# [2008] How low do you set your thermostat when you're gone?



## philemer (Dec 26, 2008)

We'll be gone for most of Jan. and I'm trying to figure out how low I can set my thermostat without worrying about pipes freezing in my crawlspace. The low temps for Jan. in my part of ID usually don't get below 0 F. I've read numerous articles online and the two temps. I see most often are 50 & 55 degrees. What do you think? 

I'll also turn down my water heater temp (natural gas).


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## sfwilshire (Dec 26, 2008)

Phil,

Isn't your crawl space unheated? Not sure how any temperature setting would help you there. Hopefully your pipes are well insulated.

You may need to consider leaving something dripping just slightly. We've done that in my bathroom when we were going to be away in very cold weather. The pipes did burst to it once and it was a terrible mess. We insulated better after that, but still get nervous.

We almost always keep our thermostat at the lowest heat setting, which is around 50. When we're there, the wood stoves keep us warm most of the time. When we're away, that seems to keep things in working condition.

We turn off our electric hot water heater and usually turn off water to the house. I guess if it were going to be really cold, we could drain the pipes inside.

Sheila


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## Passepartout (Dec 26, 2008)

I guess the question is, how much is peace of mind worth? Five degrees can't make that many $ difference on your gas bill. We're almost neighbors, so our weather is similar and I set the furnace to about 50 when we're gone. However, we have no pipes running through unheated crawlspace. There are thermostatically controlled switches (check Grovers or a stock supply place) that you could plug an electric heater into that would only turn on when the temp where the switch is gets down to (I think) 35 or so.  Placed near the pipes, it should give you some protection.

We will be leaving about the time you get back. Ahhh, a week TSing at Coronado then a Mexican Rivera cruise. You can't tell I'm anxious!

Jim Ricks


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## BevL (Dec 26, 2008)

Passepartout said:


> . . . There are thermostatically controlled switches (check Grovers or a stock supply place) that you could plug an electric heater into that would only turn on when the temp where the switch is gets down to (I think) 35 or so.  ...



This is what we do for our trailer that we winterize to make sure the pipes under the sinks and the water in the mini hot water tank doesn't freeze as there is no heat in there at all.  It just blows on the areas we're concerned about and has worked well for the past few winters for us.


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## camachinist (Dec 26, 2008)

There are also thermostatically controlled heat tapes (looks like a stiff extension cord) that can be wrapped around pipes in vulnerable unheated spaces. I have one around my exposed backflow preventer and supply piping adjacent to our deep well domestic pump. 

As far as house stuff, at my mom's I just put some winterizer (kinda like propylene glycol) in the toilets and traps, set the hot water heater to vacation and shut off the furnace except for the standing pilot. If temps are expected to go to a hard freeze (below 32F for a number of days and nights), I'll leave the furnace on at 50 degrees (the minimum). The ground under her house never freezes (we don't live in a hard freeze zone) and the pipes are steel and the ground radiates enough heat to keep them from freezing. The above has worked with an empty house for about 3 winters now.


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## RDB (Dec 26, 2008)

When we lived in Cadillac, MI, I treated the house as though everything would freeze while we were gone... Seems as though while you're away, electric goes out or that's when lines break... always something!

So, I suggest you treat for everything freezing, just to have peace of mind. Plants go to someone else. Drain *all* water including the water tank(s) and treat traps and commodes. Set heat to minimum.

That way, if you lose heat you're covered. To me it's worth the effort, just to know we aren't flooded or froze up while we're off somewhere enjoying life.


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## pjrose (Dec 26, 2008)

We only turn it down to around 60.  

We don't do anything about the water, but after reading the posts I guess we should....


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## Fern Modena (Dec 26, 2008)

We have *two* absolutes for unoccupied houses here.  Low needs to be no lower than 62º in winter, and high no higher than 84º in summer.  Otherwise we will have cracking baseboards, etc.  We also seal the toilet (with saran) if nobody will be around to flush it every week or two.  In addition, in the wintertime we put insulated socks on the faucets outside and wrap the water intake.  Many people here who haven't done this have had pipes burst.

