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2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on


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1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

I didn't remember it was that low.  I didn't do shit and we were fine.

Yea, it was cold as fuck from Monday through Thursday of that week.  I think that Friday it finally got back up into mid to upper 20s and then was above freezing both days that weekend the SB was played.  At some point late in the week was when that big piece of ice and snow slid off JerryWorld and clocked somebody down below (can't remember if they were cleaning it off or it came off on its own)

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20 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


Pool noodles, dude. Pretty decent insulation to put around exposed pipes.

I went to wrap one of our outdoor faucets in heat tape (it had insulation and a cap from a couple of years ago on it). The old set up had gotten wet in the rain, and had already frozen. I wrapped the heat tape around it, and it was cold enough that it started heating right away. Then put a piece of foam pipe insulation around it, then covered it with a cap, then covered it with a small soft sided cooler.

And...will be hopeful.

Where can one find a pool noodle in February? I haven't seen those in the stores as I don't believe they're stocking summer stuff yet. I've got some extra duct insulation so that's why I was thinking of measuring it out and then fashioning a cover from it with a little cap and gorilla tape it all together

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Where can one find a pool noodle in February? I haven't seen those in the stores as I don't believe they're stocking summer stuff yet. I've got some extra duct insulation so that's why I was thinking of measuring it out and then fashioning a cover from it with a little cap and gorilla tape it all together

I know that Home Depot had lots of foam insulation you can cut to length.

Or....if you have neighbors with little kids, ask if they have some you can have - you’ll buy em new ones when summer comes.
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3 minutes ago, Wanker Bob said:

Where can one find a pool noodle in February? I haven't seen those in the stores as I don't believe they're stocking summer stuff yet. I've got some extra duct insulation so that's why I was thinking of measuring it out and then fashioning a cover from it with a little cap and gorilla tape it all together

Probably at a place like 5 and below. They always have those things. 

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Yeah, if you're pinched, grab some pool noodles - you can use those to make layers of insulation.

I’m using noodles. I have some hand warmers from skiing. Would putting a few of those inside the noodles make a difference?

Also I feel like I’ve seen conflicting theories on outside water spigots. Drip them or don’t drip them?
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1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

What did you block your vents with?

Couple pieces of cardboard. Nothing else on the outside walls is insulated besides the thick stone base so insulated barrier won’t make a difference. Trying to avoid cold air from blowing through the space. 102 year old house so insulated only where remodeled which is above the pier and beam, not under. Power bill is going to suck big time if the power happens to stay on.

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16 minutes ago, Gale Snoats said:


I’m using noodles. I have some hand warmers from skiing. Would putting a few of those inside the noodles make a difference?

Also I feel like I’ve seen conflicting theories on outside water spigots. Drip them or don’t drip them?

It’s all conflicting theories on drip. And I bought a couple bags of hand warmers for that exact reason, going to toss one in tonight for the north facing + garage exterior wall spigot that already for slushy today.  Will probably step up to doing both spigots every 6 hours or so starting Sunday or so when it gets really cold. Know they won’t stay warm 7 hours but may get some heat in there to give them a head start.  

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1 minute ago, Mr.Hovis said:

I feel like my house is ready for the single digit temps, not so much for the two vehicles that are always parked outside. Got the cars  in the garage, suvs are out. I know, should have built a bigger garage. Dealing with this will be task #1 for me tomorrow.

Yeah, I am just gonna run them a bit during the day and before we hit the real cold shit. 

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I feel like my house is ready for the single digit temps, not so much for the two vehicles that are always parked outside. Got the cars  in the garage, suvs are out. I know, should have built a bigger garage. Dealing with this will be task #1 for me tomorrow.

As long as the battery to your car isn’t older than 5 years...your cars will be fine outside one night
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What’s this shit I’m seeing on tv/online about leaving exterior spigots dripping? Thought that was the opposite of what should be done. Am I taking crazy pills or is this a legit disagreement amongst those in the know?

Not sure either. I wrapped the shit out them but the one next to garage I don’t trust since my garage will probably get below freezing and there probably isn’t shit for insulation in that wall
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No one knows shit is my conclusion.  If I drip then I’ll have a skating rink between mine and my neighbors yard, or it may freeze anyways leaving me with a block of ice to dismantle.  Everyone I know just used covers + towels to fill the air gap, and are calling it good.  
 

On a side note if you have spare space heaters I bet you could get a pretty penny for them.  They are sold out all across CenTex, and even a Walmart that said they had 3 had bare shelves.  Not even heated blankets, which I considered taping to the exterior garage wall where the hose spigot piping is.  
 

