Preparing for winter II

Ballymackeonan

The bathroom sink outlet is frozen, so I've been using a big jug in the washbasin and pouring the water into the loo. I don't remember this happening before (except in the cold snap earlier this year) in this house or the Edwardian one I lived in when I was younger. In the 1970s there were some pretty cold winters and at that stage there wasn't even central heating in that house - my mum opened the trapdoor to the roofspace and put an elderly paraffin heater under it at night to stop the pipes freezing. No insulation in the walls or the loft, just open fires downstairs, but we survived.

Tuesday was really miserable here - freezing fog and the temperature at 9am was -14C... but yesterday the sun shone and it was possible to feel that it was warmer, a mere -9C! Admittedly I'm wrapped up so much that I resemble a Michelin man....

On a positive note, you use more calories keeping warm in these conditions, so I can indulge with a relatively clear conscience!

schrodie

Last weekend we went to a wedding and stayed over from Saturday until Monday, thinking I was being clever I turned the heating off as there was nobody at home (except the cat and he has a fur coat on him!!!). However when we came home on Monday we had no hot water and the cold water tank in the loft had frozen. Eventually after having the CH on high we thawed out the offending part in the cold water tank but this affair has left me paranoid in that I'm afraid to turn the heating off. We've had the heating on continuously albeit on a low setting since Monday and it's costing us about £5 per 24 hours. Admittedly the house is lovely and warm but I am very conscious of the cost and the dent this is making to my budget. Hopefully this cold snap will be a transient thing and we can get back to our usual coldish wet Winters.

Primrose

A special warning to anybody going away for Christmas/New Year to leave their central heating switched on permanently on a low setting and if you have unlagged pipes in the loft which could freeze, to consider leaving your loft hatch open a few inches so that some warmer air can drift upwards and stop that happening.

It may mean a slight bigger heating bill but that's a small cost to bear compared with the cost of coming home to frozen pipes, or even worst, a burst pipe and water pouring down through your house which could cause thousands of pounds to repair. Water damage is terrible to deal with.

One Christmas we went away for a few days during a bitterly cold freezing spell and am so glad we left our loft door slightly open because we returned home & found everything safe. Some neighbours who had flown off to sunnier climes had taken no cold weather precautions and returned home to find water pouring down their stairs due to a burst pipe. It just isn't worth the hassle. Remember that your house is particularly vulnerable at night time when temperatures are at their lowest, so this is definitely not a time for the heating to be switched off.

rachbc

If you have central heating I would definately recommend getting a proper programmable thermostat - ours has 'frost protection' as standard - so even with the heating turined to 'holiday' (ie off) it clicks on when the temps get so low there is a risk of pipes freezing - I think it does this whichever prgrammes its on too. It also means you can prgramme each days on/ off times and temps differently to fit with your use of the house. Was one of the first things we fitted when we moved house and it was a very quick job

sexki11en

Rachb, we have one of those too and it's a godsend.

No more snow here in Bristol, although the snow that came on Monday is still lying. Not much chance of it thawing as long as the temps stay as they are. We're lucky tho - we're getting -2 at the moment in the day so it's not so bad.

The condensing pipe on the boiler is now lagged and hasn't frozen since. Who in their right mind installs a boiler in a garage, then puts the condensing pipe through the wall to the outside? I ask you lol.

A bit of good news here for me/us. I had a call last night to offer me the job that I interviewed for earlier in the week. A godsend for us as we were really struggling with me only earning minimum wage and i've negotiated myself a 75% pay rise! With DH student loan finishing in March and us moving house in the new year, all in, we'll have almost my whole current wage again as extra to play with a month! Time to start hammering those debts!

Hope everyones keeping warm x

SK x

[Deleted User]

wmf wrote: »

Keep warm.
Kittie, I'm sad for you that you are feeling down about the weather etc. as you have been such an inspiration to get prepared for winter and stock up etc.
W

It is being stuck in day after day really. We are warm and cosy with lots of food but it is 4 walls after all. The roads here are still bad as now the county has just about run out of grit. I do count my blessings when I read about the frozen water problems and all those people who cannot get away or come home to the uk and those who need to get oil

Family coming tomorrow so am back to normal re frantic preparations today

3 minutes more light every day now ie 21 minutes a week

NualaBuala

Congratulations SK! I'm delighted for you!:j


Kittie, hope things improve so you can escape soon! And thank you for the reminder that we get 21 more minutes of daylight a week - that is a cheering thought indeed!

Marie - is your water back on? Have fingers crossed for you.

We had bucketloads more snow today so I am now preparing to spend Christmas Day here rather than with family. There's still a chance I might make it but I am going to buy something nice for Christmas Dinner just in case. I don't remember a winter like this - there was one Big Snow when I was a child but I think this is worse. I am still getting excited when I see it but then my grown-up head activates and reminds me this is NOT good!

lil_me

sexki11en well done!
schrodie I'm with you on the worrying, trying to put it to the back of my mind, I owe them a fortune already as my payment schedule was too low .....bloomin' told them so many times

More snow here, my DP is out at work in his cab so a worrying night for me, been flying to try to take my mind off it. Council have announced after Christmas, when there is worse snow forecast they are reducing gritting so I will be at my witsend when he's at work and seriously stressed if he gets no work, can't win!

DPs Dad/Step Mum finally home after the delays. PHEW! My Dad is ok as they've had less snow than us so far so I will pop down there between Christmas and New Year as he's managed to get shopping today, it's a long trek but they live in an old farm house down a track and he gets stuck. Can't make it to my Nana's but she lives with my Aunt now so everyones ok and sorted. Oh I do need to check on DPs Nan tomorrow while I am out and about.

Bin men did come today but when I seen the old ladies near by handing out £5 and £10 notes to them I could see why!

Todays main prep is clearing clutter, but I think it was keeping us warmer as the more I fling out the colder it seems to be :rotfl: loosing insulation at an alarming rate. I've got 6 bags of rock salt in the garage so that should keep our paths and elderly neighbours & relatives paths clear of ice for a while at least.

Thriftkitten

Hmmm am so tied on whether to drive to Derby from Cornwall tomorrow(xmas day), I have all the winter essential packed for the journey to keep kids happy and warm and they are sooo excited to see their dad, but everyone around me keeps telling me not to chance it..
I'm so tied, I think the weather forecast seems settled, no major snowfalls predicted,
The main roads we take are A30, M5, M42,A38
We will be leaving at about 10am tomorrow morning and hoping to arrive early evening give or take a few hours for slow driving
Any advice welcome.

Pitlanepiglet

To echo the 'don't turn your heating off' advice, my tenant turned the heating and the boiler off over Christmas 1995, he returned to sheet ice throughout the flat. The boiler and every radiator had frozen and split and I was left with a repair bill of c.£7k! luckily I was insured but this is unlikely to be covered on a standard insurance policy. the damage the escape of water causes should be covered but not the
damage to boilers, pipes, radiators from them freezing.

Temps of -10 were forecast in his case but he thought it safer to turn it all off!

If you rent check whether your tenancy agreement requires you to do anything like tell the Landlord if you are away for over 14 days etc. or to leave heating on.