So much for the desert.

Fern


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## Icarus (Dec 26, 2008)

Fern Modena said:


> We also seal the toilet (with saran) if nobody will be around to flush it every week or two.



huh? 

-David


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## "Roger" (Dec 26, 2008)

I am a 55 person.  If the weather is at all decent (yes, I realize that you live in Idaho), I doubt if the extra five degrees will make that much difference.  If the temperatures were to dip into the minus ten (or worse) range, then, as Passepartout notes, the peace of mind is worth the extra cost.  I would be worried sick about a water pipe on an exterior wall with a closet or cupboard in front, bursting.  

If I lived in a warmer climate, then I might be more willing to risk turning the thermostat down to 50.


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## BevL (Dec 26, 2008)

Fern Modena said:


> We also seal the toilet (with saran) if nobody will be around to flush it every week or two.
> Fern



Can't be a fraternity prank.  Never heard of this one either.


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## nana7 (Dec 27, 2008)

We also turn heat down to 60 and shut water off at the toilet etc.   We purchased a "timer'/temp control' that plugs into a lamp. We set the lamp on a table in front of a window.   If the temperture goes below a certain degree the lamp comes on.  Very easy for a neighbor to watch for the  light and call for help or check the house.  Well worth the money.


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## ketamine (Dec 27, 2008)

*At 7800 feet*

We live in mountainous Coloradoin summer and leave Oct to May. We set ours at 55 but we also drain all the water from the plumbing and put some anti-freeze in the toilets.

'have done this in two different homes over some pretty cold winters and have had no problems.

Happy New Year to all!
/k


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## Fern Modena (Dec 27, 2008)

Its not a fraternity prank.  When we closed on our house we had a homeowner seminar and were given a maintenence book on living in the desert.  If you are away longer than two weeks you need to seal the toilet, otherwise the water here will evaporate, and you'll have a real bad odor.  Honestly.  

We've got other things different, too.  We can't use WD-40 like the rest of the country.  We have to use silicone spray.  WD-40 + desert dirt = gunk.  It makes a huge messy glop.

'nuff said.

Fern



Fern Modena said:


> We also seal the toilet (with saran) if nobody will be around to flush it every week or two.
> Fern


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## djs (Dec 27, 2008)

I put mine down to 45, and open the cabinets under the bathroom and kitchen sink.  I've been away for a week in the winter and it's never dropped below 51.  In fact, I actually set my thermostat to 45 during the days that I'm here and then it hardly drops below 60.

In fairness, I live in a building with people below and above me.


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## Amy (Dec 27, 2008)

I wish we paid more attention to all this kind of prep before we left for our recent FL vacation.  DH had set the timer for the downstairs heater to vacation setting, but the downstairs heater furnace conked out by the time we returned; and DH had turned off the upstairs heater for some reason (I still can't figure this one out as we've never done that before).  We returned home last week to roughly 30 degrees temps inside the house (and it was below zero outside) -- shortly after we stepped inside the house DS (4 yrs old) said he wanted to return to the warm minivan.  It was pretty miserable for a couple of hours as we took care of stuff, fed lunch to the kids, and rushed out of the house to hang out in the warm mall while our heaters worked to warm up the house. The pipes in our upstairs master suite (add on above the garage) froze and took 1 1/2 days to defrost (with a lot of space heating and warmer temps); good thing we didn't have any burst pipes!    I'm saving the tips on this thread for future reference.


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## bogey21 (Dec 27, 2008)

djs said:


> I put mine down to 45, and open the cabinets under the bathroom and kitchen sink.  I've been away for a week in the winter and it's never dropped below 51.  In fact, I actually set my thermostat to 45 during the days that I'm here and then it hardly drops below 60.
> 
> In fairness, I live in a building with people below and above me.



