Thoughts on home preparations

[gjgalligan]

After the events of the past couple of weeks I think it would be a smart thing to rethink if your home is prepared for future weather events.
There is many that believe in climate chance, many don't but seems as though "the times, they are a changing."
Many of the so called experts say these radical weather events will be more frequent and radical. Did we just get a taste of it?

Might be a good idea to think of ways to make your home a safer for these events. Especially if you have to make repairs for any reason.
Frozen pipes are a BIG problem, make so you can drain them as much as possible if you get ANOTHER cold event. Outdoor lines should be separate and have a shut & drain.
Up here in northern country that is the way it has to be. My house I can go to the basement and drain the whole water system in just a few minutes if need be.
I have a whole house generator, I also have a small portable one for back up.

Many call this event a "hundred year event" so the next hundred year cycle starts now, will the next cold event hit a hundred years from now or next winter?

Many of us on this forum think nothing of spending thousands of dollars on guns & related equipment but will fail to spend some money to make our home safer.

 

[ContinentalOp]

While I did not lose power, residents in other parts of the city did. For the future, I'm going to look into some battery-powered space heaters. I live in an apartment, so a generator isn't a viable option.

I normally have first aid supplies on me when out-and-about, but with this recent winter storm I added a mylar survival blanket and some protein bars to my backpack.

It's not much, but on my limited income it's the best I can do.

 

[bigwheelzip]

The only freeze issue we had up north was the hose bib for the garden hose. Replaced it with the frost-free version that has the long valve stem and the valve body inside the house.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Gaffer]

One of the big problems is leaving the home w/o turning off the water. If possible,blow out the piping, but if it is at least turn off it won't gusher when the temperature warms. When I owned a home I had a generator. Most have little common sense or plan for the bad times.

 

[vt_shooter]

While I did not lose power, residents in other parts of the city did. For the future, I'm going to look into some battery-powered space heaters.

Creating heat using electricity takes a lot of electricity - enough electricity to warm a room will take more than batteries are going to provide. Blankets would serve you better than someone's battery powered heater, if you find one.

 

[mtgianni]

Two sources of heat in case your primary one fails is also a must. +++ if it doesn't need electricity.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I installed a small whole house water filter 4' after the water meter, to drain the whole house, unscrew the filter casing open all the upstairs faucets and flush all the toilets. What ever water is in the lines drains on the laundry room floor.

The sink & tub traps and toilet bowls still have water in them. If that should freeze they will be destroyed! I dump about cup of uncut car antifreeze in each trap and 2 cups in each toilet! Been doing that since 1978 with 100% success!

For apartment or condo dwellers: By building code, each unit has a water shut off for the whole unit. Most often They are either inside one of the sink cabinets or close to the water heater, OR if you have a city water meter, just "inside" that location. Sooner is the time to find it and see if it works properly, if it does not, it is building management's responsibility to fix it! (condo and apartment alike!)

For heat. You are pretty much on your own. Just DO NOT use a propane or charcoal grill to cook or heat indoors! It may seem obvious, but 100's of people die every year nationwide! Lastly, keep an eye on your neighbors! If they set their place on fire, yours will likely burn too! If they die, you will most likely get the smell too! So it is easiest to keep an eye on them!

I have been around apartment management since 1963 and have seen every dumb thing people can do to keep warm! (either from disaster or from not paying their bills!) Columbus looses a rental property every other year to a fire for improvised heat!

Ivan

 

[Rpg]

For many folks whose living situation is such that they can’t add things like generators or safe methods of burning everything from lumber to newspapers for heat the idea of creating a self sufficient safe spot isn’t possible or practical.

What’s more practical and important is to identify resources including alternatives that you can access and utilize in the event of a disaster. This starts with keeping fuel in your vehicle and having a preplanned set of alternative routes to get from home to alternative locations that would have resources unavailable at home.

To this end, it’s wise to develop access to an array of resources unavailable at home. Locate disaster relief spots, develop cooperative plans with friends or family to share shelter in the event your home is uninhabitable.

A little advance planning and cooperatively developing agreements with friends and family to pool resources is likely to be pretty useful.

Members of this forum tend to focus on equipment. Not everyone has either the resources or the living situation to acquire or deploy a lot of the disaster stuff that gets marketed to us.

 

[holo]

I have 2 vent less fireplace, they will heat my basement and first floor no problem. Best move I ever made, they are on there own thermostats.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Two sources of heat in case your primary one fails is also a must. +++ if it doesn't need electricity.

