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Post by genesis273 on Dec 30, 2017 20:04:00 GMT -5
Anybody doing anything different this winter? It's going to get brutally cold real soon and I'm always looking for ideas to combat freezing water etc....
Me personally, this morning I got into my crawl space and built a 9'x6' frame around my bladder tank and the water lines going into my house. I wrapped some R30 insulation around the outside of it and wrapped it around the water line going into the house. I then placed a heat lamp, like they use for chickens, in there. I only have 28" height of crawl space. I hope it helps.
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Dec 30, 2017 20:54:18 GMT -5
Loving the new house with a basement and not really worrying about the pipes freezing. Fireplace is going as we speak keeping the living area warm. Was bringing in some wood today and it sure is cold if you are out here for a while. Just be careful if you must be outside for any long periods.
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Post by greghopper on Dec 30, 2017 21:20:57 GMT -5
Leaving Jan 2 for Ketchikan,Alaska ..... work for 10days!
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Post by nfalls116 on Dec 30, 2017 21:24:44 GMT -5
Anybody doing anything different this winter? It's going to get brutally cold real soon and I'm always looking for ideas to combat freezing water etc.... Me personally, this morning I got into my crawl space and built a 9'x6' frame around my bladder tank and the water lines going into my house. I wrapped some R30 insulation around the outside of it and wrapped it around the water line going into the house. I then placed a heat lamp, like they use for chickens, in there. I only have 28" height of crawl space. I hope it helps. I’ve got plastic up on all the windows. Hoping I don’t have any freezing of pipes but we haven’t had an issue out of them before.
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Post by firstwd on Dec 30, 2017 21:28:36 GMT -5
I didn't go split wood today because of the cold and dropping temps and increasing wind. It will still be there next weekend when it's back to about 20.
Hanging out in the house stoking the wood furnace. I have had mom living here since her hip replacements and then both knees this past spring. She can't do a lot any more and simply freezes most of the time. The house averages about 80 because of that. With the pipes in the basement with the furnace, cold water takes time to come by.
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Post by swilk on Dec 30, 2017 22:13:42 GMT -5
My crawl space is conditioned air...I closed up all the vents and dropped a small outlet from my air handler into the space.
I know that every cubic foot of air that goes in to it means I'm sucking a cubic foot into the house from the outside but it's a trade-off I'm willing to make. No sweating ducts in the summer and no fear of freezing anything in the winter.
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Post by genesis273 on Dec 30, 2017 23:00:38 GMT -5
My crawl space is conditioned air...I closed up all the vents and dropped a small outlet from my air handler into the space. I know that every cubic foot of air that goes in to it means I'm sucking a cubic foot into the house from the outside but it's a trade-off I'm willing to make. No sweating ducts in the summer and no fear of freezing anything in the winter. Thanks a great idea. I will be looking into that one.
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Post by Woody Williams on Dec 30, 2017 23:23:09 GMT -5
Just laying in firewood and keeping the inset going in the cold spells..
Just cool I’ll let the geothermal handle it..
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Post by esshup on Dec 30, 2017 23:23:41 GMT -5
My bladder tank(s) are in an old milkhouse that is right outside the house here. I block off the door with 2" thick foam and put a ceramic heater in there hooked to a 32°F t-stat. On at 32, off at 33.
Worked for years so far.
I use the fireplace insert as much as I can, and the forced air heat ducts run in the crawlspace. I leave the water trickle in the faucets if the forced air furnace isn't running. I also have wrapped my kitchen sink drain. They ran that to a dry well, and the way they ran the pipe it is outside the foundation, above ground for about 5 feet. Heat tape with insulation wrapped around it isn't strong enough, I had to wrap a gutter heating element around it and THEN insulate that.
The tractor and garden tractor/snow thrower are all on battery tenders. That keeps the batteries topped off and they start a whole lot easier. The diesel gets plugged in, and it is on a timer. 4 hr of electric to the tank heater on that and the block is 190°F. It cools back down quick once the water in the radiator hits the block, but it's up to operating temp in a few miles.
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Post by duff on Dec 31, 2017 7:32:28 GMT -5
Leaving Jan 2 for Ketchikan,Alaska ..... work for 10days! I thought you drove truck for a living😉 Sorry I read that on the other site and got a laugh. That guy is the reason I quit going there to even read.
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Post by deadeer on Dec 31, 2017 9:44:33 GMT -5
I guess we are pretty lucky. We don't really have a cold weather ritual, as far as insulating pipes or anything, just blow out the garden hose and get out the snow shovels. Maybe because its always cold and snowing in my area? Worse part is keeping fresh water out for the dog, but she eats snow all the time anyway. Lol
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Post by genesis273 on Dec 31, 2017 9:55:16 GMT -5
Yeah my dogs Chow down on the snow too. They live in the house though. I would think folks with outside pets and livestock would have a never ending battle keeping water for them.
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Dec 31, 2017 10:17:15 GMT -5
It was always a battle with the chickens when we had them. We do now have a water bowl that is electric.
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Post by deadeer on Dec 31, 2017 10:55:38 GMT -5
It was always a battle with the chickens when we had them. We do now have a water bowl that is electric. Our dummy chews the cord off of those, even with the metal wrapped protective cover. Guess she never got zapped yet!
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Post by featherduster on Dec 31, 2017 12:53:58 GMT -5
Don't forget to keep the wild bird feeders clean and stocked up.
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Post by Woody Williams on Dec 31, 2017 12:57:25 GMT -5
Don't forget to keep the wild bird feeders clean and stocked up. They are hitting mine hard... Except for the humming bird feeders... 😉
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Post by deadeer on Dec 31, 2017 13:32:45 GMT -5
Santa brought wife a 35# bag of bird seed for Christmas. Lol. Yep, they are gorging now.
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Post by medic22 on Dec 31, 2017 14:13:45 GMT -5
My crawlspace stays 50 degrees so I dont do anything. Birds are messy and leave seeds in my flower beds so they can fend for themselves.
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Post by genesis273 on Dec 31, 2017 17:11:29 GMT -5
Our birds have fed non-stop the past 2 days.
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Post by esshup on Dec 31, 2017 20:43:57 GMT -5
I should read all the replies before typing out a response.....
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