IF YOU ARE THE OWNER OF A COTTAGE OR A SECOND HOUSE, OR YOU “FLY SOUTH” EVERY YEAR TO GET AWAY FROM THE COLD, YOU WANT TO SAFEGUARD YOUR HOME WHILE YOU’RE AWAY.

You want to make sure nothing disastrous, like a flood, a fire, or a break in, happens to your property. Traveling during retirement may be a dream of yours you’re finally getting to realize, but it will not be nearly as enjoyable if you’re worrying how things are at home. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to make sure your cottage, house, or condo stays protected when you are away so you can have peace of mind. We will go through these here.

MAJOR MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

First, it’s helpful to list what the systems are in your home that must be adjusted when you are away. These are the major mechanicals: heating and cooling, plumbing, and electrical. All of these must be either turned off before you leave or turned down to save on energy costs.

Unfortunately, while helpful, taking these measures will not entirely prevent an accident from occurring. There are two ways to stop a mechanical or plumbing failure from destroying your property when you’re away: maintenance and monitoring.

MAINTENANCE

You want your heating, your plumbing, and your electrical system to be in very good working condition before you leave home so that nothing breaks while you’re away. If your furnace quits and your pipes freeze, that’s a problem. Hiring a reputable plumber or HVAC service person to inspect them — and repair or tune-up if necessary — is best. At Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling,  Plumbing we conduct inspections and make repairs on furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, thermostats, heat pumps, boilers, plumbing fixtures, and sump pumps. We will make sure all of your major mechanical systems are all in good working order and operating efficiently and safely. We can detect leaks and repair them too.

MONITORING

There are a number of products on the market that will allow you to see what is happening in your home while you are gone and control it remotely. They will also alert you if an emergency occurs. Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling,  Plumbing recommends installing Nest smart home technology in your house or cottage. Nest offers a wide variety of products including thermostats, cameras, smoke and carbon dioxide monitors, and security systems. We advise installing a backup sump pump to protect your house from flooding in the event of a storm of a sewer problem. We can also install water alarms and flood sensors.

Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling,  Plumbing can also be available to lend assistance if a problem does occur and you need someone on site to fix it. We offer programs for an annual fee that include safety checks and tune-ups of your major mechanical systems, and monitoring response to our customers. If one of your systems fail, we will be there right away to help walk you through it.

Every system eventually breaks down and must be repaired, but by installing the proper monitoring equipment and having professionals regularly inspect and repair your home’s major mechanical systems, you can prevent small problems from becoming big problems whether you’re at home or away from home. This kind of peace of mind is priceless to have, especially when you’re traveling and enjoying what life has to offer.

If you’re ready to keep your home away from home comfortable and safe, contact our skilled team today!