Should you leave appliances on or switch them off when you go on holiday? Almost every household wrestles with this before a summer trip, and the answers people pass around often contradict each other. Some leave everything running, while others switch it all off at the wall. Most simply do whatever they did last year without much thought. As a team offering reliable appliance repair in Ormskirk and across the surrounding towns, we deal with the results of both choices every summer. So it is worth setting out what actually matters.
Why It Is Safer to Leave Appliances Switched Off
Switching off is usually the safer choice. For most appliances that do not need to keep running, turn them off at the socket before a holiday. If you leave appliances on standby for two weeks, they are exposed to summer storms and power surges that can damage their electronics. They also draw a small amount of power while doing nothing useful.
More importantly, an appliance that is switched off cannot develop a fault that floods your kitchen. Nor can it overheat while no one is home. The washing machine, dishwasher, oven and small appliances all sit perfectly happily switched off and unplugged while you are away. Doing so removes a whole category of risk.
Water Is the Real Danger
The faults that cause the most damage in an empty house all involve water. Picture a perished fill hose on a washing machine or dishwasher that gives way while you are away. It can leak for days, and the damage to floors, ceilings and cabinets dwarfs the cost of any appliance. That is why you should turn off the power and the water supply at the tap behind each machine before a long trip. It is a two-minute job, and it removes the worst-case scenario entirely. Whenever you leave appliances plumbed in, isolating the water matters as much as the switch.
What About Leaving Machines On for a Cycle
Leaving machines powered up brings no benefit. That applies to the washing machine, dishwasher and oven alike. On the other hand, there are several risks. These appliances do not need to keep working in your absence. So the safest way to leave appliances like these is off at the wall with the water isolated.
How to Leave Appliances Before You Go
Switching off is not quite the whole story. How you leave appliances matters as much as whether they are powered. A washing machine or dishwasher sealed shut with a warm, damp interior will greet you with a sour smell after two weeks. It may even have mould. To avoid that, run a hot maintenance wash before you go. Then leave the door and detergent drawer open so the interior dries out completely.
An empty, dry, switched-off machine is exactly how you want to leave it. Much of this overlaps with the care needed when a machine is moved or stored. Our guide on how to protect your appliances when moving house covers the same principles of draining and drying.
The Small Risk of Coming Back to a Fault
Occasionally, a household returns to an appliance that will not start, even with everything switched off. Usually, a marginal component finally gave up, or the power returning after a cut caused a spike. However, this is far less common than the problems caused by leaving machines running. It is also far easier to deal with calmly when you are home than a leak that has spread for a fortnight. So when you leave appliances for a holiday, the trade-off strongly favours switching off.
Standby Power and Running Costs
There is also a quieter argument for switching off. It has nothing to do with floods or storms. A houseful of appliances draws standby power while doing absolutely nothing. A modern kitchen is full of machines that sip electricity around the clock through their displays, clocks and standby circuits. Over a two-week holiday, that adds up to money spent powering empty rooms.
Switching off at the wall trims that waste to nothing. It also gives a little peace of mind into the bargain. If you want to understand what your machines cost to run, the Energy Saving Trust advice on home appliances is a useful starting point. Either way, the cheapest way to leave appliances while you are away is switched off.
A Final Walk Round on the Morning You Go
One habit is worth building. Walk round the house on the morning you leave. Work through the kitchen and utility room socket by socket. Turn off and unplug the washing machine and the dishwasher. Switch the oven off at its isolating switch where one is fitted, and unplug the microwave and the small countertop appliances. Then close the isolating valves on anything plumbed in.
Next, check that nothing has been left resting on a hob. Make sure no charger is left plugged in unattended in a warm room. The whole circuit takes only a few minutes. Because you do it the same way every time, nothing is forgotten in the last-minute rush to get out of the door.
Households that make this a fixed part of their routine rarely come home to an appliance disaster. That kind of problem can turn the end of a good holiday into an expensive headache. By contrast, the few minutes it costs are repaid many times over in avoided trouble. In short, how you leave appliances on the last morning shapes what you come home to.
If You Come Home to a Problem
Should an appliance refuse to cooperate on your return, resist the urge to keep cycling the power. It is unlikely to right itself, so have it looked at properly instead. Our engineers cover the whole region, including domestic appliance repairs Ormskirk and domestic appliance repair Burscough. Once we can test the machine, a post-holiday fault is usually a straightforward diagnosis.
The Sensible Summer Approach
For a summer holiday, switch the washing machine, dishwasher and other non-essential appliances off at the wall. Isolate the water to anything plumbed in. Then leave the machines clean, empty and open to dry. This is the way to leave appliances that removes the most risk for the least effort. It also means the only thing waiting for you at home is the post. If you do return to a misbehaving appliance, call our team on 01695 768 738 and we will sort it out.
