What do you set your house heat at when leaving for winter?

Is everyone using web enabled thermostats or is there another way to do that?

I set the thermostat in our cottage at 50 deg F, and monitor the temp online. If the temp drops below 45 I get an alarm text on my smartphone and can have one of our daughters that live nearby check on it.

I set the stat at 10C (that's about 50F), it's web enabled and battery backed and programmed to send our house checker and me an E-mail if the temp drops below 8C.

I find the basement stays a bit warmer than the main floor where the stat is located (the stat has a second sensor in the basement as well) so I have a bit more reserve. Our area had a power failure for a couple of hours in November and the temp didn't drop down to the lower limit. The software records the temps and furnace on a minute by minute basis so I can see what is happening in real time. It gives me some peace of mind.

I shut off the water and the water heater.

Drained everything, blew out the water lines, and turned off the furnace. Got a call from the gas company asking why we did not use any natural gas last month! :D

Set mine to 50 (Cape Cod) and shut off the water. I have a forced hot water heating system, so that means no makeup water. However, the only reason for needing makeup is a leak and I've had one of those and it put an inch of water in the basement in 20 minutes. and the local handyman checks the place once a week.

I have a temp and water alarm that dials my cell and the local handyman checks the place once a week. I don't think anything will happen, but it's better than worrying about the house. Also have a standby generac.

55

My summer home is at 9,000 ft in the Colorado mountains, where it gets down to -20 F. When I leave for the winter 6 months everything is shut off, no heat, no water, no elect, & RV antifreeze pumped into all the pipes, drains, traps. Been doing that for 8 yrs and no ill effects yet. 50% of that area is summer only residents and they all do the same.

I change all the batteries in the thermostats and leave it at 70 degrees.

Dr Jay: good that you drain all the water pipes just in case. I blow out all the water lines, don't forget ice maker, washer and dishwasher pumps. Antifreeze in the traps and out the door. When we had forced hot water heat, we had the system filled with glycol so we never had to worry about it.

Hi it is me again. I forgot to say. After I turn the water off in the house, I do drain all standing water in my pipes. I have a low point drain in my cellar.