What is your winter weather like?

[Old Ironmaker]

Reminds me of a work buddy. I walked it the forklift shop, he was looking around for something. I ask what ya looking for? He scratches his head- - - With a screwdriver. Says I just had a screwdriver a few minutes ago.....I can't find it. I said you mean the one you just scratched your head with that's currently in your hand?? Screwdriver travels across the shop, he walks out....lol

An electrical foreman comes into my office and asks me if he left his pager there, "Nope haven't seen it Howard." A few hours later I hear someone in the change room, he is in a panic rummaging through his locker and is clearly upset. This is the 1st time he is covering as maintenance manager on the weekends, a big deal for a young rising star, can't lose a pager, they are a very expensive new piece of technology. I suggested to him that he page himself, it buzzes in his pocket. His bosses boss has been paging him all day. I never did see him on weekends again.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

They're already closing schools for the next 2 days due to cold temps and nasty winchills

I never remember having a school day cancelled due to weather ever. This is from 1958 through 1973. We had snow and it was cold, plus had to walk 10 miles to get to school, in bare feet. The 10 miles is true, in the city no busses unless you upped the dime and we had thick socks on we shared.

We only got 5" off snow here on the north shore of Erie in Ontario so far this winter. Straight across the lake is Western NY, they got hammered, again. It's not the snowfall that will kill you it's that 5" blowing across the roads. Can't tell where the road ends and the ditch starts. Whiteouts are fun too. 100 KPH gusting winds were recorded on the weather buoy out in the water close to us. Wind is calm today, a great day to be outside, only -23C but feels like -23. It is seriously a beautiful day. Full Sun and Bluebird skies.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Not since the 90,s has my toilet plumbing froze .It sucks to have to run to the nearest mall to do a number 2 ,lol.For the last couple of hours ive had the heat gun blasting down the pipe hoping it will unfreeze where ever its plugged which im sure is not far .

I call it The Winter Olympics. Be careful with that heat gun. In the last few years 2 homes burnt to the ground near us, no injuries, when a chap was doing the same thing. I use a hair blower, takes longer but won't catch a stud ablaze. Another way if the line is accessible is to boil towels on the stove and wrap the line. If a drain I pour sidewalk salt down it or boiling water.

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[82rude]

This was the toilet sewer line .I sewer snaked it and hit something in about 35 feet and couldn't go any further.I had visions of mega thousands of dollars in damage because the line collapsed way under there somewheres.Saturday it turned mild and today also and bingo I went to take a pee in the toilet and presto the water which was at the top of the cutout was gone!Only thing I can think of was that the sewer was frozen shut and due to the warm weather and maybe the plumbing heat I poured down there finally dissolved it !Im so friggin happy and relieved .Last time this happened was 20 plus years ago and it was right below the toilet ,this was 35 feet away underground .Talking to a city board of works guy this was happening to a few people due to the extremely cold weather.

 

[82rude]

I keep saying cutout, I meant cleanout..brings back memories of grammas house in the mid sixties where there was a chamber pot under the beds and an outhouse also.Mind you the outhouse was immaculate and the chamber pots were cleaned first thing in the am by grammy or her sister while the men and kids tended to the farm animals before breakfast.

 

[WIMUSKY]

This was the toilet sewer line .I sewer snaked it and hit something in about 35 feet and couldn't go any further.I had visions of mega thousands of dollars in damage because the line collapsed way under there somewheres.Saturday it turned mild and today also and bingo I went to take a pee in the toilet and presto the water which was at the top of the cutout was gone!Only thing I can think of was that the sewer was frozen shut and due to the warm weather and maybe the plumbing heat I poured down there finally dissolved it !Im so friggin happy and relieved .Last time this happened was 20 plus years ago and it was right below the toilet ,this was 35 feet away underground .Talking to a city board of works guy this was happening to a few people due to the extremely cold weather.

And last nite drizzle, lite rain after 40 below. Most schools closed again. 3 of the last 4 school days...

