SIGforum
North Texas Winter Storm and Freezing Pipes
February 14, 2021, 09:18 PM
snorisNorth Texas Winter Storm and Freezing Pipes
This thing hit us hard enough so that even though I trickled the front and back outside water faucets, they froze (especially the front one, which comes up out of the ground rather from an outer wall).
I know that even if the pipes freeze, the chances of a burst pipe are very low, but I'm keeping my fingers AND toes crossed.
I spent my elementary school years in a Chicago suburb where these temperatures are routine, but still----BRRRRR!
February 14, 2021, 09:38 PM
Houston1944I'm 35 miles SW of Dallas and am in an older home with 2 outside faucets coming from the slab near the ground. I covered them with plastic and then put over a foot of dirt and wood chips over them hoping that protects them. Not much else I can do. Currently its 10, expected to stop at 9 then goes down to 1 tomorrow night....this sucks, I've been in Texas 77 years and do not remember it so cold this far south.
February 14, 2021, 09:39 PM
P250UA528* & freezing rain here in N Houston.
So far, only sticking in the flower beds & the kids' trampoline. We'll see how it looks in the morning.
The Enemy's gate is down. February 14, 2021, 09:39 PM
bigguyJust out of curiosity what Chicago said suburb did you live in?
February 14, 2021, 09:41 PM
Houston1944quote:
Originally posted by Houston1944:
I'm 35 miles SE of Dallas and am in an older home with 2 outside faucets coming from the slab near the ground. I covered them with plastic and then put over a foot of dirt and wood chips over them hoping that protects them. Not much else I can do. Currently its 10, expected to stop at 9 then goes down to 1 tomorrow night....this sucks, I've been in Texas 77 years and do not remember it so cold this far south.
February 14, 2021, 09:49 PM
snorisquote:
Originally posted by bigguy:
Just out of curiosity what Chicago said suburb did you live in?
Winfield, right next to Wheaton, north of Roosevelt Road.
February 14, 2021, 10:09 PM
tatortoddquote:
Originally posted by P250UA5:
28* & freezing rain here in N Houston.
So far, only sticking in the flower beds & the kids' trampoline. We'll see how it looks in the morning.
Same here.
My grass is pretty crunchy. I remembered that the neighborhood kids like to take the cover off my water meter (buried) and look for bugs. I went crunching across my lawn to make sure it was covered.
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity
DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. February 14, 2021, 10:19 PM
Excam_Manquote:
Originally posted by snoris:
I know that even if the pipes freeze, the chances of a burst pipe are very low, but I'm keeping my fingers AND toes crossed.
Not sure why you say that, frozen pipes crack and brake all the time.
Not so much with pex. However, it still happens, especially at the fittings.
I would cover them and try keeping them from further freezing. The colder and deeper they get, the chances of damage increase.
February 14, 2021, 10:27 PM
P250UA5quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
quote:
Originally posted by P250UA5:
28* & freezing rain here in N Houston.
So far, only sticking in the flower beds & the kids' trampoline. We'll see how it looks in the morning.
Same here.
My grass is pretty crunchy. I remembered that the neighborhood kids like to take the cover off my water meter (buried) and look for bugs. I went crunching across my lawn to make sure it was covered.
I haven't ventured further than the patio. Definitely getting frostier out there.
The Enemy's gate is down. February 14, 2021, 11:33 PM
Il CattivoIn the past I've poured hot water on spigots and exposed pipes to get them dripping again. I know it's late, but that might be a good first step. FWIW, I wound up wrapping foam pipe protection around them and taped it into place then shielded the back spigot with cardboard (the front one's too high, and generally protected from the wind by the house and surrounding shrubbery) to keep the wind from blowing directly on it. To the extent I can, I've wrapped exposed pipes with a garbage bag around the foam protection to help keep the wet and wind off of them. At my place in CenTex, FWIW, it's the wind chill that generally has the biggest impact in terms of making them freeze up. I don't just drip them a little bit, either - a big water bill for a few days is still going to be cheaper than the plumbing bill that comes with burst pipes, and far less of a hassle than waiting for and then getting the repairs.
Right before I saw your post, I had just came back in from checking to see that there was still a healthy drip from the outside spigots, and made sure taps inside that are in rooms with exterior walls are dripping steadily too. Now I figure the only thing I can do is cross my fingers and get some sleep.
