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sqqueen2 t1_j1m3s61 wrote

I leave mine about 55 but open bathroom cabinet doors where there are pipes underneath so the pipes get what heat there is

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SabotUp007 t1_j1m48x4 wrote

Regardless of what temperature you settle on, make sure you turn off your water main, and then run all your faucets, shower, etc and flush the toilets to drain all the pipes.

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Foef_Yet_Flalf t1_j1m7dum wrote

If you shut off your water mains then nothing much is gonna come out the taps anyway, so don't bother but will relieve pressure during a possible freeze. This isn't to say that shutting off your water isn't a good idea because it is.

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colormeslowly t1_j1m8gi6 wrote

Although the main is off, there’s still water in the lines - can freeze. Best to drain. Unless I am misunderstanding your comment.

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jxd132407 t1_j1mam7t wrote

Right. Turning off the water just prevents a major leak while away. But the risk is a freeze and burst pipe while away becoming a major leak when the water is turned back on. If you're turning down the temp that a freeze is a risk, then drain the pipes.

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Foef_Yet_Flalf t1_j1midj6 wrote

My mistake, I thought the intent was that opening faucets would drain the pipes, but relieving pressure makes way more sense. I've edited my comment

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cmyk412 t1_j1meqd7 wrote

Opening up the faucets with the main shut off relieves pressure from the lines and gives the water some place to expand to if any water is left that happens to freeze.

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tesla3by3 t1_j1m7d0n wrote

55 is probably good if that can keep the whole apartment at that temp. If you have pipes running along an exterior wall, you may need to go higher. I don’t think draining your pipes is necessary, and probably shouldn’t be done in an apartment building, as the other units likely share that water service.

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IClight69 t1_j1m89in wrote

I went out to the alley to take out the trash, I think my pipe froze.

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KentuckYSnow t1_j1m7tqv wrote

Depends on how large and drafty your space is. 50s should be fine if you don't have cold air blowing in that you can feel. Heat bills are cheaper than frozen pipes, however.

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muncie_21 t1_j1mgt1k wrote

If you're worried about pipes freezing (at 50*F) leave a faucet or two trickling. Moving water takes much colder temperatures to freeze than still water. At 50*, I wouldn't worry about the pipes unless you have a real drafty house.

Something to think about-

Air heats up much more quickly than more dense objects/materials. When you come back home, it will take the 'house' much longer to get to temp than the air. So your furnace may shut off at say 70* the house will feel colder than that until everything is able to absorb the heat and come up to that temp.

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[deleted] OP t1_j1m6caa wrote

[deleted]

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