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grover
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2013 07:58pm
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The only heat I'm going to have is a wood burner. What kind of issues should I expect when leaving the place unheated for weeks at a time? The worst part of our winters gets down to single digits, sometimes below zero for short periods. I will have to figure out somehow to drain the water lines and being hooked up to a cistern I will have a pressure tank that will also be a problem. Any other issues leaving it unheated?
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Sustainusfarm
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2013 08:15pm
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Mold...make sure before you leave, like as your loading up, to open windows and doors to let out the moist humid air! 
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2013 08:18pm
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What kind of foundation do you have? Slab and basements can break from frost.
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grover
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2013 08:38pm
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It is a block foundation with crawl space.
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ICC
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2013 08:44pm
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I have a remote cabin that goes through a dozen or more freeze-thaw-refreeze cycles each winter. Never a problem with any structural or cosmetic parts. Porcelain tile floors, drywall on some walls, T&G on others, concrete perimeter footing to below frost depth. Temps go into the minus degrees F.
Draining the plumbing, or using RV antifreeze is a definite 'must-do'. How you get the water out of the pressure tank may be done with pressurized air, though just how may depend on the particular installation.
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grover
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2013 08:49pm
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I should add that it is standard frame construction, metal roof, some drywall (hopefully not a lot), and wood flooring if budget allows.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:22am
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I have no heat in mine when I'm not there. Its a pretty dry climate. Gets real cold in the winter. The temp is semi stable, ie well insulated. I have never had a mold issue or even dampness smell. It still smells like fresh wood/new construction. I used no OSB, no sheetrock.
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skootamattaschmidty
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2013 05:18am
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My place also goes through numerous heat/thaw cycles in the winter. I also have had no problem with mould or any structural issues. My place is a scribed fit log cabin, no drywall.
I use an air compressor running off my generator to blow the water lines out and RV antifreeze in the drains. My water storage is in the crawlspace below the frost line. No problems so far.
We regularly get colder than -20 Celsius where we are in the winter.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2013 08:59am
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I want to use drywall in mine, but I've seen a lot of drywall in unheated outbuildings that did poorly over the years from moisture. In the spring and fall when there is a lot of rain, and the space is unoccupied with no heat, there will be a lot of moisture inside. I've literally seen it dripping off the walls in my storage sheds.
So, I plan to use Dens-sheild, a waterproof drywall that is made for use in wet situations. It can be used in showers to apply tile directly to (though I don't think this is such a good idea, personally). This product is a highly water resistant gypsum board covered with a thin layer of fiberglass, not paper like other drywall. Costs a bit more but I'm not buying a lot.
Along with concerns about freezing when you are gone, I think its a good idea to focus on freezing when you are there. Just cause your stove is going doesn't mean water pipes wont freeze. Where I am they say that where the pipe rises from the ground to the cabin is the most common problem spot. But also if you can avoid putting any pipes in exterior walls you'll be better off.
When I poured my foundation, I put a 3" elec conduit through the bottom of the footing, leading inside the foundation. I plan to push a poly pipe through this conduit for my water main. Keeps the pipe away from exposure to outside air, except in the underfloor space, where it will be heavily insulated.
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grover
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2013 11:11am
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One thing I didn't think about before is if we have a washing machine there is there any part of the machine that holds water when it is off? Same question for diswasher. (pumps maybe? and the line from the shutoff to the machine) We may not have these luxuries for a while but I am allocating space for them because it may become our permanent home someday.
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ICC
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2013 05:28pm
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Quoting: grover any part of the machine that holds water when it is off? Same question for diswasher.
Yes and those are very hard to drain
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2013 09:16pm - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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If you are going to leave a cabin unheated than you really can't have those appliances. I don't know anybody that does. We and they do dishes by hand.
You can't have a modern washer with a water pump. You could buy a wringer washer from lehmans.com or find one on EBay or Craigslist. I have my grandmas Maytag wringer washer from the 1930's. I have no idea if it works. Someday I'm going to have a look at it. For the time being we just bring our laundry home.
Edit: I did some research on Google and it seems that you can have these appliances you need to use rv antifreeze in the appliances during cabin shut down to prevent them from freezing. Being off grid and using cold gravity fed water into our cabin,appliances like this will not work due to low psi.
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wakeslayer
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# Posted: 29 Jul 2013 05:29pm
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I have a washing machine at our cabin. I blow compressed air through it while it is running on the fill cycle, set on warm as it mixes both pipes. After that I pour a half gallon of RV in it, set it on the end of the rinse cycle, and it drains through. Have used this method for at least four winters and not had an issue. It gets down to single digits a few times during a normal winter.
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Montanan
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# Posted: 29 Jul 2013 07:28pm
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Similar to the previous posts: we blow out all the air in the lines with a compressor. Our cabin is log constructed with pine T&G interior walls and pier block foundation. Our temps are regularly below 0 F in the winter and the cabin will go weeks with no heat (we also only have a wood stove.) We also pour RV antifreeze into all the traps (sinks, toilet and tub.) Make sure you leave all the spigots wide open when you blow out the lines and leave them that way, or water will freeze in the valves and crack them. We don't have a washing machine or dishwasher but we do have a standard hot water heater. All the water must be drained from that every time too. Our water source is a collection barrel that siphons water from a spring creek. It is below the frost line, as are the lines from the water source to the cabin. If it's very cold when we are there, we leave a faucet dripping so as to avoid the pipes freezing overnight- learned that one the hard way and didn't have water from February till May!
Hope that helps!
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bukhntr
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# Posted: 2 Aug 2013 04:07pm
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I would like to hear some experiences with this. We will not be heating while not there and using propane to heat when we are. We have a t&G ceiling to vented attic should have air exchange all the time with the cracks in the planking joints I am hoping. The cabin is 12x28 with no running water
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 2 Aug 2013 05:37pm
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we don't have any problems.we leave our cabin for months on end cause we cant get thru in the winter.when we finally do get thru...everything is pretty much as it was when we left.
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rjwhite
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# Posted: 30 May 2016 01:57pm
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I have a well insulated cottage with electric heat and a airtight wood stove.I do not heat the cottage in the winter months.Is there any tiles that could be used in the shower stall under these conditions and not fall off the walls?
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creeky
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# Posted: 30 May 2016 08:20pm
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I have a washing machine. Little guy. Haier 23 something. It has been through 4 winters of freeze spells. No problems.
I have a dishwasher. Been through one major freeze. Same thing. No problems.
I haven't done anything to freeze proof them.
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