Smart home checklist before a vacation

One week before: test what will watch the house

Do the testing first so you have time to fix things. Smart homes fail quietly: a dead sensor battery or an expired camera plan only shows up when you need them.

1. Check battery levels on every sensor, lock and camera. Replace anything under about half, because a coin cell that is “fine” at home may not last two weeks.
2. Test your smoke and CO alarms. The U.S. Fire Administration says to test alarms monthly and to replace a smoke alarm every 10 years. Interconnected alarms make a fire in one room audible everywhere.
3. Open the app over cellular data, with Wi-Fi turned off on your phone. If you can control the thermostat and see the camera that way, remote access works.
4. Confirm a second person receives alerts (see below).
5. Look for slow leaks. The EPA suggests reading your water meter, using no water for two hours, then reading it again. A change means a leak somewhere.

Thermostat: away mode without freezing or overheating

The Department of Energy says you can save about 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning the thermostat back 7°F to 10°F for 8 hours a day, and recommends adjusting it any time the house is empty for four hours or longer. For a trip, the limit is what the house can tolerate.

• Winter: the Red Cross advises leaving the heat on and setting it no lower than 55°F while you are away. A higher heating bill costs far less than a burst pipe. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls before you leave.
• Summer: raise the cooling set point instead of switching the system off. In humid climates keep the indoor humidity below 60% (ideally 30% to 50%), according to the EPA, because a closed, warm house can grow mold.
• Heat pumps: the Department of Energy notes that deep setbacks on a heat pump can make it run inefficiently, so use a moderate, steady setting or a thermostat designed for heat pumps.
• Safety limits: if your thermostat supports it, set the minimum and maximum temperatures it will allow, and add a separate temperature alert so you hear about a failed furnace. See freeze alert sensors for pipes.

Water: the failure with the biggest bill

In insurance data for 2019 to 2023, water damage and freezing caused about 1.5 claims per 100 insured homes a year, with an average claim of roughly $15,400. An empty house means a leak runs until someone notices.

• Put leak sensors at the water heater, washer, dishwasher, kitchen sink and under toilets and vanities. Use the water leak protection kit as a shopping list.
• If you have an automatic shutoff valve, set it to close the main on any leak alert. If you do not, close the main manually before a long trip. Closing the main also takes pressure off washing machine hoses and other supply lines, which reduces the chance of a burst.
• If your water heater has a vacation or standby setting, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Gas appliances need a professional, never DIY.

Lights, locks and cameras

Lights that come on at the same minute every night look like a timer. Use schedules with offsets from sunset or random variation, and put a few lamps in different rooms on smart plugs. Do not leave every light on all day.

The FTC advises using unique passwords, turning on two-factor authentication and installing firmware updates for your cameras, and making sure the remote feed is encrypted. Do those before the trip, not from the airport.

Alerts: who gets them, and at what volume

An alert sent only to your phone fails if the phone is off, on airplane mode or on a plane. Add a trusted neighbor or family member to key alerts: leaks, smoke and CO, freeze and power loss. Send the rest to your phone only so no one gets alert fatigue. Explain what they should do: call you, call a plumber, shut a valve. Check that each person can receive critical alerts even in Do Not Disturb.

Power and internet are the weak link. If the router loses power, Wi-Fi sensors and cameras go silent. A router on a battery backup (see our power outage backup kit) keeps alerts flowing for several hours, and a power-loss sensor tells you when it happens. FoodSafety.gov notes that a closed refrigerator keeps food safe for only about 4 hours, a full freezer about 48 hours, so a freezer alarm matters on longer trips.

Cases that need a different plan

• Pets at home: see temperature alerts for pets. A pet sitter is the real solution; sensors support them.
• Month-long or seasonal absences: check your homeowners policy for unoccupied-home conditions and ask your insurer what it requires, such as periodic visits.
• Rentals: check your lease before closing the water main or changing locks. Rules vary by state and city.
• Short-term guests or sitters: give them their own lock code with an end date.

The leave-the-house checklist

1. Thermostat set to away; winter minimum no lower than 55°F.
2. Water main closed, or auto shutoff armed; washing machine and dishwasher off.
3. Lights on varied schedules; lamps on smart plugs.
4. Doors locked, garage closed, windows checked in the app.
5. Cameras armed; indoor cameras on, shutters open.
6. Alerts shared with a second person and a test sent.
7. Router on its backup; power-loss sensor connected.
8. Phone location sharing for automations configured. See geofencing fixes if arrive and leave triggers misbehave.