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Read It and Leave: Prepping Your Home for Vacation
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There's that vacation twinge again. Did you leave the right lights on at home? Could an electrical storm fry your plasma TV? Maybe you should've . . . but you're already in the air, or almost through the next state, and it's a little late now. So here, from the best minds in local law enforcement, fire prevention, water, power, gas and cable service, is a checklist to go by. Save it for your next trip, so you can relax. -- Margaret Roth
· Know your neighbors. Your home's best defense is a good set of eyes. Have someone check on it every two to three days, says Sgt. Terri Alexander of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Tell a neighbor where you can be reached and about anyone who is scheduled to check on the pets or plants. If you have an alarm system, make sure all your contact numbers are current before you activate it.
· Tend the lawn. Your yard should look like it does when you're there. If the edges of the lawn have that razor-cut look, hire someone to cut the grass and weed.
· Hold the deliveries. Stopping mail and newspapers is a no-brainer. But you can also call some shipping services, including FedEx (800-463-3339), to ask that they not deliver anything while you're gone.
· Unplug, unplug, unplug. Any unnecessary small appliance, especially with a heating element, is a potential fire hazard, says Battalion Chief Chauncey Bowers of the Prince George's County Fire and EMS Department. Even when it's not turned on, it draws a small amount of current and can short-circuit. This includes coffee makers, toasters, plug-in air fresheners, hair dryers and clock radios. "If it's unplugged, it can't do any damage," Bowers notes. Big-ticket appliances, such as refrigerators and electric hot water heaters, need not be disconnected because of the protection built into their wiring.
