How low can I keep the temperature in the winter time for the heat in my condo without having my pipes freeze?

Question

I'm buying a condo and the monthly maint fee does not include heat and hot water, so how low can I keep the temperature in the winter? Would 60 degrees Farenheit be too low?

Answer 1

60F should be fine whether you live there or not. There are no health issues with living in 60F temperatures, just comfort issues.

It really does depend on how much of the condo is exposed to the outside, how cold it gets outside and what happens to the temperature in the condo when it gets cold. If it is a town-home style with a lot of exposed area, in a cold area with piping on the outside I wouldn't go much lower than 60F.

If it is an apartment building style and you aren't on the first floor, or you live in an area like the southern carolinas or further south, you might be able to get away with turning the heat off completely and your downstairs neighbor is essentially supplying all the heat you need.

Most thermostats don't go much below 55 anyway, so you could be limited by that!

Good luck!

Answer 2

Anything over 32 - should be safe, but not necessarily... It's possible that when the plumbing was installed, it was figured that a certain about of heat would be present - otherwise every pipe would either have to be underground or heated directly via heat tape. I wouldn't go below 50, and then turn on the water on really, really cold days and make sure it still runs (both hot and cold). If you know how, I'd shut off the water everywhere you can except where you are using it. If you don't drain them, they still could break but the water damage should at least be minimal. Having busted pipes can be no fun - especially if it's in the basement and not noticed for a while. Call your insurance agent and have flood insurance added to your policy if you don't already have it. Yes, you need flood insurance for ANY kind of flood.

Answer 3

Are you living there during the winter? It also depends on how cold it gets and how much insulation is around the pipes.
If you live there. 65F is the lowest. Health reasons. If not: you should be able to go as low as 50 provided you have decent insulation and it doesnt get bitterly cold. If so 60F may work.
Though in a condo it also depends on whether you are an interior or end unit. Interior unit you can go lower but your neighbors may not be happy.

Answer 4

It's OK for your pipes, but is it for your health and comfort? I would advise you a minimum of 65F or 18C. You probably would still use a sweater (or you might get used to it), but lower really would cool you down to much and might get you sick quicker. Congrats with your condo.