2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on

[TexasEd 8,067]

On 2/12/2021 at 3:09 PM, hayden_horn said:

why?

i was under the impression that coldest of winter or hottest of summer were the times to trim live oaks. 

i was going to trim my front yard broomstick oak on sunday.

i also have a new apple tree in the back yard that i was going to clip off low limbs.

Oaks are good to prune now.

Fruit trees you usually want low limbs to be able to reach the fruit.  IIRC from when I lived in Virginia and pruned some for an old farmer, Apples want air through the middle.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,817]

I'm trying to space out laundry and dishes and have all my faucets dripping and going to take a shower later.  I'm fucking terrified.

If you’re drying, don’t put too wet of anything in the dryer. Too much humidity through the vents will freeze em shut causing the pipes to Condensate and water will come through the ceiling... your indoor shit should be fine. I’m doing laundry and dishes today myself

[jimmyjazz 45,976]

3 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

If you’re drying, don’t put too wet of anything in the dryer. Too much humidity through the vents will freeze em shut causing the pipes to Condensate and water will come through the ceiling... your indoor shit should be fine. I’m doing laundry and dishes today myself

Jesus, the number of potential failure points seems to grow without bound.  This is why I left the midwest (although I actually don't recall going to these lengths when I lived there).

[leaf 685]

Has anyone heard about rolling blackouts with PEC?  My sister said that she saw it on her neighborhood facebook.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,817]

Jesus, the number of potential failure points seems to grow without bound.  This is why I left the midwest (although I actually don't recall going to these lengths when I lived there).

Only way I found out is because I threw a 20 lb sopping wet bath rug in the dryer on a -50 degree night.


Not my finest hour. Normally I don’t take any type of precautions during a regular cold snap, but that was a learning experience lol

[washparkhorn 9,939]

7 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

If you’re drying, don’t put too wet of anything in the dryer. Too much humidity through the vents will freeze em shut causing the pipes to Condensate and water will come through the ceiling... your indoor shit should be fine. I’m doing laundry and dishes today myself

Very good point to bring up. 

Also - you may get some drippage from your vents in bathrooms/kitchen (oven vents)/ . . . It happens as the snow sneaks in. 

[texhorn 351]

Has anyone heard about rolling blackouts with PEC?  My sister said that she saw it on her neighborhood facebook.

The power grid is getting slammed... ERCOT forecast has demand exceeding supply tonight at 9. Urging customers to conserve electricity to prevent rolling blackouts. Unplug/turn off shit you’re not using.

[TwiceHorn 31,495]

26 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Not to my knowledge.   You're talking about the bibs with a valve that's actuated inside the house when the faucet is turned on?

Yes.  Usually indicated by a knob that's perpendicular to the wall.

[Telegraph_it 3,357]

Jeff is on the case in OK. Multiple vehicle wreck and a fire. 
 

 

[washparkhorn 9,939]

8 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Jesus, the number of potential failure points seems to grow without bound. 

Agree.  It well built homes, there should be fewer failure points. 

 

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

perpendicular

[elfenix 34,308]

Question: if those with whole home generators started running them now would that help the potential rolling blackout issue?

[washparkhorn 9,939]

Just now, Telegraph_it said:

Jeff is on the case in OK.

Is he screaming yet?  I love that guy, but I think I pissed off his fans during one of the hurricanes. Thanks. 

[jimmyjazz 45,976]

Just now, elfenix said:

Question: if those with whole home generators started running them now would that help the potential rolling blackout issue?

Sure.  It's going to come down to ERCOT and what they instruct utilities to do.  If everyone is going full blast, particularly with electric heat, then they'll probably consider it.

[hookemATL 11,758]

Team drip here. Of my two outdoor spigots, one is pretty protected on the porch and I’ve built a shelter around it with folding tables and lawn chairs. That one has not frozen at any point. The north facing spigot froze briefly but I’ve got space heater on it from the inside (garage) and it’s blocked from the wind with trash cans and cardboard. I imagine I’ll just keep checking every two hours until I pass out from stress. 

[Knoxtnhorn 6,055]

2 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Agree.  It well built homes, there should be fewer failure points. 

 

I have no idea if my spigots are freeze proof or not.  Is the anti-siphon valve a clue that a faucet is freeze-proof?  One of my three has this.

[TwiceHorn 31,495]

3 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Agree.  It well built homes, there should be fewer failure points. 

 

So, @washparkhorn if one of mine doesn't flow when opened what does that mean?  The other two are fine.

This one was dripping slightly.  I wonder if that means the blockages is in the last few inches.  

[TexPx 2,323]

Had mine with those replaced a few years ago. Plumber said those are all they use anymore.


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[elfenix 34,308]

Sure.  It's going to come down to ERCOT and what they instruct utilities to do.  If everyone is going full blast, particularly with electric heat, then they'll probably consider it.

