How to prevent locks from freezing.

[miscjames]

Passing this along I hope it helps someone.

 

[Jstpssng]

TBN member hunt4570 found another solution... He moved to South Carolina!

 

[5030]

Soak them down with Ethylene Glycol

 

[JethroB]

TBN member hunt4570 found another solution... He moved to South Carolina!

Hmm. That might not always work, moving south. . I was out in the yard this morning with a hairdryer thawing the pipes on my well. We go into near panic mode if it goes below 25 degrees or so. It got down to 20.

 

[ArlyA]

We spray them with lock oil in the fall. Its not fool proof, but that sure helps. Best is to have them under a roof.

 

[oosik]

I have a couple locks. They ARE under cover. Helps keep them from turning into an ice cube. Still have occasional frost problem. Heat key with lighter - insert while hot. Usually solves problem.

Up to +27F now. Things are getting soggy.........

 

[ArlyA]

I have a couple locks. They ARE under cover. Helps keep them from turning into an ice cube. Still have occasional frost problem. Heat key with lighter - insert while hot. Usually solves problem.

Up to +27F now. Things are getting soggy.........

We can't get those normal butane lighters to work in cooler weather.

 

[newbury]

TBN member hunt4570 found another solution... He moved to South Carolina!

I hail from northern Vermont, a little north of Stowe.
I'm retiring to Mississippi and thought I solved the freezing problem.
NOPE
I've had a 20x40 Versatube Carport collapse, I attribute that to ice build up from back to back record ice storms.
I've had outside plumbing freeze and cause a geyser (amazingly I caught it when I was here, 50% of the time I'm in Virginia).
And this week it got down to 4°F and I've an outside extension to the water line I had put in that sticks up and is subject to freeze.

My solution for the potential freezing pipe was to order a heat tape from Amazon, but it wouldn't get here in time. For the 4°F problem yesterday I wrapped a heating pad in a plastic bag and plugged it in on medium, then wrapped that around the pipe, encased it all in a short section of 4" drain pipe and covered it with a feed tub. Really MacGyvered but worked fine.

 

[Jstpssng]

We can't get those normal butane lighters to work in cooler weather.

I carry mine in an inside pocket. You are right though, they don't like being cold. I also carry a Zippo all winter, although they aren't as "windproof" as the name implies.

 

[ArlyA]

I carry mine in an inside pocket. You are right though, they don't like being cold. I also carry a Zippo all winter, although they aren't as "windproof" as the name implies.

We do the same thing, but once that butane cools, you got nothing...... Lock oil is your freind!