Jump to content

2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on


Parliament

Recommended Posts

33 minutes ago, Homercles said:

A store near me has a 1,250 watt ceiling mounted heater fan in stock...would that make even a dent in a 3-car garage if I propped it up against something and blew against the wall that has the plumbing in it?

Anyone got any input on this?  It won’t really heat up the garage much but I’m thinking it could help that wall.  It’s $80

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Homercles said:

Anyone got any input on this?  It won’t really heat up the garage much but I’m thinking it could help that wall.  It’s $80

I have a 1500 watt space heater that I've put in my garage to warm up the wall where our outside spigot is located and it seemed to have done a good job yesterday - it was frozen but ran after the space heater was turned on.

It obviously won't warm the garage but I figure I will run that thing for about 30 minutes 2 or 3 times per day for the next 5 days it will (hopefully) do the trick for that one area.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, Homercles said:

A store near me has a 1,250 watt ceiling mounted heater fan in stock...would that make even a dent in a 3-car garage if I propped it up against something and blew against the wall that has the plumbing in it?

DP

Edited by Homercles
Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

How are road conditions to the south? We can get to Franklin on surface streets for a pickup....but how is 1-35 to San Antonio?

 

41 minutes ago, Eastwood said:

We're dry in the north part of Bexar County, but we didn't get back over freezing this morning like we were supposed to and there is a patch of freezing drizzle coming up from the south, which is earlier than forecasted. If you get down here, you might not get back to Austin without a struggle.

I went outside to check on things and there's already freezing drizzle at my house, which is about 8 - 12 hours ahead of schedule. Honestly, I know you just spent a boat load on BBQ, but you might end up spending a lot more than that if you try to make that trip.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

One of my spigots was dripping before this all started.  There's a cool ice stalagmite under it.  It drips like once every 10-20 seconds.  It doesn't leak, per se, but the knob/handle is sticky.  I cranked it shut and wrapped it up, even though it's frost-free.

Wait... Don't you just mean, an "icicle"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Message Board User said:

I have a 1500 watt space heater that I've put in my garage to warm up the wall where our outside spigot is located and it seemed to have done a good job yesterday - it was frozen but ran after the space heater was turned on.

It obviously won't warm the garage but I figure I will run that thing for about 30 minutes 2 or 3 times per day for the next 5 days it will (hopefully) do the trick for that one area.

I would need to buy a cheap extension cord, chop off the leads and wire nut it in.  I’m on the fence because I’d also have to prop it up against something.  Starting to get into serious redneck engineering here.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

2 hours ago, Deej said:

HEB is making a killing. Did curbside at Rundberg HEB this morning and the guy said they had people from over an hour away picking up because they had the only available slots. First time I haven't been the only car at curbside at that location. 

My regular place in Aliana (Richmond) was booked up yesterday so I went to a different HEB that actually had free slots. HOLY SHIT it was a goddam clusterfuck. Literally 26 spaces and every one was occupied and a line of cars just stopped waiting for someone to back out. 

The curbside at my regular store is on the side and not in the middle of the main parking lot. At this other place the curbbside spaces are right in the middle of the parking lot, so the wait to get into curbside was backing up traffic in the entire parking lot. 

But... so glad I got my groceries yesterday instead of today. I bet today is 100x worse. 

 

 

Edited by crimsonlonghorn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got out a while ago to trim off some iced up low hanging branches to take a bit of excess weight off so when the blizzard hits tomorrow night maybe less will break down. 
Had to quit and come inside, because huffing & blowing too hard. Actually had to take a nitro pill to recover.

 

7CF0F62B-14E4-4145-80AE-001B257E3B49.jpeg

3F915624-86E9-4837-B57B-FAFD533C0D16.jpeg

  • Hook 'Em 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, gsoda3 said:
3 hours ago, Bevo&Pevo said:
vTexas Temperature Map - Air Sports Net (usairnet.com)
quick way to check area temps.  
Any of you guys think to buy charcoal (for cooking not warming the haus) or camp stove fuel?  If ya' lose power at least you eat some thing warm.  In a pinch taping(several layers) a nickel over both terminals of a 9v battery will warm it up.  I've never done that with a new one, but used "dead" ones with success for hunting/fishing trips for a pocket warmer.
I'd also recommend that if you decide to try to get out to the local hardware store to pick up insulation add to the basket some items to make temp repairs for when the that comes.  PVC glue, caps, plugs, PEX connectors, cutters things to stop a leak or fix as you find it.
 