Are those generally tied into the smart meter so that the utility can control them in an emergency? Afaik there have been subsidies to get them installed so that might be a smart thing to do.

[Your Mom 4,806]

I left my kitchen sink dripping and covered my outdoor spigots before I left town.  Now I’m about to walk down the block here in Sacramento to have  dinner and beers on a patio.  I’ll find out how the house fared Tuesday or Wednesday.  You guys keep an eye on the Wall and keep the White Walkers out while I’m gone. 

[washparkhorn 9,939]

3 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

I have no idea if my spigots are freeze proof or not.  Is the anti-siphon valve a clue that a faucet is freeze-proof?  One of my three has this.

Yes - the antisiphone valve is a clue - but the straight (perpendicular) handle is the dead giveaway clue). 

They can still freeze if the valve is not within the heat envelope of the house. 

4 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

So, @washparkhorn if one of mine doesn't flow when opened what does that mean?  The other two are fine.

This one was dripping slightly.  I wonder if that means the blockages is in the last few inches.  

It should flow. I am not sure dripping frost-proof bib cock is a good idea. You want the pipe in the cold to be as dry as possible in Colorado. I would take a hairdryer to it, get it flowing, dry it out as well as you can, twist it closed, put a protective layer to seals the gap between the pipe and the wall, and forget it.  But your mileage may vary because of Austin building shitheadedness. 

(If you have a shutoff for the spigot, I would shut it off and keep it dry.)

We don't drip in Colorado with frost-proof bib cocks. 

[Grade of D as in David 13,253]

3 hours ago, MissingInAction said:

I know it may sound silly, but if you have a bike helmet wear it when you walk around. Could save you from a serious head injury if you slip and fall.

Have you seen my baseball?

[washparkhorn 9,939]

12 minutes ago, TexPx said:

Plumber said those [frost-free bib cocks] are all they use anymore.

That is great news for you and anyone else who had it done. 

[TwiceHorn 31,495]

9 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Yes - the antisiphone valve is a clue - but the straight (perpendicular) handle is the dead giveaway clue). 

They can still freeze if the valve is not within the heat envelope of the house. 

It should flow. I am not sure dripping frost-proof bib cock is a good idea. You want the pipe in the cold to be as dry as possible in Colorado. I would take a hairdryer to it, get it flowing, dry it out as well as you can, twist it closed, put a protective layer to seals the gap between the pipe and the wall, and forget it.  But your mileage may vary because of Austin building shitheadedness. 

(If you have a shutoff for the spigot, I would shut it off and keep it dry.)

We don't drip in Colorado with frost-proof bib cocks. 

This is Dallas.  It drips slowly just because it's leaky, I guess.  Not enough normally to bother.  It is on the WNW corner of the house and I didn't realize how much more exposed it is than the other two until I was standing out there fucking with it.

I got it running again with hot water on it.  I could hear stuff "giving" inside the wall I think, but there's no leakage inside.  I improved upon my wrapping of it and used a cardboard box instead of a plastic bag.  I'll keep an eye on it.

My current operating theory is that it froze between the actual spigot and the valve because of that little drip.

Edited February 14, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[CHEF DIESEL 126]

I'm only worried about pipes at this point. The impassable road issue in Dallas never materialized. Easy to get out and drive around and do stuff.

[InkaUtexas 25,986]

GF wanted to take a big bowl of soup to her friend who lives 2 blocks away. Cannot walk on side walks, cannot walk on the grass, no fucking way are you getting across a side street. And this is 30 miles south of Austin. I anticipate power outages and have my emergency winter gear ready to go. Worked for FEMA for a few years and nice to have 96 hours of emergency power and food plus a puppy to tuck into a sleeping bag. Worse case scenario will light the damn grill and cook steaks. 

You folks be safe. 

[washparkhorn 9,939]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

My current operating theory is that it froze between the actual spigot and the valve because of that little drip.

I would put some heat on that wall with the leaking spigot, just in case. Good luck. You should be fine. 

[BrickTop 477]

Super light snow in tomball roads are getting funky

[Tailgate 3,022]

Just saw an email fly by.

Yesterday was HEBs second highest sales day ever behind the pre covid mania.

[TwiceHorn 31,495]

3 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

I would put some heat on that wall with the leaking spigot, just in case. Good luck. You should be fine. 

I guess just because one faucet freezes doesn't mean anything is going to explode.

The reason I think it may have been downstream of the valve is that I heard something "giving" while the valve was closed, then opened it up, and voila.  

If it had been on the pressure side of the valve, I don't think there would have been anything "giving" that would make noise.

That particular valve I see catches a lot of breeze.  Hot water splashes froze in a matter of minutes.

