Snowbird question, shutting off the water up north

[BRN_RI_FL]

We plan on being in The Villages this winter while leaving our RI home vacant. We have hot water baseboard heat in RI. We’re out in the country so we also have a well. Can we shut off power to the well pump but leave our heating system on a minimal setting? Just wondering whether shutting off the water when the heating system uses water will create problems. Asked the furnace guy who was doing the annual cleaning today but he was clueless. Thanks in advance.

[New Englander]

Would leaving the well pump on cause a problem?

[PaulDenise]

I think most hot water heating systems use closed water systems. The same water goes around and around. They do not 'use' water from the well.

There may be cases where the system needs to be 'topped off' but it is not an ongoing thing.


The problem with leaving the well 'on' is that if there is a leak in the house, then there will be a great deal of water damage before it is discovered.

[village dreamer]

yes you can shut off the water , as long as you don't have any leaks in the system. hot water heat is a close system , it may need a quart of water a year. most leaks are at the bleed valves, like a small drip.

[villagetinker]

I have some experience from the home in PA, If your hot water system has a pilot light you might not want to shut it off completely. I did this, and ended up a leak at the flanges of the circulating pump. Fortunately we were at home, and caught the problem. Now the other problem, if you shut of the heating system completely, you better make sure it is drained and protected from freezing, as well as all of the other water pipes in the house. Be sure to put antifreeze in the traps of the toilets, etc.
IMHO, I would set to minimal heat, to prevent freezing, and have a neighbor or house watch company stop be daily or every other day to confirm all is OK.

[BRN_RI_FL]

Thanks for the replies. A plumber did say something about it being ok to shut off the water and he mentioned the closed water heating system. It confused me that the furnace guy didn’t know that. Our house was built in 1981 so it is getting up there in years. We were in The Villages last January and part of February and we were nervous about pipes freezing as there were some nights in RI below zero. It will be a little less stressful worrying about our place if we can shut the water off. An even better idea would be to sell RI but I would have to convince my better half and that would be difficult (impossible) with a third grandchild on the way. Owning two houses is a pain.

[justanormalgirl]

I don't think you can turn it down real low. I did that in a house we owned and it didn't keep sufficient pressure to create the steam so we had some rooms that weren't heating properly so we had to have it all gone through and the lines bled. I think I was told to leave it somewhere between 50 and 60 but you should ask someone in your area to see what they recommend.

[BRN_RI_FL]

I don't think you can turn it down real low. I did that in a house we owned and it didn't keep sufficient pressure to create the steam so we had some rooms that weren't heating properly so we had to have it all gone through and the lines bled. I think I was told to leave it somewhere between 50 and 60 but you should ask someone in your area to see what they recommend.

I’m thinking that 55-60 should be fine. We have the NEST thermostat (and a couple cameras) so we can control the temp in RI from Florida.

[rjm1cc]

I had a hot water base board system. It did not automatically get water from the house water system. I would look to see if there is a pipe between you hot water holding tank and you home water system. There should be an on off value. See if you can tell if it is on or off.
If the systems are connected and you have a value turn it off (if it is on) and run your system for a few days. If you have to maybe open the windows and run it at 70 for the night. See what happens. I would not want to leave water in the house system and I would also not want to leave the home without heat.
Do a search for the operating manual for your boiler and if that does not work I would call the manufacture.

My thermostat can send me messages for various problems. See if yours can.

[BobnBev]

My plumber in CT says 60 degrees. Says you can go a little lower, but it wouldn't be good for the wood below 60.

[BRN_RI_FL]

My plumber in CT says 60 degrees. Says you can go a little lower, but it wouldn't be good for the wood below 60.

We have wood plank floors so yeah 60 sounds about right. Thanks.

[BRN_RI_FL]

I had a hot water base board system. It did not automatically get water from the house water system. I would look to see if there is a pipe between you hot water holding tank and you home water system. There should be an on off value. See if you can tell if it is on or off.
If the systems are connected and you have a value turn it off (if it is on) and run your system for a few days. If you have to maybe open the windows and run it at 70 for the night. See what happens. I would not want to leave water in the house system and I would also not want to leave the home without heat.
Do a search for the operating manual for your boiler and if that does not work I would call the manufacture.

My thermostat can send me messages for various problems. See if yours can.

Good suggestions. Thank you.

[Uberschaf]

The boiler has a pressure reducing valve on the water feed(max pressure of boiler is 30 lb) If you leave the boiler on but turn off the house water and drain it, the boiler water could empty into the house water. You would need a backflow preventer on the boiler. You could have a plumber put potable antifreeze in your system and house water. Think RV antifreeze.

[karostay]

I have same situation..Live up north [Maine] in the summer head south for winter.
My home has base board heating..Furnace is mechanical and can fail that's my biggest fear. due to the fact it's mechanical failure or winter storm cutting of the power.
I had my local heating company come out and fill my heating system with an antifreeze that's designed for heating systems.
Then they drain all my water lines , shut off incoming water, fill all sink traps and toilets with biodegradable non toxic antifreeze.
I can leave with with a good feeling my home is safe from winter
Then before I return they open my home turn everything back on.

[Chatbrat]

Or you can get an air compressor and blow out all the potable water lines--an empty pipe can't burst-just put antifreeze in your waste drains

[JoelJohnson]

The biggest fear is losing power for more than a day or two in real cold weather. Yes, you could have all your water lines drained and/or filled with a safe antifreeze and the traps filled with it also (to keep sewer gas from building up in the house) and you would have to make sure you had nothing in the house that could freeze, but when you "restart" the system you might have leaks from seals that dried up.

It would be very helpful to hear from anyone that either drained their system completely or had antifreeze put it.