Cap City Build & BS AF

I have to do this throughout the season. Up on the top of the mtn shit will freeze up quick, I actually put radiator fluid in my drains and dishwasher, after I perform the drain out that Bill described above.

 

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Mornin Chad and folks

 

Mornin All,

 

This forecast will change. It’s -42 with no W/C nearby. Should be updated by noon unless time freezes.

 

Afternoon

 

From one of my HVAC/plumbing subs.
“weather coming and make sure you knew how to protect your pipes from bursting. This one is the real deal. Thousands of pipes will be broken all over Austin, and while we love working with you, we would really like you to not have an emergency this upcoming week.

The areas that are the greatest concern are:

1. Hose Bibs - Disconnect the hose, and run a trickle of water on all of them. IF you have frost free hose bibs, then you do not need to run water. They will be just fine. VERY FEWa homes in Austin have frost free hose bibs. If you are not sure, run water.
2. All Fixtures on the Outside Walls of Your Home - They are susceptible to freezing behind the wall. Trickle water through your sinks and tub valves that are on exterior walls. This is particularly important on older homes and on the side of the home getting the most wind with no sun. Opening up your cabinets to help warm air get to the pipes in these exterior areas helps too.
3. RPZ & Double Check Valves - These devices may be feeding your pool or sprinkler system. They come out of the ground and are completely exposed to the elements in most cases. Insulate these any way you can. If you can figure out how to shut the water off to these valves, that would be ideal.


4. Outdoor Tankless Water Heaters - Tankless are very susceptible to freezing up if you are not trickling water on the hot side. Most tankless will not fire at a very low flow rate, so if you are worried about burning gas all night, you should be fine with a moderate flow. You will be happy if your tankless is 100% operational when you wake up in the morning.
5. Outdoor Kitchens - These always take a beating and will for sure be destroyed if you are not running water through them.
Random Tip - If you want to get the most out of your A/C-heating system or it struggles to keep up when it gets really cold, changing your filter will give you the best possible performance your system can give. You know that thing is full of cedar pollen anyway, so I highly recommend getting a new one right away.”

 

I’m not dripping mine, just covering them. It was easier when I lived in Ohio. Go to basement, shut them off and drain them.

 

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Fookin skeeeeeeerud

 

It’s 9* here right now ,brrrr

 

I’ve got one of these to shut the water off at the street.
Water Shut-Off Curb Key https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-Water-Shut-Off-Curb-Key/3131069

 

These homes weren't built for this

I've got one as well, going to asses tings more mañana

 

Older houses in Austin are barely insulated. We will drop to 2 degrees on Monday, breaking the the record set in 89.
Pipes are going to freeze, then leak.

 

Good time to be a plumber I guess

 

It looks like all three of my hose bibs froze at one time. They all have a repair coupling on them.

 

We put tankless water heaters outside.

 

I’m sure most homes down there are not built to handle that cold . Even up here a lot of the older homes are poorly insulated . I gutted mine back in 1994 when I bought it and some walls had nothing .