What a night tonight deep in the woods.

[Triple Jim]

I'd guess your well water is around 50° to 55° down at the 120' depth.  That's about what I get here, summer and winter.  It's common for the water pipe from a well to be buried only a few inches from the surface in this area.

[redrider90]

I'd guess your well water is around 50° to 55° down at the 120' depth.  That's about what I get here, summer and winter. 





 It's common for the water pipe from a well to be buried only a few inches from the surface in this area.[/b]

Which is why I am running water in my shop and the house all night, all day  for the next few days.

[Woodrow]

Let me just jump in here (as I have nothing better to do)  , and say the good news is your water is running.   Im thinking this is bottom of winter here. Last year was killer for frozen everything.


Woodrow

-10F  here in Norhern Wisconsin

[nc43bsa]

Three times, I think.  Once to pick up the distributor, once when I brought the carb intake boots, and once to investigate the heating oil situation.  I must not be overly annoying if you underestimate my visits.  30° might be a bit on the high side.  It may hit 20% or 30% in spots.  The Internet tells me that 30% is about 17° ;D

Dumb question and slightly off topic, does anyone know what a road sign means when it says "8% Grade Ahead"?

Does that mean the grade is 8% at its max, or is it 8% average?

[redrider90]

Let me just jump in here (as I have nothing better to do)  , and say the good news is your water is running.   Im thinking this is bottom of winter here. Last year was killer for frozen everything.


Woodrow

-10F  here in Norhern Wisconsin

My biggest fear from the ice storm 2 days ago that thankfully  petered out into snow and sleet was loosing my power for an extended period (got wood heat) and not able to keep the well running constantly Wed thru Friday.  
The next 2 nights are going to keep all the  plumbers oh so very busy.
I think we going to be close to 0 Thursday night which in the 27 years I have lived here I have never seen.

[Woodrow]

If the power does go out for more than a a few hours ,  and you never know,  is it a option to go down into the water bunker room and drain pipes back ?

  Then if and when the power comes back at lest you have dry unfrozen pipes to fire up .

 At least your ready for the worst case .   At my house when we feel there is a good chance of being out of power       
I fill up the bathtub with water , and a few 5 gal buckets .   Also need a supply of beer,  Kerosine and whatnot.
 I also have wood stove heat . 

 Today its cold but tonight its going to be Gadzooks cold , if that air makes it down south it could freeze up a lot of water pipes .

Oof-Da 
Woodrow

[Lannis]

 
I think we going to be close to 0 Thursday night which in the 27 years I have lived here I have never seen.

Supposed to be -13 degF here tomorrow night, which we're generally not really equipped for!   Another night to be up feeding stove and running water ..... !

Lannis

[Late to the party]

I notice Vasco de Gamma conspicuously absent from the commentary. Do they have weather in Oz?

[Triple Jim]

Supposed to be -13 degF here tomorrow night, which we're generally not really equipped for!   Another night to be up feeding stove and running water ..... !

Lannis

The predictions have gotten less severe lately.  A few days ago they were saying something like -10 here tomorrow night, and now WRAL's weather page is predicting 4°F for the coldest night this week.  That site shows Appomattox having a low of 0° tomorrow, so maybe it won't be quite as bad as you think.

[Bill Hagan]

If the power does go out for more than a a few hours ,  and you never know,  is it a option to go down into the water bunker room and drain pipes back ?

  Then if and when the power comes back at lest you have dry unfrozen pipes to fire up .

****

Oof-Da 
Woodrow

I drain the water from the whole system, turn off the well pump, and empty the toilet tanks whenever we leave the house for more than few days in cold weather. Takes a few minutes to do and undo. Presume it's worthwhile; even if not, a false sense of peace of mind helps  ... until reality hits.   ;)  

We have a 17Kw (almost) whole-house generator, but when, as right now, the propane people guessed wrong and cannot keep up with deliveries -- we are at a "very concerning" level just now -- I worry about what would happen if we run out of propane.  

Maybe you or others here know what happens -- besides the obvious power loss --when the propane tank hits empty.  Is there harm to anything mechanical, or is there an issue with an "air gap" in the line when refilled, restarted, etc.?  If so, should/can one do anything preemptive to prevent or mitigate damage?

C'mon spring. This sucks.   :'(

I notice Vasco de Gamma conspicuously absent from the commentary. Do they have weather in Oz?

No.   ;D

Bill

[Triple Jim]

--when the propane tank hits empty.  Is there harm to anything mechanical, or is there an issue with an "air gap" in the line when refilled, restarted, etc.?  If so, should/can one do anything preemptive to prevent or mitigate damage?
Bill

I don't know of anything bad happening from running out.  I have a propane powered fork lift and I normally run it on a tank until it quits, and then swap tanks.  In fact, unlike gasoline engines, there is no extra cranking to start it after a full tank is connected.

[Bill Hagan]

I don't know of anything bad happening from running out.  I have a propane powered fork lift and I normally run it on a tank until it quits, and then swap tanks.  In fact, unlike gasoline engines, there is no extra cranking to start it after a full tank is connected.

