Possible rolling blackouts

Allen

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I believe some of the problems with the water lines comes from they often build a house on slab, and then run the water line up to the side of the house and the water line enters the house through the wall on the first floor, not through the basement like we do in ND.
 


Fritz the Cat

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I believe some of the problems with the water lines comes from they often build a house on slab, and then run the water line up to the side of the house and the water line enters the house through the wall on the first floor, not through the basement like we do in ND.

A one story ranch style house is built on a slab but we in northern climates bring the water main into the utility room in the middle of the home. Black plastic underground water pipe is amazing stuff. It will expand before it ruptures from freezing. Generally.

Once that black plastic pipe or watermain comes up out of the foundation there should be a valve on it. If there isn't...why in the hell not?
 

Allen

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A one story ranch style house is built on a slab but we in northern climates bring the water main into the utility room in the middle of the home. Black plastic underground water pipe is amazing stuff. It will expand before it ruptures from freezing. Generally.

Once that black plastic pipe or watermain comes up out of the foundation there should be a valve on it. If there isn't...why in the hell not?

If the water line comes up on the outside of the house, there is probably a valve right before it enters the house. I am guessing that's where the problem lies, the valve is not below grade. Thus it freezes and breaks.

There is probably also a curbstop somewhere between the house and the water main, which is below grade. But as noted above, who (but me) actually has the tool to reach down and shut off that valve? The city does, but you would have to call and have them come out to turn off the water. I'd hazard a guess they've been quite busy doing just that. But that only stops the leak, it doesn't prevent it.
 

sl1000794

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Where the water line enters the house above grade there is always a shut off valve and above the shut off there is a hose bibb valve that you can use to drain the line entering the house. Then insulate the riser as best you can, open all faucets, pour anti-freeze in all traps and hope for power ASAP!
 

Fritz the Cat

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My daughter told me there are thousands of tik tok video's. She sent me one of an apartment with the front door open and water pouring out of the second story ceiling unto the first floor and then running out the door.

I see stupid people.
 


fireone

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Yep. Texas went through this same freeze in the late '60s, late '90s, 2011, and now. It isn't red or blue or renewables, it is apparently the result they want or they would change their behavior. A couple months ago Texas was talking about seceding from the USA. But I see they went running to the Feds for disaster money. They do things better than everybody else until they need help. Go figure.
 

riverview

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pretty sure i would have drained my water lines before they froze,
 

sl1000794

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pretty sure i would have drained my water lines before they froze,

If you have never drained your house water lines (you cannot drain​ them, you must blow the water out to a low point) be careful what you think you can do. It only takes a small low spot in the lines that will freeze and split the copper pipe for you have a leak to fix when the power/water is turned back on. Ask me how I know.
 

riverview

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If you have never drained your house water lines (you cannot drain​ them, you must blow the water out to a low point) be careful what you think you can do. It only takes a small low spot in the lines that will freeze and split the copper pipe for you have a leak to fix when the power/water is turned back on. Ask me how I know.

Don't have to ask you how you know. The houses I own I plumbed and are made to winterize. and they would have been better off with one low spot frozen instead of the whole frikken house.
 

sl1000794

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Don't have to ask you how you know. The houses I own I plumbed and are made to winterize. and they would have been better off with one low spot frozen instead of the whole frikken house.

Not sure what you are saying here. If you plumbed your houses to drain you can drain them. Commercially built homes in subdivisions are not built to drain. Do you disagree.

ps: For all you non construction people ALL waste/sanitary lines drain to the street from the fixture's p-traps.
 
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Allen

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ps: For all you non construction people ALL waste/sanitary lines drain to the street from the fixture's p-traps.


You really thought there are enough users of NDA who didn't know "a city home's sewage ended up in the city's sewer mains" to warrant this PSA?
 

sl1000794

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You really thought there are enough users of NDA who didn't know "a city home's sewage ended up in the city's sewer mains" to warrant this PSA?

Not really - it was more to educate people that the only liquid in their home waste lines was in the fixtures (sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, floor drains, washing machines) traps so that they realized if the temps in their homes got below freezing they needed to winterize the "pee" traps (pour in antifreeze) in the fixtures in their homes and then NOT use the fixture unless they put antifreeze in the trap again.

We went back to our Metigoshe cabin this fall after it had been winterized and I had to emphasized to the wife that NO LIQUID could be put in any the fixture. (She had to pee in a bucket and we dumped it out side.) Not sure that people realized the entirety of winterizing a home without heat.
 

Traxion

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As more of more and this comes out, it is amazing that anywhere in the USA could really have this happen. The regional Texas special power grid is an utter failure. They had no ability to get help from other grids due to their Texas is center of the world approach. Both renewables and standard power generation failed. Relying on renewables for power with a razor thing power/demand ratio is not intelligent, and they figured it out the hard way. How in the world can power generation facilities not be able to produce in the cold? It is amazing that from the point of gas supply to the power generation facilities there were massive failures due to no winterization. They have had this issue before and were warned that more needed to be done. What is the saying, your lack of planning does not make an emergency on my end? I have empathy for the end customers as they paid the price (and some outrageous prices due to the FUBAR TX power system). But I have no sympathy for the producers. We just went through -30 temps and highs not above zero and there weren't any power issues here. Anyone know the cost of power here vs. there? If they're getting by without the winter ready generation equipment (cost was stated as a factor why they don't), they better be paying less than we do.

To touch on the plumbing, from what I've read a huge percentage of the water line issues are due to attic mounted water heaters. I've never been there to see, but it sounds like the large majority of the slabs are done this way. Add in poor water line routing at entrance as Allen stated and a 16" bury depth and the cold has caused a mess. My bet is there will be significant code changes after this episode. But, for the stuff built this way it can and will happen again. There is little worse than water damage to deal with in a home, especially in a warm/humid climate....mold will be coming soon.
 

lunkerslayer

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U58U9gEb.jpeg
 

snow1

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With all the major storms along the east coast resulting in massive blackouts,news showed a hiway helper pulling a large portable gasoline generator on wheels to charge up a stranded EV motorist....
 


riverview

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I have serviced a few generac whole home propane gen sets. Pretty slick unit they start on there own every week only issue i have seen is flys plugging up the propane regulator.
 

Wags2.0

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I have serviced a few generac whole home propane gen sets. Pretty slick unit they start on there own every week only issue i have seen is flys plugging up the propane regulator.

They run once a week to "exercise"
 

Skeeter

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I have serviced a few generac whole home propane gen sets. Pretty slick unit they start on there own every week only issue i have seen is flys plugging up the propane regulator.
What other brands are you familiar with? Generac seems to be the most common home generator.
 


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