 

[jimmbo]

Currently -32, but it's gonna hit -37 at about 5 am - 6 am this morning. Might have to plug the car in

 

[jimmbo]

This was the toilet sewer line .I sewer snaked it and hit something in about 35 feet and couldn't go any further.I had visions of mega thousands of dollars in damage because the line collapsed way under there somewheres.Saturday it turned mild and today also and bingo I went to take a pee in the toilet and presto the water which was at the top of the cutout was gone!Only thing I can think of was that the sewer was frozen shut and due to the warm weather and maybe the plumbing heat I poured down there finally dissolved it !Im so friggin happy and relieved .Last time this happened was 20 plus years ago and it was right below the toilet ,this was 35 feet away underground .Talking to a city board of works guy this was happening to a few people due to the extremely cold weather.

Or the pipe broke and now the effluent is making its own path. You might want to run a camera down the pipe, just to see whats going on.

82rude, you're in Ontario, where? I ask cause a couple of Decades ago I was in the Kingston area and I didn't see a lot of Soil or Dirt to dig to place sewer pipes, just layers of rock? So maybe the pipes are not deep enough to prevent freezing when it gets cold. Where I am, the pipes are about 7 to 8 ft below the surface where they leave/enter the house. I know at some our smaller sites the water has to kept running all times to prevent freeze ups from lack of use

 

[82rude]

Sault ste Marie.I wasn't the only person this happened to according to the board of works.It happens ,just last time was 20 plus years ago .If it happens in another 25 I will most likely be deceased ,lol.Next time we get or are forecasted to get an extended period of deep freeze I will trickle run the bathroom sink .

 

[WIMUSKY]

Also, open the doors below all your sinks to let warm air in. I do that to all the cabin/homes I watch...

 

[GA_Boater]

Also, open the doors below all your sinks to let warm air in. I do that to all the cabin/homes I watch...

And set the thermostat to about 60[SUP]o[/SUP], no lower. Dripping faucets may help, but rivers with moving water freeze. Don't forget to drip the hot water faucets - Being pelted with ice pellets while taking a morning shower is more than eye opening and invigorating! I had a bath with the lines to the shower on the outside wall and no way to insulate the pipes short of tearing the shower apart.

 

[82rude]

This morning I figured id go get a bag of calcium chloride flakes for the steps and area.Well yesterday we had freezing rain and my edge was a solid block of ice from top to bottom!Had a heck of a time getting into the suv so I could get my prestone deicer.I cannot remember ever having rain in February in the Soo since I moved here in 75!Now their saying we may get dumped on twice in the next 3 days!Im sure glad I put that plow on my Polaris Ace this year,its been a real back saver for sure and at 390 cnd worth every penny.

 

[WIMUSKY]

And set the thermostat to about 60[SUP]o[/SUP], no lower. Dripping faucets may help, but rivers with moving water freeze. Don't forget to drip the hot water faucets - Being pelted with ice pellets while taking a morning shower is more than eye opening and invigorating! I had a bath with the lines to the shower on the outside wall and no way to insulate the pipes short of tearing the shower apart.

If I'm home and not on vacation it doesn't go below 66.............. 60 would be dang cold.... Snowbirds usually set theirs to 50/55........

 

[jimmbo]

last time was 20 plus years ago .If it happens in another 25 I will most likely be deceased ,lol.Next time we get or are forecasted to get an extended period of deep freeze I will trickle run the bathroom sink .

You guys had a real bad storm back in 98 if I remember right. I remember reading about it from a guy over in Elgin who owned a dealership there.
The running water line may prevent the water line from freezing, I don't know it will do the same on a sewer line.

