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Minimum temperature in unused room?

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  • Nov 12th, 2018 5:37 pm
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Jan 9, 2011
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Vancouver

Minimum temperature in unused room?

We live in a townhouse. No central heating—each room has its own electric baseboard heater and thermostat. Two of our rooms will be little used over the winter. Is there a recommended minimum temperature to set the thermostats at? I keep reading 15º but that is for an entire house with central heating and pipes that could freeze. There is no plumbing in either of these two rooms nor in the walls adjacent to them. If we shut the heat off entirely the rooms may drop to 12º or so. Is that ok? I've seen how paint peels in abandoned buildings that are unheated over the winter, I'm guessing that's not a concern with 12º?
18 replies
Sr. Member
May 30, 2013
609 posts
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Markham
12ºC is fine. Last year I went on vocation for 6 weeks, set my temp to 10ºc.
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Dec 12, 2009
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The temperature should be high enough to control humidity. You don't want the walls to become moldy.
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Deal Fanatic
Jun 26, 2009
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GTA
Just get one bedroom condo. Plenty of families that could use extra rooms. Why not rent those unused rooms? Even at $300-400 each would pay your utilities for the whole townhouse.
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2004
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East Gwillimbury
Tommy74 wrote: Just get one bedroom condo. Plenty of families that could use extra rooms. Why not rent those unused rooms? Even at $300-400 each would pay your utilities for the whole townhouse.
Some people want their privacy
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Jun 26, 2009
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GTA
Gee wrote: Some people want their privacy
Privacy in the townhouse?? Please..
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Jun 26, 2009
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Gee wrote: You only share roaches.
Grinning Face With Smiling Eyes plus the driveway, grass, porch, walls,roof, smells, noises and sometimes swimming pool.
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Aug 2, 2004
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East Gwillimbury
Tommy74 wrote: Grinning Face With Smiling Eyes plus the driveway, grass, porch, walls,roof, smells, noises and sometimes swimming pool.
That’s fine, they’re not in your face

Some people want to walk around their house in their skivvies
Deal Addict
Aug 20, 2007
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Kitchener
why don't you shut off the baseboard heaters but leave the doors open to the rooms. That way the ambient heat from the rest of the house will keep those rooms more than adequate.
Deal Addict
Jan 18, 2013
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B.C.
We just leave our baseboard thermostats off here in Victoria and it's rarely too cold for us - although with the heat off our unit may only get as low as 13.
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Dec 19, 2009
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peelhic wrote: why don't you shut off the baseboard heaters but leave the doors open to the rooms. That way the ambient heat from the rest of the house will keep those rooms more than adequate.
Because the cooler air from the room will migrate across the floor and make your feet cold.
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Apr 6, 2008
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Kiraly wrote: Thanks for the responses, everyone. I'm just going to turn the heat off in both rooms and close the doors. I'll monitor how cold it gets in there.
Be careful with air movement as well. If the door is closed for a long time, you won't have much air movement and moisture/musty stale air may build up.
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Dec 12, 2009
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lennyandcarl wrote: We just leave our baseboard thermostats off here in Victoria and it's rarely too cold for us - although with the heat off our unit may only get as low as 13.
A friend I know in the same locale is doing the same thing. I find that some rooms in his house has a bit of a moldy smell.
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Jan 25, 2007
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Paris
We keep the cottage at 10 celsius while away.
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Jul 29, 2006
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Jerico wrote: We keep the cottage at 10 celsius while away.
here I was thinking 12.5 celcius was the lowest I should go. No issues with 10?
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Jan 25, 2007
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Paris
nx6288 wrote: here I was thinking 12.5 celcius was the lowest I should go. No issues with 10?
None in 20 years give or take. We used to let it freeze before but then startup was a bitch. We didn’t have a furnace 20+ years ago either.
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Jan 25, 2007
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Paris
Jerico wrote: None in 20 years give or take. We used to let it freeze before but then startup was a bitch. We didn’t have a furnace 20+ years ago either.
Opps... this isnt 100% accurate. The plumbing for the kitchen sink used to go up the outside wall and was on the cold side with insulation on the warm side. But it would freeze up in cold weather if the heat was on or not so I dont really count it. It actually froze overnight while we were there with the wood stove on and the basement was 80+ Fahrenheit all night. We eventually moved the kitchen so all good now.

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