"Steve" wrote in message
...
Deceased Step dads house. We live in New England. The house is empty now
and
I stopped by last night and the furnace was not working. I relit the pilot
light and got it working again but we are concerned that it may go out
again
and we cannot get to the house every day to check. Temps were down to 18
degrees last night. I'm thinking of shutting the water off and leaving the
faucets open to avoid any pipes freezing and bursting. Would there be any
downside to shutting the main water off?
Heat is forced hot air.

Thanks

Steve

I do just that when gone for about a month in the mid-winter. Shut off the
main, drain the lines as best I can, flush the toilets and put RV
anti-freeze in all the drains, washing machine, dishwasher and toilet bowls.
Keep heat set at 55-60.
In your case, potentially insurance at risk if you have a problem in the
house. Fixing up after water damage is very expensive.. Can your house be
defined as "not lived in"? If so, insurance coverage could be voided. Best
thing to do is to get a plumber or other professional to winterize the
house. Pilot going out is usually an easy fix--in most cases it's related to
a bad thermocouple or a dirty/clogged orifice. Get a repair man to check it
out.
MLD