If I had an electric space heater to put in that corner I’d be sleeping easy on it.  Going to check my attic tomorrow but don’t think I have any valves to close for exterior stuff.  Stupid that a $10 valve could save water damage, granted this is a once in a decade event.  

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Where can one find a pool noodle in February? I haven't seen those in the stores as I don't believe they're stocking summer stuff yet. I've got some extra duct insulation so that's why I was thinking of measuring it out and then fashioning a cover from it with a little cap and gorilla tape it all together

At Lowe’s in Bee Cave this afternoon, they had tons of them
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9 minutes ago, Homercles said:

No one knows shit is my conclusion.  If I drip then I’ll have a skating rink between mine and my neighbors yard, or it may freeze anyways leaving me with a block of ice to dismantle.  Everyone I know just used covers + towels to fill the air gap, and are calling it good.  
 

On a side note if you have spare space heaters I bet you could get a pretty penny for them.  They are sold out all across CenTex, and even a Walmart that said they had 3 had bare shelves.  Not even heated blankets, which I considered taping to the exterior garage wall where the hose spigot piping is.  
 

If I had an electric space heater to put in that corner I’d be sleeping easy on it.  Going to check my attic tomorrow but don’t think I have any valves to close for exterior stuff.  Stupid that a $10 valve could save water damage, granted this is a once in a decade event.  

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.

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Just now, Okie State said:

I'm wrapping all mine with old t-shirts and towels, duct taping, and then wrapping with trash bags and duct taping those to keep the rain off. This has worked for me in the past, but we'll see what happens.

Did same but used wadded up newspaper.  It has the hobo seal of approval.

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As usual, the increasingly craptastic National Weather Service continues to lag a day or so behind most of the private mets.  NWS keeps slowly revising DFW forecast temps downward.  Now calling for 0 degrees Mon nite for Weatherford, Rhome, and northwest Denton, with below 0 northwest of there.  Meanwhile Weatherunderground predicting 3 to 5 degrees colder than the NWS across the Metroplex.

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53 minutes ago, Mr.Hovis said:

I feel like my house is ready for the single digit temps, not so much for the two vehicles that are always parked outside. Got the cars  in the garage, suvs are out. I know, should have built a bigger garage. Dealing with this will be task #1 for me tomorrow.

Your car is fine. We get down to -5 and never have car issues. 

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Just now, Okie State said:

Saw a post on Nextdoor of all places where the guy's house had a central pex manifold where he could individually shut off every faucet in the house. Thought that was pretty awesome.

Yeah, wish I had a shutoff manifold right about now.  If I ever build custom it will be part of it. 

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Just now, Okie State said:
3 minutes ago, Anastasis said:
Yeah, wish I had a shutoff manifold right about now.  If I ever build custom it will be part of it. 

I had never seen anything like it, but I want one now.

My inlaws have one with all the pex lines going everywhere. Still not sure I trust that pex shit to be honest, but the set up is nice. Figure someone could do the same with copper.  Don't even need a central distribution hub, just shut offs for the exterior and wall lines. 

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7 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

As usual, the increasingly craptastic National Weather Service continues to lag a day or so behind most of the private mets.  NWS keeps slowly revising DFW forecast temps downward.  Now calling for 0 degrees Mon nite for Weatherford, Rhome, and northwest Denton, with below 0 northwest of there.  Meanwhile Weatherunderground predicting 3 to 5 degrees colder than the NWS across the Metroplex.

Wunderground has been far closer to correct the entire time.  Funny seeing Delkus up there using NWS models that are about 8 degrees warm each day.   

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No one knows shit is my conclusion.  If I drip then I’ll have a skating rink between mine and my neighbors yard, or it may freeze anyways leaving me with a block of ice to dismantle.  Everyone I know just used covers + towels to fill the air gap, and are calling it good.  
 
On a side note if you have spare space heaters I bet you could get a pretty penny for them.  They are sold out all across CenTex, and even a Walmart that said they had 3 had bare shelves.  Not even heated blankets, which I considered taping to the exterior garage wall where the hose spigot piping is.  
 
If I had an electric space heater to put in that corner I’d be sleeping easy on it.  Going to check my attic tomorrow but don’t think I have any valves to close for exterior stuff.  Stupid that a $10 valve could save water damage, granted this is a once in a decade event.  

This electric blanket idea is interesting. Might try that. I grabbed my wife’s shitty electryheater and am running it in the garage but it barely does shit. No way when it gets colder
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Yeah, nearly the same for my parents. The only time they were someplace with power was when they went to my moms rescheduled chemo appointment today.

They’re fine, they’re warm - their fireplaces really work. But they’re bored, they’re losing the food in their fridge. Just had the boy take them two fully charged power banks so they can keep their phones charged. They don’t want to come over or go to a hotel.


EDIT: their power just came back on.

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