Edited February 14, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[BrickTop 477]

Super light snow in tomball roads are getting funky

[BrickTop 477]

Super light snow in tomball roads are getting funky

[Surly Bevo 25,048]

It's been snowing all morning lightly here in NE Tarrant County but in last 10-15 minutes it's really starting to pick up in size and intensity...methinks the main system is arriving

[Damor 1,236]

Dumb question amnesty re: outdoor kitchen sink.

I have had a heat lamp running in the cabinet enclosure, but tested the faucet a short while ago and it was frozen.  Because I'm an idiot and not mechanically inclined, I had never been able to find the supply line cutoff valves (obscured by disposal) until I got to mucking around in there.  I turned off and disconnected the cold water supply.  The hot water valve was difficult to turn, either because I'm an weakling contorting to work in a confined space and/or ice had propagated to that level.  I hit it with a hair dryer and eventually turned it off, but couldn't get it disconnected.

Is the valve being turned off functionally equivalent to it being off and disconnected?  I was worried if I try to force things apart I'm as likely to snap something and make a bad situation worse.

My husband is too drunk to care and told me to ask y'all.

[washparkhorn 9,939]

Just now, TwiceHorn said:

I guess just because one faucet freezes doesn't mean anything is going to explode.

Exactly - unless you lose your heat. 

[Brisketexan 105,154]

We have a large flood easement behind our house that goes all the way down to a creek bottom, heavily wooded. A fair number of dead oaks from the 2011 drought.

So, the boy and I just took the chainsaw and cut a shitload of wood in the creek bottom (figure the more heat we get from the fireplace, the less power we’ll draw from the grid). Then we had to carry it in a dozen loads up all the way to the house, with ice covering everything, lots of flat stone to walk on. We had to wear yaktrax (we have them for Canada visits) for grip to keep from falling - they were money. Light snow falling on us most of the time, but we still worked up a sweat.

Then, some of the logs we cut were really big. So we spent a while splitting a buncha wood with an old axe. We now have a shitton of wood stacked up in the garage. We could be manlier, but I'm not sure how. Who knows, we may go shoot a moose later.

[staboner 4,984]

2 hours ago, hayden_horn said:

like i said, this is the first time i have ever heard of doing this. my neighbors are already reporting that their spigot is now frozen solid and are breaking out hair dryers and shit to thaw it out.

it makes no sense to me. hopefully, my pipes don't freeze, but i'm not going to drip.

already frozen eh? i just can't fucking imagine the pipe busting thats going to happen. 

[washparkhorn 9,939]

3 minutes ago, Damor said:

Is the valve being turned off functionally equivalent to it being off and disconnected?

Not really. 

Are you able to shut off the water to the outdoor kitchen? (you should)

I would shut that off and drain the lines in the kitchen (siphon at the faucet - make your husband suck that pipe) and then leave the valves open on the outdoor sink to account for expansion of ice.  

The problem with your current situation is standing water in the outside lines that will freeze and burst the lines.  What will that look like?  

 

 

[hookemATL 11,758]

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

We have a large flood easement behind our house that goes all the way down to a creek bottom, heavily wooded. A fair number of dead oaks from the 2011 drought.

So, the boy and I just took the chainsaw and cut a shitload of wood in the creek bottom (figure the more heat we get from the fireplace, the less power we’ll draw from the grid). Then we had to carry it in a dozen loads up all the way to the house, with ice covering everything, lots of flat stone to walk on. We had to wear yaktrax (we have them for Canada visits) for grip to keep from falling - they were money. Light snow falling on us most of the time, but we still worked up a sweat.

Then, some of the logs we cut were really big. So we spent a while splitting a buncha wood with an old axe. We now have a shitton of wood stacked up in the garage. We could be manlier, but I'm not sure how. Who knows, we may go shoot a moose later.

Noice!  Is the boy coming out of his fatigue issues you’ve mentioned previously? I know that shit was dragging on for awhile, so it’s good to see he has the energy to keep up with the Jeremiah Jackson version of BT. 

[clapclapclap 9,000]

22 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Worked for FEMA for a few years and nice to have 96 hours of emergency power and food plus a puppy to tuck into a sleeping bag. 

Sounds like you've got your Richard gear all ready to go.

[washparkhorn 9,939]

10 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

We have a large flood easement behind our house that goes all the way down to a creek bottom, heavily wooded. A fair number of dead oaks from the 2011 drought.

So, the boy and I just took the chainsaw and cut a shitload of wood in the creek bottom (figure the more heat we get from the fireplace, the less power we’ll draw from the grid). Then we had to carry it in a dozen loads up all the way to the house, with ice covering everything, lots of flat stone to walk on. We had to wear yaktrax (we have them for Canada visits) for grip to keep from falling - they were money. Light snow falling on us most of the time, but we still worked up a sweat.

