home and when you're away:

Check all windows and door locks, upgrading where possible. Then use these simple protections.

- Add a heavy-duty security storm door to outside doors and toughen up sliding patio doors with pin-locks and crossbars to deter forced opening.

- Trim back any shrubbery and bushes near windows and doors that might provide cover for a burglar's work-in-process.

- Add outdoor security lighting with a motion detector on/off control. More>>>