Tips for below zero weather

[gregaba]

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

[FrozenMerc]

Go Fishing.....


Or Racing....


Or

[gregaba]

No thanks
I get shivers just looking at those picture's.
Greg

[FrozenMerc]

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.

[Heo]

Bahhhhh amatures

[gregaba]

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

[Heo]

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

[gregaba]

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

[machoneman]

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:

[chris401]

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.

[gregaba]

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 

[allrightmike]

   This weather does not resemble the dire warnings of climate change, global warming or whatever it is called this week.

[winr1]

Sorry to hi jack

Any have any pics of the front steering on the blue Mustang ??

Or similar ??



Ricky.

[Dumpling]

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

[gregaba]

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