Tell me more about this nickel 9v setup. How long does it last with a new battery? Sounds like it could be a good solution for keeping an outdoor spigot warm if you wrap it in a towel but will it catch on fire?

Rig one up and carry it around in your pocket for awhile use your best discretion.  They won't last forever, but it may work just long enough. I've never had one catch fire, but there is always a first time.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best weapon you can have is a 1,500 watt hair dryer. 

I scored the last 2 pieces of insulation at Home DePoors.  Felt like the last guy on the ark in the worst movie ever made, 2012.

Also, I haven't checked my (very wrapped) hose bibs since I wrapped them yesterday, but not too worried.  28°-30° won't freeze them too far in.  I plan to do a series of 2-3 rewraps between now and Tuesday.  That hair dryer's going to get more use than it has the past 15 years.

Wife reports HEB shopping at Bee Cave is typical mass hysteria right now.  I'm sure it's like that everywhere.  People shooting people over cheese, others walking over them, kicking them out of the way to get to the bacon.
 
 
The hair dryer worked like a charm on my outside faucet. Once thawed, I filled the pool up to the brim and then re-wrapped that MF'er. My FIL jerry-rigged this contraption (it's lined with old koozies) and we put it on there, then wrapped it up in a beach towel and duck taped the shit out of it. My FIL, a bad ass BTW, wanted to know if we should get a patent on it.

e96b5791b388fa0f71e104b628d56c26.jpg

89416727c8e18e93e117b04b412a33ca.jpg
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Lobo said:

They make a delicious grilled taun taun at my local HEB.  Little lime and cilantro.  Smells like ass but I sure miss 'em. 

Then you get the morons who want it well done... ends up being something even a sarlacc would throw back.

Edited by slorch
Link to comment
Share on other sites

FYI RR Home Depot has 1500W electric space heaters for $40:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lasko-Compact-9-2-in-1500-Watt-Electric-Ceramic-Space-Heater-with-Automatic-Overheat-Protection-754200/100669067

 

i picked up one from Pflugerville and they were sold out before I got there to pickup my online order.  Cashier said ‘oh you’re one of the lucky ones’.  

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

How did that happen?  Really old pipe?

House was repiped in the 2000s.  a stupid pvc joint failed that leads to my outside faucet.  Looks like glue didnt stick?  No idea. Im now going to have the plumber check other joints. Worried the people fucked up the installation.   The green makes me think there Was a slow leak overtime. But ive never seen any water 

1C4FA0E7-48C9-4145-AD3C-53FE41E7672C.jpeg

Edited by Xian
  • Rage+1 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Homercles said:

I would need to buy a cheap extension cord, chop off the leads and wire nut it in.  I’m on the fence because I’d also have to prop it up against something.  Starting to get into serious redneck engineering here.  

A lot of those ceiling mounted garage heaters are 220 instead of 110 to put off good heat. Make sure the one you are looking at is 110 unless you have 220 available.  And if they are made to hear a room, they probably put out some serious btu and I’d be hesitant to point them right at drywall vs open air. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Got out a while ago to trim off some iced up low hanging branches to take a bit of excess weight off so when the blizzard hits tomorrow night maybe less will break down. 
Had to quit and come inside, because huffing & blowing too hard. Actually had to take a nitro pill to recover.

 

7CF0F62B-14E4-4145-80AE-001B257E3B49.jpeg

3F915624-86E9-4837-B57B-FAFD533C0D16.jpeg

Take it easy AB. 

[csb] - back in Denver several years ago, I had a great older neighbor across the street. Feisty old son of a bitch, but just a good guy to shoot the shit with.

