How cold can you leave your house on vacation?

During the Cold Season

Shutting the heat off during winter can cause burst pipes and a host of other issues. If you're leaving for a winter vacation, aim to keep your home's thermostat around 65 degrees. It also helps to open cabinets to allow air to circulate and to avoid cold spots.

What temperature should you leave your house while on vacation?

The best rule of thumb is to raise the temperature about 5 degrees from what you primarily keep it at. So if you set it at 74 degrees when you're home, then set it to 79 or 80 when you go out of town.

What temperature should I leave my house while on vacation in winter?

Always leave the heat on. The best temperature to leave your house on vacation in winter is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, but achieving that can mean adjustments during weather changes. Will the pipes freeze even if the heat is on? They can, so turn off your water supply and drain your pipes.

What temperature is too cold for a house?

Below 13° - If your home is this cold, it may increase your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. 14-15° - If your home is this cold, you may be diminishing your resistance to respiratory diseases.

How low can I set thermostat on vacation?

The short answer? Setting your thermostat no lower than 50° and no higher than 60° F will: Save you money on your energy bill. Prevent your pipes from freezing.

What to Do to Your House When You Leave on Vacation

How low can I set my thermostat before pipes freeze?

Every leak should be sealed properly with insulation or caulk. Turn up the thermostat to 65 degrees or higher during the winter. Temperatures in the attic or behind the walls can become cold enough to let the pipes freeze if the thermostat is turned lower than this.

Can you leave a house unheated in the winter?

Almost any room in the house can be closed off for the winter or at least have the temperature substantially reduced. But not every room can go entirely unheated because the flooring may crack, any plaster cracks will widen, and ice may form inside on the windows and ruin their finish.

Is 62 degrees too cold for a house?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends setting your thermostat no lower than 64 degrees (F) in the Winter months while people are in the home.

Is 64 too cold for a house in winter?

What Temperature is Too Cold for a House? While everyone has a different tolerance to cold, ideal winter heat settings should generally be at or above 63 °F (17 °C). Excessive cold (anything below 62 °F or 16 °C) in your home can actually raise your blood pressure as your blood “thickens” in the chilly temperatures.

Can you get sick if your house is too cold?

While it's advice you've heard for years, Fecher says it's true, but not in the sense of catching a cold virus or the flu. “You can't get sick from being cold in general, whether you are outside or inside,” Fecher says.

What do you do when you leave your house for a month?

What do snowbirds do with their houses?

Some snowbirds rent out their vacation homes when they return north. Between the months of April and October, snowbirds live in their summer residence and some put their winter home on the market for rent. This is prime time for warm weather renters to jump on some great properties.

What is the cheapest temperature to keep house in winter?

Set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter

According to ENERGY STAR, setting your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) when you're home is the ideal balance of comfort and energy efficiency.

What temperature should I keep my vacant house in winter in Florida?

Ideally, the thermostat should be set at a reasonable 74 degrees when you're home, 78 when you're gone, and 70 when you're asleep.

What temperature should I keep my house to save money?

Experts say that setting your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day is the best way to save money in the winter. While away from home, it is recommended to turn it down. This has been determined to be the ideal setting for savings in the winter.

Should I turn off heater while on vacation?

It is very necessary to keep your heater on when you are leaving your house for one month or one week to help stop an expensive mishap. The temperature often decreases below freezing in winter. Your house will become extremely colder when the temperature decreases particularly in older houses.

Is 68 degrees too cold for a house?

Depending on the season, the ideal house temperature for both comfort and efficiency is between 68 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer, the recommended thermostat setting is 78 degrees F. In the winter, 68 degrees is recommended for energy savings. However, these temperatures aren't perfect for every situation.

Can you get hypothermia in your house?

Hypothermia can happen indoors

It's possible to lose a dangerous amount of body heat inside your own home. Hypothermia can happen indoors in as little as 10 or 15 minutes if the temperature settings are cold enough. Not having any heat in your home in the winter can be very dangerous.

Is 72 a good temperature for heat in the winter?

The lower the temperature is inside of the home, the slower the rate of thermal energy loss. To achieve optimal comfort, it is recommended for homeowners to set their thermostats between 68 to 72 degrees while there are people inside of the home.

Is 53 degrees cold for a house?

While some area doctors said they had no data on when a cold house becomes unsafe, they pretty much agreed that anything below 50 degrees means it's time to find safer shelter. The elderly and infants and toddlers will be affected by the cold before healthy adults.

What temperature should I keep my vacant house in summer?

So no matter how long you'll be away, the setting that's best for home maintenance is 85 degrees in the summer and 50 degrees in the winter. You might be tempted by a few dollars more in energy savings, but it's simply not worth the risk of doing expensive damage throughout your entire home.

What happens to a house with no heat?

Even homes with the best insulation will freeze inside if they go long enough without heat. And most plumbing lines are located in walls, which promotes even faster freezing of the pipes. Even slightly freezing temperatures will cause pipes to shatter or split.

How do you winterize a house without heat?

Turn the temperature control on a gas heater to "off" and turn off the gas valve. Turn an electric water heater off by turning the breaker off. Open a faucet or spigot on the gas or electric heater to allow air to flow in as the water is drained out.

At what temperature do pipes usually burst?

Even so, outside temperatures generally have to fall to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below before your pipes will freeze or burst due to freezing.

At what temp should I drip my faucets?

When a cold snap hovers around or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius), it's time to let at least one faucet drip. Pay close attention to water pipes that are in attics, garages, basements or crawl spaces because temperatures in these unheated interior spaces usually mimic outdoor temperatures.