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2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on

Parliament

By Parliament
in Daily Texan

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SubliminalHorn
SubliminalHorn

Power back on. 109 hours. I almost want to cry a little 

Machinator
Machinator
BradInATX
BradInATX

I've actually been turning my heat up a degree every time a new Surly member loses power on this thread. It's a nice balmy 94 in here.

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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45491

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, troph said:

This is a really good list. Probs add a weather radio, some hand and feet warmers for really cold in a pinch, some better or additional camping gear for cold weather - seen some stuff where the tents and sleeping bags really do make a difference. I’m sure there is more. You could go a step further and get more propane tanks for camping stoves etc.  we have a lot of good gear, our rv is an example of near perfect preparedness and yet none of it is at our house.  Kinda dumb move on our part really. 

Yep.  I've had power the whole time (knock on wood), but i've been well aware that the thousands of dollars of backpacking gear i've accumulated over the past years would come in good use.  i was supposed to thru hike the PCT in 2020, so I've got plenty to survive for a few days on.

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Podrick's Magic Cock

Podrick's Magic Cock 191

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4 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Are they trying to suggest that I should turned the key on their side. Because that is exactly what I did. 

I went out Saturday and removed all the dirt that was covering my cut off valve.  It fell apart as I tried to turn it.  Doh!  I had to dig out the accumulated dirt covering the city's cut off valve, too.  I used a crescent wrench to test turning it off.  I've been team stream on both my hose bibs since Friday with no freeze up, yet.  48 more hours to go...

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, SubliminalHorn said:

Texas pride is definitely taking a beating which is a good thing. We should be embarrassed and then do something about it. Unacceptable. 

Look on the bright side, some wind turbines have frozen to a stand-still which means that cancer rates should be down statewide.  You know...because of all the people saying that wind turbines cause cancer.  

 

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Okie State

Okie State 3788

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Posted
I went out Saturday and removed all the dirt that was covering my cut off valve.  It fell apart as I tried to turn it.  Doh!  I had to dig out the accumulated dirt covering the city's cut off valve, too.  I used a crescent wrench to test turning it off.  I've been team stream on both my hose bibs since Friday with no freeze up, yet.  48 more hours to go...
I also went and made sure I could turn the main shut-off at the street. Hope I don't have to use it.
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GhostOfTomJoad

GhostOfTomJoad 9306

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

The sound of dripping water is driving me mad.. good problem to have in the situation. 

I know what you mean...but worse is that split second when you don't hear it & then make a frenzied run through the house checking to make sure everything is still running.

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troph

troph 24560

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Posted
4 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

$20K all-in for a whole-home Generac.  Lots of higher end models available as well.  

Could do less if you focused on core systems.  Fridge and heat with some light and electric plugs. Avoid kitchen appliances, microwaves, limit zones on HVAC, rely on wood burning heat.

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atomheartbevo

atomheartbevo 89396

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13 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

The sound of dripping water is driving me mad.. good problem to have in the situation. 

I've been sleeping in the living room so that I didn't keep the wife/kids up when I made my indoor and outdoor rounds the last few nights.

The kitchen sink, when the faucet is dripped at a rate I deem "acceptable" - the water that drips from the bottom of the sink down into the garbage disposal makes a certain sound that drove me up the fucking wall (and the other sink is worse). I spent 15 minutes at 3 in the morning arranging a butter knife and a washcloth to spread the water out so it didn't make that sound.

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Message Board User

Message Board User 12389

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Zepol87 said:

Yep my sister just sent that to me. Mom still has no power but 3/4 tank of gas to keep warm for now but my sister is definitely not prepared for any of that shit in denton

So do what I've been doing (I'm on Team drip the inside faucets) and be a shitty citizen?

Or do what the city asks and risk busted pipes?

Such bullshit...

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Spaulding Smails

Spaulding Smails 1551

Posted
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1 minute ago, troph said:

Could do less if you focused on core systems.  Fridge and heat with some light and electric plugs. Avoid kitchen appliances, microwaves, limit zones on HVAC, rely on wood burning heat.

