2023-2024 Winter Weather

[YGIFS 19452]

1 hour ago, InkaUtexas said:

Oh, and we do things like this. @YGIFS  Don't forget your mittens.

Thank you sir.  I actually wore my work gloves for Dropoff this morning, which was a mistake.  Actually feels colder out this morning than yesterday.  

buncha teachers thanked me for allowing them stay warm inside instead of Dropoff duty, which made me Warm inside.  And then sure as shit, fucking Karen in her Tesla closes her kids door automatically and fails to move up in the line until I tap on her glass.  She says, “sorry, I was checking the weather on my phone.”  Really Karen?  How about clear skies and cold as your fucking frigid cunt.  But what I said was “hey you kids stay warm today!”

[InkaUtexas 25986]

2 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Thank you sir.  I actually wore my work gloves for Dropoff this morning, which was a mistake.  Actually feels colder out this morning than yesterday.  

buncha teachers thanked me for allowing them stay warm inside instead of Dropoff duty, which made me Warm inside.  And then sure as shit, fucking Karen in her Tesla closes her kids door automatically and fails to move up in the line until I tap on her glass.  She says, “sorry, I was checking the weather on my phone.”  Really Karen?  How about clear skies and cold as your fucking frigid cunt.  But what I said was “hey you kids stay warm today!”

That is why I said mittens. Took a work break about 2. Wife says, hey, lets go stand next to the chimenea. Froze my fingers to the bone in my work gloves. Good for dropping a tree, suck for cold.

Next time carry rotten eggs and as they drive off hit the car and then look around at the kids wondering who did it.

 

[Nonbryan 173]

Is it ok to go to HEB yet?

[txduck87 985]

Is it ok to go to HEB yet?

Let me call and see if they are open.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

1 hour ago, InkaUtexas said:

That is why I said mittens.

Mittens for sure.

I'm very fond of my neck gator/hood combo. I often wear a hat, but sometimes don't want "hat" head and this is a one piece fleece kit that keeps the wind off the face and throat.

Edited January 17 by Mrs Whiggins
Technically a balaclava but I like that it has a drawstring like a hoodie instead of the old, tight, knit combos...

[ballrific 215]

Yeah, we do...

this…we’re watching things, using tool belts and figuring out dinner as most are half asleep sitting in the 530am starbucks drive thru

[ballrific 215]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

Thank you sir.  I actually wore my work gloves for Dropoff this morning, which was a mistake.  Actually feels colder out this morning than yesterday.  

buncha teachers thanked me for allowing them stay warm inside instead of Dropoff duty, which made me Warm inside.  And then sure as shit, fucking Karen in her Tesla closes her kids door automatically and fails to move up in the line until I tap on her glass.  She says, “sorry, I was checking the weather on my phone.”  Really Karen?  How about clear skies and cold as your fucking frigid cunt.  But what I said was “hey you kids stay warm today!”

I'm using that one if anyone crosses me today...well, it's "cold as your fucking frigid cunt"

[YGIFS 19452]

Please feel free to steal it.  We're currently workshopping it around the office.  Should it be, "Cold as your fucking frigid cunt."  or "Cold as your frigid fucking cunt."  I'm open to notes.  

[BearMace 2206]

I prefer, err, vote for frigid fucking cunt.

[Pato del Muerto 52524]

5 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Please feel free to steal it.  We're currently workshopping it around the office.  Should it be, "Cold as your fucking frigid cunt."  or "Cold as your frigid fucking cunt."  I'm open to notes.  

Cold as your frigid fucking cunt, you bitch. 

[YGIFS 19452]

frigid fucking cunt is better alliteration audibly.  but fucking frigid cunt reads better grammatically. 

Folks around the office feel passionately about each and it's kind of a Team Drip v. Team Wrap debate on this chilly morning at this point.

[gofuckyourself 8339]

Frigid fucking cunt could be interpreted as highlighting one of the purposes of said cunt. Or in this case, lack of said purpose or tendency of the Karen in question to utilize said purpose with her domestic partner.

Fucking frigid cunt, I believe, puts that emphasis on the extremely low temperature of said cunt.

So while I agree that audibly the former is more satisfying, the latter is more technically accurate when focusing on weather phenomena and not whether the cunt itself allows for certain fun phenomena.

Bottom line, this should probably be developed into a TEDTalk.

[hookemATL 11759]

I have an extra pocket in my Balaclava where I keep Baklava.