Interesting comments.  I am single and keep the thermostat in the house I live in at 60 degrees all the time during the Winter.  From time to time I heat the room I am in with a space heater.  When I leave town, I kick it down to 55 degrees and open kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

George


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## Amy (Dec 27, 2008)

Why have a couple of posters mentioned opening the cabinet doors?  What does that do?


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## Passepartout (Dec 27, 2008)

Amy said:


> Why have a couple of posters mentioned opening the cabinet doors?  What does that do?



If the cabinets that house plumbing fixtures are on outside walls, it can get significantly colder inside them than in the room. Open the door and _voilla!_ same temp as the room. If the plumbing is in interior walls, it won't make any difference.

Jim Ricks


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## "Roger" (Dec 27, 2008)

Since you don't seem to be getting a single clear answer to your question, Phil, I have a modest proposal ...

I am sure as an old time Viking fan, especially one from Idaho, you feel your team sold out to a certain degree (pun intended) when they moved their games indoors.  Part of the Viking lore was having those warm weather sissy teams come up from Los Angeles, Dallas, or Miami and having them play in below zero weather.  (I never did understand why it was unfair for those teams to have to play in below zero weather while it was perfectly fair for the Vikings or the Packers to have to go down to Tampa and play in 90 degree weather with 90 percent humidity in December.)

Well tomorrow your Vikings have a big game coming up with a spot in the playoffs at stake.  Why not relive the past a bit while conducting an experiment?  

You can turn your thermostat down to fifty degrees and then sit and watch the game on TV while sitting in your underwear.  This would be a win-win situation.  You could pretend that you are watching the game in the old Metropolitan stadium while you find out the answer to your question.  (Is the house safe at that temperature.) In fact, if the Vikings do win (and I'll be rooting for them too), you would then have a win-win-win situation - memories of the good ol' days, an answer to your question, and a Viking place in the playoffs.  It might even be so much fun, you could try setting the thermostat at 45 for the first playoff game.


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## philemer (Dec 27, 2008)

*"Roger"*, you are too funny!  Can't try your experiment since we'll on the plane to Hawaii during the Viking game tomorrow. Drats! Cold, or warm, the Vikings should triumph. The Giants will be saving their stars for the playoffs. 

Thanks for all the good responses. I think I'll set the thermostat to 55 deg. & turn off the water under the sinks/toilets/washing machine. Good to go!


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## fishn_guy (Dec 30, 2009)

I have a boiler with 5 heating zones that distribute heat by circulating hot water to the baseboards. Would it be a good idea to shut off the well pump and drain the well tank in case the power goes out and the pipes freeze. This way I won't have a broken pipe being fed water when the power comes back on. Will the boiler still function without pressure from the supply side?

Mike


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## DeniseM (Dec 30, 2009)

Please note that this thread is a year old...


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## philemer (Jan 1, 2010)

DeniseM said:


> Please note that this thread is a year old...



But the info is still germane. 



> I have a boiler with 5 heating zones that distribute heat by circulating hot water to the baseboards. Would it be a good idea to shut off the well pump and drain the well tank in case the power goes out and the pipes freeze. This way I won't have a broken pipe being fed water when the power comes back on. Will the boiler still function without pressure from the supply side?



I don't know the answer about the boiler. Maybe an expert will chip in.


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## judyjht (Jan 1, 2010)

We have a log house in Maine and the builder said to set it at 55 when we are away.  He said 40 was a bit iffy.  We wanted to do 50 but he said it is not worth the chance.  So, we are doing 55 when we are not here.


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## DeniseM (Jan 1, 2010)

philemer said:


> But the info is still germane.



Phil - since this is a first post from a newbie, I am a bit suspicious....


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## JoeWilly (Jan 1, 2010)

We just got some winter tips from our insurance company and it said don't set the thermostat below 55.


