What Temperature to Leave a Vacant House in Winter
- Why 55°F Is the Number Most Experts Recommend
- What Happens If the Power Goes Out While Nobody's Home
- Extra Precautions Beyond the Thermostat Setting
- Checking In From Afar With a Smart Thermostat
- Vacation Homes and Snowbird Properties: Planning for Weeks, Not Days
- What Your Homeowners Insurance Policy Actually Requires
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Leaving a house empty for a week is one thing. Leaving it alone for several weeks during a cold winter is another. If you turn the heat down too far, pipes can freeze and burst. Keep the thermostat too high, though, and you could spend a lot of money heating an empty house. For most vacant homes, 55°F is a good starting point. Older plumbing, exposed pipes, and homes that have frozen before may call for a slightly higher setting.
Why 55°F Is the Number Most Experts Recommend
For most vacant homes, 55°F is a good minimum thermostat setting during winter. The guidance reviewed for this piece puts the practical range at about 55°F to 60°F. That keeps some warmth moving through the house without heating an empty home as much as you would if you were living there.
Why 55°F Helps Protect Your Pipes
Water freezes at 32°F, but pipes can freeze before the room temperature gets anywhere close to that. Plumbing along an exterior wall, inside an unheated crawlspace, or in another cold part of the house can be much colder than the air around the thermostat. Keeping the home at 55°F gives those vulnerable pipes more protection. The U.S. Department of Energy also recommends maintaining enough indoor heat to help prevent pipes from freezing. You can also check this guide on preventing frozen pipes for more ways to protect your plumbing.
When to Set the Thermostat Closer to 60°F
Fifty-five degrees isn't necessarily the best setting for every house. If your home has older plumbing, pipes running through exterior walls, or a history of frozen pipes, setting the thermostat closer to 58°F or 60°F gives you a little more protection. The higher setting can also make sense during a stretch of especially cold weather, when those colder parts of the house may lose heat faster than usual. But there's another piece of the puzzle if you're leaving the house empty: the heat needs to keep running. If a winter storm knocks out the power, your furnace or heat pump may stop working even though the thermostat is set correctly.
What Happens If the Power Goes Out While Nobody's Home
A thermostat can be set to 55°F, but that setting doesn't mean much if a winter storm knocks out the power. Your furnace or heat pump needs electricity to keep the house warm, and there's no one home to notice the temperature dropping. If the outage lasts long enough, the house can get cold enough for vulnerable pipes to freeze, especially in exterior walls, crawlspaces, or other areas that already lose heat faster.
A battery backup can keep essential equipment running during an outage, including a heating system and, depending on the setup, a well pump. That can keep the house warm while you're away and give you more time before the utility restores power. Before relying on a battery through a long winter outage, though, check how batteries perform in cold, since low temperatures can affect how much power a battery can deliver.
Not every vacant home needs a whole-home backup system. If you're mainly looking to keep a thermostat, monitoring equipment, refrigerator, or a few other essentials running during a shorter outage, a more portable option may make more sense. The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max gives you that flexibility without the size of a whole-home setup.
The DELTA Pro Ultra X makes more sense for a home that needs broader backup for a furnace, well pump, and other essential loads during a longer absence. The DELTA 3 Max is a better fit when you only need to keep a thermostat, monitoring equipment, or a few essentials going for a shorter trip. Backup power covers the outage, but there's still more you can do before leaving the house for the winter.
Extra Precautions Beyond the Thermostat Setting
Setting the thermostat correctly is a good start, but a few changes around the house can give your plumbing more protection while you're away.
Protect Pipes in Cold Areas
Open the cabinet doors under sinks so warm air can reach the pipes, especially if they're against an exterior wall. It's also a good idea to insulate exposed pipe runs in a garage, attic, or crawlspace before the cold sets in. Those areas can lose heat quickly, and the thermostat in your living room can't tell you how cold a pipe is behind a wall or under the floor.
Limit the Damage From a Broken Pipe
If you're leaving for more than a few weeks, consider shutting off the main water valve and draining the plumbing system if your home's setup allows it. With less water sitting in the lines, a burst pipe has less potential to flood the house while nobody's there. This freeze preparation guide covers additional steps you can take before a hard freeze. These precautions can reduce the risk, but you still need a way to know if the house starts getting too cold while you're away.
Checking In From Afar With a Smart Thermostat
A vacant house is easier to manage when you can see what's happening inside without being there. A smart thermostat can send an alert to your phone when the indoor temperature drops below a set point, giving you a chance to call someone nearby before a cold house turns into a frozen-pipe problem. Some models also use geofencing and heating schedules to spot unusual changes in how the system is running. If you're considering an upgrade, this guide to thermostat savings looks at how those features can affect energy use.
