Coldpocalypse II: We are Literally All Going to Die Thread

[Raazor]

Originally Posted by aerovette

Checking the maps, an area very close to me has a boil water alert, but my neighborhood does not. I'm thinking I don't trust that map and should do it anyway.

What about for pets? Boil or are they more resilient and immune to such things ( I mean my old dog ate dead birds)

Pets are tough.

What a shit show!

[TripleBlack]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

Couple more items Aero...
A cheap invertor and bring a car battery inside to charge electronics and a battery pack for phones. I have several and they'll charge a phone 2 to 4 times easily and cost 20 bucks or so.

Wish I'd though of that a few days back. I have my 4 RV giant coach batteries fully charged in my garage. I could run half the house on those with a decent inverter.

[Aerovette]

My break...

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by aerovette

What about for pets? Boil or are they more resilient and immune to such things ( I mean my old dog ate dead birds)

[Raazor]It's just a cat - if it dies, throw it in the dumpster and go get another one.[/Raazor]

Are you seriously asking this question?!?!?!?

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by aerovette

My break...

Notice there is NOTHING around the pipe where it enters the wall. A 31 degree brick is able to transfer 31 degrees to that pipe. In looking at pictures taken during the build, that pipe has split foam around it, after it turns 90 degrees up inside the wall. That's all the protection there is.

One suggestion I read was to vent house air into the void between the studs. Like a bathroom vent. That's only effective if you have power though.

The battery/inverter sounds like a solid plan except the discharge rate is WAY over the safety point of a car battery. It would run about 3 hours for a 1500W heater.

I'm thinking a specific 12V heater is the answer. I can connect it to a battery and run it a LOOOOOONG time. I only need it to keep the void above freezing. I'm thinking a could fill the void with closed cell foam (R value of about 7) and at the base, open the drywall and place the 12v heater there. The wrap on the outside would be effective then.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by ZipZap

I have a 6500w generator that I moved from VA. It is plenty to keep a whole house good to go. Being on a well, it was essential to have a back-up. While it is a one-time expense, it can make a huge difference. During Katrina, we would run the well, fridges/freezers, and a/c in cycles.

Fast forward to the CO Rockies and I upgraded to a whole house 22kw NG set up. I still kept the gas generator for the disaster need. I have not replaced the dead man's hook up here, but have the Romex to do it if needed. I have a cut off from the line to safe the workers if I do so.

I do remember the first time we were without power, on a well, and how helpless I felt. I will not be there again. If folks' water is removed, that's a serious game changer. I hope y'all get through this!

Check that, it was Isabel. Got about 4 inches so far tonight. Warm and powered.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by aerovette

My break...

Holy crap! What are the codes there? We have PEX, but never above ground on the outside!

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by ZipZap

Holy crap! What are the codes there? We have PEX, but never above ground on the outside!

Not PEX. CPVC. Yeah, completely exposed. You can weed whack it, run a mower in to it, any number of ways it can be the destroyed.

[Aerovette]

DAMMIT !! Power is off again.

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by ZipZap

Check that, it was Isabel. Got about 4 inches so far tonight

So your wife's name is Isabel. <noted on yellow legal pad>

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

We are on our own grid in Texas.

You most certainly are. You don't import power from either of the two power grids that supply the rest of the country. Enjoy your independence! In the dark of course.

[Rodnok1]

Invertor not mesnt to power a space heater at all, sorry for confusion. Should have a kerosene heater also on standby.
That exposed water line is common in the deep South, stupid design that shoukd never be permitted regardless of area.
Some frame them in and insulate the pipe with heat tape, about all you can do with that setup. That and upsize the pipe.

[Bill]

Have power here, low water pressure and a boil water edict in place. I have an exposed pipe on the outside of the house, which I insulated with foam pipe insulation the again with another, larger diameter foam insulation, then wrapped an old blanket around the whole mess and covered that with a big contractor trash bag to keep it dry. Similar set up on the faucets.

The other thong I did was wake up every couple of hours and rule
n all the faucets and flush the toilets every 2 hours during the hard freeze period.

[Raazor]

What a mess.

[VatorMan]

I do feel a bit of Karma coming for you guys posting warm weather shit while we freeze up north. lol

[Stangkiller]

Any of you Huston guys got a line on plumbing solder and flux?

[Stangkiller]

Originally Posted by VatorMan

I do feel a bit of Karma coming for you guys posting warm weather shit while we freeze up north. lol

Don’t worry that ain’t gonna change after this chit and I get a genset in place I’m not gonna worry about this shit again.

[VatorMan]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

Don’t worry that ain’t gonna change after this chit and I get a genset in place I’m not gonna worry about this shit again.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

Any of you Huston guys got a line on plumbing solder and flux?

I wish I could help you, but plumbing is not my thing. It took me several days just to get my fridge hooked up to the water supply. I used a compression fitting, and I kept checking.....drip. Tighten, check drip, repeat, until I overtightened. I think the third fitting finally took. Ever since then, I don't do plumbing.

[Mick]

After getting lucky earlier in the week with rain instead of ice, it is snowing now at my house. Expecting another 10+ inches which we really don't need. ****in' February.