2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on

[KuЯdt 248]

Here's an example of sloppy building practices in our CenTex houses.  This is the pipe coming from the spigot on the north facing wall of my garage.  Run between the brick and insulation/plywood.  There's a nice cold breeze coming though the shitty mortar job too. I had wrapped it pretty good outside on Thursday but it was already frozen.  I thawed with a hair dryer and re-wrapped.

 gonna try to insulate that as best I can, but will probably leave this hole in the sheetrock open to it so the warmer garage air can get to it.  might need to look into heating up the garage in some way though.

 

[Storm the Field 5295]

This is probably a series of stupid questions, but should I be doing anything with the beverage fridge on my outdoor kitchen? Should I unplug it once the temperature drops into the 20's/teens? If it's well below freezing for 24+ hours, will the drinks inside freeze?

[troph 24810]

Found my space heater, bitch is on high heat next to the wall for the exterior garage faucet. Other exterior one is good so far. 

[Trey3216 15346]

6 minutes ago, KuЯdt said:

Here's an example of sloppy building practices in our CenTex houses.  This is the pipe coming from the spigot on the north facing wall of my garage.  Run between the brick and insulation/plywood.  There's a nice cold breeze coming though the shitty mortar job too. I had wrapped it pretty good outside on Thursday but it was already frozen.  I thawed with a hair dryer and re-wrapped.

 gonna try to insulate that as best I can, but will probably leave this hole in the sheetrock open to it so the warmer garage air can get to it.  might need to look into heating up the garage in some way though.

 

Neighbor?

[hornbri 1399]

HEB at four points was busy but not a zoo at all about a hour ago. Everything in stock still and all cashiers open so it went quick. 

[Somnio 751]

31 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Would you like to play a game?

But seriously, I am surprised how many Austin homes are failing.

______________________

Anyone happy with their builder and the work done to prepare these homes for cold temperatures? 

Don't you know it never gets cold in Texas?

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

I bet covid cases drop like a rock nation wide from this shit due to everyone hunkering down.

Never let up on the panic...unlike the frosty temps, it’s never going away. 

[Hate 20108]

Latest snowfall forecast through Friday.

 

[Hate 20108]

But here is another snowfall model.  It will be interesting to see how it works out.

[billfromlaketravis 11494]

Looks like the snow, if it comes at all, for Houston will be here at 6 am Monday. For once, I could be happy waking up early on a Monday. 

[drt 638]

42 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Would you like to play a game?

But seriously, I am surprised how many Austin homes are failing.

______________________

Anyone happy with their builder and the work done to prepare these homes for cold temperatures? 

Compare the price of a frost free hose bib to a normal one. It’s stupid we all have to worry about thousands of dollars of damage, but here we are

[Paper_jam 831]

Big difference in those models--for Austin, 2 inches vs. 6.

There's a penis joke in there somewhere.

 

[washparkhorn 9939]

5 minutes ago, drt said:

Compare the price of a frost free hose bib to a normal one. It’s stupid we all have to worry about thousands of dollars of damage, but here we are

Agree. $25 for a frost-free bib.

Here is what I had to do to prepare my frost-free outdoor faucets when I lived in Denver:

• Remove the hoses
• Forget about them. 

Edited February 13, 2021 by washparkhorn

[ztejas 43464]

Dad just lost power in NW Hills. They hadn't up until now so must be a different area than wherever was without previously.

[TwiceHorn 31489]

3 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Agree. 

Here is what I had to do to prepare my frost-free outdoor faucets when I lived in Denver:

• Remove the hoses
• Forget about them. 

I bagged mine anyway.

[Anastasis 23474]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

I bagged mine anyway.

This. 

[texhorn 351]

This is probably a series of stupid questions, but should I be doing anything with the beverage fridge on my outdoor kitchen? Should I unplug it once the temperature drops into the 20's/teens? If it's well below freezing for 24+ hours, will the drinks inside freeze?

Drinks aren’t already frozen? Otherwise, you should be drinking them now so they don’t go to waste when they inevitably freeze and explode.

[Paper_jam 831]

2 minutes ago, drt said:

Compare the price of a frost free hose bib to a normal one. It’s stupid we all have to worry about thousands of dollars of damage, but here we are

My house (Centex Homes early 2000s build) could have been much better and more usable with a very small increase in total cost, but tract builders are just the worst. Even if we live in the South some things should just be required by code. For one thing, I hate that my water cutoff valve is fucking buried in the yard and there's no way to cut off water from inside the house.

 

[Telegraph_it 3357]

3 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

My house (Centex Homes early 2000s build) could have been much better and more usable with a very small increase in total cost, but tract builders are just the worst. Even if we live in the South some things should just be required by code. For one thing, I hate that my water cutoff valve is fucking buried in the yard and there's no way to cut off water from inside the house.

