FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => Non-FE Discussion Forum => Topic started by: gregaba on February 12, 2021, 12:35:20 PM
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We have been 4 days below freezing and the forecast are for 4 to 5 days below zero with one day being 17 below.
We are not used to this in Oklahoma and I have animals to feed everyday.
Any tips to get though this besides stay inside would be appreciated.
Thanks
Greg
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Check your water pipes...let any faucets next to outside walls drip if necessary to keep water moving or at least open cabinet doors to the under sink water pipes to let in heat.
Give the animals some extra bedding. Block off wind.
I was always amazed at how animals can take the cold. Dogs' feet, cows' udders, sows' ears would all feel warm even on nasty cold days. Keep them fed, bedded, and out of the wind.
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The 93 F-350 is only good to around zero, going to have to park it in front of the shop and throw the 12 hour heating blanket over the motor. I'll try to add a little, if I can drain some out and not freeze to death in the driveway LOL. We're several 100 miles south of OK and it's not going to be above 32 until next Thursday Sunday low 2, Monday -1. 64 years here and this is the first negative number I can recall. It's nuts. It's 37 in Corpus which is like Tx version of Florida. -17 is just bezerk for OK.
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I dread my water bill next month.
This weather doesn't seem to bother the animals much as it has only got down to the single digits, but I just don't have any experience below zero since the 70's when I worked in Alaska. Couldn't wait to get out of there and I have forgotten most of what I learned about staying warm in those temp's.
I ordered some electric heaters for my barns that are suppose to be in today. Looks like a long night setting them up. If they don't come in today then with the snow coming in tomorrow they more then likely won't do me any good.
Greg
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GFCI outlets for those electric heaters in the barn..to prevent animals getting shocked and barn burning down. You can get portable GFCI adaptors.
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Yeah I can't believe the temp is going that low. 17 below on Monday then -6,-4 -2 and it will finally hit 32 next Friday.
My brother just built a new house in Corpus because of the nice weather, I can't wait to call him up next week.
He moved there because the weather was like the weather in Southern California where he has lived for the last 20 years.
Greg
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Thanks
I ordered them with the heaters. 240 volt so may be they will do some good.
Greg
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I should clarify... Let the faucets on outside walls but inside the house drip. If the faucets are outside of the house, might consider turning them off inside the house and leaving the outdoor faucets wide open. They will likely freeze even if allowed to drip and will then burst your faucet.
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Thanks for the tip but the only outside faucets I have are in the barns and they are wrapped real good.
Inside faucets are looking like a waterfall.
Greg
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pencil size running water - 240v best for electric heaters still not real efficient- forced air running on diesel / kerosene much less cost - not for enclosed places -animals lots of bedding-dry-out of wind need food/water -several days here -not above zero at all !! not a big fan of propane heaters must be x-careful best for pipes electiric heat tape w/ wrapped insulation if exposed to wind plastic over all BE EXTRA CARE FIRE CHECK OFTEN FOR ANY HOT SPOTS WITH PORTABLE HEATERS fire protection very limited in cold freezing rural - as mentioned animals can handle cold well if listed stuff used - cold snaps like this not uncommon here in mid/north minn. watch for frostbite!! also triped circuit breakers/fuses
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Do y'all have a preferred home brew for your windshield waster fluid?
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I think I am OK on the running water and have heat tape on all my plumbing. I installed the heat tape a few years ago after having to replace most of my pipes under the house.
I tried to buy the Kerosene forced heaters but none were available this week.
Once next Friday is here then that is the last real cold for the year [I hope].
I will have 5 or 6 of the Kerosene heaters starting next year.
We are running number 4 gauge wiring for all our 240 but will check often per your advice, I am not a fan of electric heaters but will have to use these for this week only.
We have a real good volunteer fire department in our area but can expect 20 minutes to an hour wait time in the cold weather and with the 12 + inches of snow expected tomorrow it will be a longer wait if we do have a fire.
We keep the animals in the barn if they are expecting and have round bale corrals for the rest so they are out of the wind.
My biggest problem is going out every 2 hours to break the ice in the ponds. They have been icing over for the last 4 days now and I am going to have to figure out what to do about that next year. Might sell out as I am getting to old for this kind of work.
Greg
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Do y'all have a preferred home brew for your windshield waster fluid?
Vodka or gin! Drink some first!
Or, 90% IPA (isopropyl alcohol) 70% IPA has too much water content.
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Take the battery out of the #1 vehicle (it's a pain to do them all!). Place same near, not on, the heat register overnight or for at least 4-6 hours. Re-install just before firing up the engine and it'll spin right over. Super cold + thick oil = battery killer.
