Millions in Texas without Power

[Mickey Massuco]

You're talking to the guy who's responsible for all three CT threads in this folder.

this was so insightful and underappreciated in breaking all this down.

every brody post seems to be him furiously typing away explanations of why we're all wrong and he's the only one that gets it. and maybe he's right, I don't know! WHAT IS THIS SUPER SATURDAY /sig

 

[BruiserBrody]

this was so insightful and underappreciated in breaking all this down.

every brody post seems to be him furiously typing away explanations of why we're all wrong and he's the only one that gets it. and maybe he's right, I don't know! WHAT IS THIS SUPER SATURDAY /sig

Last week my opinions were wrong. This week I guess it's my facts, no matter how many links I share from within the industry of note, confirming what I said I had read.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I feel like typing furiously.

Do's & Don'ts of Frozen Pipes | Swartz Restoration and Emergency Services

As the weather keeps flipping from below freezing temperatures to spring weather, it can cause your pipes to become frozen.

swartzcontracting.com

Do: Keep Thermostat at 55 degrees or warm​

By keeping your thermostat set at 55 degrees or warm will allow the heat to keep your pipes warm and from freezing.

VERIFY: What temp should you set your thermostat at when you leave for work?

What temp should you set your thermostat at when you leave for work--something cost-effective that won't freeze my pipes?

www.wusa9.com

Anywhere from 55-62 degrees will keep your pipes from freezing while cutting your heating bill dramatically.

How to Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing

Consumer Reports delivers money-saving advice to avoid frozen pipes at home and to deal with the aftermath if your pipes freeze during a cold snap.

www.consumerreports.org

If you plan to be away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.

Preventing & Thawing Frozen Pipes

The Red Cross provides information and suggestions about how to prevent water pipes in the home from freezing, and how to thaw them if they do freeze.

www.redcross.org

Preventing & Thawing Frozen Pipes

The Red Cross provides information and suggestions about how to prevent water pipes in the home from freezing, and how to thaw them if they do freeze.

www.redcross.org

If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.

How To Prevent Freezing Pipes In Cleveland Homes

Here are things to do that will help prevent pipes from freezing in your Cleveland home.

patch.com

Set it to 55 degrees F: When leaving home for a significant period, set the thermostat to no lower than 55 degrees

Frozen Water Pipes — AFTERDISASTER

The most recommended disaster remediation team in the Southeast—trusted by homeowners, businesses and government agencies for decades.

afterdisaster.com

Set the thermostat above 55 degrees for a buffer margin

 

[Dandy]

How’s this: I will concede that you remembered that THERMOSTATS should be set at 55° or higher. If that is what industry experts say, I am also fine with that.

However, you said basements need to be at 55°. No, no they do not. Those are two separate things entirely.

Why they say 55° as standard is probably up for debate, but as was mentioned previously they likely are saying that if the house above ground is 55°, the basement below ground will be above freezing temperatures. My gas furnace (which also doubles as the origin point for my A/C ductwork) is located in the basement. One of the ducts heading off horizontally has a vent for the basement. It is not some hole in the ground with concrete walls. It has a fireplace for crying out loud. When I said I didn’t know what the temperature was but it was warm enough, it was because there was no thermostat down there and when I had gone down to re-wash the clothes that had been in the washing machine, I did not have my infrared thermometer.

 

[snuffbox]

Yes, keeping your house/apartment at 55 or above is fine. If you can afford it in extreme weather. But we're not talking about normal weather here. We're talking about a historic disaster in a region that is not used to these temperatures. And our bodies up here in Wisconsin aren't "used to" negative temps either but we have a lot more experience in dealing with it, our power grid hasn't been Republican'd into uselessness like what they chose to do in Texas, our buildings are differently insulated, etc. Yes, if you can afford to leave your home for a vacation and leave your thermostat set to 55 or above and can pay the bill without concern, that's great. But that is far from everyone in Wisconsin and it's very few in places like Texas.

55 will definitely keep your pipes from freezing and bursting. But when things, like the major news story that is the topic of this thread, happen, that isn't going to be possible. And so folks have had to do things differently to make up for that. Tragically, dozens of people have not been able to. Not because it dropped below 55. Water doesn't, nothing at all, freeze at 55. The problem has been temps going below 32, and dangerously so.

 

[Laz]

Your THERMOSTAT being set to 55° will not keep every cubic inch of the space at 55°. If the outside temperature is below freezing, for example, the difference will lean toward the ambient heat of the household, and 55° is a good setting that will prevent even minor ice blockages within the pipes.

You run the tap on a minor stream or drip to prevent pressure build up in the event of said ice blockage, which will go a long way toward preventing a burst.

Take it from somebody who spent 3 days dry-vaccing a flooded basement one winter and losing most family photos in the process.

 

[Dandy]

As an aside about vacation and thermostats, I always left my thermostat to be the same temperature as it would have been had I remained in the house. Most of the time, that was because my pup Punkin stayed home and someone would come and walk her, feed her, play with her, etc. I wanted her to be as comfortable as could be as she slept all day. When she went with us, I felt like the energy it took to bring the temperature back to normal (heating or cooling) was not much different than what it would have been to have it remain steady the entire time we were gone. Plus, it would not be miserable upon your return home as you unpacked and got everything situated.

Obviously, the timing of the vacation and your region’s climate and your specific domicile all factor into the equation.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

i'd like to keep this going to see how many more articles we can get brody to post

 

[Dandy]

@Laz , are you suggesting that I do not know how a thermostat and house temperatures work?

 

[Hoff]

How often should I start my car and let it idle in cold weather? Answer: Don't.

