Heating an empty house.

[semi-acoustic]

Hi all

I am after some advice on an acceptable stat settings when away for a few months during winter.

Should I set room stat to 5 degrees ( lowest setting ) with the heating on constant to prevent a freeze up.

Mains turned off, have a conventional boiler with f and e tank.

Also have a hot water cylinder with stat, should I turn this right down also.

Any advice would be truly appreciated.

 

[gassafesam]

Accepting the fact that you are in Britain and not The Antarctic, Canada or The Outer Hebrides, I would just turn everything off. I do,and live abroad 4-6 months out of the year. My milk doesn`t last though....Turn off gas meter, electric meter, kill the cats etc....Common sense should prevail

 

[semi-acoustic]

Hi

Thanks for the quick reply, don't really want to leave everything off, just in case of a freeze up, have had this happen in the past, not good.

Maybe I can use the dead cat as pipe insulation though!!!!

Regards

 

[cozzmic]

If you are going away, water off, hot water on the programmer off, leave the heating on at least 1hr before sunrise then and hour or two after with maybe an hour on over lunch time and then 6 -9pm in the evening. Also set the room stat about 7'C just to give a little leeway. Remember central heating is no use if you don't have electricity (should not be a problem in the smoke) but get a good friend to check the house daily. Your insurance would probably insist on having someone to check on the property to cover you.

 

[big-all]

if your worried go for minimum on times
if once a day 10 degrees for a minimum 30 mins run all radiator thermo valves to 20

if it has to be twice a day then 2x20mins at 10degrees if it has to be 30 mins times 2 or longer then go for 8 degrees as the total energy will be about the same storing a bit more in the structure[

if its normal winter it will take several days for your house to drop towards 5 degrees without heat on with the stored heat in the walls and the solar gain unless its a very draughty house or an old badly insulated extension

 

[Dan Robinson]

A night of posted rot I see.

Water off.

Heating On.

Room stat set between 10 and 14.

Turn your mains water off and leave a tap or two open.


Posted recently about friends who didn't follow my advise and they are still sorting out the abortion of a repair job by the insurance company - last week I was there fixing assorted school boy errors on the new shower and bath taps.

the bath mastic looks like it was done by my 4 year old.

 

[JohnD]

Read your Home Insurance Policy and see what it says.

It will probably say, keep the house at a minimum of 12°C day and night, or no cover for frost or bursts and water damage.

It might offer the alternative of turning off the water and draining all pipes, including those under the floor, radiators and boiler. I would turn off the incoming water service anyway.

It may also call for periodic inspections while the house is unoccupied. One way to prove them is to have a friend or relative make phone calls each visit, so they are tracked on the phone bill.

An unoccupied home is easy pickings for burglars.

 

[boombastic]

Nothing will freeze at all,depends if you are going now for a few months or December,use your head,leaving heating on will protect heating pipes,can`t see why they will suddenly freeze if not being used for the next 2 weeks or so, not cold main supply, Turn nothing off man!! Not the mains, no point!
How does the house know you are not there? It doesn`t! You don`t turn it off every time you go out so why if you are going for 2 weeks or more?

 

[HERTS P&D]

Don't listen to the bloke above, always turn off your incoming supply. A lot of old float valves break/leak when they haven't been used for a least 2-3 weeks. I get calls for lots of float valves and when I ask the customer if they have been away- there are shocked to find that I know they have been away.

Good point John about phoning from the house.

Andy

 

[HERTS P&D]

Go away troll!

I have been to many households that have had faulty float valves on the COLD WATER STORAGE TANK that have leaked and gone through the ceiling. Many overflow pipes have come adrift or leaked on a joint!

To the OP, turn off your incoming mains had have the heating on timed as mentioned above by various plumbers and heating engineers.

Andy

 

[Agile]

Amazingly bad advice from some people working in the industry!

Turn mains water off, leave tap open.

Drain any water tanks in loft.

Leave heating on CONSTANT at a low temperature. 5 C will be adequate but 10-12 C is better.

Have someone checking house at least once a week!

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

Drain any water tanks in loft.

including the heating header tank?

 

[Agile]

No, leave the F&E tank alone!

 

[mysteryman]

Heating on constant, room 'stat set at 5 is correct. It will only bring the heating on when it is needed - when it gets really cold. Turn the rising main off, leave the kitchen sink cold tap open.

 

[JohnD]

5C inside the house will not be enough to stop the loft from freezing. As long as you drain the cwc you will only get the contents of the F&E, the contents of the pipes, coming through the ceiling until you come home and turn on the stop cock, at which point it will start gushing down until you notice, turn it back off, and phone the plumber and plasterer.