Leaving empty house in winter - what to turn off (merged threads)

SuzieSue

jackieblack wrote: »

Just says won't be covered if house unoccupied for more than 60 days
Not a problem

Does it say anything about preventing burst pipes?

jackieblack

SuzieSue wrote: »

Does it say anything about preventing burst pipes?

No, nothing

bluedrop

Hi all,
I live in a 3 bed house (London). We are going away for a two week holiday. Can the wise people here please help me with the below questions?

1. I plan to leave my heating on with 16c setting. Is that good enough?

2. Is there anything else that I need to do? Like turn off water mains etc?

3. I have a burglar alarm .Shall I leave a couple of lights on?

4. Is there anything else I need to do to make sure my house is safe and sound while I am away?

Biggles

That's already been pretty thoroughly done this week by the following thread:-

Leaving empty house in winter - what to turn off
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4844773

nanto3girls

macman wrote: »

Does anyone these days ever actually park their car in the garage?

My hubby does.

lat321

OP- Where do you live? If you are in a not so cold part of UK and weather is not expected to be severe (check weather forecast just before you go) then just leave central heating to come on for an hour during day and an hour during night and may be hot water once in a day for half hour or so and that should save any pipes freezing etc.

cyclonebri1

lat321 wrote: »

OP- Where do you live? Can you give your post code with house No?

Ok, stretching the quote, but I'm sure you get my drift.

Late in, but;

Yes turn off the mains water.

What you don't want is the house to lose it's core temp. That can give rise to many issues, floors expanding, the same with fitting and furniture.

I would simply set to 2 hours AM and PM but at sat 18deg, no more, to protect the house not the (non existing) inhabitants,

Your drive needs to change in outlook over those 2 weeks.
I car (disabled if poss) up to the garage to provide resistance to intruders. I have a lesson in why this is needed if you really need to know.
Otherwise ask a neighbour to park in your drive within their normal routine, ;)

Advise the police?, simply not worth the effort. They'd be filing your notification as the turds made their escape :o:o

NowRetired

Does anyone these days ever actually park their car in the garage?

I do, still using the same tin of de-icer from 5 years ago when I retired.

Never have to scrape ice from the car windscreen in the morning.

When I go on holiday in the winter I leave the heating on 24 hrs set at about 10 deg C but it gets cold here in Scotland.

uses hardly any gas.

cyclonebri1

NowRetired wrote: »

I do, still using the same tin of de-icer from 5 years ago when I retired.

Never have to scrape ice from the car windscreen in the morning.

When I go on holiday in the winter I leave the heating on 24 hrs set at about 10 deg C but it gets cold here in Scotland.

uses hardly any gas.

Well no, you wouldn't do if you didn't use the car. ie, You never park early or late away from home.


The fact that you don't use deicer, and qualifying that by saying you never scrape, indicates you go nowhere? Did you also retire from driving?

10 degrees is frost stat temp anywhere, the temp is the same, only the energy input varies.
You are the same as us (Cold?)

tired_dad

Once left everything off for 2 weeks in winter while we were away. On return, there were no burst pipes or anything like that but the house had lost its core temp and it took several days to get back to where it normally was. There I was thinking the house would be hot within hours of return.

I think the plan of leaving on at 10deg is the most sensible.