What temperature should I leave the heat on when away in winter?

Whether you plan to leave for a vacation or for the season, most heating and cooling professionals recommend setting the thermostat to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature will reduce your heating costs and minimize the risk for hazards such as frozen or burst pipes and flooding.

What temperature should I leave my heat on when away?

When preparing your home for winter if you plan to be away, the best thermostat settings are between 55 and 60°F. If your winters are mild and freezing pipes are not as much of a concern, you can go lower to 45°F to potentially save money.

Is it OK to leave the heat off in winter?

Heat constantly escapes your home when it's cold outdoors, which is why it makes sense to lower the thermostat when you're not there. But turning off the furnace in the winter—especially when you're away for long periods of time—runs the risk of frozen pipes that could easily burst when they thaw.

What temperature should I keep my house in winter so pipes don't freeze?

Regardless of how long you will be traveling and away from home, keep your thermostat set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or above. This will help to keep the pipes on the inside of the home from freezing and the ones under the home at a slightly higher temperature as well.

What is the lowest temperature to keep house in winter?

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. If there are infants or elderly individuals, they recommend keeping the temperature at 70 degrees at a minimum.

At What Temperature Should I Set My Thermostat: Tips If You Leave For The Winter

How low can I set my thermostat while away during the winter?

Winter. In the winter, set your thermostat no lower than 60 degrees when you go on vacation. While it may be tempting to turn that thermostat down further, doing so puts your pipes at risk of freezing.

How low should you set your thermostat when you're away?

If you are going away on vacation, we recommend adjusting your thermostat by about 7-10 degrees to conserve energy while you're gone. There's no use spending money on heating and cooling when nobody is home.

Should I leave my heat on when I go on vacation?

Residential HVAC contractors do not recommend turning your heat off while your on vacation because this may cause your pipes to freeze. As the water expands inside your pipe, it can cause the pipes to burst, leading to extensive flooding. Keep the heat on, and you're far less likely to come home to a flooded home.

What should I set my thermostat on vacation winter?

If your trip is during a warmer season of the year, then set the thermostat to a higher temperature while you're away (no higher than 85 degrees). If your trip is during a colder season, then set the thermostat to a lower temperature (no lower than 50 degrees).

How should I set my heat for 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.

Should I turn my thermostat off while on vacation in winter?

It could be tempting during the winter to try to save money by turning off your furnace or boiler when you're away from home (or if you own a seasonal or vacation home that sits empty in the winter). Don't do it.

How do I prepare my house for winter vacation?

What temperature should I keep my house to save money?

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.

Is 65 too cold for house in winter?

The World Health Organization recommends keeping indoor temperatures between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for healthy people. The minimum temperature should be kept above 68 degrees Fahrenheit to protect the very young, the elderly, or people with health problems.

Can pipes freeze at 60 degrees?

The temperature inside the walls - where the pipes are located - is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 65 degrees will not keep the inside walls from freezing.

How low can I set my thermostat before pipes freeze?

What Temperature Should I Keep My House So the Pipes Don't Freeze? As explained, 55 degrees is usually considered the lowest thermostat setting to avoid frozen pipes.

Is 62 too cold for a house?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends indoor temperatures of at least 64°F (you can drop that down to 62°F at night if you're really looking to save on your heating bill). But if you have infants, sick or elderly people in your household, then it's recommended that you keep the thermostat set at 70°F.

Should I leave heating on all night in freezing weather?

How to prevent your condensate pipe from freezing: Leave your heating on overnight at a lower temperature to keep the condensate warm. Although this uses energy, your boiler will take less time to heat up your home in the morning.

Is 52 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.

What to do when leaving house for 3 weeks?

What should you turn off in your house when you go on vacation?

How do you winterize a toilet?

Once the fill valve and shut-off valve are off, remove your toilet tank lid and gently place it on the floor. Flush your toilet and hold the flush handle down until you see that all of the water has drained from the tank. Do not release the flush handle until all of the water is gone from the tank.

Should I turn off my heat when I leave for a week?

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 it cheaper to turn heat on and off or keep on?

So, depending on the layout of your house and the type of heating system you have, leaving your heat on all day can significantly increase your energy bills. Turning off your heater, even just for a few hours a day, can help you save between 5%-15% on energy costs over the year.

Does turning your heat on and off cost more?

No, as keeping the heat at a constant temperature increases the heat loss and makes your furnace use more fuel than it needs to. In most cases, you will be ok with lowering the nighttime temperature by 10 degrees and the daytime temperature, when no one is in the house, by 10-15 degrees.