Going away in winter - what to do with heating and water

[Gill W]

On the 8th of February, I'm going away on Oceana for 5 weeks.

We've been thinking about what to do with the central heating and the water

With the heating we are thinking of either

a) keeping things pretty normal and having the heating come on and off twice a day

or

b) keeping the heating on a low setting 24/7

But we are wondering what to do about the water - do we turn it off or leave it on - there seem to be various conflicting opinions on the web

On the one hand, by turning water off it minimises the risk of water escaping from burst pipes.(but in a modern house with insulated pipes and the heating on, is there a big risk from a burst pipe?) But it seems odd to turn the water off and leave a central heating system on, as water circulates through the heating system.


So we were wondering - what do cruisers do with their heating and water when they go off on their long winter cruses

Your thoughts will be appreciated

[Ray B]

Gill, first thing to do is turn off the water by the main stop tap.Open all taps and flush the toilets.Central Heating systems today are almost all of the sealed system and will carry on working with the main water off with no problem.
Set the the Heating to come on after midnight for a couple of hours and again late afternoon.
Have a great cruise.

[Mervyn and Trish]

We turn our water off. We have a programmable thermostat that allows us to drop the CH temp and programme it to come back to normal a day or so before our return.

[GillD46]

We leave the heating on twice a day on low - which is a condition of the insurance if the house is empty for 28 days or more. We leave the water turned on, but my sister goes in daily to check everything is ok and she always flushes the toilets and runs the taps each week. Even in winter the water in the pipes can evaporate, meaning nasty smells.

I can reprogramme our thermostat from my mobile or iPad, which I do the day before our return. Then it's nice and toasty when we get in.

[Onelife]

Hi Gill.....first of all l'm not a plumber just a plumbers mate so this isn't a qualified opinion. I would have though leaving yor heating on frost setting would be enough to keep Jack Frost from your front door....but hey Ray sounds more knowledgeable in this department so I would take his advice over mine.....you know what my tips are like.

Btw Sir Merv if you had taken my advice you would be £15 richer today due to Prime Acclaim finishing third at 20/1.......l took 25/1

Regards

Keith

[Mervyn and Trish]

Hi Gill.....first of all l'm not a plumber just a plumbers mate so this isn't a qualified opinion. I would have though leaving yor heating on frost setting would be enough to keep Jack Frost from your front door....but hey Ray sounds more knowledgeable in this department so I would take his advice over mine.....you know what my tips are like.

Btw Sir Merv if you had taken my advice you would be £15 richer today due to Prime Acclaim finishing third at 20/1.......l took 25/1

Regards

Keith

My frost stat turns on the boiler but circulates the water through the hot water cylinder which shares a small boiler house rather than the rads. So it saves the boiler house but not the rest of the building. I leave the main stat on about 10 degrees which serves the same function.

BTW OL, I almost did better. I bought a lottery ticket instead and came within 5 numbers of getting the jackpot!

[Onelife]

Hi Gill.....first of all l'm not a plumber just a plumbers mate so this isn't a qualified opinion. I would have though leaving yor heating on frost setting would be enough to keep Jack Frost from your front door....but hey Ray sounds more knowledgeable in this department so I would take his advice over mine.....you know what my tips are like.

Btw Sir Merv if you had taken my advice you would be £15 richer today due to Prime Acclaim finishing third at 20/1.......l took 25/1

Regards

Keith

My frost stat turns on the boiler but circulates the water through the hot water cylinder which shares a small boiler house rather than the rads. So it saves the boiler house but not the rest of the building. I leave the main stat on about 10 degrees which serves the same function.

BTW OL, I almost did better. I bought a lottery ticket instead and came within 5 numbers of getting the jackpot![/quote


]So near yet so 'very' far...with that kind of luck lt might pay you to stick with my gee gee tips

[Quizzical Bob]

I know somebody who went away for a long weekend and when they came back found that their upstairs toilet cistern had cracked and the water had flooded their bathroom floor and eventually ruined their kitchen. I'd be inclined to turn off the service valves to the lavatories as a minimum.

[david63]

Central Heating systems today are almost all of the sealed system and will carry on working with the main water off with no problem.