 

[82rude]

Not freezing rain jimmbo.98 I think was the year Toronto embarrassed Canada and called out the army to help with snow removal.One year in the nineties on boxing day it dropped to -25f and never rose till over 2 months later.That year they told us to keep a line or 2 running a little as the frost was driven down real deep and caused all sorts of breaks.That year I came home from work and my moms Siberian husky had pupped 6 or 8 of the little buggers outside in -35 to 40f The last one was dead by rights so I brought it in the house and put it beside the heat vent and cranked it to max.A while later I had life!My brother claimed that dog which was Siberian /malamute mix and what a big powerful dog pull champion he became and the best camp dog you could ever want.His name aptly was Wolf.He would vanish for days at camp and there were wolfs around and he always came back He was also a frequent visitor over at our American neighbors camp for a few days as they spoiled him with walleye and steak and lovin .We would take off fishing down the reservoir and sooner or later you would hear a crashing through the bush and guess who trotted out ,miles down ,sometimes with his rottie friend.To get where we were they would swim a few miles.Just looked it up there was a big icestorm in 98 but that was a very long way from Sault Ste Marie.Depening on which end of the storm you counted it was anywhere from 440 to 1200 miles away.

 

[WIMUSKY]

We'll see if they're right this time..

 

[garbageguy]

We've gone from blizzard, to flooding, now an icing event. Winter in western NY, that's how it goes. Really makes you appreciate boating when the time comes - it does.

 

[hemi rt]

Well -22C here with a wind chill of -28C. They are warning of a possible temp of -39C with the wind over night; not as cold as i've been in -65F and that was bloody cold. Funny thing is it rained here a few weeks ago.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

82rude said, "N

ot freezing rain jimmbo.98 I think was the year Toronto embarrassed Canada and called out the army to help with snow removal."​

Yep. all 100 of them. Actually I am proud as far as our armed forces go. It has come a very long way in the last 30 years. The best equipped and trained armed forces per capita in the World. Don't bother Googling that as I made it up but I bet it is.

Oh my goodness 40F in Georgia, how do you survive those temps?

I just wish Madame Winter would decide what she wants to be. -40C before wind chill and 2 days latter +9C. I had a pyjama day today. Freezing rain all day and we could have had a game of shinny on the deck. My wife said the drive in was bad but the drive home from work today was even worse. Calling for +9 again for Friday. I need to get the boat to my marine guy. Should have been done in November but a few minor surgeries plus my neck frozen up and my back out from carrying a 24 of Beer sure prevented that.

If away from the home or cottage over the winter many forget to set the thermostat on the hot water heater to "Vacation" Better yet drain it, completely. Some think it is empty but don't have a vent or don't know to open it to drain 100%. For those that can't get to feed lines without tearing out a wall there is a solution that I did here I have had frozen water supply in a poorly insulated wall facing Lake Erie. I cut 2 holes in that wall and pumped more than a few cans of expandable foam insulation.

Another way to get frozen water lines is to trust the orange heat tracer electrical line. The package clearly states good to -40F which is also -40C. Well it just happened to be colder then -40. Those things last about 5 years and I guarantee it will fail on the coldest windiest night of the year. Many locals here got caught because the heat tracing failed last week. There was a time that I would come out and thaw the lines, replace if needed and get the pump going. My phone rang off the hook last week. I'm retired. I recommended a young local. One nice lady actually called me back to say he is too expensive. More like I was too inexpensive, good luck lady.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

This was the toilet sewer line .I sewer snaked it and hit something in about 35 feet and couldn't go any further.I had visions of mega thousands of dollars in damage because the line collapsed way under there somewheres.Saturday it turned mild and today also and bingo I went to take a pee in the toilet and presto the water which was at the top of the cutout was gone!Only thing I can think of was that the sewer was frozen shut and due to the warm weather and maybe the plumbing heat I poured down there finally dissolved it !Im so friggin happy and relieved .Last time this happened was 20 plus years ago and it was right below the toilet ,this was 35 feet away underground .Talking to a city board of works guy this was happening to a few people due to the extremely cold weather.

We had the same thing last week. Grey water line from the washing machine froze up somewhere. It is tied to the bathroom sink. Poured a bit of windshield washer anti=freeze down the drain. Since code says all toilet drains must be 4" now there are more and more freeze ups of pooper drain lines. Since there is less volume of liquids to flush the solids along if cold enough, like last week, the water on the bottom of the line freezes right in the line faster than it can run downhill. Build up and more build up and the line is frozen solid. If cold enough the same will happen. Why now and never before? Low flush toilets. Not enough water to move the solids before it freezes. That's my theory anyway.