 

The code must have been changed recently. My cutoff is in the garage. I doubt my builder went above and beyond. 
 

I also apparently have those fancy spigots shown a few pages back. Which is good because I don’t have a 1500w hairdryer. 

[burntorangebongos 10728]

It worked!!!! I dried it and rewrapped it and duck taped it and this time covered it with a old sleeping bag. This one is the most exposed to wind. 

 

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

   

 

ballgame

 

 

[ztejas 43464]

3 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

   

 

ballgame

 

 

14 inches of snow in Baton Rouge. Alive for it.

On further review I have misplaced Baton Rouge. 14 inches in the middle of Lousiana* 

Edited February 13, 2021 by ztejas

[Brisketexan 105152]

Sigh. I really think we’re rescheduling our San Antonio dinner with friends for NEXT weekend.

Roads are ok in Austin (I just drove from NW hills to downtown, only a bit of ice on the 15th st bridge over Lamar)....but it looks like it’s been icing in new braunfels, and there’s another slug of icing predicted for this evening, right before we’d be driving back.

Kinda posses me off. Gonna wrap all the sliced bbq REAL tight, then freeze it. It won’t be as perfect after freezing, but will still be plenty good.

Gonna eat all the beans and potato salad ourselves, though. Those don’t freeze as well.

[Skipper 6136]

Nice and Sunny in Dallas right now.  Calm before the storm.   

[Message Board User 12395]

17 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

My house (Centex Homes early 2000s build) could have been much better and more usable with a very small increase in total cost, but tract builders are just the worst. Even if we live in the South some things should just be required by code. For one thing, I hate that my water cutoff valve is fucking buried in the yard and there's no way to cut off water from inside the house.

 

Motherfucking this.  It pisses me off that the valve for our house is in the fucking flower garden and I have to dig through several inches of dirt if I need to turn it off.

[drt 638]

19 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

My house (Centex Homes early 2000s build) could have been much better and more usable with a very small increase in total cost, but tract builders are just the worst. Even if we live in the South some things should just be required by code. For one thing, I hate that my water cutoff valve is fucking buried in the yard and there's no way to cut off water from inside the house.

 

Ya Austin’s code is fairly stringent for our region and it still has some glaringly obvious holes. With our water and energy needs changing rapidly, the codes just aren’t keeping up. But that’s probably a topic for a whole different thread. 

[phdhorn 6224]

Thought you guys might appreciate this - frostbite time chart. 



However, it can be shorter for people not used to cold for a few reasons.

Moral of the story:  once the bad stuff gets here Sunday night, if you have to go out, 1) bundle up really, really good; 2) don't stay out > 15 mins. max, less if the wind's up.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19103]

Isn't 58th & 1st over a mile from Central Park?  Thanks a lot climate change! 

6 long blocks and 1 short block actually. But usually the CP weather station reflects pretty accurately what my neighborhood got.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19103]

Talked to my folks. They are in Belton out near the Stillhouse Lake Dam. My dad bought a generator just in case.

[Parliament 14260]

3 hours ago, Stella Link said:

2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on

So, @Parliament....you started this thread.  Are you F'*@#-ing happy now??

 

Yeah sorry for this, Guys.  I am an ahole.  Sorry.

[washparkhorn 9939]

10 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Kinda posses me off. Gonna wrap all the sliced bbq REAL tight, then freeze it. It won’t be as perfect after freezing, but will still be plenty good.

I know it hurts, but I have a solution:  

Send it to me so you don't have to look at it every time you open that freezer door.  

[GhostOfTomJoad 9327]

Costco in CP was a breeze at 9:30 this morning. I imagine it looks like the Road Warrior about now.

So what is the consensus on outdoor spigots: wrap 'em tight, bib covers & forget 'em, or run some water through them 1-2X a day then re-wrap and cover? I'm worried that the bib cover's rubber attachment/plastic keeper might break if I try to manipulate it too many times.

While I was typing this, my neighbor across the street just had her ash tree split right down the middle. She got lucky as it gently just laid down in half of her driveway. My next-door neighbor & I already moved some big limbs that had fallen into the street from that same tree on Friday morning. She's a pain in the ass nutcase who's pissed off every one of her neighbors so unless things get really dire she's pretty much on her own.

[troph 24810]

1 hour ago, washparkhorn said:

Would you like to play a game?

But seriously, I am surprised how many Austin homes are failing.

______________________

Anyone happy with their builder and the work done to prepare these homes for cold temperatures? 

I’m happy with my builder. 🙂

[troph 24810]

46 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

Big difference in those models--for Austin, 2 inches vs. 6.

There's a penis joke in there somewhere.

 

Difference between waking up happy on Monday or not.

