Keeping pipes from freezing when away

Pincher

Don't forget the loft cold water tank.


When they did the loft insulation, the advice was to NOT insulate under the tank, so heat rising from the house can keep it from freezing. Obviously, it should be wrapped all over otherwise.


If you want to be extra safe, you can put in a tube heater, controlled by a frost stat.


Having had ignition issues some years ago, I am also paranoid about the boiler not starting, not to mention sticky zone valves.
If you are truly paranoid, you can leave an oil filled electric heater in the hall way, on a low setting.


To fool the burglars, I usually leave a few lights on timers.
If you use traditional incandescent bulbs, that will be one or two hundred watts of heat as well.


Yes, I worry that the bulbs will blow, so the oil filled heater is Plan C.


Plan B is the light bulbs.


Plan A is the boiler on a low setting.


The logical progression of this mode of thinking is to have a wife, with a mistress for back up, and preferably a tertiary option somewhere too.
But women just want to be the ONLY ONE. They will never make good system engineers.