 Shutting Off the Utilities
Electricity can be shut off either at the service entry for individual appliances or sections of the house, at the breaker panel. If you have to keep some appliances running, then unplug all other non-working appliances, including lamps, clocks, stoves, etc. This prevents animals from chewing on the wires and causing an electrical short. Gas appliances must be shut down to only pilot light operation. Follow all your appliance instruction manuals carefully. Most new appliances have safety shutoffs, but if they are old, they do not and should be shut off entirely. If propane gas escapes, it will collect at floor level and could be ignited by turning on the pilot light of another appliance. It is very important that the propane gas is shut off completely, including the tanks.Phone System
If a lot of people will be staying at your cabin, especially unknown renters, we recommend a phone with local service only. As an inexpensive courtesy, leave a prepaid 100-minute calling card near the phone. This way you don't have to worry about your phone service if you want to leave it on.
If you want to leave the phone service on, but still don't want anyone to make calls, even local ones, take the phone home with you. Then if someone does borrow your cottage, uninvited, there is no phone to use, even if the jack is still working. Just remember to bring it back when you visit. It is also easy to shut the phone down for a few months or at least take off the long distance service, just contact your phone company or your long distance service. <<PREVIOUS ORDER>> |