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Nope
Crown and coke or Jonnie Walker Blue.
Greg
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That is a bit of good advice. Truck was hard to start this morning and it was a nice 13 degree's.
I was getting ready to hook up the charger to it.
Greg
t
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Go Fishing.....
(https://www.memesmonkey.com/images/memesmonkey/ca/cab689c7b8adf084117ba5bdea40f44b.jpeg)
Or Racing....
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1B2mWALaU0Q/maxresdefault.jpg)
Or
(https://i1.wp.com/www.justbeeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_6010.jpg)
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No thanks
I get shivers just looking at those picture's.
Greg
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The best tip is to just get outside and do your thing. It get's alot easier to handle if you just treat it like any other day. The cold to you is just like the heat you OKies get in the summer, that us Minnesotan's wouldn't come near if our lives depended upon it.
Lot's of fun can be had in the winter.
(https://laughingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/two-methanol-fueled-snowmobiles-compete-in-a-super-fast-drag-race-in-mancelona-michigan.jpg)
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Bahhhhh amatures ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Well I will admit I used to like the cold but after spending 3 1/2 years in SE Asia I got over it.
The bad thing about Oklahoma isn't so much the cold but the wind.
Right now the temp is 17 and with the 20 mile per hour breeze it feels like it is 5 or 10 below zero.
Another thing is the winter cloths we can buy down here are not as warm as the cloth's you buy up north.
They make them for the average temperature and our average is around 30 above in February.
I think the perfect temp for me is between 80 and 94 which would kill you guys from up north.
I don't turn my AC until it hits 86.
So I will admit it I am a wimp.
Greg
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I admit i hate the cold more and more each year. Im happy the worst
is over now. Each day get 6-7 minutes longer the birds started to sing again
a few days ago. You can feel the sun is warming your face, the sunny side
of the car taws. In 3 months the ice have braked on the river
The good part here is, when it is -20-40F here it is no wind what so ever
and all water is frozen over so it is a dry cold
https://www.vannasberget.se/album/vinterlada02.jpg
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Nice picture and I could see that I would like it there in the summer. But -20 to -40 is not for me.
The weird thing is I was so happy to here about global warming but they lied to us. Its still cold in the winter.
Greg
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I think I am OK on the running water and have heat tape on all my plumbing. I installed the heat tape a few years ago after having to replace most of my pipes under the house.
I tried to buy the Kerosene forced heaters but none were available this week.
Once next Friday is here then that is the last real cold for the year [I hope].
I will have 5 or 6 of the Kerosene heaters starting next year.
We are running number 4 gauge wiring for all our 240 but will check often per your advice, I am not a fan of electric heaters but will have to use these for this week only.
We have a real good volunteer fire department in our area but can expect 20 minutes to an hour wait time in the cold weather and with the 12 + inches of snow expected tomorrow it will be a longer wait if we do have a fire.
We keep the animals in the barn if they are expecting and have round bale corrals for the rest so they are out of the wind.
My biggest problem is going out every 2 hours to break the ice in the ponds. They have been icing over for the last 4 days now and I am going to have to figure out what to do about that next year. Might sell out as I am getting to old for this kind of work.
Greg
On the pond icing, I'd try one (or more) or those pond heaters:
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS768US768&ei=rCInYKjdENvRtAakxJbwAQ&q=how+to+keep+pond+from+freezing+over&oq=how+to+keep+pond+form+freezing+over&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIECAAQDTIICAAQCBANEB4yBQgAEIYDOgcIABBHELADOgUIABDNAjoGCAAQDRAeULqNAljWlwJgk6oCaAFwAngAgAH5AYgBnAaSAQU0LjIuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrIAQjAAQE&sclient=gws-wizond heaters:
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Do y'all have a preferred home brew for your windshield waster fluid?
Vodka or gin! Drink some first!
Or, 90% IPA (isopropyl alcohol) 70% IPA has too much water content.
I have Jim Beam on hand. I didn't buy any of the winter stuff this past summer and too cheap to pay double now if I can help it. My grandmother made her own I believe with just water deluded ammonia. It seldom gets to single digits where I am from but they are predicting 0° Sunday. I enjoy being outside all the seasons but Sunday I may just watch a movie or three. Going to throw hot water in the air Sunday morning to see what happens.
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I have tank heaters on 3 tanks that are close enough to power lines and propane tanks to keep them going and I looked at install some in the ponds.
The problem with that is they are off the road a few miles and would have to have power run to them.
I wanted to run some propane heaters but the propane truck can't get in there for refills as there is no gravel or paved road and I would have to build a gravel road.
