Channel 2 weather is saying it could get as cold as it did 25 years ago- around 16 degrees- I remember that freeze- it lasted about a week- pipe busting weather- 

That's gonna kill lots of plants. Dam! 

ackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk! I don't like this, Sam I am!! 

me, either- our houses aren't built for that- pipes were bursting all over town- 

Holy Sheet. 

Oh man, I thought this was a different kind of thread about pipe busting. :-/ 

put on Channel 2- 

Chanel 2 weather is saying it could get as cold as it did 25 years ago- around 16 degrees

 

I don;t worry about my pipes. I got them covered, literally. I worry about my yard. Might get my shovel out and dig up a few precious plants that are in the ground. 

lol, waterfall! 

Is it really supposed to help if you let the water drip overnight in the sinks? 

Furthermore, it better snow if it is going to be that cold!! 

You can call me Michelle --- 4 min ago - quote - hide comments
Is it really supposed to help if you let the water drip overnight in the sinks?




Yes, if it really gets that cold, it helps to keep the water moving.


And wrap your outdoor faucets. 

My outdoor faucets are wrapped thankfully but one of my dogs keeps chewing it off lol. I've been re-wrapping it and adding various hot/spicy stuff each time. She still does it. 

Wouldn't surprise me as much as our weather changes, looking at the 10 day December 20 is supposed to get up to 73. 

yeah- even if it stays below freezing for more than 48 hours it's a good idea- my pipes froze on Christmas day, 25 years ago- my parents were coming, and what a mess- 

i so remember 1989 freeze, living in a home with no heat and a new born son!

DECEMBER OF 1989 WAS THE COLDEST MONTH IN HISTORY FOR GALVESTON... HOUSTON AND COLLEGE STATION. DECEMBER OF 1983 WAS THE SECOND COLDEST MONTH FOR THE SAME LOCATIONS
ON DECEMBER 22 1989...HOUSTON RECEIVED 1.7 INCHES OF SNOW WHILE GALVESTON RECEIVED AN INCH; IT WAS THE LAST MEASURABLE SNOW FOR EACH LOCATION
COLDEST DECEMBER TEMPERATURES EVER RECORDED ACROSS THE AREA. ON DECEMBER 23 1989...COLLEGE STATION HAD A LOW OF 2 DEGREES...HOUSTON HAD A LOW OF 7 DEGREES AND GALVESTON HAD A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 14 DEGREES
IN 1983...HOUSTON REMAINED BELOW FREEZING FOR ALMOST FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAYS WHILE COLLEGE STATION HAD MORNING LOWS IN THE TEENS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE MORNINGS 

On those days we were 7 degrees the windchill was in the negatives!!! 

you can take old towels and duct tape for the outdoor pipes and always leave 2 faucets dripping one on each end of your home. to keep the water flowing. Our pipes are mostly in our ceiling (attic) so we keep them all dripping with the cold water, one with the hot water. 

Maybe we should just go ahead and pour salt over the sidewalks to the doors of our houses, too...and the driveway. 

It is also a good idea to open cabinet doors where water flows through an exterior wall. This almost always is a at kitchen sink. Folks with newer plumbing like PEX need not be as concerned. 

Oh, Gawd....what a mess it was.. 

Kwgraniteguy...why??? 

Maybe we should just go ahead and pour salt over the sidewalks to the doors of our houses, too...and the driveway. 


kitty liter works better and last longer plus holds up to rain and moisture :) 

Salt is to keep the pavement from icing over. Kitty litter doesn't melt ice I don't think. I think it is used to help your traction for when there is ice already...right? 

Yep…it was right close to 25 years ago and our pipes DID bust and we had to go spend Christmas Eve with our baby and toddler at a friend's home a few miles from us so we could shower and eat etc. Then Christmas Day we woke up and drove all the way to my parent's home and back home to broken pipes still frozen. It took us almost a week to get a plumber because all the hardware stores were sold out of the materials we needed to fix it ourselves and so we had to pay this guy like 4 times cost on parts to fix it for us….he raked us but we had no choice with two tiny kiddos and cold, we needed our running water! 

Kwgraniteguy...why??? 

Why what?
Open cabinets allow warm air to keep your pipes above freezing.
If you are asking about PEX I love it, you can freeze it and wont bust in most cases. 

Salt is to keep the pavement from icing over. Kitty litter doesn't melt ice I don't think. I think it is used to help your traction for when there is ice already...right? 

Correct 

kwg, how can I tell if I have it? my house is 10 years old- 

If i Recall you are in Woodstream. I think you are PEX but still a good idea to open up cabinets on exterior wet walls. I froze PEX when I was in Charlotte NC and it served me well. The way to tell is are your stems are flexible plastic or metallic, ie coming out of the wall plastic or metal. Flexible or rigid 

yes, Woodstream- I'll check- plastic's better, right? 

The Fire Dept. will ask that you NOT drip your pipes as it tends to reduce the water pressure in the neighborhood. That could prove hazardous if they can't get good pressure from a hydrant. We open all cabinets leading to the faucets, also set the washer out dishwasher on"delay wash" to start up in the middle of the night. But if it is going to get that cold all day and night, oil be looking for things to wash! ! It looks like I'm going to get my shovel and pot up a few of my favorite plants for sure! My garage and green house are already full up! 

will your greenhouse protect the plants? great timing, honey! 

- I'll check- plastic's better, right? 

As much as it hurts me to say yes, plastic is better. plastic preforms better than copper in cold weather. 

This is not my new greenhouse but rather a small temporary lean-to greenhouse. I have a heater inside. everyone has been not only cozy and protected, some are actually growing! I can't wait to build the new big greenhouse. Since I'm building it practically by myself, it might be ready by next winter! lol 

I remember the freeze in the late '80s - they started doing rolling blackouts and for a lot of people who prepared their pipes , not having their power on for a few hours was a cause for their pipes to freeze. 

I have heard that if your pipes freeze you can thaw them with a blow dryer on a med setting. 

Also you have to have more than a drip - it's got to have a little flow- trust me- I've lived in the North. Last night's low in Cincinnati was MINUS 5.
Leave cabinet doors open and remember to run some water down any drains that run on the outside walls. We had a shower drain freeze one time- NOT fun.
Run the pool pumps during the freeze to prevent
the pipes from the pump to the pool from freezing.
Opening the cabinet doors will help circulate heat around the pipes
I think I'll move to the Caymans for the winter!!
Lastly-if you have a genie- you might want to stock up on gas and an electric space heater. One time in Ohio we had an ice storm that took down the lines- it's not fun sleeping in a winter coat and a sleeping bag 

Time to panic!!!