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Thread: Cold snap - Advice

  1. #1
    Craftsman
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    Cold snap - Advice

    I have recently completed on a small holiday cottage on the south coast and "moved in" last weekend. When I left the place the freezing conditions were not in the forecast (we did check) and so I turned off the heating as we aren't due to go back until next weekend.
    The forecast for next week is a minimum air temperature of -2 but a wind chill or "feels like" of -8. The cottage is stone but the roof is pretty well insulated however there are bare copper water pipes in the loft spaces. I've learned that water will freeze in pipes at around -6 and feel confident that the air temp will not get that low but would like reassurance that the wind chill will not affect the air temp internally.
    I could do the 5hr return trip at the weekend to turn the heating on and leave it on timer or am I being paranoid?
    Expert advice needed please.

  2. #2
    Master RossC's Avatar
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    Forecasts are not accurate.

    Better to be safe than sorry..?

  3. #3
    Grand Master Rod's Avatar
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    I would do the return trip and warm the place up... a lot cheaper than a burst pipe and potential damage. Bit of a gamble.. wondering if the temp. plummets to -6.

  4. #4
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Fit winter tyres or you will die!

    Sounds like a wise choice to go, though.

    M
    Last edited by snowman; 23rd February 2018 at 10:02.

  5. #5
    Master Wolfie's Avatar
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    Fit hive/ nest/ Lyric T6 whilst you are there... An absolute must on a property that you not always in and are distant from

    It would have saved me from £25k of damage 10 years ago

    Absolutely make the trip

  6. #6
    Master
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    You've already thought about it. Regardless of what we say you're going to make the trip, it's what any of us would do. Plenty of nice places on the south coast to justify the trip, even in cold weather - that's why you bought a holiday cottage right?

  7. #7
    Master
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    If nothing else, always turn your stop cock off.

  8. #8
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mick P View Post
    If nothing else, always turn your stop cock off.
    Did that but didn't drain down, it wasn't forecast to go below 0. Lesson learned.
    I guess it's an early start tomorrow as I need to get back for a 3pm KO at Loftus Road.

    Wi-Fi thermostat is on the list and need to make friends with a neighbour.

  9. #9
    I'd do it. I've had a frozen pipe in the loft, on the east side, same side as the cold wind was blowing from. No, the water doesn't feel the wind chill, but it did make a difference that winter,

  10. #10
    Master
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    Would a greenhouse heater help you out in a situation like this?

    Maybe a couple bunged up in the loft?

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Riley View Post
    Did that but didn't drain down, it wasn't forecast to go below 0. Lesson learned.
    I guess it's an early start tomorrow as I need to get back for a 3pm KO at Loftus Road.

    Wi-Fi thermostat is on the list and need to make friends with a neighbour.
    If stop-cock is off and you have a burst you'll only (at worst) lose water from any header tanks.

    Thinks it's usual scare-mongering by the media TBH.

  12. #12
    I would not make the drive. I wouldn't anticipate the loft space getting cold enough for the pipes to freeze given the forecast, windchill is for people not buildings. I would be tempted to invest in a system with remote monitoring of temps and heating activation for the future.

    It might be different if you didn't have to drive back the same day but it seems a total waste of time, petrol, and carries all the normal risks associated with driving.

    We often leave our house unoccupied over winter and have some anxiety over pipes freezing but you have to take severity of risks and the likelihood of them occuring, I believe.
    Last edited by ernestrome; 23rd February 2018 at 15:01.

  13. #13
    Master
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    Definitely time to get a Nest remote thermostat. Mine has been awesome.
    In reality though, it would need to be minus 20 to start cracking pipes etc

  14. #14
    It was minus 6 outside my house this morning but still 5 degrees in the garage, I'd expect your loft to be about the same

  15. #15
    I'd buy a load of polyethylene pipe insulation (its less than £1 a meter) and take it with you. If you have insulation on the loft floor but exposed pipes
    then going to very cold up there even with heating on.

    Definitely better safe than sorry, had to go into a neighbours house after they had a burst pipe while they were away not a pretty sight.

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