Unless your boiler "springs a leak" as ours did a few years back when we were in New Zealand. Fortunately we had a neighbour coming in and he sorted it (British Gas contract)

[Raybosailor]

If you haven't got a holiday function on your thermostat turn the thermostat down to 12 deg. over 24/7 and turn main water stop tap off.

The frost protection setting on a boiler will only protect the boiler.

[towny44]

Although we have a brand new boiler ours is still an old system with a header tank and only radiator thermo valves ie no room stat, so no way could we turn off the water and leave the heating on, which like others have said is needed to validate the insurance.
So we have left our heating on twice, which should keep the house aired and frost free, our son will turn it back on for the full day just before we return. We have used this system in the past without problems, but never been away for 28 days before.

[Manoverboard]

We can turn the water off at the point of entry into the house, under the sink in the kitchen. There is not a header tank so no risk of a big flood, the CH is a sealed radiator system and will be set to operate twice per day with the thermostat being at 15 degrees.

Job done

[Gill W]

Although we have a brand new boiler ours is still an old system with a header tank and only radiator thermo valves ie no room stat, so no way could we turn off the water and leave the heating on, which like others have said is needed to validate the insurance.
So we have left our heating on twice, which should keep the house aired and frost free, our son will turn it back on for the full day just before we return. We have used this system in the past without problems, but never been away for 28 days before.

This is the same set up as us. The boiler is about 6 years old, but it's an older system with a header tank, although some of our radiators do have room stats. You say you couldn't turn the water off and leave the heating on - does this sort of system actually NEED the water on at the MAINS to function correctly? This is what we want to find out.

[towny44]

Although we have a brand new boiler ours is still an old system with a header tank and only radiator thermo valves ie no room stat, so no way could we turn off the water and leave the heating on, which like others have said is needed to validate the insurance.
So we have left our heating on twice, which should keep the house aired and frost free, our son will turn it back on for the full day just before we return. We have used this system in the past without problems, but never been away for 28 days before.

This is the same set up as us. The boiler is about 6 years old, but it's an older system with a header tank, although some of our radiators do have room stats. You say you couldn't turn the water off and leave the heating on - does this sort of system actually NEED the water on at the MAINS to function correctly? This is what we want to find out.

Yes it most certainly does Gill, the header tank replaces any evaporation or leakage, and if it runs dry the pump will be unable to circulate the hot water and the radiators and house will be cold and susceptible to frost damage.

[Gill W]

Would there likely to be that much evaporation to empty the header tank within the 5 weeks we are away?

Some things I've read on the net suggest that a central heating system could run for months without needing a top up.

[Raybosailor]

Would there likely to be that much evaporation to empty the header tank within the 5 weeks we are away?

Some things I've read on the net suggest that a central heating system could run for months without needing a top up.

Your'e right Gill the tank should last for months without a top up so long as you haven't got any leaks in the system but if you are worried just leave the water on and make sure the heating is ticking over at about 12 deg. to stop any frost damage to pipes.

Have you not got a neigbour or relative that can pop in now and again to make sure things are ok ?.

We are often away for five weeks or more and although there is a holiday setting on our heating control the minimum heat setting at any time is 12 deg. and we never have a problem.

[Ray B]

Gill, Not wishing to confuse, but a six year old boiler !! Are you sure the tank in the roof is a header tank and not the tank for the hot water supply, assuming you have a hot water cylinder.As I said before most boilers are sealed system boilers.
Just a question to everyone, do you know where to turn your water off ? Have you turned the stop tap off to see if it works ? Nothing like a stuck stop tap when you need it in an emergency .

[Raybosailor]

Just a question to everyone, do you know where to turn your water off ? Have you turned the stop tap off to see if it works ? Nothing like a stuck stop tap when you need it in an emergency .

Good advice Ray B, its good practice to turn your water off and on again at least once a year as the valve can lime up and seize, also do this with your radiator isolating valves as well because they are really prone to seizing.

Before turning any radiator valves off and on make a note of how many turns it takes to turn them off as your heating engineer has probably balanced your system using these valves unless they all have thermostatic control.

Washing machine and dishwasher isolating valves could do with a twist now and then too as these are the most difficult to free off if they seize up because the plastic levers will shred if forced.

[barney]

Gill, I don't know what all the fuss is about !

