2023-2024 Winter Weather

[Gatorubet 30201]

18 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

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.

Sorry to hear you have a broken meter too. 

[Brisketexan 105093]

23 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

Sorry to hear you have a broken meter too. 

I dunno, I just went out and stood under the soffit, and it was kinda like this....that's normal, right?

 

[Pato del Muerto 52489]

Might be overkill, but could you rig up a recirculating loop so the water is always moving?  And add a heat source somewhere on that line?  Then just kick on the pump and heater when you need recirculation, housed in the garage or an insulated pump house?  Especially if you already have an exposed loop for a water softener. 

[Gatorubet 30201]

8 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I dunno, I just went out and stood under the soffit, and it was kinda like this....that's normal, right?

 

Does that make your plumber one of The Sisters?

[InkaUtexas 25898]

I know everyone was concerned, so a fish update. Somehow three of the fuckers survived. A few days in ice and they came up looking for food. Now back to Briskets plumbing issues.

[Covri 6247]

2 hours 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!)

How many jobs do you fucking have?

[Covri 6247]

1 hour ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

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 105093]

10 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Might be overkill, but could you rig up a recirculating loop so the water is always moving?  And add a heat source somewhere on that line?  Then just kick on the pump and heater when you need recirculation, housed in the garage or an insulated pump house?  Especially if you already have an exposed loop for a water softener. 

I don't have an exposed loop.  I dress modestly.

Really, the near-term solution is to run lukewarm water (so, from both lines) out of the kitchen faucet at a pretty steady trickle when we're going to have really cold temps.  Long-term, I think we're going to pull down the soffit and 1) add some sort of warming/heating setup on those lines, and 2) bolster the installation there.

I'm thinking that if we run some radiant floor heating elements on the subfloor that's just a foot above that soffit, it will 1) warm our floor, which was pretty damned cold this week in that area, and 2) keep the pipes warm enough not to freeze.  And again, insulate the shit out of the area.

[Brisketexan 105093]

10 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

I know everyone was concerned, so a fish update. Somehow three of the fuckers survived. A few days in ice and they came up looking for food. Now back to Briskets plumbing issues.

If I could pipe my warm and toasty farts directly to the space at issue, all problems would be solved simultaneously.

[InkaUtexas 25898]

7 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

If I could pipe my warm and toasty farts directly to the space at issue, all problems would be solved simultaneously.

So reverse enema might work.

[Brisketexan 105093]

3 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

So reverse enema might work.

I saw Reverse Enema at Emo's back in the day.  They weren't that good, but they were loud.

[jimmyjazz 45898]

3 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I saw Reverse Enema at Emo's back in the day.  They weren't that good, but they were loud.

Should've caught me after the set, I would have signed your tit.

[Brisketexan 105093]

3 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Should've caught me after the set, I would have signed your tit.

[YGIFS 19450]

31 minutes ago, Covri said:

How many jobs do you fucking have?

It was a bad joke. But to be fair; if that was my job-I would have absolutely brought the wrong keys to work that day.  

[Covri 6247]

Just now, YGIFS said:

It was a bad joke. But to be fair; if that was my job-I would have absolutely brought the wrong keys to work that day.  

I almost sad “how many fucking jobs do you have?” but figured you could take that in a whole new direction…

[jimmyjazz 45898]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

If that's either Danica Patrick or Sarah Silverman, well done young man, well done.

[RDCanecutter 26408]

Enough of this frozen pipe shit. @Brisketexan, forget about the plumbing, forget about the house. Get with the theme and start digging your own tunnel complex straight into the canyon face. You said your daughter's there. I bet she's walking around saying she's bored. Give her a pick and a hardhat. Send your wife out to buy canaries. You eat chili and enter the tunnel whenever there's a need to blast some rock.

This is all obvious. You should have done this years ago.

[Pato del Muerto 52489]

1 hour ago, InkaUtexas said:

I know everyone was concerned, so a fish update. Somehow three of the fuckers survived. A few days in ice and they came up looking for food. Now back to Briskets plumbing issues.

Not surprised- don’t they ship some goldfish, frogs, and crawdads frozen when you order them live?

