How low can you safely set your home thermostat?

My house in NE USA will be vacant for several months and wondered if setting the oil furnace thermostat at say 45 deg. F. would cause any problems with furniture, electronics or refrigeration equipment (which will be left on) No plants or animals in house.

The outside air temp may get close to 0 deg. F.How low can you safely set your home thermostat?That's fine, as long as it is above freezing, the water pipes in the house won't freeze and blow up! 45 is goodHow low can you safely set your home thermostat?I would set it at 50 but I would also shut off my water at the main to be on the safe side. Also shut off any exterior petcocks, and after draining them, close them up to keep cold air out. If you have forced hot air, there is no reason to worry about your heating system freezing, and if you have well water, I would also drain down the system, shut off the breakers at the water heater, and drain that down too. Leave yourself a note as to remember what you did to what. Cold wont hurt the house but I wouldn't want expensive electronic equipment such as a plasma TVs in zero degree weather your objective is basically just the pipes, and fixtures such as toilets. In Maine, Our summer home, we drain all toilets, including the bowls and reserve, kill the water, kill the water heater, drain down both the heater and the water pressure vessel deflate the bladder, and blow into the faucets with a shopvac's pressure side to get any water out of the pipes out an open low point (the holding tank) never had a pipe fail yet and never turned on the heat at all.



If your home is heated with water fed radiant baseboard, 55 should be safe, and yes they do make a product to protect freezing.