"James Sweet" wrote in message
...
termtests wrote:
We're going through a nasty cold spell right now (-13F/-25C to
-22F/-30C) and it's expected to last for quite a while yet. And my
coworker suggested that I turn the main water valve off in the house
before I leave in a couple of days for a vacation.

I will still have my furnace running when we leave for vacation, but I
plan on having it maintain a temperature of 60F/15C while we're away.

Is turning the main off still a good idea? Also, should the furnace
be set at a little higher temperature while we're away when taking the
outside temperature into account? Thanks for your time and courtesy.


Turning the water off won't hurt. Open a tap to drain the water out as well.

I would turn the furnace down to 45-50 if the thermostat will go that low.
Unless you have pets staying in the house, there's no reason to keep it warmer
than that, you just don't want pipes freezing.

Unless you have pipes that freeze quickly at low house temps.