[Trey3216 15347]

18 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

frigid fucking cunt is better alliteration audibly.  but fucking frigid cunt reads better grammatically. 

Folks around the office feel passionately about each and it's kind of a Team Drip v. Team Wrap debate on this chilly morning at this point.

Do you drip after you dont wrap with the frigid fucking cunt?  

7 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

I have an extra pocket in my Balaclava where I keep Baklava.

[YGIFS 19452]

5 minutes ago, gofuckyourself said:

Frigid fucking cunt could be interpreted as highlighting one of the purposes of said cunt. Or in this case, lack of said purpose or tendency of the Karen in question to utilize said purpose with her domestic partner.

Fucking frigid cunt, I believe, puts that emphasis on the extremely low temperature of said cunt.

So while I agree that audibly the former is more satisfying, the latter is more technically accurate when focusing on weather phenomena and not whether the cunt itself allows for certain fun phenomena.

Bottom line, this should probably be developed into a TEDTalk.

First off-well played on weather and whether.  Second-the TEDTalk should seek to tackle whether said cunt is frigid in the sense of a cold weather phenomena makes it chilly to the touch, or because it used to be a phenomenal cunt but is now largely unused and inaccessible, as in "she's now frigid."  And then we move onto whether the "fucking" modifier means it gets a lot of action or just "fucking" in the derogatory sense like, "Oh again with this fucking thing..."  And then you make a SWAT matrix of the four, over-lapping choices.  And never mind the overarching theme of whether cunt is just her general disregard for the safety of elementary school-aged children trying to get inside on a 15-degree morning or are we talking about her literal vagina.  And then we need to connect it some other random socio-political or socio-economic topic with some historical anecdotes peppered throughout.  

[RDCanecutter 26452]

I read with joy that today it's supposed to get up into the mid-30s, with sunshine. Might run around the backyard nekkit.

[YGIFS 19452]

17 minutes ago, Trey3216 said:

Do you drip after you dont wrap with the frigid fucking cunt?  

Fair question.  I think you still need to wrap just to stay warm inside that frigid thing even though the additional layers remove sensitivity.  But upon completion, you'll still drip a bit as the thawing process progresses.  

11 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

I read with joy that today it's supposed to get up into the mid-30s, with sunshine. Might run around the backyard nekkit.

Yeah, 'cause it's the temperature that's stopping you from streaking.  I've seen you in a trenchcoat on a hundred degree day...sickie.

[Storm the Field 5295]

Got back above freezing about an hour ago in Houston. Coldpacalypse is over.  Supposed to  touch 45 this afternoon and hit high 60's tomorrow before the next cold blast front in early Friday morning. Gonna be a chilly weekend with a few hours spent below freezing, but nothing to worry about. 65/45 days with rain and clouds pretty much the rest of the month starting Monday. 

Edited January 17 by Storm the Field

[SimonBolivar 10958]

30 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

Coldpacalypse is over. 

[Gatorubet 30246]

1 hour ago, BearMace said:

I prefer, err, vote for frigid fucking cunt.

“Fucking Frigidaire Cunt.”    I just like the mental imagery - open up to find frost and ice  

[Brisketexan 105154]

Well, F me.  Got a busted pipe.  Not in the new vulnerable area (that's PEX pipe, looks like it weathered things okay), but at the front of the house -- a copper pipe that failed in 2021 as well.  If we have water flowing through it to the kitchen sink (by dripping it), it does okay.  But when that line froze at the back of the house, so we couldn't drip it . . . cascade effect allowing the line at the front to freeze.

Not too much water in the house.  Soaking up with towels, employing fans shortly.  Less water than we had in 2021, actually, and we didn't need to do any remediation then.  But we have to 1) fix the pipe, and 2) come up with a long-term solution, because it's clearly vulnerable as hell.

F me.

[YGIFS 19452]

39 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

“Fucking Frigidaire Cunt.”    I just like the mental imagery - open up to find frost and ice  

And two slices of raw life liver /RIPmartyfunhkauser

 

Also Brisket-I’m slammed rest of the week.  But if you need any labor help this weekend, lemme know.  I got in laws in town and could use the break outta the house with something productive.  

Edited January 17 by YGIFS

[Gatorubet 30246]

Well, F me.  Got a busted pipe.  Not in the new vulnerable area (that's PEX pipe, looks like it weathered things okay), but at the front of the house -- a copper pipe that failed in 2021 as well.  If we have water flowing through it to the kitchen sink (by dripping it), it does okay.  But when that line froze at the back of the house, so we couldn't drip it . . . cascade effect allowing the line at the front to freeze.
Not too much water in the house.  Soaking up with towels, employing fans shortly.  Less water than we had in 2021, actually, and we didn't need to do any remediation then.  But we have to 1) fix the pipe, and 2) come up with a long-term solution, because it's clearly vulnerable as hell.
F me.

