Should You Unplug Your Washing Machine Before Going On Vacation?

When we're preparing to go on vacation, there's a lot of things we do in our homes that seem obvious to save on power while we're away. For instance, we make sure our lights are turned off and out air conditioners are either off or set to a temperature where it will minimally run. Some smart home automations make these things a breeze to save some money. Even without the aid of smart integration, there are a number of other things we can do that we may not have ever thought of to further reduce our home's power usage while we're away too. Not only that, but they could significantly reduce the risk of something bad happening to your home too. One of these tasks is unplugging your washing machine while you're on vacation.

There are two very good reasons why this is a good course of action. First, according to Tom's Guide, washing machines use quite a lot of energy even when not in use because of their need to heat up. Heating requires a good deal of power, and because washers need to heat water at any given time, some constant power is needed for that at all times. Unplugging the appliance while you're away eliminates that idle power usage.

Secondly, further emphasized by AAA, washing machines are connected to a pressurized water supply, and at any time, the hoses used for connection could fail or become loose, resulting in water leakage and possible damage you don't want to come back to. So, not only should you unplug your washing machine, but turning off its water supply is also a recommended action before heading off on your trip.

There are plenty of appliances besides washing machines that you should also probably unplug while you're on vacation. One in a very similar vein to the washing machine though is the dishwasher. These kitchen appliances don't work exactly like laundry washers, but they still require the same two things that those do. Dishwashers need to be able to heat water quickly and at any time, so they'll be using more power while idling than you may want. Also, they need to be connected to a water supply, so you run the risk of potential leaks and damage that you won't be around to catch. So, unplugging dishwashers and disconnecting their water supply is the way to go.

Washing machines also only make up half of the laundry appliances. There's also dryers, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to unplug these while on vacation as well. Dryers don't pose the same risk when it comes to potential water issues, but they may be even more important to unplug than washers. They account for about six percent of your total power consumption, as dryers need to generate heat incredibly quickly.

There's also an increased risk of a fire with a dryer. Based on a study from 2020, the National Fire Protection Agency found that over 13,800 home fires were started by dryers between 2014 and 2018. These are started by dust or lint being ignited, electrical or mechanical failure, or some other malfunction. First, you should clean your dryer to drastically reduce the risk, but even still, unplugging your dryer while away will help prevent these things from having a power source to occur in the first place.