Keeping the heating on means that water in pipes will remain at a constant temperature and should not get cold enough to freeze. what about washing machines with their water seals and refrigerators ?? According to the Department of Energy, for every degree you raise the set temperature of your central air, you’ll save about three percent on your utility bill. Nest Protect is a smoke alarm that remotely monitors smoke and carbon monoxide, sending you a push alert if levels grow hazardous. Whenever you will be away from home for an extended period of time, you should adjust the temperature to save money. During the winter months you want to minimize the heating cost while at the same time preventing water pipes from bursting and avoiding any damage to household appliances. It’s a little simpler for those from the Sunbelt, but if you’re from cold zones and want a winter getaway, you’ll need to take a few more steps to prepare your house for a vacation in winter. And be smart about social media when away – unless you have a house sitter, don’t make public updates on accounts under your real name, because smart thieves search for “gone fishing” announcements.

Air circulates from the outside room temperature will keep the pipes below the sinks from freezing while you are away. Some are invalid if you haven’t hired a house sitter for absences of more than 21 days.

Please remove me from this app.all text and messages! Temperature was set at 55 degrees; not good for exposed attic. Setting the thermostat too high might not save you any extra money as the air conditioner works harder to cool the house’s temperature back down. (Photo: Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images ). Hope your home repairs all went well. Heating tips during sub-zero temperatures: The Best Day of the Week to Buy Mutual Funds, Peter Adeney, the Man behind Mr. Money Mustache, Earns $400,000 a Year on His Blog, Professional Panda Cuddler as the World's Best Job for $32,000 per Year, After Earning $400,000 Per Year on His Blog, Mr Money Mustache's Spending Rises to $256,000, Lower Energy Bills with Improved Efficiency, Strategies for Improving Your Personal Finances in 2018, Pandemic Accelerated Cord Cutting, Making 2020 the Worst-Ever Year For Pay TV, Addicted To Losing: How Casino-Like Apps Have Drained People of Millions, Keeping Your Finances On Track Following A Personal Injury, Young Americans Have Used 33% Of Their Total Savings During COVID-19, With Tax Returns Around The Corner, Documents Will Help Workers Prepare, Americans Regret Lack of Emergency Savings During Pandemic, 20-Year-Old Robinhood Customer Dies By Suicide After Seeing A $730,000 Negative Balance, U.S. Economy Shrinks at 4.8% Pace, Signaling Start of Recession. Steffani Cameron is a freelance writer and journalist with bylines in Washington Post, Canadian Traveller, and many other sites. Never leave a hardwood floor in an unheated environment if possible. The DOE notes that heat gains can be reduced by 33 percent with medium-colored drapes that have white, plastic backings. For example, completely-closed, reflective blinds on a sunny window can result in a 45 percent reduction in heat gain. If a pipe bursts or … … Use an infrared thermometer to check for cold spots on cold nights. Also, If you live in expose area then set it on the high side around 55 ℉ or higher to keep pipes from freezing.

I saw a $400K disaster. These days, it’s easy to sign up for a house-sitting website, which is often free. The temperatures for the whole house are not homogenous as some parts of the house will be even colder than the lowest temperature setting on the thermostat. These digital solutions can sometimes fail, for example, if your router conks out, the power goes out, or your cable goes down, so does your remote connection. Sites like Trusted Housesitters will run criminal background checks and credit checks, giving you greater peace of mind that someone reliable is on the watch 24/7 in your absence. If you have pipes in exterior walls you want to set the thermostat higher, such as 55 ℉ or 60 ℉, to warm the house enough that the pipes in the wall are above freezing. It also potentially means higher electric bills as you reach for the thermostat to cool your house. Each house is different and the optimal thermostat setting depends on the level of insulation in the house, pipe layout, exterior temperature, and location. Frozen pipe running through attic caused over $60,000 in damage taking down three ceilings and some walls. Connect with her on Twitter or LinkedIn. Any sections of pipe that happened to be drained won’t be damaged, and you won’t have to tear the walls containing them apart to fix the damage. But is it worth it to leave your unit running for 8 to 10 hours in your absence? The same company also makes indoor and outdoor cameras for watching your home ‒ and even your cat ‒ remotely. Map your pipes and water tanks. A thermostat setting between 40 degrees and 45 degrees should provide a sufficient buffer. Window shades are another way to either reduce or increase heat.