[Parliament 14260]

 

1 hour ago, Storm the Field said:

This is probably a series of stupid questions, but should I be doing anything with the beverage fridge on my outdoor kitchen? Should I unplug it once the temperature drops into the 20's/teens? If it's well below freezing for 24+ hours, will the drinks inside freeze?

Don't hafta unplug it.  The fridge just won't run for awhile.  And the temps you mention there are probably fine.  Insulation works both ways and I don't think anything's gonna freeze in there.

[RDCanecutter 26446]

So our heat went out last night.

We're not in the midst of the worst cold, that's supposed to be a few miles west of here.

We called up the heating dudes, where we have some sweet deal warranty that they pop by for free. BUTCEPT ON WEEKENDS, it's $199 for the Emergency Visit Fee.

I'm talking 1 dollar less than 200 dollars. But if we wait until Monday morning, no such charge.

We're getting paid $199 to break out sweaters and plaid shirts. We look and feel like Scottish hippies.

 

[Message Board User 12395]

Sweet!  My temperature gauge reads 32.0 degrees. 

Guess I can take all the covers off the spigots and wrapping from the pipes.

[GhostOfTomJoad 9327]

What bullshit. Being without heat right now is truly an emergency, but they're gonna fuck you 'cuz they can.

[Guest Lobo]

25 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

On 2/3/2021 at 9:44 PM, Lobo said:

Isn't 58th & 1st over a mile from Central Park?  Thanks a lot climate change! 

6 long blocks and 1 short block actually. But usually the CP weather station reflects pretty accurately what my neighborhood got.

okay, so 0.9 miles then, I was close.  I think you really live close to my cousin.  Y'all must know each other, that's how it works up there right? 

[utee94 15825]

Driving Update:

Been driving around NW Austin from NW Hills to the CP today and no issues.  Took back roads/Spicewood Springs, since 183 frontage roads are a complete cluster with 183 being shut down.  

But I am starting to feel some light mist outside in the CP now, so I'd expect conditions will start to deteriorate.  If you need to get out, now's the time to do it. 

 

 

[utee94 15825]

I also hit the Randall's on Cypress Creek for some supplies.  The bad news is, Randall's sucks.  The good news is, it's never crowded because it sucks.  So it's a good place to go when all the nearby HEBs are a disaster.  You might pay double but by golly, you'll be in and out in a hurry.

 

[Anastasis 23474]

9 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Driving Update:

Been driving around NW Austin from NW Hills to the CP today and no issues.  Took back roads/Spicewood Springs, since 183 frontage roads are a complete cluster with 183 being shut down.  

But I am starting to feel some light mist outside in the CP now, so I'd expect conditions will start to deteriorate.  If you need to get out, now's the time to do it. 

Had to take my boy in for some stitches today, because of fucking course. Roads were fine. Wife was afraid we were going to be dealing with icepocalypse now cause she read all the doomy reports on the facetrons of people driving on overpasses when it was precipitating. I told her to get her shit together. Not a bit of ice on the road right now as long as you use some common sense. 

Edited February 13, 2021 by Anastasis

[GhostOfTomJoad 9327]

Our hierarchy is Lakeline HEB, Sprouts on Cypress Creek, then Randall's. But you're right, that Randall's is only ever busy during early voting.

I haven't been on 620 in days but I understand there's mass carnage with trees uprooted by Anderson Mill. 

[utee94 15825]

Yeah the trees along Anderson Mill are a bit of a disaster.  I wish I'd taken some pictures so I could post them to ima's Icepocalypse thread.

And my wife tried to early-vote at that Randall's even after I told her that we're in the tiny bit of CP that's actually TravCo.  When she came back after being turned away, I didn't say a word, but STILL got busted for "tone."

 

[Post Oak 20232]

2 hours ago, washparkhorn said:

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.

AB survived the Younger Dryas with nothing but giant sloth moccasins and mammoth pelts.  

[MissingInAction 25104]

Just walked the dog, she loves this shit when it isnt raining, but I could only last 15 minutes before the cold made it past fat to the bone.

Fuck this shit.

[washparkhorn 9939]

3 minutes ago, utee94 said:

When she came back after being turned away, I didn't say a word, but STILL got busted for "tone."

[Post Oak 20232]

This freeze has made me notice some things on this house that I will want to do differently on my next one.  

[Gatorubet 30246]

AB survived the Younger Dryas with nothing but giant sloth moccasins and mammoth pelts.  

Well, the invention of fire was a few years off, so I hardly blame his strategy.

[D_Goose 489]

15 hours ago, JerrysJheriCurl said:

Anyone have any advice on sprinkler backflow preventer/lines/valves for this upcoming freeze? 

Bump.

Was wondering the same thing myself. My backflow preventer is in the ground (appears to be a double check assembly) and this is different from 99% of any youtube sprinkler winterization advice/instructions.