Thanks.  Very helpful.

Kathi is always impressed with what folks know here. 

The other day, she wondered aloud about something, then suggested I post it here as a question.

I didn't.   ;)

Bill

[Triple Jim]

You're certainly welcome, Bill. 

Now I can let my imagination run wild, trying to think of Kathi's question.   :D

[redrider90]

I drain the water from the whole system, turn off the well pump, and empty the toilet tanks whenever we leave the house for more than few days in cold weather. Takes a few minutes to do and undo. Presume it's worthwhile; even if not, a false sense of peace of mind helps  ... until reality hits.   ;)  

We have a 17Kw (almost) whole-house generator, but when, as right now, the propane people guessed wrong and cannot keep up with deliveries -- we are at a "very concerning" level just now -- I worry about what would happen if we run out of propane.  

Maybe you or others here know what happens -- besides the obvious power loss --when the propane tank hits empty.  Is there harm to anything mechanical, or is there an issue with an "air gap" in the line when refilled, restarted, etc.?  If so, should/can one do anything preemptive to prevent or mitigate damage?

C'mon spring. This sucks.   :'(


No.   ;D

Bill

On modern propane heating systems the computer takes over and will reset over and over trying to fire the burners. Eventually any air would pass through and it will work.
On the older unit with a pilot light you hold down button and keep fire on it until it lights. Are there any old pilot light burners out there?
If you have a gas cooking stove just light a match and turn on the valve to get gas in the pipes flowing.

[Bill Hagan]

On modern propane heating systems the computer takes over and will reset over and over trying to fire the burners. Eventually any air would pass through and it will work.
On the older unit with a pilot light you hold down button and keep fire on it until it lights. Are there any old pilot light burners out there?
If you have a gas cooking stove just light a match and turn on the valve to get gas in the pipes flowing.

Thanks.

Happy to report that the cavalry arrived today just as we feared the hostiles were going to get through our final protective fires.   ;D









In actuality, we still had just shy of a 20% cushion, but, as I am a nervous Nellie and the temps and the possible need for the propane-fired generator, I was still worried.   ::)

BTW, to compare for anyone interested in propane-pricing in this area, at least, this delivery was $2.349 a gallon.  I cannot say -- without hurling  :'( -- how many gallons went in.  But, it was last delivered to full on 27 Dec.  Really not bad, IMO, considering, tho we also have to factor in some our electric bill for that period as we have made some use of the oil-filled-radiator spot heaters.

On balance, very happy.  Hard to buy peace of mind.  Mine is much better now.

Now to the next thing to obsess over.   :D

Bill

[redrider90]

Thanks.

Happy to report that the cavalry arrived today just as we feared the hostiles were going to get through our final protective fires.   ;D
In actuality, we still had just shy of a 20% cushion, but, as I am a nervous Nellie and the temps and the possible need for the propane-fired generator, I was still worried.   ::)

BTW, to compare for anyone interested in propane-pricing in this area, at least, this delivery was $2.349 a gallon.  I cannot say -- without hurling  :'( -- how many gallons went in.  But, it was last delivered to full on 27 Dec.  Really not bad, IMO, considering, tho we also have to factor in some our electric bill for that period as we have made some use of the oil-filled-radiator spot heaters.

On balance, very happy.  Hard to buy peace of mind.  Mine is much better now.
Now to the next thing to obsess over.   :D

Bill

I just had my first fill this winter. I have a small 320 gallon tank plus the shop. I paid $3.10 gallon. That is freaking crazy high. When I look at NC State website for propane it is showing $2.75/gal.

[redrider90]

This wood is gone.
 I had another cord by the front door when this picture was taken.
I am down 1/3 cord left at the front door. 

[Triple Jim]

Harvey, you probably saw this photo, but here's the wood we had at the start of winter.  What's under the 10' x 20' canopy is gone now.  Luckily we made a "reserve pile" that's under a white tarp at the far end, and we haven't quite gotten to that yet.

[Triple Jim]

Do you have water today, Harvey?  I was relieved when I found that I do.  I must have buried the pipe deeply enough after all.  When I put in the pipe and power wire, I ran an extra wire in case I came up with a use in the future.  After having the pipe freeze at the well head one winter when we had a 10° low, wired it to an outlet, and have a 75 watt lamp plugged in.  When it's very cold, I plug in the end at the house.

[redrider90]

Do you have water today, Harvey?  I was relieved when I found that I do.  I must have buried the pipe deeply enough after all.  When I put in the pipe and power wire, I ran an extra wire in case I came up with a use in the future.  After having the pipe freeze at the well head one winter when we had a 10° low, wired it to an outlet, and have a 75 watt lamp plugged in.  When it's very cold, I plug in the end at the house.

Yep we have water!! Yea. Shop is running also. I know for a fact the water line to the shop is shallow cause when I had the ditch dug deeper in my drive to keep it from washing over the road grader dug the pipe up!!