 

evolutionary adaptation since their natural habitat, shallow water, can freeze for periods of time. 

Edited January 18 by Pato del Muerto

[InkaUtexas 25898]

2 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Not surprised- don’t they ship some goldfish, frogs, and crawdads frozen when you order them live?

I think they shut them down. But the little fuckers spent 2+ days in ice. Not all made it, but am impressed.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

1 hour ago, InkaUtexas said:

I know everyone was concerned, so a fish update. Somehow three of the fuckers survived. A few days in ice and they came up looking for food.

We were concerned but refrained from asking so as to spare you any discomfort over your mass extinction event.

Happy to learn that some of them survived.

[InkaUtexas 25898]

28 minutes ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

We were concerned but refrained from asking so as to spare you any discomfort over your mass extinction event.

Happy to learn that some of them survived.

I was going to let Jade know, but then she would send Chili.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13509]

During these freezes I’m tempted to turn off water at the meter and drain as much water out of the pipes as possible. Turn off the water heater as well.

i can use bottled water to drink and fill up a few buckets for flushing the toilets and washing.

Besides not having a hot shower for a couple of days, are there any downsides to this?

[Anastasis 23469]

42 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Besides not having a hot shower for a couple of days, are there any downsides to this?

Pissed off wife, in my experience. 

[YGIFS 19450]

45 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

During these freezes I’m tempted to turn off water at the meter and drain as much water out of the pipes as possible. Turn off the water heater as well.

i can use bottled water to drink and fill up a few buckets for flushing the toilets and washing.

Besides not having a hot shower for a couple of days, are there any downsides to this?

You'll continue this winter, smelling like hot buttered elves.  

[Pato del Muerto 52489]

45 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

During these freezes I’m tempted to turn off water at the meter and drain as much water out of the pipes as possible. Turn off the water heater as well.

i can use bottled water to drink and fill up a few buckets for flushing the toilets and washing.

Besides not having a hot shower for a couple of days, are there any downsides to this?

Fill up the bathtub if you do this, for toilet water. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

23 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Pissed off wife, in my experience. 

That’s not exceptional.  I get that in any type of weather.  Oof.  39 years in March.  

[Born to Run 6569]

I think they shut them down. But the little fuckers spent 2+ days in ice. Not all made it, but am impressed.

I have a great blue heron friend that would like your address. Honestly he's not that great or that blue, but he is a heron and rather hungry hunting a seasonally dry creek.

[WithoutAClue 15343]

found on FB but maybe relevant here.

 

[Rip76 4925]

“Industrial Enhanced” snow.  Interesting.

https://www.weather.gov/media/ama/9_10Feb2014Snow_Event_Summary.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3YO6WC-pnYf_mtUrxXBqk1bTbRSLzuC9LR3GqKndLFdlWBJVIXXkRM3QI_aem_AY9_WFmcIQSRDmT-Q5OiFgwGCDENNlw0B34OnhPwMa6yXKHhloJ1Q-F9iLqrRFAW6iA

[yoladu 4093]

• periods this Winter: HVAC unit runs the entire day never able to get the house above 63.F  -    Friggin' 15F outside.
• long stretches this past Summer: HVAC unit runs the entire day never able to get the house under 79F  -   Friggin' 108F outside

20 years ago, my house didn't have issues like this. The extremes we are now experiencing are palpable.

 

[YGIFS 19450]

23 minutes ago, Rip76 said:

“Industrial Enhanced” snow.  Interesting.

https://www.weather.gov/media/ama/9_10Feb2014Snow_Event_Summary.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3YO6WC-pnYf_mtUrxXBqk1bTbRSLzuC9LR3GqKndLFdlWBJVIXXkRM3QI_aem_AY9_WFmcIQSRDmT-Q5OiFgwGCDENNlw0B34OnhPwMa6yXKHhloJ1Q-F9iLqrRFAW6iA

"Industrial Enhanced Snow" is a great band name provided they are from Colombia and managed by Charles de Mar of Greendale High School (going on 7 and a half years, Lane).  