You live in the sunny Garden of England

The sun is always shining in Kent

Up the Gills

[Gill W]

Gill, Not wishing to confuse, but a six year old boiler !! Are you sure the tank in the roof is a header tank and not the tank for the hot water supply, assuming you have a hot water cylinder.As I said before most boilers are sealed system boilers.
Just a question to everyone, do you know where to turn your water off ? Have you turned the stop tap off to see if it works ? Nothing like a stuck stop tap when you need it in an emergency .

The boiler is six years old, but the central heating system is older than that - the house was built in the late 80's and the central heating system itself dates from that time.


We have a water tank in the loft and a hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard. But we also have a second smaller F&E or header tank in the loft. If it helps, our boiler is a Worcester Greenstar 18Ri, which, as far as I can see from the Worcester website is a boiler for a 'traditional system'

[Mervyn and Trish]

Although we have a brand new boiler ours is still an old system with a header tank and only radiator thermo valves ie no room stat, so no way could we turn off the water and leave the heating on, which like others have said is needed to validate the insurance.
So we have left our heating on twice, which should keep the house aired and frost free, our son will turn it back on for the full day just before we return. We have used this system in the past without problems, but never been away for 28 days before.

This is the same set up as us. The boiler is about 6 years old, but it's an older system with a header tank, although some of our radiators do have room stats. You say you couldn't turn the water off and leave the heating on - does this sort of system actually NEED the water on at the MAINS to function correctly? This is what we want to find out.

Yes it most certainly does Gill, the header tank replaces any evaporation or leakage, and if it runs dry the pump will be unable to circulate the hot water and the radiators and house will be cold and susceptible to frost damage.

Ours is like that but we tested it and it was fine. The amount of evaporation in a week, then in a fortnight, was negligible. Look at it the other way. Even without frost, radiators can corrode and leak and if that happens with the stop tap on - disaster! I'd rather just have a tankful on the floor and maybe a wrecked pump from running dry than the whole house ruined, as happened to a friend of mine. But for 28 days away we'd certainly arrange regular checks by our daughter or neighbours to be sure.

[Raybosailor]

Sounds like you've got a standard type installation rather than a pressurised system hence the header tank and hot water tank Gil, maybe because the water pressure in your house is low or if you had it fitted by British Gas they had a glut of boilers they wanted to get rid of so convinced consumers that a pressurised system wasn't suitable for their property.

If you are not happy turning the water off I would leave the heating on low(12 deg) 24/7 and make sure you turn the water heating part of the boiler off and any backup immersion heater on the tank.

I'm not convinced programming your heating to come on for short periods twice a day would combat a severe frost in the night, even the best insulated houses won't retain a short burst of heat in severe weather. Leaving your heating on a low setting 24/7 will not cost you much more if anymore than having two short periods of high setting twice a day, maintaining a moderate temperature is easier on the boiler.

[Manoverboard]

Easier on the boiler ?

Not so if ' one ' has an outside boiler, me thinks

[Gill W]

Ours is like that but we tested it and it was fine. The amount of evaporation in a week, then in a fortnight, was negligible. Look at it the other way. Even without frost, radiators can corrode and leak and if that happens with the stop tap on - disaster! I'd rather just have a tankful on the floor and maybe a wrecked pump from running dry than the whole house ruined, as happened to a friend of mine. But for 28 days away we'd certainly arrange regular checks by our daughter or neighbours to be sure.

That's the way we are thinking - by leaving the water on at the mains the worst case scenarios are considerably worse than leaving it off.

My friend is going to look in each week, but we just want to make sure everything is secure as it can be.

Sounds like you've got a standard type installation rather than a pressurised system hence the header tank and hot water tank Gil, maybe because the water pressure in your house is low or if you had it fitted by British Gas they had a glut of boilers they wanted to get rid of so convinced consumers that a pressurised system wasn't suitable for their property.

.

It was a trusted local company that fitted our replacement boiler, so we've no reason to think that we had duff advice

[Mervyn and Trish]

There is a good reason not to retro fit a pressurised bolier in older houses, as explained by our neighbour, who is a plumber. It's okay if you replace the whole lot, but if you simply fit a combi (i.e.pressurised) boiler it is possible that it may find weaknesses in the old pipes/joints/radiators which were okay with an atmospheric pressure system. When he did his he ripped out everything and started again. So not necessarily bad advice to replace with a modern but not pressurised boiler.