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An estimated 100 million people are under some type of winter weather watch, warning or advisory ahead of a major winter storm expected this weekend, the National Weather Service said.It is important to be prepared as millions of Americans brace for ice and enough snow to make travel very difficult or nearly impossible, forecasters say. Does keeping the heat on actually prevent pipes from freezing? We asked the experts to debunk the popular household myth.According to Stephen Hankinson, energy expert at Electric Radiators Direct, pipes can freeze during cold snaps, with the expanding ice forcing pressure to build and crack the pipe.”Burst pipes are typically caused by low temperatures that can lead to the water within your pipes freezing and then expanding,” says Stephen, who suggests scheduling your thermostat to come on during freezing weather.”Scheduling your heating is a big energy (and cost) saver in general, but it can really help you avoid the threat of burst pipes. If you are heading away and can see that temperatures are set to drop to around or below freezing, then you do need some sort of ‘tick over’ heating schedule in place.”According to Stephen, having your heat on for two hours is enough to avoid a major issue.”It’s often considered best to schedule your heating to come on for one hour at around 7 p.m., and again at 7 a.m. This should help avoid pipes freezing during the coldest times of day (usually overnight), while still minimizing energy usage to keep your bills down,” he adds.If you are trying to save money, the good news is that you don’t need to heat the whole house to a high setting.”You can realistically drop the thermostat to (59 to 61 degrees). This may mean your boiler shuts off before the end of those two scheduled heating hours, saving you even more money. Even at (59 degrees), the water in your pipes should avoid freezing.”
An estimated 100 million people are under some type of winter weather watch, warning or advisory ahead of a major winter storm expected this weekend, the National Weather Service said.
It is important to be prepared as millions of Americans brace for ice and enough snow to make travel very difficult or nearly impossible, forecasters say.
Does keeping the heat on actually prevent pipes from freezing? We asked the experts to debunk the popular household myth.
According to Stephen Hankinson, energy expert at Electric Radiators Direct, pipes can freeze during cold snaps, with the expanding ice forcing pressure to build and crack the pipe.
“Burst pipes are typically caused by low temperatures that can lead to the water within your pipes freezing and then expanding,” says Stephen, who suggests scheduling your thermostat to come on during freezing weather.
“Scheduling your heating is a big energy (and cost) saver in general, but it can really help you avoid the threat of burst pipes. If you are heading away and can see that temperatures are set to drop to around or below freezing, then you do need some sort of ‘tick over’ heating schedule in place.”
According to Stephen, having your heat on for two hours is enough to avoid a major issue.
“It’s often considered best to schedule your heating to come on for one hour at around 7 p.m., and again at 7 a.m. This should help avoid pipes freezing during the coldest times of day (usually overnight), while still minimizing energy usage to keep your bills down,” he adds.
If you are trying to save money, the good news is that you don’t need to heat the whole house to a high setting.
“You can realistically drop the thermostat to (59 to 61 degrees). This may mean your boiler shuts off before the end of those two scheduled heating hours, saving you even more money. Even at (59 degrees), the water in your pipes should avoid freezing.”
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