14 minutes ago, yoladu said:

• periods this Winter: HVAC unit runs the entire day never able to get the house above 63.F  -    Friggin' 15F outside.
• long stretches this past Summer: HVAC unit runs the entire day never able to get the house under 79F  -   Friggin' 108F outside

20 years ago, my house didn't have issues like this. The extremes we are now experiencing are palpable.

 

Quit being such an alarmist.  This is all part of a perfectly natural cycle in Texas.  Yes we have multiple, sustained deep freezes every single winter with record-breaking summer temps with sublimely dry conditions causing damage to flora and fauna is no reason to take any action whatsoever.  It's just part of a temporary adjustment that will kill a lot of people.  But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to lose so many so I can continue to live like I do.  

[Schulz2.0 28951]

1 hour ago, Rip76 said:

“Industrial Enhanced” snow.  Interesting.

https://www.weather.gov/media/ama/9_10Feb2014Snow_Event_Summary.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3YO6WC-pnYf_mtUrxXBqk1bTbRSLzuC9LR3GqKndLFdlWBJVIXXkRM3QI_aem_AY9_WFmcIQSRDmT-Q5OiFgwGCDENNlw0B34OnhPwMa6yXKHhloJ1Q-F9iLqrRFAW6iA

Yep. I work at a refinery. We use a lot of steam and have cooling towers. Next to us is a big natural gas power plant with cooling towers. There's been multiple times where we get "snow" when nowhere else 1-2 miles past that area get anything.

Edited January 18 by Schulz2.0

[Hate 20108]

1 hour ago, yoladu said:

• periods this Winter: HVAC unit runs the entire day never able to get the house above 63.F  -    Friggin' 15F outside.
• long stretches this past Summer: HVAC unit runs the entire day never able to get the house under 79F  -   Friggin' 108F outside

20 years ago, my house didn't have issues like this. The extremes we are now experiencing are palpable.

 

Maybe you should upgrade your 20 year old system and add some insulation? 

[Brisketexan 105093]

8 minutes ago, Schulz2.0 said:

Yep. I work at a refinery. We use a lot of steam and have cooling towers. Next to us is a big natural gas power plant with cooling towers. There's been multiple times where we get "snow" when nowhere else 1-2 miles past that area get anything.

My wife regularly complains about localized wind events in the vicinity of my ass.

[HouTex 1866]

16 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

During these freezes I’m tempted to turn off water at the meter and drain as much water out of the pipes as possible. Turn off the water heater as well.

i can use bottled water to drink and fill up a few buckets for flushing the toilets and washing.

Besides not having a hot shower for a couple of days, are there any downsides to this?

I did this during the 2021 freeze.  But I still had a valve on my sprinkler back flow system crack.  Even if that valve is off (I’ve since learned) and the nipple valves are bled there’s a tiny amount of water in the ball valve that can freeze and crack the valve.  It wasn’t an expensive repair but the lesson is that there can be some water in the lines that can freeze even doing my best to drain the water lines.  Now, I’ve become a dripper and I make sure all exterior pipes and valves are well protected and I haven’t had any issues.  

[utee94 15811]

Those backflow prevention check valves are a notorious weak spot.  I just always keep 2 or 3 extra for my pool system, no matter how much I wrap them they're almost guaranteed to break at least once per season.

[HouTex 1866]

1 minute ago, utee94 said:

Those backflow prevention check valves are a notorious weak spot.  I just always keep 2 or 3 extra for my pool system, no matter how much I wrap them they're almost guaranteed to break at least once per season.

My problem was that I assumed there wouldn’t be any water in the valve if the water supply is cut off, the system is bled, and the valve is closed.  So I never insulated the valve itself—just the PVC above and below the valve.  It busted again during the last major freeze.  This time, I wrapped the valve very well and it did not crack.  

[Gatorubet 30201]

20 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

Enough of this frozen pipe shit. @Brisketexan, forget about the plumbing, forget about the house. Get with the theme and start digging your own tunnel complex straight into the canyon face. You said your daughter's there. I bet she's walking around saying she's bored. Give her a pick and a hardhat. Send your wife out to buy canaries. You eat chili and enter the tunnel whenever there's a need to blast some rock.

This is all obvious. You should have done this years ago.