When the heavy snow would set in, he would clear his and his neighbors' walks on his side of our street and I would do the same on my side of the street. It was a bit of a tradition, until one day . . . 

Son of a bitch fell while clearing sidewalks. I found him 20 minutes after the fall, let his wife know, got him a blanket and waited with him. While waiting for the ambulance, he said that was it for him clearing sidewalks - that he didn't want to die freezing to death in the cold. He hired a snow service and my "Snow Storms with Morrie" (his name was Chuck) came to an end. /csb

TLDR: Some things are not worth it. Be safe.

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Question at our house - turn off the main and open the spigots and empty the water lines ? 
 

houses under our purview right now - Travis country / foundation 90s home - all are covered with styrofoam insulators.  Zilker remodel - pier and beam dripping the spigots. 
 

What should we do besides thoughts and prayers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, crimsonlonghorn said:

But... so glad I got my groceries yesterday instead of today. I bet today is 100x worse. 

Surprisingly no, in my corner of DFW.  Kroger bakery was going full blast and the bins were still about 2/3rd's full of most types.  The sneaky bastards raised Gatorade prices from $1 to 1.25, though.   Even though there were 2 selfish sloth sows with full carts in the self-checkout lines, all 18 machines were open so I only waited in line about 30 seconds.

No issues on the roads yet, either.  All the ice patches along the side gutters (from the scumbag businesses that failed to shut off their sprinklers) had a nice layer of sand on them.  But we aren't Dallas, and never considered defunding any police or road budgets....

Apparently there's no major threat to the Northeast US this afternoon, as The (occasional) Weather Channel has already switched to those crappy BFEgypt Trucker shows.  Screw you, flyover country!

And for those keeping score at home, here's a map of the wind chills for the coldest outbreak in US recorded history.  See how you compare this week:

Screen+Shot+2021-02-12+at+8.51.31+PM.png

http://www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com/2021/02/winter-storm-and-cold-wave-update-730pm.html

 

 

Edited by clapclapclap
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Santa Anna fucked around and found out....guess we can also

On February 12 they crossed the Rio Grande.[40][Note 7] Temperatures in Texas reached record lows, and by February 13 an estimated 15–16 inches (38–41 cm) of snow had fallen. Hypothermia, dysentery, and Comanche raiding parties took a heavy toll on the Mexican soldiers.[41]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Homercles said:

FYI RR Home Depot has 1500W electric space heaters for $40:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lasko-Compact-9-2-in-1500-Watt-Electric-Ceramic-Space-Heater-with-Automatic-Overheat-Protection-754200/100669067

 

i picked up one from Pflugerville and they were sold out before I got there to pickup my online order.  Cashier said ‘oh you’re one of the lucky ones’.  

Thanks for that link, I didn't think I'd be able to find a little heater but checked the Plano location off 75 and they had a pallet full of them by the front door. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Fuck You 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So one of my outside spigot is frozen as I rewrapped it and tried it and no go. The rest were working. I have a leaky one so that one I'm dripping and the others are fine. 

Anything I can do about the frozen one other than rewrapping it and keeping it dry? When will I learn if it is broken? should I call a plumber for Wednesday or wait until I learn that it burst for sure? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So one of my outside spigot is frozen as I rewrapped it and tried it and no go. The rest were working. I have a leaky one so that one I'm dripping and the others are fine. 
Anything I can do about the frozen one other than rewrapping it and keeping it dry? When will I learn if it is broken? should I call a plumber for Wednesday or wait until I learn that it burst for sure? 

Hit it with a hair dryer on high for 10 mins or so. That will often warm it up enough to thaw. Let it run, then dry it off and wrap it again.
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Well Santa Anna fucked around and found out....guess we can also

On February 12 they crossed the Rio Grande.[40][Note 7] Temperatures in Texas reached record lows, and by February 13 an estimated 15–16 inches (38–41 cm) of snow had fallen. Hypothermia, dysentery, and Comanche raiding parties took a heavy toll on the Mexican soldiers.[41]

Napoleon should have sent the Comanches into Russia. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...