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!

 

[Jstpssng]

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

Oh, for that I carry a can of deicer.
And a propane torch.

I just like having the ability to start a fire in winter.

 

[Bocephous]

WD40 works well.

 

[miscjames]

WD40 works well.

WD40 just wasn’t cutting it for me. It still would freeze up. And it seemed to wash out of the lock after a good rain.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have one gate lock which is filled with ice after every rain storm followed by cold temps. I thaw it, leave it on the truck defroster until it gets so hot you can barely handle it; and put it back on so that I can do it again next time after spraying it with various lubricants. Nothing I have tried seems to help, although I am not ready for the B&C mess which the OPs link describes.

 

[miscjames]

I have one gate lock which is filled with ice after every rain storm followed by cold temps. I thaw it, leave it on the truck defroster until it gets so hot you can barely handle it; and put it back on so that I can do it again next time after spraying it with various lubricants. Nothing I have tried seems to help, although I am not ready for the B&C mess which the OPs link describes.

Ya to me its what ever aggravation you want to put up with

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

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.

Do you have a well house? We do and I discovered a solution it will help you or someone else since I had years of frozen pipes. Get some reflective foam insulation panels, one side is mirror-shiny. I put a light socket in well house with 60 Watt incandescent bulb. Panel cut to fit, mine is cinder block, top tilts up. Panels reflective side down. This morning I checked and lifting a panel it was toasty warm, I'm guessing 60°F and 9°F outside.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

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

These small butane torches I use for locks & frozen latches. It works even if not too windy.
I've used it to solder wires together, adjusted low.

 

[Jstpssng]

These small butane torches I use for locks & frozen latches. It works even if not too windy.
I've used it to solder wires together, adjusted low.View attachment 776283

How does it work when the temps are 0' F? I've never had much luck getting butane to work under those temps.

 

[ArlyA]

These small butane torches I use for locks & frozen latches. It works even if not too windy.
I've used it to solder wires together, adjusted low.View attachment 776283

I'm not sure where temperature you are working in but butane does not atomized or whatever its called, to create a good flame at lower temps, like below 40.. This is common knowledge with people who camp in the winter.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I don't know about zero, but I used mine yesterday at 9°F and it worked.