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Author:
mijclarke (IL)
Should I leave the hot water handle, cold water handle or both slightly open? I've got the doors/ cabinets open and my furnace is set to 70 degrees. Thanks for the advice 
Edited 2 times.
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Author:
m & m (MD)
Do you have a history of freezing? It's best to dribble cold from one faucet and hot from another.
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Author:
mijclarke (IL)
Don't have a history of freezing but I've only been in the home for two years. Power went out for an hour but it never dipped below 67 before turning back on. I'll probably keep them closed tonite and run them for a few minutes when I get up at 5am. I've hot closets in the basement open and my furnace is barely maintaining the temp at 70. I will have a hefty gas bill next month
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Author:
m & m (MD)
As long as your water pipes are not in crawlspaces, garage, attic, etc., you should do okay, especially with the thermostat set at 70*. Good luck. We get your weather tomorrow night.
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Author:
Fixitangel (NC)
If there's any doubt, it can't hurt anything to crack open a few faucets. A tiny trickle is all you need. I crack open a cold faucet closest to where the water enters, and another hot faucet farthest away. Brrr. I can't believe it. Right now in NC it is 4* (20 degrees colder than it is in Packy's backyard (Rockport, MA) Hey Packy, throw another burger on the grill for me.
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Author:
packy (MA)
minus 8 deg F...
yikes that is mighty cold. what i believe is MOST important is to not try to conserve heating fuel. DON'T TURN YOUR THERMOSTAT DOWN.. yes your heating bill will be higher but that is not expensive when compared to burst pipes.
one other warning.. don't fire up the wood stove thinking it will warm the house and conserve oil or gas. especially with baseboard heaters. the heat will not run because of the wood stove and the baseboard heaters along with the pipes going to them are generally located on outside walls. they might freeze when they are not being used.
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Author:
Wheelchair (IL)
-8 plus a windchill of more than 30 degrees below ZERO. If your home is protected and your pipes properly insulated and not attached to outside walls, you should not have a freeze issue. More important is... what is the lowest temperature in your basement where your pipes are and are the supply pipes, deep enough in the ground?
Our pipes are 50 inches deep, our basement temp is 50-55 degrees and we set the house temp at night to 55 degrees. Morning temps kick in around 5 AM and elevates the temp to 60 and 68 by 7AM. By 10pm the temp drops to 60 degrees for the rest of the day, until 5pm when the temp goes up again to 68 degrees until 9 pm. Almost 50 years on a house that was built in 1938 and no freezing issues.
Best Wishes
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Author:
hj (AZ)
quote; Almost 50 years on a house that was built in 1938 and no freezing issues.
That is a function of HOW the pipes were installed, not its age.
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