preparing for the cold

[farmbif]

cold blast in forecast, they say we might get a blizzard starting tonight and by tomorrow night expect 2 degrees, yeah I know its probably mild winter weather if your from somewhere in the north but here at the edge of the smokies in Tennessee the coldest ive experienced is about 12 degrees.
I just thank god I have been able to keep my woodshed stocked well and have a generator to keep the water moving to keep the pipes from freezing if power goes out for extended time. in this old civil war house if it goes below about 25 we have to leave the faucets cracked open a bit to keep the water pipes and drains from freezing up. I even plugged in the block heater on the big tractor with loader just in case I have to move some snow.

[dannyd]

That's the reason I live in Florida, the first 17 years of my life I was never warm from October to April. :)

[bayjoe]

It's not to bad here, only -12 this morning

[Markopolo]

Piece of cake!!!! You got this… ride it out.. lay in some supplies… cook at home… sounds like you have a strategy… stick to it… you are gunna be fine compared to those that do not have alternative heating…

[MrWolf]

Probably did already but make sure the generator starts easily and everything is all laid out and ready. We will only be down in the teens at night with a really cold snap for the next week or so. You got this. You probably prevented a blizzard by being prepared. I know when I do all the prep, wood, snow chains on Kubota, snow blower under Pergola, etc. I can prevent major storms that way..:Fire:

[waksupi]

Open the doors under your sink. Let the water dribble. It was -56 in this area two nights ago here, wind chill not included.

[dannyd]

Well it's 59 down here, but we will make it.

When I was kid a in Virginia at times like this, I would take a shower and go to bed dressed, so the morning was not to bad.

That helped in the military because I didn't mind sleeping in my clothes with all practice I had at it.

[ioon44]

I started out here a -7 deg and it has warmed up to -4 deg, we might get up to 0 deg before it starts snowing.

[15meter]

Open the doors under your sink. Let the water dribble. It was -56 in this area two nights ago here, wind chill not included.

-56, coldest I ever dealt with was -37 on a ski trip to Collingwood Ontario. Beautiful skiing Saturday, woke up to an un-forecast -37. Did 3-4 runs downhill and decided I wasn't THAT stupid. Packed up and headed home. Only to have the girlfriend spin out while driving in a whiteout while driving along the eastern shore of Lake Huron. All the stars out, gorgeous night, then zero visibility.

When the car stopped spinning I had to get out go around and push her over so we could get moving again. She just locked up.

1 degree here now. I can deal with 1 degree. -37(or -56) I want no part of.

[Minerat]

It's not to bad here, only -12 this morning

We are in the Colorado sun belt -3° this morning with a 6 mph wind. But only a skiff of snow over night, brooming depth no shovel. We prep just like you in TN only have the atv plow ready and the wood stove going.

[white eagle]

as we speak it is -8° and the wind chill in the -20's
just had 16" of snow on top of it all
this is the warmest it will be until Wednesday this week
can you ever be prepared fully for this?

[dannyd]

I have worked in 55 below but just as a Lab Rat. That lab is in western Florida.

322155

[MaryB]

-14 last night... windchill was -46 when I went to bed... balmy -10 now and a -29 windchill...

[slim1836]

My hat's off to those who can endure extreme cold, I can't do it. It's 15 here as I write, have cabinet doors under sinks open, pipes are wrapped, spigots covered, water taps dripping, but being an older home (built in 1967), anything can happen.

Our new home is a pier and beam and the master shower is already frozen up, the rest of the house is ok for the time being. Time will tell.

Slim

[legend 550]

Had to drag the generator out at 4:00 Saturday morning, out for 9 hours 25 deg out.Shut off the mains and water heater, plug into the welder outlet and life as normal. Neighbors all know if your lights are out and mine are on, your welcome to come over.

[Froogal]

Minus 22 when I got up this morning. Somewhere around minus 14 right now. Wind chill down around minus 35 or so. NO way to actually prepare for such temps. We just stay inside.

