“That’s good advice.”
Posted November 26, 2024, 9:00 PM CST
A home expert shares three hacks he thinks all homeowners should know before they go on vacation.
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TikTok user Any Hour Services (@anyhourservices) is an account dedicated to tips about electricity, plumbing, heating, and air. On Sunday, the account posted a video detailing the “Three Hacks Every Homeowner Should Know Before Going on Vacation.”
“If you're going to be out of town for more than a few days, there are a few things you need to do to prepare your home for departure,” says the man behind Any Hour Services.
#1: Turn water heater down to vacation mode
“You want to turn the water heaters down to vacation mode,” he says, “so they're not constantly using energy to heat the water.” He takes the camera behind the unit in his home to demonstrate how to set the temperature control to vacation mode (VAC). provides.
According to the Water Heater Company, vacation mode essentially allows your water heater to run at a cooler temperature than you would normally tolerate at home, saving you energy and money. It is important that the water is still hot enough to prevent the pipes from freezing.
#2: Set your thermostat to 55 degrees Fahrenheit
The Any Hour Services representative says 55 degrees should be a “good enough” temperature to leave the house in the winter. “You need a little bit of heat to keep the pipes from freezing,” he says.
ElectricityPlans.com recommends setting your thermostat to 50 degrees in this situation unless you live in an area where it is likely to snow while you are away. In this case, you may want to set a higher temperature, but the website does not recommend a temperature higher than 60 degrees.
#3: Turn off your main shutoff valve
He shows how to turn off the main shut-off valve by flipping a lever. “If there's a problem, a leak or something you can't predict, you turn off the water and minimize the damage,” he says.
Bardi Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing also recommends taking this precaution before embarking on an extended vacation. The company also recommends draining all water hoses before starting.
“Anyway, have fun on the journey,” he says at the end of the video. “I hope this was helpful.”
@anyhourservices 3 Hacks Every Homeowner Should Know Before Going on Vacation⬇️⬇️⬇️ ✅Set water heaters to vacation mode to use less energy when heating water. ✅Set the thermostat to 55° to ensure the pipes do not freeze. ✅Turn off the main water shutoff valve to reduce the risk of expensive water damage while you are away. Follow for more homeowner hacks #anyhourservices#homeowner #utahcheck #plumbing #HVAC #electrical #happyholidays #thanksgiving #christmas #lifehacks #lifehack #lifehacking #homeownertips #fyp ♬ Original Sound – Any Hour Services
Viewers react to the advice
The video has been viewed more than 82,000 times at the time of writing. In the comments section, viewers seem skeptical of the advice.
“Turn off the water to the house but leave the water heater on???” wrote one viewer.
A second viewer wrote: “I don't care.”
Someone else recommended, “When you turn off the water, turn off your sprinklers too.”
However, some viewers appreciated the tips. “That’s good advice. Especially shutting off the water. A toilet water pipe leak will destroy your home,” one viewer wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Any Hour Services for comment via a TikTok comment and direct message.
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