Correct.  You can also install a load center panel and just wire in a portable generator to focus on core items.  Much cheaper if your primary concern is fridge, etc. and you already have a gas powered generator.

There are several other options for longer duration that are more commercial / industrial in nature.  We're seeing lots of demand for those recently, and that demand just went off the charts this week.

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atomheartbevo

atomheartbevo 89396

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In my part of Austin, Weather.com has pushed our freezing rain down to "light freezing rain" and has it starting at 1am through 9am (when it gets above freezing) instead of 10pm through 8am.

And they have the temps basically either staying what they are right now, or warming up a degree or two every hour.

Me, before this week, when temp was going to be in the 20s for more than 10-12 hours.

giphy.gif

Me, tonight, Tuesday night, when the forecast has the temp in the 20s for more than 10-12 hours.

giphy.webp

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Okie State

Okie State 3788

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Posted
Could do less if you focused on core systems.  Fridge and heat with some light and electric plugs. Avoid kitchen appliances, microwaves, limit zones on HVAC, rely on wood burning heat.
Yeah I'd like something like this. Key circuits only. I know you can do that using a switch and a portable generator also for much less, but then you have to fuel it.
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dcar00

dcar00 14028

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19 minutes ago, Okie State said:
22 minutes ago, Podrick said:
I went out Saturday and removed all the dirt that was covering my cut off valve.  It fell apart as I tried to turn it.  Doh!  I had to dig out the accumulated dirt covering the city's cut off valve, too.  I used a crescent wrench to test turning it off.  I've been team stream on both my hose bibs since Friday with no freeze up, yet.  48 more hours to go...

I also went and made sure I could turn the main shut-off at the street. Hope I don't have to use it.

the waitlist for cut off valve replacement after this is going to be 12 months.  I just use the city side. I realize there is some type of liability on me but yeah fuck them.

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troph

troph 24560

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Correct.  You can also install a load center panel and just wire in a portable generator to focus on core items.  Much cheaper if your primary concern is fridge, etc. and you already have a gas powered generator.

There are several other options for longer duration that are more commercial / industrial in nature.  We're seeing lots of demand for those recently, and that demand just went off the charts this week.

What line of business are you in? I think I’m supposed to know. Anyway we had it as an afterthought but will at a minimum wire it ready with a spot to put the genny. Question will be “as if the power hadn’t gone out” or more of a survival mode.  Not yet sure.  Not a big fan of throwing down crazy money when what we really need is just basic creature comforts and major appliances. I’m sure we will decide in the next 2-3 months. I’m guessing you can set it up for either or?  Full house for routine outages and critical systems for times like these?  Also looks like they have their own tanks but can you have them draw direct from a large underground tank? Surely you can.  I should ask my lady but she’s watching TV and hates when I interrupt her. 

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Podrick's Magic Cock

Podrick's Magic Cock 191

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2 minutes ago, Okie State said:
4 minutes ago, dcar00 said:
the waitlist for cut off valve replacement after this is going to be 12 months.  I just use the city side. I realize there is some type of liability on me but yeah fuck them.

What does that mean? Is that different than the box in the ground by the street?

My house was built in 2000 and has a customer cut off valve and a pressure regulator valve (?), too.  The city has their own manhole with the meter and cut off valve.  Older places probably don't have customer side cut off valves. 

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troph

troph 24560

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, Okie State said:
23 minutes ago, troph said:
Could do less if you focused on core systems.  Fridge and heat with some light and electric plugs. Avoid kitchen appliances, microwaves, limit zones on HVAC, rely on wood burning heat.

Yeah I'd like something like this. Key circuits only. I know you can do that using a switch and a portable generator also for much less, but then you have to fuel it.

Those Spaulding and I are talking about can be only a few grand.  As an example we run our 50 amp RV on 3.2kW so you can see the ones that are quite a bit more in power are nothing close to $20k.  Install claimed at $2000.  

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BradInATX

BradInATX 9208

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On my neighborhood Facebook the folks without power are now shaming the folks with power. Posting pictures of one house that's lit up like a Christmas tree, and some other lady griping about people's landscape lighting (which in a majority of cases are solar). We're like 12 hours from going full Lord of the Flies here.

