For the vacation-bound home owner, there is a lot more to do than to make plane reservations and pack. Besides stopping the mail and the newspaper, putting lights and radios on timers, notifying the police department and the alarm company, and double latching doors and windows, there are other important considerations.

A home is filled with mechanical systems that easily can be damaged if left operating unattended even for a few days. Think about it. There is the plumbing system (water under pressure), the cooling system (costs a fortune to operate), a gas and-or an electrical system (fire hazards, both), several automatic appliances (refrigerator, freezer, home electronics systems, garage door opener, etc.). And there are a few non-automatic, non-mechanical items that will also need to be attended to, such as house plants and pet doors.

You never know when a washing machine hose is going to burst and flood the laundry room and possibly the rest of the house. If you are on vacation during such an occurrence, the damage could be serious. Since this is the vacation time of the year, we thought it would be helpful to provide you with an overview that might help to make your return home from vacation uneventful.

Devices that use water automatically can go haywire in your absence and wreak havoc in your home. They include a hot-water dispenser, automatic ice maker, swamp cooler, water heater and even the toilet. The hot-water dispenser should be unplugged. That's a must. And the water heater should also be turned off. Although the water supply to the other items can be turned off at each unit individually, we feel it is wise to turn the water off at the main inlet to the home. This is the safest way as long as the heaters have been turned off at all water heating devices.

When possible, well systems also should be shut down. And where there is a choice between city irrigation water and pumped irrigation water for lawns and gardens, city water should be used.

Devices that automatically use electricity also can pose a threat. One of the biggest users of electricity in your home is your refrigerator. No other appliance guzzles as much power. The temperature that your refrigerator is set to is based on your pattern of use the frequency with which you open and close the door. If you didn't open the door as often, you could lower the thermostat setting and everything would remain as cool as ever. Not opening the door at all for days on end could, in some cases, cause freezing to occur. The same thing applies to freezers.

Television sets, stereo systems, home theaters and other remote-controlled electronic devices consume power even when they aren't being used. Although the savings would be slight, unplugging electronics that will not be used for several weeks can save money. And, unplugging your garage-door opener might not save you money, but will certainly prevent it from being accidentally opened in your absence.

Devices that use natural gas or propane also can become a danger when left unattended. Gas ranges, ovens and water heaters can all be shut down by simply turning the gas off at the meter or supply tank. One minute to turn off the gas and five-minutes to re-light one or two gas appliances is all it takes. A small price to pay for a wide margin of safety.

House plants should be brought to a central location for watering if the task is going to be performed by a friend or a relative. They are all sure to get watered if they are left together in a group.