Winter heat

Kings Bluff · 06-15-2020, 11:48 AM

What is the best way to heat your house in the winter just enough to keep the pipes from freezing? Electric? Propane Stove? If so, what kind? I am always fearful of the pipes freezing even when I drain them for the winter.

FlyingScot · 06-15-2020, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kings Bluff

What is the best way to heat your house in the winter just enough to keep the pipes from freezing? Electric? Propane Stove? If so, what kind? I am always fearful of the pipes freezing even when I drain them for the winter.

If you are not going to be in the house for the winter, absolutely the best plan is to drain and blow out the pipes. This has worked for generations--water cannot burst your pipes if it is not in them. Much better than banking on a heating system that is bound to fail at some point each year.

I'm at my house once every few weeks in the winter, so I'm very well insulated, have the central propane heat at 40, and have a couple of different alarm systems. My heat fails at least once each winter, usually due to power failure.

SAMIAM · 06-16-2020, 06:55 AM

Also remember to leaver all fawcets wide open when water is turned off.That way,if there is a small amount of water left somewhere in the pipes it can expand harmlessly if it freezes

phoenix · 06-19-2020, 08:16 AM

I would recommend having a licensed plumber do it. I do it each year and shut off all heat also

icg56 · 06-19-2020, 06:57 PM

Drain the house and pull the plug. It also saves your roof as you no longer have snow melt and ice build up from internal heat. Cost of a plumber is covered with 1 month of power cost.

garysanfran · 06-20-2020, 08:01 AM

I used to drain everything myself, but didn't have the ability to blow forced air through the system to get every last drop out. Often, when I opened in the spring, there would be a problem somewhere needing a plumber to fix it. Now I have my plumber drain the system and blow it out...No problems. In the spring, he connects everything up two days before I arrive...Money very well spent.

06-15-2020, 11:48 AM	#1
Kings Bluff Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 51 Thanks: 2 Thanked 16 Times in 11 Posts	Winter heat What is the best way to heat your house in the winter just enough to keep the pipes from freezing? Electric? Propane Stove? If so, what kind? I am always fearful of the pipes freezing even when I drain them for the winter.

06-19-2020, 08:16 AM	#4
phoenix Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: phoenix and moultonboro Posts: 1,554 Thanks: 61 Thanked 275 Times in 193 Posts	I would recommend having a licensed plumber do it. I do it each year and shut off all heat also __________________ it's tough to make predictions specially about the future

06-20-2020, 08:01 AM	#6
garysanfran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Francisco/Meredith Posts: 1,574 Thanks: 668 Thanked 682 Times in 348 Posts	I used to drain everything myself, but didn't have the ability to blow forced air through the system to get every last drop out. Often, when I opened in the spring, there would be a problem somewhere needing a plumber to fix it. Now I have my plumber drain the system and blow it out...No problems. In the spring, he connects everything up two days before I arrive...Money very well spent. __________________ Gary ~~~~_/) ~~~ ~~~~~~~~

06-16-2020, 06:55 AM	#3
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,897 Thanks: 334 Thanked 1,676 Times in 586 Posts	Also remember to leaver all fawcets wide open when water is turned off.That way,if there is a small amount of water left somewhere in the pipes it can expand harmlessly if it freezes

06-19-2020, 06:57 PM	#5
icg56 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 84 Thanks: 3 Thanked 33 Times in 19 Posts	Drain the house and pull the plug. It also saves your roof as you no longer have snow melt and ice build up from internal heat. Cost of a plumber is covered with 1 month of power cost.