Yelling, “Fire in the hole!” is oddly accurate. 

[MissingInAction 25033]

21 hours ago, Covri said:

How many jobs do you fucking have?

Tree fiddy

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13581]

18 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

During these freezes I’m tempted to turn off water at the meter and drain as much water out of the pipes as possible. Turn off the water heater as well.

i can use bottled water to drink and fill up a few buckets for flushing the toilets and washing.

Besides not having a hot shower for a couple of days, are there any downsides to this?

This is essentially what I do with my well. I just super insulated the short line from the wellhead to the tank. Looks like it worked again this year. Flipped the power back on, turned the cutoff switch 45 degrees and got water coming out of the faucets and no apparent leaks. I don't have any sprinkler system tho as addressed above. Only problem now is getting the cutoff switch to stay on but I'll take that problem any day over busted pipes. I got 2 17 gallon washtubs, a large cooler, 2 large plastic containers, and various other plastic gallon bottles, buckets, pitchers of water for flushing and washing. Plus plenty of gallon bottles of drinking water I filled beforehand.

It's still trial and error, but I heat up (I think) a 3 gallon pot of water on the stove for about 15 minutes for a shower. Empty that into a 2 gallon bucket and 1 gallon pitcher I set on the floor of my bathtub and that seems to be just enough for shampoo, conditioning and washing.

[HouTex 1866]

5 minutes ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

This is essentially what I do with my well. I just super insulated the short line from the wellhead to the tank. Looks like it worked again this year. Flipped the power back on, turned the cutoff switch 45 degrees and got water coming out of the faucets and no apparent leaks. I don't have any sprinkler system tho as addressed above. Only problem now is getting the cutoff switch to stay on but I'll take that problem any day over busted pipes. I got 2 17 gallon washtubs, a large cooler, 2 large plastic containers, and various other plastic gallon bottles, buckets, pitchers of water for flushing and washing. Plus plenty of gallon bottles of drinking water I filled beforehand.

It's still trial and error, but I heat up (I think) a 3 gallon pot of water on the stove for about 15 minutes for a shower. Empty that into a 2 gallon bucket and 1 gallon pitcher I set on the floor of my bathtub and that seems to be just enough for shampoo, conditioning and washing.

My wife would need 100x that amount of water for a shower. Your 3 gallons would be fine for me.  

[texasdago 7570]

9 minutes ago, HouTex said:

My wife would need 100x that amount of water for a shower. Your 3 gallons would be fine for me.  

My son must be related...

wait...

[SimonBolivar 10958]

And just like that I'm sunbathing on the back porch with a beer (a Victoria felt right today) after pulling weeds in shorts and a tshirt today.

It'll be annoying winter again in a few hours but I'll take it where I can get it.

Edited January 18 by SimonBolivar

[yoladu 4093]

3 hours ago, Hate said:

Maybe you should upgrade your 20 year old system and add some insulation? 

No kidding. Truer words have not been spoken!

Advocating spending money to combat climate change? Nice.

 

 

.

Edited January 18 by yoladu

[Armybrat 40832]

Lordy, what a difference between Monday morning and this afternoon….

 

[HouTex 1866]

20 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Lordy, what a difference between Monday morning and this afternoon….

 

Texas weather!

[Biff Tannen 45673]

It's fucking cold again.

[InkaUtexas 25898]

Yeah, went out right before sunset to plant in some bulbs. I know, a bit late for this season, but fuck it, wanted the space back. Damp soil, this temp and a steady breeze. Said fuck it, I am out.

Supposed to help a friend smoke about 200 pounds of venison tonight. All ready to go, we just have to watch the smoker. Getting warm now for it, and damn not excited but  needs to be done before the flooding rain.

 

[MissingInAction 25033]

25? What the fuck?

[YGIFS 19450]

18* with the windchill in SW Austin right now.  Looks like real chance of going right down to freezing Sunday morning with the wind chill as well.  There’s a small window midday Sunday when the temps get above 35 and before the rain starts.  So cancel everything else you’re doing and use that time to uncover all your flora, move stuff back outside, pipe covers, etc.  everything is gonna need sunshine and water.  

Edited January 20 by YGIFS