February 15, 2021, 12:22 AM
drill sgtSouth Louisiana near capitol city current temp show 30*F with a feel like 22*F at midnight. Monday night / Tuesday morning low expected to be 18*F. Freezing rain moving in shortly with a expected ice build up on powerlines and trees. .Maybe above freezing by 10 am on tuesday morning. We are not accustomed to this type weather. Stay warm and keep your powder dry. .................. drill sgt.
February 15, 2021, 12:23 AM
drill sgtquote:
Originally posted by drill sgt:
South Louisiana near capitol city current temp show 30*F with a feel like 22*F at midnight Sunday. And Monday night / Tuesday morning low expected to be 18*F. Freezing rain moving in shortly with a expected ice build up on powerlines and trees. .Maybe above freezing by 10 am on tuesday morning. We are not accustomed to this type weather. Stay warm and keep your powder dry. .................. drill sgt.
February 15, 2021, 03:49 AM
ftttuThe snow is letting up here in the Texas Hill Country, and it is 12 deg F with a windchill of -4. My pipes froze at 19 earlier in the night. I have exposed plumbing on the side of my house that I obviously didn’t do a good enough job of weatherproofing. The line comes up out of 5he ground for a whole house water filter and a polyphosphate water conditioner where it then goes back down into the ground a short distance. I procrastinated building a small covering with a heat lamp because it ‘normally’ doesn’t get this cold. I will be better prepared in the future. At least I have several gallons of emergency water and good neighbors to rely on.
Retired Texas Lawman, now active reserve
February 15, 2021, 03:56 AM
SigM4Just west of Fort Worth and our powers been out for almost two hours now. Thought it was the rolling blackouts they were projecting but maybe not. Our house is spray foamed so we’re holding tight for now. But if the temp drops below about 60° Inside I figure it’s probably time to shut the water off just to be safe. Extra blankets on the beds and at least one of the dogs has claimed a spot under the covers.
Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.
Complacency sucks… February 15, 2021, 04:33 AM
PrefontaineThey shut power off for 2.5 hours here. Fucking Oncor said 15-45 minute rolling blackouts, no two and a half hours.
I went out in that shit and almost got frostbite. I have a pool and at 36 degrees the freeze protect comes on to keep water circulating so the plumbing doesn’t bust. Well 2.5 hours of no power I had a thin layer of ice across it. I just got water moving again, cleared a stuck skimmer. Water pressure at the filter looks correct but I have no idea at this point if damage has been done. Thank God almighty I stayed up late just in case. As soon as power came back on I was out in the backyard.
I have the foam things around my exterior faucets that Home Depot sells. Hope that is enough. Pool has me extremely worried because thousands and thousands of dollars in repairs during a pandemic, well I’m not getting any sleep tonight.
What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone
February 15, 2021, 06:00 AM
sourdough44Outside air temp of 28 or so ‘shouldn’t’ be to hard on covered pipes. Just as the ground takes time to freeze, house walls offer some protection.
One key is to catch any small leaks(cracked pipes/fittings) early. You don’t want to come back from that FL vacation to find a sea of water in the house.
Yes, prevention is much better than repairs.
February 15, 2021, 06:29 AM
P250UA5We lost power around 2am for about an hour. Got it back for 5 minutes & it's been out since around 3am.
Currently 16* feels like 2*
The Enemy's gate is down. February 15, 2021, 06:32 AM
SigM4I just got in from about 45 mins of shoveling the driveway. Never would have thought that I would need to bring the snow shovel with us when we moved back from MO, oh well.
As long as you’re dressed appropriately it’s not too bad outside right now, very little wind. Having spent several winters in WY earlier in my adult life I’m fully aware and prepared for what Mother Nature can do.
Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.
Complacency sucks… February 15, 2021, 07:43 AM
RogueJSKquote:
Originally posted by P250UA5:
Currently 16* feels like 2*
That's all?
It's currently -1 here, and feels like about -15. Tonight it's supposed to be even lower, around -9 with wind chill approaching -30.
We've already gotten around 5 inches of snow with another 2-4 inches coming today, and a second wave bringing 3-6 more is expected starting tomorrow.
February 15, 2021, 07:47 AM
marksman41Rogue - what precautions have you taken to prevent frozen pipes?
I've got the styrofoam covers on the outside spigots but am not sure what more can be done.
Currently the heat pump is set for 70 inside but is struggling to maintain 65.