Then, some of the logs we cut were really big. So we spent a while splitting a buncha wood with an old axe. We now have a shitton of wood stacked up in the garage. We could be manlier, but I'm not sure how. Who knows, we may go shoot a moose later.

Good job lumberjack.

PSA - In extreme cold, layer up and down appropriately to prevent excessive perspiration that will refreeze when the activity stops (hypothermia). Not applicable to what Brisket and his boy were doing - with a warm home nearby.   

And - frostbite is nothing to fuck around with:

Cover up those cheeks, hands and feet. 

Edited February 14, 2021 by washparkhorn

[Somnio 751]

13 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

We have a large flood easement behind our house that goes all the way down to a creek bottom, heavily wooded. A fair number of dead oaks from the 2011 drought.

So, the boy and I just took the chainsaw and cut a shitload of wood in the creek bottom (figure the more heat we get from the fireplace, the less power we’ll draw from the grid). Then we had to carry it in a dozen loads up all the way to the house, with ice covering everything, lots of flat stone to walk on. We had to wear yaktrax (we have them for Canada visits) for grip to keep from falling - they were money. Light snow falling on us most of the time, but we still worked up a sweat.

Then, some of the logs we cut were really big. So we spent a while splitting a buncha wood with an old axe. We now have a shitton of wood stacked up in the garage. We could be manlier, but I'm not sure how. Who knows, we may go shoot a moose later.

You can do this with mice as well...

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Somnio

[MaybeACoordinator 8,349]

Still a non-event in southern BrazCo. 

[InkaUtexas 25,986]

8 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Good job lumberjack.

PSA - In extreme cold, layer up and down appropriately to prevent excessive perspiration that will refreeze when the activity stops (hypothermia). Not applicable to what Brisket and his boy were doing - with a warm home nearby.   

And - frostbite is nothing to fuck around with:

Cover up those cheeks, hands and feet. 

Yep, and it does not take long for exposure to kick your ass, steal your strength, etc. 

[washparkhorn 9,939]

The weather person I follow highlighted the scope of the storm:

good luck all. 

[Damor 1,236]

8 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Not really. 

Are you able to shut off the water to the outdoor kitchen? (you should)

I would shut that off and drain the lines in the kitchen (siphon at the faucet - make your husband suck that pipe) and then leave the valves open on the outdoor sink to account for expansion of ice.  

The problem with your current situation is standing water in the outside lines that will freeze and burst the lines.  What will that look like?  

 

 

Thank you.  Unfortunately I don't have a master cutoff valve to the outdoor kitchen (don't get me started).

Since a picture's worth a thousand words and I'm probably using the wrong terminology, here's my current situation:

So the valve is off, but I couldn't get all up in there to disconnect the hot water line to the sink.  The cold water line is disconnected and the valve closed.

My ignorant thought was that if this valve is closed and I keep it reasonably warm in there, ice shouldn't be able to propagate back in to the PEX line.  But is it worth flailing around back there to try to disconnect this line?

[BearSchlong 8,098]

Just took the meter key outside and shut off the water on the city's side of the meter. All booze, no water from here on out. 

I'm doing the same at bedtime tonight, then draining everything. Spent about an hour digging cold mud out of my meter box this morning, hope I didn't break any part of the smart meter.

I've got 4 home depot buckets full of water in my walk in shower to use to flush toilets, and the wife and I are using warm enemas to pre-flush our bowels . . Lmao ok not really on the last part, I live in fucking Beaumont in an older home and I'm laughing at myself for being so anal.

Generac can't get parts so the whole house generator my dad ordered after hurricane Laura isn't installed yet, so I took my Honda generators to him and will be walking/skating to the in laws should our power fail.

Actually, im fashioning harnesses for the dogs and retrofitting my yard cart as a sled. A dachshundmobile.

Houston already has ice on freeway ramps per the weather channel.

* no booze, now 10 yrs sober.

[GreenspointTexas 9,648]

17 degrees outside with crazy snow flurries in Terlingua right now

A balmy 75 degrees inside while I lay around in my underwear


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[HenryJames 66,120]

1 minute ago, GreenspointTexas said:

17 degrees outside with crazy snow flurries in Terlingua right now

A balmy 75 degrees inside while I lay around in my underwear


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Bring enough suitcases?

[washparkhorn 9,939]

2 minutes ago, Damor said:

My ignorant thought was that if this valve is closed and I keep it reasonably warm in there, ice shouldn't be able to propagate back in to the PEX line.  But is it worth flailing around back there to try to disconnect this line?

Know your limits. The logic is sound. Get some heat on the inside/other side of that wall, if possible. Tenting the area - as you have done - works to your advantage (smart). Let me know if it works. It looks like a good set up to my eye.

[Biff Tannen 45,691]

9 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

17 degrees outside with crazy snow flurries in Terlingua right now

A balmy 75 degrees inside while I lay around in my underwear


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You're living in a beach ball?