Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 17, 1991 TAG: 9102180369
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SHAWN G. KENNEDY THE NEW YORK TIMES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But if you leave a house unoccupied during this winter, there are several ways to avoid problems if you take some precautions.
Plumbing systems can be prepared for drops in temperature, and there are several devices that act as sentries for home heating systems.
Robert Warren, the director of technical services for the National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors in Falls Church, Va., said that in most cases plumbing can be kept safe if the homeowner provides a minimum amount of warmth - about 40 degrees - and follows the steps so that pipes are less likely to burst in a hard freeze.
"As copper pipe gets cold it shrinks," Warren said. "Water expands when it gets cold. If ice is formed and it pushes against the metal with enough force, the pipe will burst." Metal pipes are more vulnerable than plastic, Warren added, but plastic can rupture in the cold, too.
Warren suggested that homeowners take these steps before leaving:
Turn off the main water valve.
Set the water heater to its lowest setting.
Open one or two hot and cold faucets to relieve pressure in the plumbing system. This gives pipes room for expansion and contraction with changes in temperature. These faucets should be at a location higher than that of the water heater, to avoid draining its tank.
Warren advised against leaving the water valve on and then opening faucets enough to let them drip. That, he said, just wastes water. And if the heating system fails, pipes are likely to freeze.
In some localities, homeowners can make arrangements with the local utility to turn off their water when they leave and turn it back on the day they are scheduled to return.
When it comes to monitoring heating systems, technology has come to the aid of homeowners. Devices cost $25 to $400.
One product, Scul-Tel, is a computerized heating-system monitor for oil furnaces that can watch over the room temperature, the heating system's operation and oil level.
On the market for three years on the East Coast, Scul-Tel was designed and is made by Scully Signal Co., (70 Industrial Way, Wilmington, Mass. 01887), a 55-year-old concern that manufactures equipment for fuel-oil distributors.
Scul-Tel's transmitter, connected to sensors, is a battery-powered unit about the size of a smoke detector. If a problem arises at any of the sensor points, the transmitter calls the heating service or oil company, relaying a message to a computer there.
Scul-Tel is available from Maine to Virginia from 65 heating or fuel companies. In some cases it can be leased for about $100 a year, Brad Surner, Scul-Tel's sales manager said. Richard Herrlin, the president of Schenck Fuel Inc., which operates in Suffolk County on Long Island, said that a basic unit costs $300 and the monitoring service about $100 per year.
A simpler device is Telefreeze, which links the thermostat to the telephone. Telefreeze reads the room temperature, and if it drops below a preset level, the device causes the telephone to ring busy. So homeowners can check their heating systems with a phone call, and if they get a persistent busy signal, they can alert a neighbor, plumber or heating company.
The device, which costs about $90, can be installed by the homeowner, but it is available only through heating and plumbing companies. Information is available from Preston Brown, the inventor and owner of Telefreeze (P.O. Box 1129, Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 11979).
One of the simplest, least expensive home heating monitors is the Winter Watchman, but you will need a neighbor's help to make it useful. Made by Honeywell, it works on the same principle as household timers that turn on lights or appliances.
The Winter Watchman will turn on a light if the temperature in the house drops below a designated setting, and the homeowners can arrange for a neighbor to keep a lookout for that specific light. The Winter Watchman is available from oil companies and hardware or appliance stores for about $25.
by CNB