Get an Alert Before the House Gets Too Cold
Set a low-temperature alert before you leave, then test it so you know notifications are reaching your phone. If the temperature starts falling, you can contact a neighbor, property manager, or HVAC technician to check the house. That early warning can matter when you're several states away and can't see a heating problem yourself.
Keep the Monitoring System Running
A smart thermostat is only useful during an outage if the equipment behind it still has power. Your thermostat, Wi-Fi router, and other monitoring gear may shut down when the grid goes out, leaving you without the alerts you were counting on. A battery backup can keep those essentials running, giving you a better chance of knowing what's happening inside the house until utility power returns. For anyone gone longer than a week or two, the stakes and the planning look a little different.
Vacation Homes and Snowbird Properties: Planning for Weeks, Not Days
A vacation home or snowbird property may sit empty for weeks or even the whole winter. That means you need more than a plan for a short trip. A heating failure, frozen pipe, or power outage can go unnoticed when no one is there. Before leaving, decide who will check the property and how you'll find out if something goes wrong.
Arrange Regular Property Checks
Ask a trusted neighbor, property manager, or local service to check the house regularly. They can spot problems before they turn into major repairs. A monitored camera can help you keep an eye on the property. A smart thermostat can also alert you if the indoor temperature drops. It's especially helpful to have someone nearby who can enter the house if a winter storm causes a power outage or the heating system stops working.
Plan for an Empty Rental Property
If you rent the home for part of the year, protect it while it's vacant. This can help you avoid repairs before the next rental season. Plan for longer power outages, protect the plumbing, and keep essential systems running while no guests are there. If you're considering a larger energy setup, this guide to solar and storage explains how battery storage can work for a seasonal rental. Also check your homeowners insurance policy. It may have specific requirements for a vacant property.
What Your Homeowners Insurance Policy Actually Requires
Your thermostat setting can affect your insurance coverage when you leave your home empty for a long time. Some policies require you to keep the house above a certain temperature to help prevent frozen pipes. The exact requirement depends on your insurer and policy. Setting the thermostat to 55°F does not always mean you're meeting those requirements.
Check Your Policy Before You Leave
Some insurers require vacant or unoccupied homes to stay at 55°F or higher. Longer absences may also come with extra conditions. If you'll be away for more than 30 days, contact your insurer before you leave. Ask about the required temperature, vacancy period, and any steps you need to take to keep your coverage active.
Ask Whether Backup Power Can Lower Your Premium
You can also ask your insurer if a qualifying battery backup system could lower your premium. Some insurers offer discounts for certain home protection systems, but the rules vary. If you're already considering backup power, this guide to battery insurance discounts explains what to ask your insurer.
Conclusion
For a vacant home, keeping the thermostat between 55°F and 60°F can help protect the pipes without heating the whole house. Before leaving, insulate exposed pipes and protect colder areas of the home. A smart thermostat can also alert you if the temperature drops. Check your homeowners policy for any requirements that apply when the house is unoccupied. It's also a good idea to have a backup power plan. The EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra X can provide whole-home backup. The DELTA 3 Max is a more portable option for essential equipment.
FAQs
What temperature should I leave my house at in winter if I'm away?
For most vacant homes, 55°F to 60°F is a practical range during winter. If your home has older plumbing, pipes along exterior walls, or a history of frozen pipes, you may want to stay closer to 60°F. Check your homeowners insurance policy, too, since it may require a specific minimum temperature for an unoccupied home.
Can pipes freeze even if the thermostat is set above 32°F?
Yes. Pipes can freeze when the thermostat reads well above 32°F, especially if they're located along exterior walls, in crawlspaces, garages, or other cold areas. The thermostat measures the air around it, not the temperature of every pipe in the house. Keeping the home at 55°F or higher and insulating exposed plumbing can help reduce the risk.
Does homeowners insurance require a minimum temperature for a vacant house?
Some insurers do. A policy may require you to maintain a minimum indoor temperature to help protect coverage for frozen-pipe damage, and 55°F is a requirement used by some insurers. A home that's vacant for more than 30 days may also have additional insurance requirements. Check with your insurer before leaving for an extended period.
How can I monitor my home's temperature while I'm away?
A smart thermostat can track the indoor temperature and send an alert to your phone if it drops below a set point. Set up remote access and test the alerts before you leave. If the house loses power, a battery backup can also keep the thermostat and other monitoring equipment running, depending on your setup.
What happens to a vacant house's heat if the power goes out?
A furnace or heat pump may stop working when the power goes out, even if the thermostat is set correctly. As the house gets colder, vulnerable pipes can eventually freeze. A properly sized battery backup can keep essential heating equipment running during an outage, giving you more time while the utility works to restore power.
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