what is the minimum temperature your house should be during the winter time?

Question

its 60 degrees in my house and im freezing!

Answer 1

There is no minimum. Ideally, the temp should be comfortable for everyone. However, some people react differently to a temperature. Moreover, heat costs money, and you can always put on clothing ( if you go outside with the proper clothes on at 60, you won't freeze). Put on comfy socks and a wooly cap.

Another factor that makes you cold is the water content in the air. Check your heating system; if it is air heat duct, it may be lacking humidifcation. You could get a room humidifier or in a pinch, a large crock pot full of water.

Answer 2

Put on a sweater and warm slippers.

If you want to save $$$, turn rthermostat down to 56 degrees and throw a comforter over yourself.

As for the minimum temperature your house should be, that would be about 40--50 degrees, to make sure the water pipes do not freeze.

The usual recommendation for people on vacation during winter is to set the thermostat at 50 degrees F.

I live in Michigan. During the worst of the recent arctic blast my inside home temperature went to 34 degrees with the gas furnace running full tilt all night. Temp reading taken when I got out of bed in the morning and felt a 'chill' in the air.

So you get no sympathy from me.

Try a body quilt, I've seen them for sale in catalogs, I think from Fingerhut and the like...

Answer 3

I was recently reading up on best ways to avoid having your pipes freeze up and burst. In the article it said that you should leave your house atleast at 65 degrees even if no one is home. We keep ours at 68 when nobody is home and at 70-72 when we are. (Not happy about it when it's time to pay the bill) I also keep the temp up for my animals and plants not just for the pipes. Other than that I would say you should keep the temperature where you feel most comfortable at while wearing some warm clothing.

Answer 4

I keep my thermostat at c. 62 degrees; much below that, and you run the risk of your pipes freezing. Yes, it's chilly, but I put on a sweater or a bathrobe. Also, ankle- or floor-length nightgowns or pajama bottoms (plus heavy socks) help by protecting your ankles from drafts.

I also suggest that you check for drafts, and either plug them or put draft-stoppers down. There are inserts for electrical outlets that can be found at your local hardware store. One catalog (I think it's Solutions) carries double-sided draft-stoppers that slide under your exterior doors and move with them, so you're not constantly re-placing them, or leaving them off when you leave the house. You can make window-sill draft stoppers by sewing tubes of fabric to fit the width of your window and then filling with rice or something else that won't move easily. If your windows can lock, do so; that will also help reduce drafts.

In this day and age, we've become so accustomed to being warm all the time. Only 100 years ago, houses weren't much warmer inside during the winter than they were outside, because there was no such thing as central heating. Their main advantage was to keep the occupants out of the wind, rain, and snow.

Answer 5

Yes 60 is cold. I'm comfortable if it is 74, but I can't afford it that warm so I set it around 67 and put on sweaters and use extra blankets.
In the bedroom at night, we plug in an electric oil filled radiator and set it up to 75 with the ceiling fan to circulate the warm air. It gets really comfortable toasty.
Space heaters come in handy if you know you stay in one room alot and saves on having to heat the whole house.

Answer 6

It is recommended that you not let your house get colder than 55 degrees, else you run the risk of having water pipes (in dead-air spaces well away from the heaters) freeze and burst.

Other than that, whatever temperature you're comfortable at is fine. As long as you can pay the heating bills, that is.

I keep my heater set at 58 degrees and I'm not uncomfortable. I'm quite well acclimatized to the cold!

Answer 7

The minimum temperature in your house should be high enough to keep your kitchen and bathroom water pipes form freezing. This depends a great deal on how well your home is insulated and where the thermostat is located. Ironically, the better insulated your home is, the higher you can afford to set the thermostat.

Answer 8

If you feel uncomfortably cold ...... something should be done. I like to keep mine at 70 when I am home. One of those programmable thermostats can really save you money while warming the house when you need it most.

If money for fuel is tight ....... buy some of those long johns or thermal underwear ..... stuff that is not so bulky ...... but is layered so you can still be comfortable. Even some of the sweat suits can be comfortable and ..... keep you warm.

Answer 9

Leave it at 60 and put on more layers and take it like a man and save some money on your heating bills.

Answer 10

60 degrees?.....holy COW...yeah, you MUST be freezing....68F is 20C. And in the winter time, it should be around 22 during the hours that you are up and about, and 20 to sleep.
This will make your tootsies not so tender...
who is keeping your house at 60F????...that's one way to get sick in a hurry....unless you are living in an igloo with a bunch of sealskin as your clothing !!
I really think these people who are telling you to keep your house cooler...such as 56F...and the one from Michigan who tried to say his house went to 34F....are full of baloney....The only way that house could have gone to 34F is if they left the WINDOWS OPEN....so don't listen to them !@!!!...hopefully you will be smart enough to delete those crazy answers..
turn up that furnace, and get warm !!!