Bomb Cyclone!!!

[kenmbz]

We got a text from power company last night to try and conserve electricity due to the cold.
But it's up to 18 and the wind is a little bit calmer today.

 

[Joel/ak]

Sent the kid out to do some clean up. Then parked the mini and used the snow blower

 

[Dftodd]

We got a text from power company last night to try and conserve electricity due to the cold.
But it's up to 18 and the wind is a little bit calmer today.

We got a similar email from our power company. When the email came through, I had 1 light on in the house, the TV, and the heat pump. Figured I was good.

 

[fatjay]

I just replaced my pipe wrap from the tank to the house last month as it was breaking down, good reminder for us in this weather to check.

My electric heater failed a few years ago, replaced it with regular insulation. Just wasn't enough for these temps. I ended up stripping the old stuff off and blasting it with a blow torch to get it moving. Then got on a slightly longer term fix.

 

[Tinhack]

The local power companies around here are good and quick when the problem is LOCAL. Downed trees over power lines or auto wrecks that take out poles. But when they pull the plug on the entire grid, there's nothing for the locals to do but sit and watch. So far, it's been toasty warm in the house. It's 28 now and expected to hit the upper 50s. Supposed to get a couple more mornings below freezing then we can get back to playing outside.

 

[MossRoad]

Lotta people dead over the last few days. Heart attacks while shoveling, people found dead frozen in their stuck cars, and quite a few died in their homes when emergency services could not reach them.

 

[5030]

No snow here to amount to anything, just cold and windy but it's up tp 20 here today

 

[Oaktree]

We got a similar email from our power company. When the email came through, I had 1 light on in the house, the TV, and the heat pump. Figured I was good.

How did they get your email address? I don't recall ever giving mine (or a phone # either) to the electric company.

My electric heater failed a few years ago, replaced it with regular insulation. Just wasn't enough for these temps. I ended up stripping the old stuff off and blasting it with a blow torch to get it moving. Then got on a slightly longer term fix.

The pipes to the sink in my bathroom are on an outside wall, occasionally they'll freeze if it gets well below zero...I'm talking 20s or greater below. For whatever reason, insulating those pipes made them more likely to freeze. Now if it gets that cold, we'll just leave the cabinet doors below the sink open.
Not sure why insulating did more harm than good...maybe trapped the cold in the pipes? Cellar is unheated, but generally stays above freezing.

 

[ruffdog]

The pipes to the sink in my bathroom are on an outside wall, occasionally they'll freeze if it gets well below zero...I'm talking 20s or greater below. For whatever reason, insulating those pipes made them more likely to freeze. Now if it gets that cold, we'll just leave the cabinet doors below the sink open.
Not sure why insulating did more harm than good...maybe trapped the cold in the pipes? Cellar is unheated, but generally stays above freezing.

A friend did the same thing. They too have to leave the doors open. Get rid of the insulation on the house side of the pipes.

 

[Dftodd]

How did they get your email address? I don't recall ever giving mine (or a phone # either) to the electric company.

The pipes to the sink in my bathroom are on an outside wall, occasionally they'll freeze if it gets well below zero...I'm talking 20s or greater below. For whatever reason, insulating those pipes made them more likely to freeze. Now if it gets that cold, we'll just leave the cabinet doors below the sink open.
Not sure why insulating did more harm than good...maybe trapped the cold in the pipes? Cellar is unheated, but generally stays above freezing.

They have both phone and email. Collected it when I signed up for service with them last year. Heck, entergy collected both when I got service with them when when we purchased our house 13 years ago.

 

[71bronco]

When I built my house my Dad helped me with the plumbing. He insisted on bringing the water lines up thru the floors instead of the exterior walls. I told him it looked better in the wall but he said no. I've never had one freeze in28 years, thanks Dad

 

[Oaktree]

They have both phone and email. Collected it when I signed up for service with them last year. Heck, entergy collected both when I got service with them when when we purchased our house 13 years ago.

I've had this place going on 18 years, can't remember if I gave either when I initially got service but moot point anyway. Don't have the same phone # or email address I had back then.

 

[Oaktree]

When I built my house my Dad helped me with the plumbing. He insisted on bringing the water lines up thru the floors instead of the exterior walls. I told him it looked better in the wall but he said no. I've never had one freeze in28 years, thanks Dad

Whoever did the plumbing that was here when we bought this place seemed to have gone out of their way to do a half-@ssed job. Ran the supply and drain pipes right at the outside wall when it would have been easier to do both 18" or so in.

 

[Dftodd]

I've had this place going on 18 years, can't remember if I gave either when I initially got service but moot point anyway. Don't have the same phone # or email address I had back then.

Phone numbers changed. Email has been the same for years. Last house, Entergy used to text me power outage info, and if we still had issues after they texted to say they resolved it. I could just text "Out," and they would send someone over to investigate. I saved the info on my phone after the first tornado came through our area. If the power went out, I could just text "out." It sure beat being on the phone for 45 minutes trying to get a live person to report an outage when a suicidal squirrel tripped the transformer.

 

[MossRoad]

Buffalo hit by 'blizzard of the century,' governor says

At least 49 people have died from the cold, wintry weather that's wreaking havoc across the U.S. over Christmas weekend.

abcnews.go.com

 

[K5lwq]

That is sad. Praying for the folks up there.

 

[bigtiller]

I went out to clear my north driveway today and found the hardest wind-packed snow drift I have ever had.

The 60" front mount blower on a 3R series Deere tractor had to really work to move it. The blower and front wheels kept riding up on top of the drift.

I thought that after getting the first pass through, the rest would blow easy but it was just as much of a fight as the first pass.

I actually worked up a sweat in the cab but it was a sunny day and only 10 degrees.