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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To worry about the heating being off whilst we are away?

27 replies

Heatingquestion · 12/10/2024 08:29

We are away for a week and our heating was left switched off. The thermostat (I can see via an app) is reading at 13 degrees, and I suppose it will drop lower over the next few days as they are estimating tomorrow won’t be any warmer than 9 degrees.

We are back on Monday and can switch the heating on then but I saw an article to say cold houses can cause damp and mould. With a small baby I definitely don’t want this to happen. Would you say it is fine to leave the heating off, or does it need to go on ideally for a short blast to stop it getting too cold?

OP posts:
Cheeesus · 12/10/2024 08:31

It’ll be fine for a short time. You might want to leave it on low if there is a danger of pipes freezing, but that’s all.

BMW6 · 12/10/2024 08:32

Our thermostat is set to 15° in summer and overnight all year.

I think if I were you I'd set it to that, or even 16 or 17.

Squidthing · 12/10/2024 08:32

It'll be fine, you won't be in there causing condensation (i.e. cooking, cleaning, breathing!) and it's only for a short period.

Zanatdy · 12/10/2024 08:32

It’s highly unlikely to freeze in the Autumn. It will be fine, but will take some time to warm up. My flat is still 21 degrees, with no heating on at all yet. One of the benefits of a flat!

Balletdreamer · 12/10/2024 08:32

It will be fine. You will not get mould after a week. Please forget about it and enjoy your holiday!

zeitweilig · 12/10/2024 08:33

As others have said, it should be fine for a short period.

JustKeepSwimmingJust · 12/10/2024 08:33

My heating has a holiday mode which I set to 12 degrees, but that’s to prevent pipes freezing. It’s not that cold yet. The house won’t get mouldy in a week

Prisonpillow · 12/10/2024 08:34

It will be absolutely fine. For a week (or even quite a bit longer) you only need to worry about pipes freezing at below zero. Nothing happens to cool houses.

DappledThings · 12/10/2024 08:34

It takes a lot longer than a short holiday for mould and damp to set in.

Do you have an app to control it? I'd probably turn it back on a couple of hours before getting home for comfort if you can but otherwise ignore it

Fleximama · 12/10/2024 08:36

It might feel a bit cold and damp for a few hours when you return but it's not going to freeze inside at this time of year. You're not away for long. If you're worried, why not programme it to come on at a lowish temperature for an hour every evening? It won't cost much for a few days.

MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira · 12/10/2024 08:36

The house will be fine it would need to be of for a really long time for that to become an issue, not a week or two for a holiday. It might take a while to warm, we went away last winter and forgot to take off holiday mode so by the time we landed drove to pick up ds then came home, I only remembered an hour before we got back, the house was freezing when we got in (it was January and night time though). I'd put it on for a couple of hours the day you're getting back and then a couple of hours before you arrive so it's nice and warm when you get back with baby

Crazyeight · 12/10/2024 08:38

Just open the windows when you get back for a few hours.

Haggia · 12/10/2024 08:53

It won’t get damp or mouldy in just a few days. But we returned from holiday yesterday and our house felt freezing. Even with log burner and heating going, it was hard to warm it up. Dog slept in his jumper! So if you can warm it remotely the day before, I would. We are in SE.

BMW6 · 12/10/2024 08:56

That's why I'd set to 16 or 17 - we were away for a week recently and it took several hours to get the house temperature up to 19 having left it on 15.

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 12/10/2024 08:59

A week should be fine.

ComingBackHome · 12/10/2024 09:06

A week will be fine re mold etc….

PleaseAskSomeoneWhoGivesAFuck · 12/10/2024 09:07

It's a week
7 days
Don't fret

BlackButter · 12/10/2024 09:08

When you come back open all the windows to blast the air through for 10mins and then put the heating on

Needanadultgapyear · 12/10/2024 09:10

Most heating systems have a holiday mode that keeps the property at a temperature that prevents damp etc.
If you have an app you can quite likely set holiday mode from the app.

Frankensteinslittlefriend · 12/10/2024 09:21

If you have the app can’t you just switch it on?

beezlebubnicky · 12/10/2024 09:24

You may want to set at a temp that prevents pipes freezing just in case. Btw a lot of home insurance policies have a minimum temp it needs to be set at when you are on holiday, so worth checking that first.

Joycedelight · 12/10/2024 09:30

I've not had my heating on this year yet. My rooms are showing as around 13 degrees right now. The heating won't be on for a few weeks yet. No mould or damp.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 12/10/2024 09:32

If you have a thermostat app cant you turn the heating on from it?

As others have said, it'll be finefor a week

Cosyblankets · 12/10/2024 09:34

It's a week in autumn
It'll be fine

Choochoo21 · 12/10/2024 09:39

Where are you?

I don’t know anyone who has turned their heating on at all yet.

Unless it’s coming in at minus temperatures in the next few days, then it will be absolutely fine.