Al Turner

Thanks Jay, I'm still a ways off on my dream but like to plan ahead,

Al

Brian, these have been around for years and are designed for everyday home use. These are certified for full time home use. There should always be concerns about safety when using any kind fire in a home. This includes gas stoves, wood stoves, gas or oil lamps, Rocket Mass Heaters, fire places, pellet stove, and any other fire breathing stove or furnace. I have a CO2 monitor for safety because I have a fire place and a pellet stove. They are recommended along with a smoke detector even if you don't have a fire breathing device for safety.

The bottom line is you want something that is safe and dependable. Something that will protect your pipes from freezing while you are gone.

Al

Jay, I did a search for metal roofing hidden clipsdown and did not have any luck in finding what you were describing. I am not sure what I should be seeing so I may have seen it but with a different name or description. Can you maybe post a few links to some manufactures that make this kind of roofing? I'm in Arizona so one or two in the West would be helpful.

Thanks, Al

Sean, because of the extreme cold weather and the unpredictability of what the weather is going to be I would opt for something more failsafe. They make ventless propane heaters with thermostats that will come on at a preset temperature that could be used to insure no pipes will freeze. Trying to outguess Mother Nature can be tuff and costly if you guess wrong. A heavy snow and ice storm may make your solar products useless and cause the inside temp to drop quickly. You don't want to come home to major damage from frozen pipes and water leakage in the middle of winter. While propane may not be what you were thinking about it is a more reliable backup should all else fail. It can also be used if for some reason you need the extra heat while you are there. It is recommended that you have a carbon dioxide monitor inside the house so you can monitor the loss of oxygen that is consumed by the ventless propane heaters. Propane will be there when you need it and if you buy it in the off season the price is not too bad.

I am from Michigan and currently live in the mountains of North Eastern Arizona at 5000 feet. A couple of years ago the temp here dropped to around -18C for several nights causing many homes to have frozen water pipes that resulted in much water damage. Our normal nightly lows can get down around -12C. One must learn to expect the unexpected when it comes to weather.

Al