PSA for your pipes tonight

pixy_stix

Remember to open cabinets/doors to any pipes that are on outside walls of your house tonight.  Having a pipe burst is no fun.

goldenjes

Thanks for the reminder.  I'm going to post it on FB too.

blissfullyignorant

Say what?

School me on cold weather and pipes please.

Pesky

Good thinking!  I almost always forget so better do that now!

pixy_stix

blissfullyignorant:

Say what?

School me on cold weather and pipes please.

Below a certain degree margin (teens I think), there's a danger that your pipes will freeze and burst.  The pipes that are most susceptible are the ones along outside walls, and those coming into your basement.

The best way to combat this is to open up your cabinets/doors and let your house keep them warm.  You can also let a small stream of warm water trickle through them.

Tonight is supposed to be -6, so definitely within the freeze danger area.

Sunflower22

do they just not insulate houses well here? Growing up it would easily get to -30 before windchill and we never opened our cupboards or had a pipe burst.

WineCat

Sunflower22:

do they just not insulate houses well here? Growing up it would easily get to -30 before windchill and we never opened our cupboards or had a pipe burst.

Probably not to the same degree because it doesn't get that cold that often here.  Kind of the same deal with engine heaters?  I know people have them in colder climates and when it was stupid cold last year I saw why because Hilda wouldn't start.  

Sunflower22

Our only car that had a block heater was our diesel - but these days diesels don't gel like they used to. We had a garage so starting was never an issue. I know some people who didn't have garages would have them. 

A&AHutch

Sunflower22:

do they just not insulate houses well here? Growing up it would easily get to -30 before windchill and we never opened our cupboards or had a pipe burst.

See this is what I was thinking, Growing up in CT we NEVER did this and the only people I ever knew with burst pipes were snowbirds who didn't properly winterize their houses. 

pixy_stix

Sunflower22:

do they just not insulate houses well here? Growing up it would easily get to -30 before windchill and we never opened our cupboards or had a pipe burst.

A lot of the older houses (1980s and older) don't have insulation in the outside walls.

DownToEarthGirl

pixy_stix:

Sunflower22:

do they just not insulate houses well here? Growing up it would easily get to -30 before windchill and we never opened our cupboards or had a pipe burst.

A lot of the older houses (1980s and older) don't have insulation in the outside walls.

Totally unrelated, but I must be from a different planet b/c I think of a 1960s+ house as "newer" and likely "updated" compared to the 1890-1940s houses we're looking at these days.  Wow weren't the 80's just a few years ago?