I assume you have a big ass electric or gas water tank or two.  What if you installed an instant-on demand gas water heater? Maybe that would give you the opportunity to continuously drip hot water throughout your system. Or is the freeze prone line in question so far removed from that source so that heat will not get to it? 
Also, is that freeze point in the copper pipe a short enough length where, after pipe replace but before dry wall repair, you can wrap that area in heat tape with a discrete on/off switch? 
 

[BayouBill 835]

39 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Well, F me.  Got a busted pipe.  Not in the new vulnerable area (that's PEX pipe, looks like it weathered things okay), but at the front of the house -- a copper pipe that failed in 2021 as well.  If we have water flowing through it to the kitchen sink (by dripping it), it does okay.  But when that line froze at the back of the house, so we couldn't drip it . . . cascade effect allowing the line at the front to freeze.

Not too much water in the house.  Soaking up with towels, employing fans shortly.  Less water than we had in 2021, actually, and we didn't need to do any remediation then.  But we have to 1) fix the pipe, and 2) come up with a long-term solution, because it's clearly vulnerable as hell.

F me.

I just wish you'd get your shit together

[Brisketexan 105154]

5 minutes ago, BayouBill said:

I just wish you'd get your shit together

You, and me both.  And my wife.  Especially my wife.

Plumber here now.  We're gonna check, but it may not have been a break....MIGHT have been something that triggered an outdoor faucet on our deck, it was running lightly, fell onto some structure below, froze into an ice dam, and water backed up against the wall and seeped into the house.  Of course, that would make the FAUCET the problem, so . . . one way or another, we gots ta figure out the problem and a solution.

[drt 639]

31 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

I assume you have a big ass electric or gas water tank or two.  What if you installed an instant-on demand gas water heater? Maybe that would give you the opportunity to continuously drip hot water throughout your system. Or is the freeze prone line in question so far removed from that source so that heat will not get to it? 
Also, is that freeze point in the copper pipe a short enough length where, after pipe replace but before dry wall repair, you can wrap that area in heat tape with a discrete on/off switch? 
 

Heat tape inside a wall? Are you trying to burn down his house? Because this is how you burn down his house. 

[crash_davis 23113]

I don't understand houses up North do not have to drip pipes or have frozen/busted pipes problems. How are they building things differently up there versus down here?

Just now, drt said:

Heat tape inside a wall? Are you trying to burn down his house? Because this is how you burn down his house. 

Well all the warmth is sure to keep the pipes from freezing and bursting. Issue mitigated.

[Fudge Nuggets 19206]

Before this cold snap, I had no fucking clue what a soffit or chimenea were.  I mean, I’ve seen them before, but had no idea what they were called.  I’m learnin’ shit.

[HouTex 1878]

5 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

I don't understand houses up North do not have to drip pipes or have frozen/busted pipes problems. How are they building things differently up there versus down here?

Well all the warmth is sure to keep the pipes from freezing and bursting. Issue mitigated.

The water pipes coming into the house are in a basement or otherwise buried so as not to be prone to freezing.  

[YGIFS 19452]

4 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

I don't understand houses up North do not have to drip pipes or have frozen/busted pipes problems. How are they building things differently up there versus down here?

Well all the warmth is sure to keep the pipes from freezing and bursting. Issue mitigated.

First they make a roux 

second, they don’t have incompetent criminals running their power grid so shit don’t freeze up. Who are we to deny freedom loving Texans the ability to flood their homes or freeze to death if that is their gos given choice?

third-they bury the muni water lines  much deeper (usually a foot and a half) than Texas does which admittedly makes sense considering how rocky our soil gets just a few inches down.  and they run their residential pipes within the insulation and walls instead of alongside or even above it like we do.  
 

but Deep South states are learning after hear how to cope with each deep freeze.  I’d say we’ll all learn from this but then I keep running into Aggies

[texasdago 7575]

10 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

but Deep South states are learning after hear how to cope with each deep freeze.  I’d say we’ll all learn from this but then I keep running into Aggies

This is where you are wrong...

Learn?

