Texas Fall/Winter thread!

[ronjhall]

My son has been on I 20 since Tuesday trying to make a delivery to Dallas from Atlanta. About 1 hour ago he was rerouted south out of Rushton, LA. To get around Shreveport. Must be a few thousand trucks stuck on the freeways. Trying to get loads to their destinations.

 

[Hay Dude]

Or maybe .. they just stay in a bunch?

You notice that, too?

 

[bindian]

The vanes (blades) are actually airfoils so any ice buildup on the leading edges cause the airfoil to stall like an aircraft would do.
Guess they'd need to install leading edge deicer boots like on aircraft, electrically heated naturally.

Add to that the viscosity of any lubricants used.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insulating a home to the same specs as the norms for much colder climates (like Canada) would pay off big time.
eg: R40 attics,R20 walls and double window panes.

Adopting those specs would greatly reduce power drain during hot weather and at a minimal additional cost.

Many, if not most, insulation products are made from recycled glass so that would be a major win/win.

The main problem with wind generators this time of year is the winds of Texas die down in the winter. Blades stop turning and it freezes inside the hub. Wind starts and guess what doesn't move. Like you said, simple deicer boots and seals would work wonders. But wait, that takes away from the slim profits they made, even after adding in government incentives
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

The mail has not been able to be delivered since Saturday. Has anyone else's mail been interrupted because of ice?

We got the first mail this week, today. USPS express envelope. Nothing else.
hugs, Brandi

 

[K5lwq]

We don't have water now. It started getting slow last night and no flow this morning. I have been letting the faucets drip and we survived -6F on Tuesday with no trouble. It is 11F here this morning. I am sure it is on our Rural water supply side but now we will likely get busted pipes.

I have a feeling that our winters will continue to get harsher over the next few years.

 

[JamesHW]

They were saying last night water is going to be the big problem now that things start to thaw out. Frozen pipes and flooding is one of my greatest fears having helped clean up after a couple of instance in the NE. The other is flooded basements that isn’t a worry in TX. I suspect a lot of folks will be adding some sort of heating strips on their water pipes and some way of powering them in the event of another prolonged outage.

One tip is if you lost your water and have an old school water heater remember that it contains potable water in an emergency.

 

[Hay Dude]

We don't have water now. It started getting slow last night and no flow this morning. I have been letting the faucets drip and we survived -6F on Tuesday with no trouble. It is 11F here this morning. I am sure it is on our Rural water supply side but now we will likely get busted pipes.

I have a feeling that our winters will continue to get harsher over the next few years.

You mean like global warm.....I mean global cooling? No way
I hope things get better for you down there. I know what it’s like to be cold, no power, no water. Its really stressful and its dangerous.
Take care of your families and prayers sent.

 

[Hay Dude]

They were saying last night water is going to be the big problem now that things start to thaw out. Frozen pipes and flooding is one of my greatest fears having helped clean up after a couple of instance in the NE. The other is flooded basements that isn’t a worry in TX. I suspect a lot of folks will be adding some sort of heating strips on their water pipes and some way of powering them in the event of another prolonged outage.

One tip is if you lost your water and have an old school water heater remember that it contains potable water in an emergency.

Flooded basements can be a catastrophe. They can compromise the structural integrity of a house. Along with ruined homeowners artifacts, it can leave behind unseen toxic mold growth on floor joists and plywood subfloors above the basement. This mold growth, sometimes unseen, can make the home occupants sick with respiratory infections.

If your basement was even mildly flooded, make sure you get mold tests!

 

[Tinhack]

I'm getting a trickle of water out to the faucets this morning. I'll have to wait until light to check around for leaks. Turned the water heater back on. Was able to flush the toilet unaided by melted snow in a bucket. :cool2:

 

[Tinhack]

Flooded basements are a catastrophe.
They can compromise the structural integrity of a house. Along with that, all the ruined homeowners artifacts, can leave behind deadly mold growth on floor joists and plywood subfloors above the basement.

James didn't mention basements are a rarity in Texas so "THAT isn't a worry in TX". I don't think builders down here know how to build a basement. They have trouble enough pouring a slab which stays in one piece or doesn't float around.