Depending on how long you will be away, turning off the main water supply line where it comes into the house is highly recommended. Don’t worry! Make sure anything loose or freestanding outside has been secured or put in the garage, just in case high winds come along. However, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, an empty house is not likely to generate water from washing, cooking or other related activities, therefore the probability of moisture causing an issue is low.

On the opposite side of the weather spectrum, another concern is frozen plumbing in the winter. The first day of Spring means warmer air is just around the corner. However, depending on where your house is located and the time of year, Nutter warns you may want to think twice before switching off your HVAC system. On very cold nights, water flow must be more than a trickle. You should set the temperature around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (℉). “There is one real concern base on the building’s location and condition – moist air entering the building and the potential development of mold,” Nutter said. If you don’t want to turn off the water heater, make sure to turn it to low or vacation mode. You could damage wall structure and household items if the inside is too hot and humid. Consider “smart plugs,” which you put in an outlet and plug appliances into, which allows you to remotely control that appliance from wherever you are, whether it’s a TV or a lamp. Will it need a water supply if we turn off the water when leaving a New Hampshire house for the winter? By draining all the water lines and turning off the water, if the pipes freeze while the furnace dies it’s not the end of the world. The DOE recommends adjusting your thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees when you’re leaving for several hours. If you are away for a short period of time and don’t want to shut off the main water, then set the faucet for water to slightly drip out, especially with pipes on an exterior wall exposed to cold weather. First, if you are leaving a house for a couple months in the winter you should turn off the water.

What if a storm blows in? Beware of simple advice. There’s a big difference between homes that are left at 55 ℉ and those left at 45 ℉ after years of leaving the house vacant. The LBNL also notes that homeowners may be able to prevent pipes from freezing using other methods, such as properly draining water from the pipes and wrapping tape heaters to toilets, pipes and traps. Last year New Hampshire saw many ruptured pipes that destroyed ceilings and houses.

Lowering water heater temperature before leaving is a must. Then open the faucets to drain every plumbing you can. I found a good recommendation to turn off the main water line and try to drain the pipes as much as you can so you don't have to worry about pipes freezing. Did you know some insurance policies are invalid if you haven’t turned the water off for an absence of four days or longer? Wish I had read this a year ago. In 2015, she sold everything to go nomad and has since slow-travelled alone through over 24 countries while working remotely. You want to do what is best for the house but hate the idea of paying for unnecessary service. What else should I do before locking up?

For two or more months, you may need a house sitter. 2. In addition, keep the cabinet doors under the sinks open to prevent cold pockets from forming. Terri Williams is a freelance journalist with bylines at The Economist, USA Today, Yahoo, the Houston Chronicle, and U.S. News & World Report. Entrust a neighbor to step in when your Wi-Fi needs rebooting. Let’s say you go away for a week and leave the water turned on. ChooseEnergy.com is operated on behalf of Choose Energy, INC | PUCT Reg #BR190335, Choose Energy, Inc. a Red Ventures Company - 1423 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC, 29707. Nobody wants to come home after a vacation to a foot of water in the basement as well as numerous ruptures in pipes within the walls. But homeowners can stress over leaving the home behind for a few weeks or a few months. Once, it was recommended to put lighting on timers while away, but now experts say thieves casing neighborhoods look for lights that literally come on like clockwork. Too much insulation. Temperature and humidity fluctuation can ruin hardwood flooring. Insurance Hotline: 8 Ways to Get Your Home Ready, Filter Butler: How to Prepare Your House for Vacation in the Winter, Nationwide: Home vacation preparation checklist, The Differences Between Vinyl & Canvas Pop-Up Campers, How to Get Your Home Ready When Leaving for Winter Vacation, Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights, Will the pipes freeze even if the heat is on? On the opposite side of the weather spectrum, another concern is frozen plumbing in the winter. Before planning your vacation, know where you stand with your household insurance policy. So, if you normally set your house at 72 ℉, crank it up to 77 ℉ or 78 ℉ before you leave the house. We are moving to a new house and unfortunately we don't have our house sold yet. Today, options like “smart bulbs,” such as the Philips Hue lightbulb and other gadgets allow you to control lighting through your smartphone – even from half-way around the world! Always leave the heat on. When your house is empty during winter it is recommended to leave the heating permanently on (at least 13 degrees C), especially during sub-zero temperatures. Note the maximum volume of water is at 38 degrees F, not 32. The temperatures for the whole house are not homogenous as some parts of the house will be even colder than the lowest temperature … Thanks for sharing your real-life story M. Blanding! Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.