[racepres]

No Biggie
322166

[MUSTANG]

Been about -35 last couple of nights. Balmy -10 during the day. Wood Stove cranking and keep two days of wood in the house (Replenish daily), Propane HVAC heater set at 65 degrees in house - does not kick in until after we go to bed, and in evenings kick in the Kitchen Range top Propane Burners if house Temp drops below 69 before we go to bed.

Ahhhhhhh; life is grand living in modern society (Do not miss living in tents in High Sierra's, Korea, and Norway) - I wonder what we will do when Bidenett's ban wood, propane, and those evil Hydro Dams,Coal fired, and Nuclear Power plants that our electric grids use in Kalispell and Moapa.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

It's Noon and very Sunny, a high of -8 today...we are almost there.
I think I'll be baking something this afternoon...pork and kraut maybe?
I baked my last Squash yesterday.

edit: I don't speak in "windchill" ...never have, never will. It is all that the news media is talking about, windchill ...don't mean a thing.

[country gent]

On the old farm houses seal all you can at ground level a row of straw bales around the house foundation up tight maybe 2 high blocks a lot of wind getting in. A couple 100 wat trouble light strategically placed in the crawl space makes a big difference at times. As does heat tape where needed.Leaving water trickle or drip helps with the water lines. Cheap blankets hung over windows stops a lot of drafts and saves heat. On vehicles park so radiators are blocked from wind and as much of vehicle as possible. Keep them up and add dry gas early and often. Anti gel on diesels. Keep diesels plugged in, block heaters are better than oil heaters. Have the "extras on hand. A kerosun heater can do a lot heating placed right if you have kerosene. Same a salamander can heat a car truck or tractor to start it with a tarp and kerosene. Candles kerosene lanterns all give off both light and heat.
Now while your sitting there in the dim lit room snuggled up dont make any babies, Theres always a rush at the birthing centers 9 month after a bad storm.

[MUSTANG]

MASSIVE GLOBAL WARMING EVENT!!!

Internet Weather site forecast a high today for us of -3 degrees. In this unbelievable Man Made impact; we have reached already this afternoon at 1:00PM - Zero Degrees Fahrenheit!.

Major Man Made Climate Change & Global Warming event in a single day!!.

[.429&H110]

I have repaired many hydronic baseboards in many frozen houses.
Would be more fun if it wasn't such an emergency, screaming housewives, barking dogs...
The following is general, but one cold night I soldered up four houses just like this.
If my company ran you out of oil on automatic delivery, this was all free of charge.
In any case, your carpet is not my problem, unless I set it on fire.

Walk in the front door, heat's off, 40F in the house.
Fire the old boiler up and a zone will be caught, won't circulate frozen.
Turn up all the thermostats I want the boiler running showing pressure, whole house heating.
If I can't run the boiler, game over, plan B.

Infrared thermometer leads me to the furthest bedroom from the woodstove.
The drapes are over the heater, cold pouring out zeroF.
If the system has any glycol in it, a hairdryer will warm it enough to flow.
A 1500W hairdryer is safer than a 1500W heatgun, hairdryer moves more air.
Walmart hairdryers are cheaper, too. Heatguns set cat hair and carpet fuzz on fire for a bad smell...
If its water frozen it's split, stop off the zone (got stops?) and pack the wound with towels.
If you do not have stops on both ends of each loop, this is when you will get them.
And I have to stop the boiler to do so. Time is money and it's cold out.
I carried lots of parts, good sale items. Some were purge stops very handy things.
If you have a circulator, go buy a spare. Boss got a silly price for mine.
I can usually solder wet pipe without a steam explosion. Just let out the steam.
Needle nose plier off the fins until you can caliper 7/8"
Cut out the split; solder in slip coupling and drain coupling, the drain lets out the steam.
For a small split I might solder in a union but baseboard really won't stretch.
I might sell some new baseboard, but the stuff is expensive, depends.
I usually carried an 8' and leftovers, but Boss thought truckstock was like gold.
Purge air, away we go. Great place to sell some propylene glycol.
2AM in January is a poor time to service a boiler. Any day in August works better for my sleep habits.