Living in Western PA all my life, we're pretty much already prepared by building codes & common sense because we do winter every year. Every so often we'll lose power here & there, but heat back-up using other fuels than electricity are fairly common. This winter is going to make the generator manufacturers some money this year from the Texans, among others, whose pocketbook allows.

 

[ContinentalOp]

Creating heat using electricity takes a lot of electricity - enough electricity to warm a room will take more than batteries are going to provide. Blankets would serve you better than someone's battery powered heater, if you find one.

True, and something I had thought of. My plan was to use battery-powered space heaters as a periodic supplement, not something I'd rely on as my sole source of warmth. I've got warm clothes and blankets.

 

[ContinentalOp]

This starts with keeping fuel in your vehicle and having a preplanned set of alternative routes to get from home to alternative locations that would have resources unavailable at home.

Made sure my car had a full tank. Fortunately, I had stocked up on supplies so I won't need to go anywhere 'til early next week.

 

[ContinentalOp]

I haven't had any issues with water or pipes, but after hearing about some water mains bursting I'm also going to look into getting a stash of potable water.

I have a pretty good supply of canned food, as well as food that doesn't require refrigeration or cooking, but I'm probably going to build it up more over time.

 

[arjay]

In my semi rural house (a few houses and a lifetime ago) I installed a wood stove in the living room,another in the garage/shop and my fil bought us a 3500 watt generator. Power outages were pretty common there at that time and could last a day or two. It worked out nicely.
(I can’t believe what that house is worth now [emoji15])

 

[djohns6]

I make sure I have supplies to do emergency repairs . I live in hurricane country so anything can happen . I have a chainsaw with spare chain , fuel and bar oil . Several tarps from Harbor Freight . A box of roofing tacks , plumbing fittings , duct tape , portable generator and several heavy duty cords . I try to plan for the worst . You won't see me in line at the gas station or grocery store a day before the storm hits . We laugh at those folks .

 

[BAM-BAM]

The Cabin has a 36" Franklin Stove in the main room and a sealed woodstove in the basement lounge/rec room. Dad added a floor "vent" between the basement and upstairs...with a fan ..... the lower room gets to about 80 and heats the floors above and the fan blows hot air up into the hall between the bed rooms.

The Lake has a subpanel for a generator...... gas "wood" stove ( can light without elec but no blower) and 6- 8" of foam insulation ...... lost power over Christmas for 12 hours...... lower garage dropped from 50 to 48 degrees..... upstairs from 70 to 69.

This foam is great.... late Dec to late Jan. mostly daytime highs were in low 30s to 20 cost me $150 to heat 2400 sq ft

I always throw the breakers to the well and turn off the water at the tank..... open up the faucets to take pressure off the pipes ( water drains to basement)

Toilets flush and syphon the bowel.... add 1/2gal -50 Rec vehicle anti-freeze to the tank and flush to get anti-freeze in the toilet bowl rim and fill
trap..... a cup to each sink/tub trap and don't forget the dishwasher.

Takes about 10 minutes and costs about $3.......

 

[TX-Dennis]

I have a wood burning fireplace with a gas jet. I think I'm going to add a heater burner and ceramic logs so I'm not dependent on wood which is pretty expensive here in the desert where real trees don't grow. We only have scrubby mesquites locally. I may also buy a generator in the 5000 watt range that runs quietly (close neighbors) so that I could power the heater blower (burners are natural gas) and fridge. I'm okay with candles and flashlights for light, but that should be able to run a few lights as well.

 

[NMPinNYC]

For reference, please be aware that the term "100-year event" means that there is a 1% chance in any one year that an event of this magnitude can occur. Can five 100-year events occur in five consecutive years? Of course, however the chance of that occurring is minute, however, theoretically possible...

 

[Ron IL]

We didn't lose any power this time. Our power is pretty reliable. Our town had two busted water mains a couple days apart and had water off for a few hours each time. I can remember having three straight years of severe winter in 76, 77, and 78. I had to work out in it the first two. The chill factor got -40. Some winters we don't even see single digits. Or if we do it might be one night. Lot's of time we don't even have snow. I like those mild winters. We lived in the motorhome from 2014 to 2018 and wintered in Florida. I really miss that. I am still ready to move down there. If our governor gets too crazy we will.

 

[hsguy]

I have 2 vent less fireplace, they will heat my basement and first floor no problem. Best move I ever made, they are on there own thermostats.

A good idea depending on the fuel source. In TX natural gas supply was compromised and there were long lines for propane if it was available at all.