Preparing for next freeze (Houston, Center: apartment, to rent, houses)

[gwarnecke]

No issues here, so far. I'm pleasantly surprised that we didn't lose power due to the winds, as we've lost power thrice this year during fairly mild thunderstorms/windstorms. Now that the cold has settled and and winds have died down, I think we're in the clear.

Hopeful that most of the landscaping survives. I've covered + aimed halogen spotlights at as many plants as I can.

[WRM20]

It appears the cold water feed to our external tankless heater froze in the valve. I guess I'll have to get out the hair dryer and thaw it out. I'm thinking a torch would be too much heat, especially with the PVC(which is insulated) connected to it.

[gwarnecke]

Several neighbors who installed external tankless heaters during their Harvey rebuilds lost them in the 2021 freeze. It's probably best to install these in the attic or garage, although it does complicate a retrofit install because the gas line and vent sizing are much larger than for tank-type heaters.

Hopefully a hair dryer or heat gun will get yours thawed out.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

Several neighbors who installed external tankless heaters during their Harvey rebuilds lost them in the 2021 freeze. It's probably best to install these in the attic or garage, although it does complicate a retrofit install because the gas line and vent sizing are much larger than for tank-type heaters.

Hopefully a hair dryer or heat gun will get yours thawed out.

The valves are thawed, so the issue is somewhere else. We had no issues in 2021, but it was windier this time. We don't have room in the attic, even for a tankless, as the roof pitch is low and the attic is only a few feet high at the peak, and the HVAC takes up all the space. The garage is not possible, since it's detached, and is 30 feet from the house. The joys of living in a 70 year old ranch style...

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by WRM20

The valves are thawed, so the issue is somewhere else. We had no issues in 2021, but it was windier this time. We don't have room in the attic, even for a tankless, as the roof pitch is low and the attic is only a few feet high at the peak, and the HVAC takes up all the space. The garage is not possible, since it's detached, and is 30 feet from the house. The joys of living in a 70 year old ranch style...

For future use check your user/installation manual. The major manufacturers were offering freeze kits to help prevent this.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by escanlan

For future use check your user/installation manual. The major manufacturers were offering freeze kits to help prevent this.

The water heater is not throwing any codes, so I think it's just the supply pipe. The installers ran far too much of the supply pipe outside the wall, and the direction they were run makes it impossible to install the Rinnai pipe cover. I'll probably get some heat tracing installed, and replace the pipe insulation, which is in worse shape than I thought it was. I may see if there's a way to get the pipes redone, although that would require removing the hardiplank to get access.

[Ghost Town]

Controversial article: don't drip your faucets in Houston
https://www.chron.com/weather/articl...s-17671814.php

My mud recommended to drip the faucets though.
I guess that article applies to those living inside the loop.

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

Controversial article: don't drip your faucets in Houston
https://www.chron.com/weather/articl...s-17671814.php

My mud recommended to drip the faucets though.
I guess that article applies to those living inside the loop.

The only controversy in my mind is whether Houston officials are ignorant or self-serving. Not once ever have I seen them back this up (pressure loss) with hard data. As stated here, a drip amounts to about 5 gallons per DAY so if you drip 8-10 faucets that's only 50 gallons per DAY. Spread around the clock evenly not in sudden surges of demand. An average shower pulls two gallons per MINUTE so a 20 minute shower matches all the dripping you might do. How come we don't have catastrophic loss of pressure and system failures every morning when a million people hit the shower to get ready for work? Not to mention when people run lawn sprinkler systems in the summer. Those triple my consumption for a few months.

They tell people not to drip (which keeps water moving through the mains as well as the house plumbing) then wonder why their mains freeze up and burst. The day they assume responsibility for all damages to my house from frozen pipes will be the day I lend their advice the least bit of consideration.

Didn't Houston just have a boil notice a few weeks ago? Those guys are incompetent.

[kitty61]

From Northern Canada to you,

It's not likely your house will freeze solid. Don't freak out too much. This is all doable.

Part of your job is to use as little of the grid as you can stand. The worst thing that can happen is a power failure so don't stress the grid.

When you don't have central heating limit the use of space heaters to the rooms you occupy most during the day such family room and kitchen. For off grid use there are attachments you can buy for a BBQ sized propane tank. I don't recommend using an open flame heater of any kind. That's carbon dioxide. You are okay with an efficient wood fireplace and Franklin stoves.

Your goal is to keep the chill off and not to expect to maintain your usual comfort temp. Try 66-68F. Layer your clothes: an extra pair of socks, a sweater, a T-shirt and long sleeved one over top and hoodie over top all of it. A lap blanket helps.

For pipes, use heat tapes along with or instead of insulation. For pipes in the attic to freeze is not that likely because heat rises up to that space. Just put a space heater with a timer up there and check it when you rise in the am. and before bed..

For mobile homes, concentrate the heat tapes on the water stack under your trailer. You can also plug a space heater (that has a timer on it) under the trailer to keep the chill off. Same with your attic.

Keep the cupboard doors under your sinks open to allow warmer air flow under there. Cover your indoor plants or bring them all into your daily living space. Cover them at night.

Snow is actually an excellent insulator. Shovel it up against your house.

If your freezer goes out, just put the contents outside in a snowbank. Yes seriously.

Good luck people! It's been -40 here, supposedly expecting -50 according to news.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by kitty61

From Northern Canada to you,

It's not likely your house will freeze solid. Don't freak out too much. This is all doable.

Part of your job is to use as little of the grid as you can stand. The worst thing that can happen is a power failure so don't stress the grid.

When you don't have central heating limit the use of space heaters to the rooms you occupy most during the day such family room and kitchen. For off grid use there are attachments you can buy for a BBQ sized propane tank. I don't recommend using an open flame heater of any kind. That's carbon dioxide. You are okay with an efficient wood fireplace and Franklin stoves.

Your goal is to keep the chill off and not to expect to maintain your usual comfort temp. Try 66-68F. Layer your clothes: an extra pair of socks, a sweater, a T-shirt and long sleeved one over top and hoodie over top all of it. A lap blanket helps.

For pipes, use heat tapes along with or instead of insulation. For pipes in the attic to freeze is not that likely because heat rises up to that space. Just put a space heater with a timer up there and check it when you rise in the am. and before bed..

For mobile homes, concentrate the heat tapes on the water stack under your trailer. You can also plug a space heater (that has a timer on it) under the trailer to keep the chill off. Same with your attic.

Keep the cupboard doors under your sinks open to allow warmer air flow under there. Cover your indoor plants or bring them all into your daily living space. Cover them at night.

Snow is actually an excellent insulator. Shovel it up against your house.

If your freezer goes out, just put the contents outside in a snowbank. Yes seriously.

Good luck people! It's been -40 here, supposedly expecting -50 according to news.

Well we also know what could happen.
30-40% houses in my area had burst pipes from 2021 freeze, collapsed ceilings, ruined carpets, etc.
That's a lot of damage just from fairly simple freeze. Because houses here are not designed for these temps. Next week it's going to be 70-73F