Keep the draperies off the heaters and remember the wood stove fools the thermostat.
I did my best work after midnight.

[lightman]

It was 17º here this morning and forecast to drop during the day and start snowing. They were right, iy did. Sticking to the roof, driveway and streets. Thats pretty cold for here but nothing like you Northers folks get.

I got food, water, milk, bread, beer and booze. I have full propane bottles in the garage with a heater if I need them and a natural gas fireplace that can run on a battery if I need it. If I need to go to town the Polaris if gassed up. Bring it on!!!

[georgerkahn]

cold blast in forecast, they say we might get a blizzard starting tonight and by tomorrow night expect 2 degrees, yeah I know its probably mild winter weather if your from somewhere in the north but here at the edge of the smokies in Tennessee the coldest ive experienced is about 12 degrees.
I just thank god I have been able to keep my woodshed stocked well and have a generator to keep the water moving to keep the pipes from freezing if power goes out for extended time. in this old civil war house if it goes below about 25 we have to leave the faucets cracked open a bit to keep the water pipes and drains from freezing up. I even plugged in the block heater on the big tractor with loader just in case I have to move some snow.

BEST wishes. Only advise I might offer is to have a few carboys filled with drinkable water! Assuming you have an electric-powered pump for your water, a power outage means no water. (You may be lucky with gravity-fed city water, but "I've been there" when the power goes at and nothing comes from the faucets; toilets don't flush (more than once), and the like.)
BEST wishes!
geo

[36g]

Don't forget to check the antifreeze level in your vehicles! Top off as necessary...

[MaryB]

I have repaired many hydronic baseboards in many frozen houses.
Would be more fun if it wasn't such an emergency, screaming housewives, barking dogs...
The following is general, but one cold night I soldered up four houses just like this.
If my company ran you out of oil on automatic delivery, this was all free of charge.
In any case, your carpet is not my problem, unless I set it on fire.

Walk in the front door, heat's off, 40F in the house.
Fire the old boiler up and a zone will be caught, won't circulate frozen.
Turn up all the thermostats I want the boiler running showing pressure, whole house heating.
If I can't run the boiler, game over, plan B.

Infrared thermometer leads me to the furthest bedroom from the woodstove.
The drapes are over the heater, cold pouring out zeroF.
If the system has any glycol in it, a hairdryer will warm it enough to flow.
A 1500W hairdryer is safer than a 1500W heatgun, hairdryer moves more air.
Walmart hairdryers are cheaper, too. Heatguns set cat hair and carpet fuzz on fire for a bad smell...
If its water frozen it's split, stop off the zone (got stops?) and pack the wound with towels.
If you do not have stops on both ends of each loop, this is when you will get them.
And I have to stop the boiler to do so. Time is money and it's cold out.
I carried lots of parts, good sale items. Some were purge stops very handy things.
If you have a circulator, go buy a spare. Boss got a silly price for mine.
I can usually solder wet pipe without a steam explosion. Just let out the steam.
Needle nose plier off the fins until you can caliper 7/8"
Cut out the split; solder in slip coupling and drain coupling, the drain lets out the steam.
For a small split I might solder in a union but baseboard really won't stretch.
I might sell some new baseboard, but the stuff is expensive, depends.
I usually carried an 8' and leftovers, but Boss thought truckstock was like gold.
Purge air, away we go. Great place to sell some propylene glycol.
2AM in January is a poor time to service a boiler. Any day in August works better for my sleep habits.

Keep the draperies off the heaters and remember the wood stove fools the thermostat.
I did my best work after midnight.

I use a pellet stove, I have fans blowing cold air to the stove(cold is denser, easier to move!) plus the thermostat is at 78 so the furnace cycles enough to heat upstairs and front of the kitchen.