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## ljane (Jan 2, 2010)

We live in Pennsylvania.  We leave our house temp. set at 55.   We also have the water company come and shut our water off, when we are ready to leave the house.  Most home's have a shut off valve away from the main water line.  Our's is buried in the ground in our front lawn, next to the main city water line.  Once they shut the water off, we drain all our water lines inside the house.  For the water company this is a simple proceedure.  It takes about 10 minutes total.  They have a special tool to locate the shut off valve, and dig about 3 inch round hole to get down to the valve to shut is off.  They also put the plug of grass and dirt they dig out back into the ground.  It doesn't leave a hole and your yard it not damaged.
Then we leave worry free about pipes freezing.  Before we return home, we call and tell them when we will be home, and schedule a turn on time. 

I dont know if all water company's do this but, it really helps us.

ljane


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## philemer (Jan 7, 2010)

ljane said:


> We live in Pennsylvania.  We leave our house temp. set at 55.   We also have the water company come and shut our water off, when we are ready to leave the house.  Most home's have a shut off valve away from the main water line.  Our's is buried in the ground in our front lawn, next to the main city water line.  Once they shut the water off, we drain all our water lines inside the house.  For the water company this is a simple proceedure.  It takes about 10 minutes total.  They have a special tool to locate the shut off valve, and dig about 3 inch round hole to get down to the valve to shut is off.  They also put the plug of grass and dirt they dig out back into the ground.  It doesn't leave a hole and your yard it not damaged.
> Then we leave worry free about pipes freezing.  Before we return home, we call and tell them when we will be home, and schedule a turn on time.
> 
> I dont know if all water company's do this but, it really helps us.
> ...



How much do they charge you? You can also buy a "valve/water key" at a hardware store and turn it off yourself.


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## John Cummings (Jan 7, 2010)

I just turn the heat off as freezing pipes is not a problem here. I don't change the water heater.


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## Passepartout (Jan 7, 2010)

55 and shut off the incoming water supply valve. Nothing more. We've had the basement flooded twice, once from a water heater leak and once from downstream sewer blockage. Ewww yuck!

Jim Ricks


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## RDB (Jan 7, 2010)

fishn_guy said:


> I have a boiler with 5 heating zones that distribute heat by circulating hot water to the baseboards. Would it be a good idea to shut off the well pump and drain the well tank in case the power goes out and the pipes freeze. This way I won't have a broken pipe being fed water when the power comes back on. Will the boiler still function without pressure from the supply side?
> 
> Mike



Mike, WELCOME.

You ask, "Will the boiler still function without pressure from the supply side?"
I would think so so long as there's no pressure drop.

I ask, Will your boiler work with the power off?  Will that system freeze without heat?

I would think you need a backup system to assure you are covered. Having friends helping to fire up the backup can be handy.

As I posted last year, "When we lived in Cadillac, MI, I treated the house as though everything would freeze while we were gone... Seems as though while you're away, electric goes out or that's when lines break... always something!

So, I suggest you treat for everything freezing, just to have peace of mind. Plants go to someone else. Drain all water including the water tank(s) and treat traps and commodes. Set heat to minimum.  That way, if you lose heat you're covered. To me it's worth the effort, just to know we aren't flooded or froze up while we're off somewhere enjoying life."


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## ljane (Jan 9, 2010)

Phil,
We do have a "valve/water key" but the city considers this their water line.  Being it is their line, we are not allowed to shut it off ourselves.  I believe they charge us $10.00 to shut off and $10.00 to turn back on.
Ljane


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## John Cummings (Jan 10, 2010)

ljane said:


> Phil,
> We do have a "valve/water key" but the city considers this their water line.  Being it is their line, we are not allowed to shut it off ourselves.  I believe they charge us $10.00 to shut off and $10.00 to turn back on.
> Ljane



I have never heard of that one before. We have a valve on our main water line to the house that is in a cement box in our lawn about 4 feet from the sidewalk. We can turn it on and and off whenever we want to. That has been the same in every house we have owned.


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