Using a throwaway account because of safety concerns.
I have to leave my apartment unattended for 3 summer months and there’s no one that could come and check up on it. I’m posting my current to do list (someone may find it useful), but I have some concerns and questions, mostly regarding humidity.
* stop gas and water (call the providers),
* turn off water supply for the washing machine (just in case),
* inform the management company (if you have to),
* redirect mail (and put “no spam” sticker on the mail box)
* empty and open the fridge,
* unplug electric appliances,
* put desiccant dehumidifier in wardrobes and cabinets,
* close the windows and shutters,
* clean up the apartment and throw the garbage (insects),
* cover the sink holes and drains (so the don’t dry up and let the sewer stink in),
* use roach traps (if you need them),
* use a lamp (or two) with timers to fake some activity (if you don’t have shutters),
* set up a security cameras,
* set up automatic bill payments
My concerns are:
* I was thinking about buying an electric dehumidifier wit a drain hose and run it on schedule, but I hesitate to leave it on for such a long time. Should I reconsider? I prefer not to use the aircon as the drain pipe clogged a couple of times resulting in water spillage.
* I plan to open all the vents and keep the bathroom fan running (I always keep it on anyway) with the doors open. I think some circulation is better that none, because the humidity will build up anyway. Am I wrong?
* I plan to fill the wardrobes with desiccant dehumidifiers and then close and tape the doors. If I leave the wardrobe doors open the dehumidifiers will fill up in no time. Am I wrong?
Thanks!
10 comments
Additional suggestions:
Pour a bit of bleach down your drains before you cover them up. Use cling film, make it tight.
You’re thinking of buying plastic dehumidifiers for the wardrobes – buy more! Triple, quadruple what you have planned and put them everywhere, not just in cabinets etc. Every 4 ft or so one on the ground in every room. And double what you wanted to put in the wardrobes.
Buy a bright flashlight so you can inspect all the corners when you come back, bleach/soap at the ready just in case.
In regards to humidity it’s hard to say without knowing your exact apartment layout and materials of construction etc. But basically, leaving the bathroom fan on and opening the vents should be enough. Make sure all the room doors are open. If you have a toilet vent fan also leave that on. Possibly leave the kitchen stove hood fan on as well for some extra ventilation.
I’d put two or three of those big desiccant packs in each closet. Drawers are probably fine. For stuff with clothes maybe put 1 or 2 smaller desiccant things in there.
Instead of an electric dehumidifier you could get some kind of IR blaster with humidity sensor or some kind of air con mobile app control. Then you could turn on the air con for a few hours while abroad if the humidity ever gets really bad. Or set a routine. An electric dehumidifier is unnecessary either way. I only use mine for drying laundry inside and if it’s not cold or hot enough to use the air con but it’s raining outside/high humidity.
I dont think lamps with timers are really necessary in Japan
Without ventilation, unless your apartment has 24 ventilation systems, you will more than likely come back to a thick layer of dust and mold everywhere, generally speaking.
An apartment needs some kind of way to process all the heat with everything closed up (the bathroom fan is probably not strong enough if you are in a one-room condo).
One spore mold in 90% humidity at 90 degrees is a recipe for disaster. Maybe the leasing company will come by and air the place out for you once in a while for a charge, or knows of a place that does that sort of work for apartments that are not occupied.
Some smart plugs… Can turn on lights and dehumidifier remotely and monitor with your cam. Those water tanks fill up in about a week tho. You are probably much better off with dry pets.
Don’t leave the bathroom fan on. You can get fires doing that.
Set your AC unit to something like 28-29 and let it run all summer long. It should keep the moisture down and wouldn’t run too often.
Everything else is a good idea.
They make “smart outlets” now that you can buy; with the app on your phone you can turn the connected appliance on/off with one touch of the button.
If you did that for your air conditioner or dehumidifier or whatever, you could still use it but not have it running for the full 3 months
I bought some off Amazon this year and really like them
I’ve been spending summers out of the country for the past 3 years. All I do is leave windows/doors open and the AC set on power saving mode.
I left my Tokyo condo (in a tower mansion) unattended for approximately two years (due to coronavirus), and somewhat to my surprise, two summers later, no humidity problems. I had been prepared to have to throw out clothes and replace furniture, etc., but no mildew or anything. I didn’t even prop my closets open for circulation! Before returning I did have people in to fix up some of the seals on the plumbing, though, since they’d been sitting dry for two years and I was worried they might have cracked or shrunk. I think it really depends how well insulated your apartment is. Mine turned out to be surprisingly well insulated vs. the outside, and also opens onto an air conditioned interior hallway rather than an outdoor passage, which no doubt helped. So your mileage may vary, but you might not need to worry at all.
Meanwhile my US condo is . . not quite so well insulated, so I always run a dehumidifier and set the air conditioner if I’m going to be away for an extended period in summer. Based on my US experience, I’d say if you are running a dehumidifier, don’t tape your wardrobe/closet shut — you want the air to circulate (even just shutting my closet door to block airflow has created problems for me because the humidity somehow gets in through the walls). Maybe put some cedar blocks in all the pockets though. You should be able to set the dehumidifier for a target humidity so it won’t run at full power 100% of the time. Make sure it’s draining properly through the hose before you leave, though, or the built in reservoir will fill up on Day 1 and it won’t work after that. On the other hand, if you decide against a dehumidifier, sealing your wardrobe with dessicants inside may be the best option — never tried it though.
Sounds like a thorough plan. I’d stuff the fridge and freezer with newspapers and a box of baking soda for each compartment, though.
Great chance to declutter so there’s more space to circulate air around.