If one of your goals this winter is to conserve your heating fuel to help save money, be sure to consider the risks that may come with doing that. Keeping the house too cold can come with many problems, especially in freezing climates, so it's important not to keep your house too cold and to have a heating repair company on call for emergencies. The following are some issues that can result from low uses of heat:
Pipe Will Freeze
One major risk--when the house is too cold--is frozen water pipes. The residual water left in the pipes will freeze and cause the pipes to possibly rupture. Water will expand and cause too much pressure on the walls of the pipes. Even if they do not rupture, they will prevent any water flow into your house until they thaw.
Electronic Damage
A house that is too cold can also have an impact on electronics, especially computer equipment. Homes that are not adequately heated will result in these delicate pieces of equipment to become too cold. Once the temperature begins to increase by turning the temperature up, it can cause condensation to accumulate inside the circuits in the equipment. This will result in a short or other malfunction that will prevent the item from functioning properly.
Damaged Ceilings
If you have ceilings that are made from plaster, it can crack when the temperatures get too cold. Plaster is very sensitive to cold and can become warped in harsh temperatures. After it warps, it will then begin to crack, leading to major ceiling damage.
Dead Houseplants
Houseplants will probably suffer the most in a cold home. If you have tropical plants in particular, they are surely going to get damaged beyond repair. They need a certain climate in order to survive. A sudden dip into cold weather can be detrimental to them. If you want to save money by keeping the heat off or at a low level, at least find one place in the house to keep the houseplants so that they will make it through the winter.
Saving money is important to a lot of homeowners, but a cold house is likely going to cost you more money in the long run. You can end up having to pay for major damages as a result of the indoor temperature. One thing you can do to help save some money on your heating costs is to contact your fuel company. Ask them what temperature you home should be in order to heat it adequately without utilizing all of your fuel. This way, you can save money while keeping your home free of damages.