Preparing for winter IV

bluebag

Confuzzled

Stuff that runs under the pavement is generally OK, has it ever frozen before?

pinkmami

greenbee wrote: »

I have three hot water bottles (with fleece covers) at the moment. I make sure I fill them quite full (they get fuller through the winter, and sometimes I go up to five...).

I tend to have one by my feet, one behind my back and one in front of me. If it gets too hot I shove them under the duvet next to me, and then retrieve them if it cools down. If I reject more than one, I pile them up so they keep each other warm!

So firstly, I'd say try filling them a bit more, and secondly try having more.

It's also worth seeing whether wearing a hat helps... when I lived in a caravan I generally wore a fleece hoody and a hat (as well as thermals, PJs, socks etc).

I also have fleecy covers & they stay warm till morning.

pinkmami

I've put the fleecy blankets on all beds this morning. Just on top of the bottom sheet so we sleep on them. They make a massive difference!

And like Frugal Frog, I've just had a mince pie & hot cuppa!

bluebag

pinkmami wrote: »

I've put the fleecy blankets on all beds this morning. Just on top of the bottom sheet so we sleep on them. They make a massive difference!

And like Frugal Frog, I've just had a mince pie & hot cuppa!

They are very cosy if you use them like sheets, one under you and one over you, duvet on the top like a big fleecy butty.

aggypanthus

calicocat wrote: »

CONFUZZLED......i'm assuming they are water pipes you are talking about? I don't know what a "close' is so can't picture what you are meaning, but I do know that when I lived in my flat the girl upstairs had outside water pipe that burst the two last cold winters we have had. However they were on the outside of the building so no protection what-so-ever. Hers were plastic but I don't know if that makes a difference either. I guess bubble wrapping it certainly won't do any harm, but i'm no expert, and wouldn't even have thought about my outside tap if it hadn't been for this thread.

Actually I should probably go down and do my mum's soon. Not sure if she has ever done this..or has a proper cover, will have to check.

A Close-
The entry to a tenement house, the open passage-way giving access to the common stairs and the floors above.

Tenement, style of Scots buildings -old block of flats

Itismehonest

Phew. Just finished this thread of the Prep threads but still have from page 36 of first thread on to read. This may keep me busy all winter.

I have a cunning plan but wanted to run it by you good people to see if you think it could work &, if not, whether you have any clever MSE alternatives.

One of our rooms which we seldom use has a large inglenook fireplace. Luckily it still has the old bars in the chimney that were used to hang the pots from. As we don't use the room in the winter the chimney acts as a vacuum for heat loss.

I read the ideas for pillows in black bin bags but, for a chimney around 5'x3' I'd need to clear a store of pillows.
So, I wondered if I cut my old Super King Size duvet in half, wrapped it around 2 long rolls of chicken wire (to cope with the 5'ish length then covered each one in silage sheet (rather like thick black bin bag stuff but from a large sheet not a bag) & stuffed each roll up over the chimney bars that it might work?
In theory the chicken wire should give a little to make a closer fit to the stone inside the chimney & the air trapped inside each roll might help, if not completely get rid of, the draw of the draught.

What do you think? Worth a try?

bluebag

Itismehonest wrote: »

Phew. Just finished this thread of the Prep threads but still have from page 36 of first thread on to read. This may keep me busy all winter.

I have a cunning plan but wanted to run it by you good people to see if you think it could work &, if not, whether you have any clever MSE alternatives.

One of our rooms which we seldom use has a large inglenook fireplace. Luckily it still has the old bars in the chimney that were used to hang the pots from. As we don't use the room in the winter the chimney acts as a vacuum for heat loss.

I read the ideas for pillows in black bin bags but, for a chimney around 5'x3' I'd need to clear a store of pillows.
So, I wondered if I cut my old Super King Size duvet in half, wrapped it around 2 long rolls of chicken wire (to cope with the 5'ish length then covered each one in silage sheet (rather like thick black bin bag stuff but from a large sheet not a bag) & stuffed each roll up over the chimney bars that it might work?
In theory the chicken wire should give a little to make a closer fit to the stone inside the chimney & the air trapped inside each roll might help, if not completely get rid of, the draw of the draught.

What do you think? Worth a try?

Would it not be easier to use the duvet as a curtain over the whole front of the inglenook.

SuiDreams

Juts below 5 degrees here overnight/this morning and foggy, feels very wintry today, but know the weather can still get a lot worse, had heating on again this morning. Will sort outside tap at the weekend.

Baileys_Babe

At the weekend friends were having a clear out as they are downsizing and we were given a dehumidifier, which was on my dream winter prep list (the one with the things we would love to have if only the money allowed) I've put it in the spare room where we dry the laundry and the amount of water its collected is amazing. I have no idea how much water in 24 hours it is capable of but it is full after about 10 hours.

calicocat

bluebag wrote: »

Would it not be easier to use the duvet as a curtain over the whole front of the inglenook.

I was thinking this, or using a rug to do the same.