minus 20 celsius, or minus 4 fahrenheit in the long term ...

[igmolinav]

Hi,

I am a student and my small room will not be inhabitted for almost two months. Because each room in our flat has its own heating, one can regulate the temperature. In order to save costs, I am shutting down the heating
in my room. So, it will be cold in the room. How cold, I'm not quite sure, but outside the temperatures will be below zero degrees celsius or below thirty two degrees fahrenheit, reaching maximum temperatures between -20 ºC and -4 ºF

I have left two (mechanical) cameras, and four (mechanical) lenses in the room. (No digital or autofocus equipment). I have also left a small generator and two strobes. Everything is covered in plastic bags.

I wonder if these temperatures do something to the equipment. It is the first time I do something like this.

Thank you, kind regards,

igmolinav.

 

[jampat]

As long as the camera gear is insulated somehow (in a bag, wrapped in a sweater, etc.) it will be fine. The insulation will protect the lenses from condensation.

The building on the other had doesn't normally like freeze/thaw cycles. You can burst pipes, crack drywall etc. Normally if I am leaving a place that is not designed to be frozen, I set the temp at ~5 degrees Celcius to save a bunch on heating, but ensure I have no problems when I get back. Setting it at 5 makes sure the coldest part of the room should be above freezing and allows for a little time above freezing if the power goes out. Just my .02 here.

 

[OreoCookie]

I would put the equipment in airtight ziplock bags to prevent condensation.

 

[snberk103]

I agree - leave the room temperature set to just above freezing. How many of the room's walls are outside walls? Unless your room is unusually exposed, you will probably find that there is enough heat leaking in from the rest of the building and from solar gain that even with the heat set at 5c it may never turn on.

Pull the batteries out of everything that will be dormant.
Do some more research about wrapping things in plastic. You don't want to trap moisture inside the plastic. I don't know that wrapping in plastic is wrong, but it makes me uneasy. Make sure you get advice on this. Objects don't get condensation going into the cold, they condense when they go from cold to warm. Insulating the cameras should be enough to give them the time warm out properly.

 

[toxic]

they will be fine. condensation only occurs when going from cold to warm quite quickly, which they won't be doing. even when you come back and turn the heater back on, if they're in a closed cabinet or something, they likely won't condense since the closed cabinet will heat up slower than the room.

and yeah, take out the batteries.

 

[merkinmuffley]

Don't wrap them in plastic. Your room won't be going from warm to cold quickly, so condensation won't be a problem.

 

[flosseR]

ok, first off, you DO have walls and you DO have other rooms. Your room temperature in each rom will NEVER reach minus degrees. If it does, you have serious issues with the house AND your other rooms. If one room goes to minus degrees, the other rooms will bleed heat like hell. Those are room doors i assume, which means they will not insulate like front house doors. Because of that effect, they will bleed enough warmth into the closed rooms. I would also NOT recommend shutting everything down. what about your heating system? If it is radiator based, it runs water. if you shut them off, the water freezes, the pipes will break.
If you plan on saving a few buck you will spend a lot more in repairs.
I have never seen a flat that goes to minus degrees, sorry.
But i agree with the poster who said dont shut it completely off.. turn it down to say +10 and leave it there. the lenses and cameras won't be affected. The only thing, the batteries will run out of juice in very low temperature after a while.

 

[igmolinav]

Hi,

Thank you very much for your posts : ) !!!

I'll keep the cameras and the lenses in a bag + I'll take
any batteries out of the camera : ) !!!

Very kind regards,

igmolinav