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dcar00

dcar00 14028

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21 minutes ago, troph said:

Could do less if you focused on core systems.  Fridge and heat with some light and electric plugs. Avoid kitchen appliances, microwaves, limit zones on HVAC, rely on wood burning heat.

yeah, I'd want fridge, heat, light, plugs and HVAC(I only have one unit though and it is 5 ton). maybe I can just make sure I can run a couple of window units.

I can do a gas range

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gsoda3

gsoda3 3234

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I'm worried my hot water heater pipes will freeze if we lose power tonight. It's in the attic which is at 38 degrees. Gas. If I keep dripping hot water from all faucets on the house it'll keep the hot water heater on even in an outage right? And by virtue of hot water running through those pipes shouldn't freeze? Am I getting that right?

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troph

troph 24560

Posted
Posted (edited)
6 minutes ago, troph said:

Those Spaulding and I are talking about can be only a few grand.  As an example we run our 50 amp RV on 3.2kW so you can see the ones that are quite a bit more in power are nothing close to $20k.  Install claimed at $2000.  

Not to quote myself but this one is 18kW and has some nice features. Financing available too, not great terms but if that makes a difference.  Anyway this is 6x my two standalone generators combined.  And with their install estimate that’s $6800 or so. 
 

https://www.generac.com/all-products/generators/home-backup-generators/guardian-series/18kw-7228-whole-house-switch-wifi-enabled

 

not sure what power loads are needed but moving up and down from here is incremental costs it seems. 
 

they also have a rudimentary calculator you can estimate. Though I have a hunch it under estimates your needs.

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31240

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1 minute ago, gsoda3 said:

I'm worried my hot water heater pipes will freeze if we lose power tonight. It's in the attic which is at 38 degrees. Gas. If I keep dripping hot water from all faucets on the house it'll keep the hot water heater on even in an outage right? And by virtue of hot water running through those pipes shouldn't freeze? Am I getting that right?

I believe so, yes.  Just for shits and giggles, run those hot taps full blast for a few minutes to circulate fresh hot water all about.

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Bateshorn

Bateshorn 9897

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Posted
1 hour ago, troph said:

Man I would but I don’t like the look.  We are installing/building a large Rumford fireplace though. 

I get it, but I’m just being a pedantic person who lived in Maine. You honestly can’t heat a big room with a fireplace.  If you’ve ever been in a pre-revolutionary era house (this is easily one of the more snobby/east coast/bo bo things I’ve ever posted on this site) all the rooms are tiny, chopped up floor plan,  and everyone sat in wing backs facing the fireplace with lap blankets. Rum fires are better than your average post war deep fire place, but your still sending all the convective heat up the flue. 
 

Fireplaces suck as heating devices. 

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troph

troph 24560

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Posted
1 minute ago, Bateshorn said:

I get it, but I’m just being a pedantic person who lived in Maine. You honestly can’t heat a big room with a fireplace.  If you’ve ever been in a pre-revolutionary era house (this is easily one of the more snobby/east coast/bo bo things I’ve ever posted on this site) all the rooms are tiny, chopped up floor plan,  and everyone sat in wing backs facing the fireplace with lap blankets. Rum fires are better than your average post war deep fire place, but your still sending all the convective heat up the flue. 
 

Fireplaces suck as heating devices. 

Totally hear you. And that room you described is probably exactly what we all need right now! 

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Beantown Express 2.0

Beantown Express 2.0 6552

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3 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

On my neighborhood Facebook the folks without power are now shaming the folks with power. Posting pictures of one house that's lit up like a Christmas tree, and some other lady griping about people's landscape lighting (which in a majority of cases are solar). We're like 12 hours from going full Lord of the Flies here.

I don’t blame them.  I am in a similar neighborhood where my half has rolling blackouts for days and the other side has had zero issues.  On the neighborhood Facebook page the people with power are posting if they can use their heat pump for the pool or keep their water features on in the pool while my side is freezing our asses off.  One of them even posted how their houses will now have more resale value since they are on the grid that doesn’t get blackouts.  Could be violence soon.

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