Draining down system

E

elainem

Registered User
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In holiday home is it better to heat the house for 3/3 hrs a day when we are not using it, or to drain down the system? We don't mind paying for oil to heat it for a couple of hours a day if that is the best option.
 
Its always better to keep some level of heat so as the fabric of the building does not suffer. Also depends on how much clothes / bedding/ mattresses you leave.

Some folk also run a dehumidifier DH for a few hours a day on a timer, to follow on after the heating as the air will have more moisture in it.
Just make sure the DH has good drainage: eg position over bath.
 
+1

Also every time you drain down and re-fill the system, you are re-oxygenating the water within the system which can lead to rust and sludge in your system. You should also have system inhibitor within your system and at about €35 a pop, you don't really want to be flushing that down a drain.

Depending on how the system is plumbed, you could have a nightmare with air locks re-filling each time also.
 
Check the T&C's of your insurance.

Mine states that we need to keep the temp in the house at a minimum of 12deg C between Oct to March or fully drain down the system.

To maintain that sort of temp we would need the heating on a lot more than 3hrs a day especially when it drops to the temps we've been experiencing the last few winters.
 
Draining Down the System

Thanks to both of you for the replies. TO'Sullivan -do you think it is better to drain down the system then? It's a system that was badly plubmed anyway and keeps breaking down - so I would be somewhat worred that the heating wouldn't come on someday when it was especially frosty. Also, it's an oil boiler outside and was vandalised last year - pump taken out and just left beside the boilder. Some people!
 
Its really up to yourself..the problem I see is if you are not going to drain down the system, then you are relying on the boiler working throughout the winter. Plus, who's to say these robbing gits wont empty out your oil tank, then you're without oil.

If it was me I would drain down unless I was able to visit the house regularly and keep an eye on it but thats usually not possible.

I drained ours down 2 weeks ago but its not a complex job as the heating is electric and I'm only draining down the water supply to the taps/shower/toilet which takes me 2 mins.
 
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