Letting a car idle requires more time for the vehicle to warm up and allows excess fuel to get into the engine, which isn't good for wear and tear.

www.yahoo.com

This is interesting; I grew up on the whole "go start your car" thing. Anecdotally, I feel like I can point to examples where it worked (or more accurately, where not doing so wound up poorly).

No word on if you have to set your car's thermostat at 55 to keep its pipes from freezing.

 

[OldSchoolWrestling]

How often should I start my car and let it idle in cold weather? Answer: Don't.

Letting a car idle requires more time for the vehicle to warm up and allows excess fuel to get into the engine, which isn't good for wear and tear.

www.yahoo.com

This is interesting; I grew up on the whole "go start your car" thing. Anecdotally, I feel like I can point to examples where it worked (or more accurately, where not doing so wound up poorly).

No word on if you have to set your car's thermostat at 55 to keep its pipes from freezing.

Odd then that my wife's new car can be started remotely.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

How often should I start my car and let it idle in cold weather? Answer: Don't.

Letting a car idle requires more time for the vehicle to warm up and allows excess fuel to get into the engine, which isn't good for wear and tear.

www.yahoo.com

This is interesting; I grew up on the whole "go start your car" thing. Anecdotally, I feel like I can point to examples where it worked (or more accurately, where not doing so wound up poorly).

No word on if you have to set your car's thermostat at 55 to keep its pipes from freezing.

Can we see 30 articles confirming/rebutting it?

 

[tekcop]

yeah hold on

 

[BruiserBrody]

How often should I start my car and let it idle in cold weather? Answer: Don't.

Letting a car idle requires more time for the vehicle to warm up and allows excess fuel to get into the engine, which isn't good for wear and tear.

www.yahoo.com

This is interesting; I grew up on the whole "go start your car" thing. Anecdotally, I feel like I can point to examples where it worked (or more accurately, where not doing so wound up poorly).

No word on if you have to set your car's thermostat at 55 to keep its pipes from freezing.

An article like this was posted on a local news' FB page a few months ago and the comment section handled it as well as I did in this thread.

But Muh Wisconsin weather~!

 

[BruiserBrody]

Can we see 30 articles confirming/rebutting it?

I have no reason to vanity search Slack chat every few days if I don't offer up a reason to be mocked.

 

[Laz]

ITT: people who don't live in areas that get covered in feet of snow every single winter mocking advice from people who do

 

[909]

ITT: people who don't live in areas that get covered in feet of snow every single winter mocking advice from people who do

Hey I haven't made any comment yet

 

[snuffbox]

Yeah this is why I'll enjoy my 70 degree winters.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

He wasn’t mocking any advice, tbf. Just the winters themselves.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

Also this conversation is irrelevant because anything below 60-65 would end up feeling like a meat locker and is some serial killer shit. Keeping it above 55 shouldn’t even be a question.

 

[tekcop]

Speaking of frozen pipes, guess who's outside spigot pipe cracked at some point and has been spraying water all over my backyard all day and they just noticed and have no idea where the main shutoff valve is under the 7 inches of snow everywhere?

 

[King Kamala]

I feel like this extensive discussion on basements flooding really cements the fact that we're all definitely in our thirties (if not forties now)? Also if anyone knows anything about sump pumps, I will probably need your advice in the spring.

 

[Dandy]

Speaking of frozen pipes, guess who's outside spigot pipe cracked at some point and has been spraying water all over my backyard all day and they just noticed and have no idea where the main shutoff valve is under the 7 inches of snow everywhere?

Lou Ferrigno

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1363027357016195072

 

[snuffbox]

I feel like this extensive discussion on basements flooding really cements the fact that we're all definitely in our thirties (if not forties now)? Also if anyone knows anything about sump pumps, I will probably need your advice in the spring.

We've had about a dozen "100yr/500yr/1000yr" floods here in the past 14 years. I've, um, heard of those.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Also this conversation is irrelevant because anything below 60-65 would end up feeling like a meat locker and is some serial killer shit. Keeping it above 55 shouldn’t even be a question.

I have my house set to 60. Fits my serial killer loving gimmick. Minus 30 wind chill last Friday

 

[BruiserBrody]

Speaking of frozen pipes, guess who's outside spigot pipe cracked at some point and has been spraying water all over my backyard all day and they just noticed and have no idea where the main shutoff valve is under the 7 inches of snow everywhere?

I would would think it's in the basement next to the main water pump gimmick.

---

RE: Kamala's sub pumps. Make a serious consideration of buying a spare AND a generator. Home ownership is fun

 

[BruiserBrody]

We've had about a dozen "100yr/500yr/1000yr" floods here in the past 14 years. I've, um, heard of those.

Based on climate change weather models my house should be underwater....eventually.

My house is roughly 60 years old and on the cusp of the Lake Michigan/Fox River flood zone. My tile line runs water into my sump pump like a faucet all summer long. My basement "floods" yearly now. Only a mass of water covering over 50 percent of it, not Noah style.

Even with sealing walls up and such, the water literally comes up in some spots through the uncracked yet porous cement.

After 10 years, I'm almost used to this but I do have like 6-10 grand worth of collectables down there on display. My industrial sized fan was one of the best purchases I ever made. When I get slightly older, I am definitely going to slip on the slick floor and be found dead of a cracked skull.

 

[Laz]

I have my house set to 60. Fits my serial killer loving gimmick. Minus 30 wind chill last Friday

Aye. I only ever brought my thermostat above the 60-65 range during the 7-week stretch in early 2014 where 3-4 feet of snow dropped every weekend. Then I moved in with my girlfriend and found out she never paid a heating bill before and acted like it.

 

[tekcop]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362794151583109121

In response to the $10k+ bills people are receiving.