Exhibit A: Harvey

[Brisketexan 105154]

Okay.  Well, the good news is that it was NOT a pipe break.  There's an outdoor spigot on the wall on our front deck.  Have it wrapped in heat tape, and it was working.  BUT...this morning when I went out to go to work, I saw a small stream of water running from it.  I went over to check to make sure the spigot was not frozen/the heat tape was working.  Yep, no problems there, spigot was fine, heat tape kept it warm.  I turned the water off, and went to work.

Plumber confirmed that we don't have a leak there -- we shut off all water, and the meter stayed at zero.  SO, our working hypothesis is this: the water line, at it's end-point at the kitchen sink, clearly froze (the PEX segment).  It's still frozen, by the way -- no water to our kitchen sink, and he doesn't have any easy way to try to thaw it other than to wait.  That ice dam in the water line pushed BACK into the water line towards its point of origin, including that outdoor spigot, with is along the way.  The pressure made that valve open.  The water ran for some time, creating an ice dam below, pushing water back onto that wall, which matches up to where the water infiltration happened downstairs.  There is a big visible ice dam, lots of icicles etc.  

So at this point, we're watching the kitchen faucet.  When the ice in those lines breaks down enough to have water flowing through the line, we'll find out whether we have a leak there.  We're hopeful that we don't, but we won't know until it thaws.

Meaning that we absolutely 100% need to come up with a solution to that segment of line freezing ASAP, before the next one of these goddamned freeze events.

[Pato del Muerto 52524]

15 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

First they make a roux 

second, they don’t have incompetent criminals running their power grid so shit don’t freeze up. Who are we to deny freedom loving Texans the ability to flood their homes or freeze to death if that is their gos given choice?

third-they bury the muni water lines  much deeper (usually a foot and a half) than Texas does which admittedly makes sense considering how rocky our soil gets just a few inches down.  and they run their residential pipes within the insulation and walls instead of alongside or even above it like we do.  
 

but Deep South states are learning after hear how to cope with each deep freeze.  I’d say we’ll all learn from this but then I keep running into Aggies

4th and one that should be done in the south for new construction, the outside bibs have valves inside the insulation and anti siphon air break so that any water in the pipe downstream of the valve drains empty. 
 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HOMEWERKS-1-2-in-Push-Fit-x-6-in-Brass-Anti-Siphon-Frost-Free-Sillcock-Valve-P140-8-12x6/203518395?g_store=&source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&pla&mtc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D26P-Multi-MB-HOMEWERKS_WORLDWIDE-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-MK787162200-NA-NBR-6157-NA-NA-NA&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D26P-Multi-MB-HOMEWERKS_WORLDWIDE-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-MK787162200-NA-NBR-6157-NA-NA-NA-71700000117032529--&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADq61UdKrLpKIBMZ5qlpZSTRn9fpX&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrbCeppPlgwMVOgCtBh3_4wr5EAQYASABEgKZHPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[BrickHorn 18237]

Oh fuck. It looks like I accidentally stumbled into Boring Plumbing Mysteries.com

[YGIFS 19452]

Hey, our YouTube channel had literally dozens of views, Michael.  DoZENS!!!!

 

Yeah, the anti-siphon air break should be mandatory on all new builds and homes with pools because over the last two winters, neither of my neighbors took the recommendation and I had to step up and take care of their mistake while they were out of town 

[Anastasis 23475]

Our house has the frost free exterior faucets and at least one of mine are frozen up. Hopefully no pipe damage. 

[Dahobbs 17625]

Love elementary in Houston today lost heating. Apparently they didn't send the kfs home, but rather tried to scrounge space heaters. Some of the rooms were 42 degrees and lower.  HISD's response to the principal's complaint was to tell them about low testing scores. 

Edited January 17 by Dahobbs

[jimmyjazz 45976]

I slow-flowed our outside hose bibs along with two sinks on exterior walls . . . no issues that I can see.  Gonna cost me $50 in water or so, though.

#teamdripLOL

[crash_davis 23113]

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I slow-flowed our outside hose bibs along with two sinks on exterior walls . . . no issues that I can see.  Gonna cost me $50 in water or so, though.

#teamdripLOL

This month is factored into Waste Water averaging. It may cost more when it's included into the cost for every bill.

[jimmyjazz 45976]

3 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

This month is factored into Waste Water averaging. It may cost more when it's included into the cost for every bill.

Yup, I'm aware.

[YGIFS 19452]

2 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

This month is factored into Waste Water averaging. It may cost more when it's included into the cost for every bill.