[Tall]

It's pretty cold here in Tulsa today. The high was around 6 degrees Farenheight. Low will be around 0 tonight. Brrr!

[MUSTANG]

It's pretty cold here in Tulsa today. The high was around 6 degrees Farenheight. Low will be around 0 tonight. Brrr!

Tulsa Oklahoma. Reminds me of living on the Panhandle of Texas. Old Timers Saying many years ago was: "Nothing between us and the North Pole except a Barb Wire Fence!"

[.429&H110]

A real yankee drains the copper leaving a way out for steam.
Sandcloth the split tap the copper smooth with a small ball peen hammer
a little paste a little 50/50 (it's not a drinking water pipe, and won't have much pressure)
and press a thumbprint in the solder to sign it.
That's how I rolled in the 70's.

[35 Rem]

I made a big pot of venison chili - I'm ready for any snow storm that might hit! :)

[shaggybull]

5 here this morning power went out just after midnight. Coffee, pancakes, grits, eggs and gravy all fix on top of woodstove. Mighty fine. Power came back on 1:30pm. All my neighbors headed to town for breakfast. I'm the only one in neighborhood with wood stove. Our County has a ban for new homes no wood,pellet or gas stove for heat. Talked to guy building fence for neighbor next said semi hit power pole in his neighborhood 1/2 dozen houses all had their pipes freeze, all had electric heat. Local Government all got no brains. The wife wanted build new house changed her mind when found out new rules!!!!

[Shawlerbrook]

Zero here in Central NY this morning but at least the wind stopped howling. Can’t believe we didn’t loose power since the wind has been blowing all week. But with the wood stove and the propane Generac we are prepared for anything. I can’t believe how crazy the media gets and whips the public up about good old winter weather.

[Rapier]

Yep the the weather folks love to see the people on the street go crazy. This cold snap reminds me of hurricane season and all the nut rolls and monkey flips.. But NW FL does get cold on occasion Only place in Noth FL that gets to -55 is the Climatic Hangar on Eglin, live a wee bit north of Eglin. Supposed to be cool here tonight, about 17, doubt it will get there, was 31 two days ago, so my thong will get stored in the drawer until it gets warmer.

[ascast]

Well, -10 F right now. Wish my oil boiler was working.

[trebor44]

Muffler (scarf), mittens, muchlaks and don't fall down!

[sigep1764]

We were at the KC game Saturday night. Wool socks, long underwear, Carhartt bibs, a sweater, 2 hats and a heavy coat. We were fine. We laughed at our frozen mustaches and beer slushies! It was me and my buddy's first NFL game, he being a Dolphins fan and me being a Chiefs man.

[shdwlkr]

4 degrees when I got up this morning has warmed up to 6 degrees and they say the high will be 19 degrees and I need to go out and clear snow of driveway and sideway what fun it will be. Got to love winter in Idaho

[rockrat]

News people love to use windchill as it makes things sound worse. To them, bad news sells

[Texas by God]

Colder than a well diggers butt in a brass bra!
Or something like that….
After bacon, eggs, sausage and grits, I’m going to chop ice for the bovines, give them their crack(range cubes) and hurry my frozen self back to the warm house!
Seven degrees here this morning.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jadkins87]

wow where abouts are you located..?? -56 is crazy

[35 Rem]

Well, wind chill is real. Go out on a cloudy day with wind at 20 degrees and you feel a heck of a lot colder than the same temp with sun and no wind. Of course it has no effect on freezing pipe in the well house.

[waksupi]

wow where abouts are you located..?? -56 is crazy

N.W. Montana. One town, Chouteu, I think, had -60 this morning.

[MUSTANG]

We warmed up this AM. Only got to -27 last night.

[.429&H110]

Chico's nose is sticking out of his dog bed. He burrowed into his fleece blanket with his heating pad on top.
House is down to 72 mornings, sun will get us back to 75. The old heatpump suffers in the cold, too.
Chico and I prefer 80F in our old age. Maybe next week.