Same with electricity- $8000.00 a mile to run it out there.
We just don't get enough bad weather to justify the cost. We only have one of these bad weather about every 10 or 15 years.
Chris- you will have some fun with the hot water but the fun doesn't last long when it is that cold.
They just updated our forecast and it is only going to get down to -12 instead of -17 but still are projecting 10 to 12 inch's tonight and 3 to 5 inch's Monday but it will be back in the 40's next Friday.
Greg
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This weather does not resemble the dire warnings of climate change, global warming or whatever it is called this week.
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Sorry to hi jack
Any have any pics of the front steering on the blue Mustang ??
Or similar ??
Ricky.
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Ford trucks don't start in single-digit temps?!
If you're heading out every few hours to check on the animals, maybe stop by the truck and fire it up while you're out, seemed to work for me when I had a 4-banger Plymouth that didn't like chicago winters.
For your pond, in marinas they often throw bubblers in the water to prevent the water from freezing around the boats.
https://betterboat.com/dock-bubblers/
https://boatplanet.com/the-captains-blog/how-to-keep-ice-from-forming-around-boats-and-docks
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I ran my truck day before yesterday and it barely started after sitting since Monday morning.
Went and started it again this morning and let it get up to temp. Was hard to start and it was 12 degrees. Don't expect it to start tomorrow with a high of 4 degrees but I will give it a try.
At least I stocked up on supplies so if it doesn't start it is no big deal unless it kills the battery.
Greg
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chris401 #10 most all places here sell -35deg. w/s fluid ---add yellow can HEET to boost will cut ice much better ALLWAYS run w/s front/back when parking (fluid) and when first starting as alcohol evaperates near nozzel and freezes --- before leaving cup of warm water thaws nozzels run often as needed ------ summer add ammonia as needed cuts bugs better old school works !!
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I guess being in the Chicago area, I never really thought about this subject, never been a problem since the days of carbs.
Just walked out to my V6 car that had sat out all night in subzero temps. Pressed the start button, and it spun right to life. Just another cold morning. -2 when I started it up. Carbed snow blower kept in an unheated garage fired up pretty fast too.
I use gas station washer fluid, nothing special, works fine. I also use synthetic oil religiously.
Sorry for your troubles. On my way to church now...
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5F here right now, zero tonight and less tomorrow night. Approx wind chill is -11. We're a little outside the design parameters for houses, equipment, building, etc for this area. Hard to get weather reports on the phone because the reporting equipment is freezing up. Had to switch the heat pump system over to Aux heat. Electric bill this month not going to be pretty. Got the F-350 good to around -20 with some more Prestone on Friday. Nobody it going anywhere here until Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. Won't really get above Freezing until next Friday. LOL, not looking good for the TnT on 2/27.
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Just got in and checked the weather.
6 degrees with the wind chill of -20. Cleaned off the front porch and the snow was at least 10 inch's deep and we still have 3 hours at least of more snow. Supposed to get another 8 to 10 inchs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Lows Tuesday morning is suppose to be -13.
Hove broken pipes in the house but it is so cold that the leaks froze into little mountains so I will have water until Friday when it gets to 32 degree's.
I guess it could be worse- at least we don't get 3 or 4 month's like they do up north.
Greg
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chris401 #10 most all places here sell -35deg. w/s fluid ---add yellow can HEET to boost will cut ice much better ALLWAYS run w/s front/back when parking (fluid) and when first starting as alcohol evaperates near nozzel and freezes --- before leaving cup of warm water thaws nozzels run often as needed ------ summer add ammonia as needed cuts bugs better old school works !!
I've seen the HEET on the shelf for a while but have not bought it. I'll look for the 0° stuff when we are a few weeks into our 100°+ marathon. That reminds me, I need to buy a bottle of freon from Sam's Club if the price hasn't jumped yet!
Thank's,
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Do y'all have a preferred home brew for your windshield waster fluid?
Vodka or gin! Drink some first!
Or, 90% IPA (isopropyl alcohol) 70% IPA has too much water content.
I have Jim Beam on hand. I didn't buy any of the winter stuff this past summer and too cheap to pay double now if I can help it. My grandmother made her own I believe with just water deluded ammonia. It seldom gets to single digits where I am from but they are predicting 0° Sunday. I enjoy being outside all the seasons but Sunday I may just watch a movie or three. Going to throw hot water in the air Sunday morning to see what happens.
Well that didn't work, needs to be colder. The dry cold here isn't bad like back home.
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If you have a Albrights near you their freon is about 1/2 the price of Sams Club.
Greg