Can’t charge me no wastewater higher rates it I forget to shut on the auxiliary pump at work  and none of us have running H20.  (Remembers I work at Austin Water and my home relies on it……..dammit!)

[Deej 76830]

26 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Remembers I work at Austin Water

[ChickenSandwich 9843]

Cheap Styrofoam covers outdoors, no drip, no issues. (NW ATX)

[crash_davis 23113]

43 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Can’t charge me no wastewater higher rates it I forget to shut on the auxiliary pump at work  and none of us have running H20.  (Remembers I work at Austin Water and my home relies on it……..dammit!)

So are you idiot who forgot how to unlock the door to the generator in 2021 Icepocalypse?

[Pato del Muerto 52524]

Not Texas but it does make for a nice view

 

[Brisketexan 105154]

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Okay.  Well, the good news is that it was NOT a pipe break.  There's an outdoor spigot on the wall on our front deck.  Have it wrapped in heat tape, and it was working.  BUT...this morning when I went out to go to work, I saw a small stream of water running from it.  I went over to check to make sure the spigot was not frozen/the heat tape was working.  Yep, no problems there, spigot was fine, heat tape kept it warm.  I turned the water off, and went to work.

Plumber confirmed that we don't have a leak there -- we shut off all water, and the meter stayed at zero.  SO, our working hypothesis is this: the water line, at it's end-point at the kitchen sink, clearly froze (the PEX segment).  It's still frozen, by the way -- no water to our kitchen sink, and he doesn't have any easy way to try to thaw it other than to wait.  That ice dam in the water line pushed BACK into the water line towards its point of origin, including that outdoor spigot, with is along the way.  The pressure made that valve open.  The water ran for some time, creating an ice dam below, pushing water back onto that wall, which matches up to where the water infiltration happened downstairs.  There is a big visible ice dam, lots of icicles etc.  

So at this point, we're watching the kitchen faucet.  When the ice in those lines breaks down enough to have water flowing through the line, we'll find out whether we have a leak there.  We're hopeful that we don't, but we won't know until it thaws.

Meaning that we absolutely 100% need to come up with a solution to that segment of line freezing ASAP, before the next one of these goddamned freeze events.

Update: cold water line to the kitchen thawed (water started flowing through the tap finally).  Let it run for a bit, then cut it off and watched the meter.  No leak in that line.  So.....just the hot water line to the kitchen sink to go (it froze early in the freeze, so it makes sense that it will be the last to thaw).  Have the tap open, we'll see if/when it starts flowing, then watch the meter again....

I used to enjoy winter.

[Fudge Nuggets 19206]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

I slow-flowed our outside hose bibs along with two sinks on exterior walls . . . no issues that I can see.  Gonna cost me $50 in water or so, though.

#teamdripLOL

I guess my outside faucet scare from yesterday was just a small previously undetectable leak as it's fine today.  Oh, I found another water faucet on the back wall of my house behind some thick shrubs that I never knew I had until today.  Not sure how it's survived Freezeagedon and this shit. 

[Brisketexan 105154]

17 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Update: cold water line to the kitchen thawed (water started flowing through the tap finally).  Let it run for a bit, then cut it off and watched the meter.  No leak in that line.  So.....just the hot water line to the kitchen sink to go (it froze early in the freeze, so it makes sense that it will be the last to thaw).  Have the tap open, we'll see if/when it starts flowing, then watch the meter again....

I used to enjoy winter.

Hot water line just thawed and started flowing.  Let it run for a bit.  Then shut it off, and watched the meter.  No flow, so no line break.  What a fuck of a day.  At least I could grab my laptop and work from the house, so it's not a lost day.

Now, to cook up a plan for 2024 Freezepocalypse 2, Frozen-ass Boogaloo, so we don't have to do this dance again. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Now, to cook up a plan for 2024 Freezepocalypse 2, Frozen-ass Boogaloo, so we don't have to do this dance again. 

Set up a distillation device in your lil portico underneath your kitchen, plumb a diverter you can switch on so that you have a mix of gin or vodka coming into the lines and it will lower the freezing point. Um, you're an attorney so might want to figure out some legalese so you don't have any unfortunate encounters with authorities.

Buy some limes, lemons, horseradish, ginger beer, and tomato juice. Because you should just happen to have those around.

[Gatorubet 30246]

3 hours ago, drt said:

Heat tape inside a wall? Are you trying to burn down his house? Because this is how you burn down his house. 

Ssssshhhhhhhhh