Fairbanks Alaska is like Mars, but with ice fog.
utube has co-eds in bikinis in front of the UAF sign that reads -40. It's a thing to do there.
Mars' low temp is -166F, average -80F, 95F in the summer. Too bad there's no air, sounds livable.

[MaryB]

Heatwave! 1f today! First time above zero in 4 days. -28 wind chill though, froze my face hauling i wood pellets. 10 minute exposure... face is tight so some skin damage...

[MrWolf]

Chico's nose is sticking out of his dog bed. He burrowed into his fleece blanket with his heating pad on top.
House is down to 72 mornings, sun will get us back to 75. The old heatpump suffers in the cold, too.
Chico and I prefer 80F in our old age. Maybe next week.

Fairbanks Alaska is like Mars, but with ice fog.
utube has co-eds in bikinis in front of the UAF sign that reads -40. It's a thing to do there.
Mars' low temp is -166F, average -80F, 95F in the summer. Too bad there's no air, sounds livable.

You are lucky. I prefer the heat too but Ruger (Great Pyrenees in avatar) has the house at 70 with multiple fans blowing year round. He is outside now ( 22 degrees) laying in the snow and loving it. He spends most of the day outside by choice. He is built for this kind of weather.

[Rapier]

About every ten years we have one of these days. Sun comes up, low 30s, drizzle, temperature starts dropping and continues to drop all day. Just hope the drizzle does not turn to ice, before it stops. Not many folks here know how to drive on icy roads. Hope they do not get caught out from home.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

No special prep, might check that we have fuel for the generator, rural coop electric is very reliable, though stuff happens, generator runs furnace if needed, do need to get a bigger generator for the 240 well pump, but a little care handles that for a couple of days - fill the tub with water until the really bad weather passes. One truck in the 60x80 'garage', one outside - in case the electric door opener does not have power or the doors are blown shut with snow. We expect the below zero/wind chill below -40* every couple years. Today it looks like we should be good for the year. Not enough snow to chain up.

[gwpercle]

My family came to Louisiana in 1723 ... settled across the river from New Orleans in Des Allemands (The German Coast) . Since that time my immediate family has moved North about 90 miles ... less hurricane damage in Baton Rouge ...
but still far enough South to have never have had to shovel snow.
This morning (Wednesday) it was our coldest 17 degrees but now the sun is up , it's 28 and at lunch time it will be 43 degrees ... Tomorrow it will be 64 ...
I see no need to move any farther North than Baton Rouge , La.
I hate ice , snow & freezing rain ...
I rather like ...Global Warming ... it beats Global Ice Age ... Seven Ways To Sunday !
I'm rather proud of the fact that ... I have never had a Snow Shovel touch my hands !
Gary

[higgins]

When weather like this is forecast wife cooks a big pot of chili, makes beans and potato soup; things that can be reheated on a Coleman stove if the power goes off. I have a drip coffee maker I can use on the Coleman. About 6-7 years ago the power was off for 2.5 days because of an ice storm. Fortunately it wasn't this cold so no plumbing froze. We still had hot water from the propane water heater and could heat the core of the house up to the upper 40s with the ventless propane logs in the fake fireplace. Judiciously used Coleman lanterns and kerosene lanterns in the living area. If you have basic camping gear and basic camping knowledge and are not prone to get overly excited you can get by for a few days.

Just don't be like a former coworker who ate cold food out of cans a couple of days until the light bulb went off when he was looking at all the snow piled up on the gas grill out on the deck.

[dverna]

One of the investments I made when I started selling “useless toys” was a whole house generator. IIRC it was less than $8k installed.

I kept the 5000 watt gas generator just in case.

Over 6 months of food. Treated diesel for the tractor. Over a year of firewood put up. Topped off both 500 gal propane tanks last month.

We are prepared 24/7. It is a mind set. Once you get into that mind set, it is so easy a caveman can do it.