Anyone dealing with any cold related home/auto issues?

This cold snap is testing homes and cars in our area.

Personally I noticed that our sump drain froze. Even though it not running much, it did overflow into our laundry room because the water could not get out when the pump ran.

My 2006 Toyota Tundra parked outside turned over a few more times than usual the last two mornings, but started and ran just fine.

Lots of stories of frozen and broken pipes, dead vehicles, and municipality issues with water towers, broken water mainlines, sewer lines, etc..

High temperatures into the 30s and 40s this weekend will be helpful in getting things straightened out.

 

Had my vehicle not want to start, needed jumped two days in a row. Frozen pipe this morning. Had to replace battery in company plow truck today. Had to have electrician in to move heat circuits out of electric heat panel because all the units running equated to more than the switchgear could support. This was on a design that has worked since 1967, so I guess its colder than it has been in a while.

 

'03 Jeep wouldn't start (nuthin....not even a click) a couple days ago, but it's been sitting for a while, so I wasn't surprised. Put the charger on it for a few hours and vroom, vroom.

 

99 and I had no plans or need to go anywhere so that's what we did, stayed put!

I did notice my trips to the OWB were a bit quicker today!

 

I got a screw in one of my nearly new tires on my Audi, the 4runner had a low front tire, but nother of those were really cold related. The low tire yes, not the flat tire.

Other than that, not much. Some ice in windows that are going to be replaced in the house.

So not really much....

 

Usually we'd have had frozen water lines by now, but December-January last season was super cold, so they got raised and insulated at the time. This year nary a problem. So far...

 

I spent the better part of the day trying to get a couple of the big excavators running to go and clear drifted snow out of cuts for the railroad. Had them cranking good, good batteries, blowing heat into the air intakes, new fuel filters, tried every trick I knew. Turned out the fuel is gelled in the tank even though it's supposed to be blended 50/50, which I highly doubt. Could be I guess, it has been -30 for the past two days, I even doped the tanks up really good. Finally gave up and for the hell of it tried to fire up the small excavator. Yup, fired right up. Topped it off with truck fuel, which I know is arctic blend because we haven't had a truck gell yet. Got moved in right at sunset and dug for a few hours. Hopefully it starts in the morning, only supposed to get -5 tonight.

 

Well thank God for the wood stove. Our boiler quit. I thought it was the flame control box, the boiler would run without the box wired in, but not when the box was hooked up properly. I ordered one on Amazon with overnight shipping. Installed that and that wasn’t the problem. I had a bad connection in the main control panel. I fixed that and now the boiler works! I was able to keep the circulator on to keep the pipes from freezing.

 

Lp regulator was froze shut this morning 53 degrees in the house made for a chilly morning. Little hot water on it and was back in business.

 

Battery replaced in my issued Durango. Found that a door hadn’t been closed and it left an Interior light on. Mechanic thought it best to replace it anyway. Dang thing is located under the front passenger seat.

The boiler was really working the past two sub zero days, but it delivered.

 

van battery died but it was very old, called it a day and played with the dog in the snow. nice to be "retired" not that my "job" is very far away. I bought the neighbors house when they moved out so I am rehabbing that right now, 200 feet to walk, long commute.

 

What about the USVI? Is that just your vacay destination?

 

When Dad passed it changed a lot of "my plans"..................the "big guy" has different ones for me.
I am currently focusing on rehabbing the neighborhood bought 2 houses last week.
Not sure if it is what i am supposed to do or need to do for my own comfort.
time will tell.

 

You do have a talent and passion for it!

Congrats on your retirement also.

 

Pretty quiet here. Hasn't snowed a single flake since Sunday so no plowing.Trucks parked since Tuesday.
All heating systems working well. Actually last nite the propane furnace kicked on to help the wood furnace.
Now that I've jinxed myself something will likely break.

 

Not exactly cold related, although it was cold, but I slid off the driveway yesterday into snow JUST deep enough to mostly bury the passenger front tire. Started spinning wheels, so had to grab the shovel before I got myself dug in any deeper.
I kept telling myself that with age comes wisdom (not continuing to spin wheels), but that didn't explain why I ended up stuck, so I'm not sure that little ditty always holds true.
Sorry, no pics.

 

Last Sunday evening 6 mile detour to get home - water main break on main rd. in town. Not a lot of streets out here , kinda follow section lines with a foray onto an occasional state rd., wiggle around creeks ( not always a bridge). Gets a little iffy in the dark. GPS not with standing, shrink the screen to get a bigger area picture. Then blow it back up to check a particular area for interruptions in a lane. One turned out to be someones drive way going west, but a town road heading east. Fun. The first 100 or so feet looked just like a town rd. to the top of a small hill, end of rd. at that point.

 

Burning more wood in the stove lately. House cools down much faster as the stove burns down means I'm reloading around every 6 hrs. vs. my usual every 8 hrs.

 

Well, the mouthwash I keep in my car for right before I go into work was frozen this morning! Is that auto related?

And no, it’s not because I’m drinking on the way to work


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