Home owners: what's the minimum safe temperature for home in winter

[welst10]

Is 50F ok, too low, or too high? I know if you set the temp too low, water pipes will freeze and break.

 

[lokiju]

Well 32 F is freezing point, as long as you're above that I wouldn't worry.

 

The general rule with my family is 60 degrees.

 

[welst10]

Originally posted by: FallenHero
The general rule with my family is 60 degrees.

even when the no one is home?

 

[trmiv]

i would think it would take more energy to heat the house back up to a comfortable temp if you kept it that low, than it would just to maintain a better temp in the house. say like 65 at least.

 

[welst10]

Originally posted by: trmiv
i would think it would take more energy to heat the house back up to a comfortable temp if you kept it that low, than it would just to maintain a better temp in the house. say like 65 at least.

well, you can set the thermostat control so that heater starts 30 min before you get home from work.

 

[Bryophyte]

If I'm going to be gone for extended periods in the winter, I usually set it at about 55F.

 

[imported_whatever]

it is most energy efficient to keep it as cool as possible. the general rule that i have heard is 40F. i know my heater turns on at that point, even if i turn the heat off.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: whatever
it is most energy efficient to keep it as cool as possible. the general rule that i have heard is 40F. i know my heater turns on at that point, even if i turn the heat off.

Heating that back up is going to cost a hell of a lot.

 

[Eli]

Safe? lol..

35ºF.

50 is fine.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

be sure to open any cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls to let air circulate...

 

[JoeKing]

imagine how far you can overclock if you let your house cool down that much!!

 

[Bulk Beef]

The biggest water pipes you should be concerned with are those running to outside faucets. You need to shut them off (from the inside) and drain them.

 

[welst10]

Originally posted by: sward666
The biggest water pipes you should be concerned with are those running to outside faucets. You need to shut them off (from the inside) and drain them.

that's a great tip! I totally didn't think of that. Thanks!

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: whatever
it is most energy efficient to keep it as cool as possible. the general rule that i have heard is 40F. i know my heater turns on at that point, even if i turn the heat off.

Heating that back up is going to cost a hell of a lot.

Yeah, opening the windows after winter is over costs a lot!

 

[DrPizza]

Is this a house that *won't* be occupied regularly? Just turn the heat off completely. But, before you do so, shut off the water at where it comes into the house and drain the water pipes of any water. Also, pour antifreeze into the toilet tanks and bowl (flush first after shutting water off... that way you won't need as much to achieve a 50/50 mixture)

 

[DrPizza]

also, probably pour a little bit of antifreeze down the drains as well to keep the traps from freezing. That shouldn't be a problem, but a lot of traps are made of pretty thin material. I've always had trouble with the metal ones getting thin and eventually leaking.

 

[Tiamat]

when i lived at home, in the winter we kept it at 52 degrees. We have an oil furnace and oil prices were just too much, so i got used to wearing a sweater, pants, and socks around the house.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: blazert40
Well 32 F is freezing point, as long as you're above that I wouldn't worry.

Actually do to the risk of power failure (what if the heat is off for 8 hours while the power gets restored?). Most places recommend 55 or so (but even that won't help in a prolonged outage)

Bill

 

[welst10]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Is this a house that *won't* be occupied regularly? Just turn the heat off completely. But, before you do so, shut off the water at where it comes into the house and drain the water pipes of any water. Also, pour antifreeze into the toilet tanks and bowl (flush first after shutting water off... that way you won't need as much to achieve a 50/50 mixture)

No. I was talking about when I go to work. Not prolonged vacancy.

 

[quentinterintino]

whoa, never pour ethylene gylcol into your plumbing! keep it in your car or a closed system.
Talk about poison..... sheesh.

 

[trmiv]

man, i can't imagine living in a place that's like 52 all winter. i would hate that. in our apartment, it rarely gets under 75, even in the winter with the heater off.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: quentinterintino
whoa, never pour ethylene gylcol into your plumbing! keep it in your car or a closed system.
Talk about poison..... sheesh.

I had the same reaction at first, but look at the sh!t we routinly pour down the drain.. bleach, detergents...

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: whatever
it is most energy efficient to keep it as cool as possible. the general rule that i have heard is 40F. i know my heater turns on at that point, even if i turn the heat off.

Heating that back up is going to cost a hell of a lot.

yeah but he is only heating it back to 40, not 80, and if he is gone for 6 weeks doesn't make a lot of sense for him to keep it blowing at 70 degrees the whole time just so its warm when he gets back.

 

[welst10]

Ok, I just programmed my digital thermostat as follows:

8:45AM 53F (leave for work at 8:30am)
5:30PM 66F (get home around 6pm)
12:00AM 63F

right now my room temp is 66 and I feel pretty comfortable. We'll see how much my monthly heating bill will be in the coming months. I have a feeling this year is gonna be brutal. I have been living in apartments until a few months ago.