Thread: Winter Water Pipes Question - Help a Southern Boy

Speaking from "Up North" who in the heck would run their water pipes in the attic.......

I have heard about people taking an only cold water shower in the summer because the "cold" water is hot.

Originally Posted by planeden

Thanks 32t,

NINE FEET? My main is under ground, but probably no more than a foot. I'm not going to clear the snow and measure though. And even then, it is just a metal or plastic cover over the hole. Nothing is insulated. Hell, it has finger holes in it, so it is probably full of ice/water/snow. But as a metaphor for the issues we have here. I have a jean jacket as my winter coat. I couldn't find it, so I just went with the next best thing, a thick flannel shirt. So, basically, I think that our city water system basically has a jean jacket.

My concern with the water heater was that if water was not going in, but I was dragging water out, then it would dry up. But, we stopped using hot water before the rest of the house lost all water.

We did finally get confirmation, though, that is our whole neighborhood is without water and not just frozen pipes. So, I suppose I was a little premature in my questions. But, got some good information for next time.

I know cats can handle extreme cold and hot better than we can. Their fur is actually insulating and keeps them both cool and warm. When I heard about that I put an ice cube on my cat one evening and it took 45 minutes before it melted enough to get him wet and he knocked it off. The control cube on the ground melted in minutes. I should post about Sam in the pets thread at some point because for a cat that I have only seen four or five times in four months, I really have quite an affection for it. It is an interesting little personality. But, I am pretty confident it is not in the water heater closet and have closed that up. I am not sure if it is in the garage, it stays well hidden, but I don't think the crack in the garage door is really an issue. Especially since we are warming up. Which it seems may be part of the city wide problem? Now that things are thawing we are getting too many leaks to maintain pressure? All that is way out of my expertise.

The tool I mentioned is around 9 feet and I think that my water is 7' or so but you need to be able to turn the handle!

How or can you siphon the water out of your heater?

My brother has a big dog he named Clifford. he is an outside dog. He lives in a big old Buick. The back door is left open.
He comes inside the house for a little loving once in a while but then he wants to go back outside!

Originally Posted by 32t

Speaking from "Up North" who in the heck would run their water pipes in the attic.......

I have heard about people taking an only cold water shower in the summer because the "cold" water is hot.

Ha, yeah, amazing how different life is. But come on, you can't shower in attic water. After a few minutes it cools off. But yeah, the opposite of waiting for the hot water to get to the tap, you do have to run the water a bit to get let it get cool when you want a drink.

Funny thing about Up North and Down South, I knew someone that had a roommate that grew up in Alaska. They fought all the time because Alaska would leave the thermostat on "heat" year round. A few years ago we had such a mild winter I only turned the heater on twice and had the air conditioner running the rest of the time.

Now we have one of them new fangled thermostats that you just tell the house what temperature you want and the thing just blows whatever air it needs to get to that temperature. It is so disconcerting when you just wake up to that burning dust smell the first time the heater comes on. When it was new I finally figured out what was going on when I was trying to find the fire and opened a small bathroom and felt the heat coming from the vent.

Do yall northerners get that smell or does your heater run enough that you don't get that much dust built up in your heater?

We should get another thread going with this!

It is a sign of fall to me when I fire up and test the furnace and get the smell yo are talking about.

I try to do it when it is still warm and the windows are open so the smell doesn't linger.

Originally Posted by 32t

The tool I mentioned is around 9 feet and I think that my water is 7' or so but you need to be able to turn the handle!

How or can you siphon the water out of your heater?

My brother has a big dog he named Clifford. he is an outside dog. He lives in a big old Buick. The back door is left open.
He comes inside the house for a little loving once in a while but then he wants to go back outside!

O, well, if it is only seven feet.... The guys here only have the tool so that I can't turn on the water myself. So, it is more like a key. For my side I just reach in and turn a handle like a hose bib.

I can hook up a water hose to a valve at the bottom of the heater and then undo the water intake or open a faucet to drain the hot water heater. Unless you wanted me to translate "dragging water out"; that just meant I was running hot water through the faucet in the house.

I don't remember why, but I was trying to remember "clifford" from that comic strip for a while now. Thanks. Sounds like Clifford has a fine life. When he is chatting up the ladies he can talk about having his own car. Not many dogs can say that.

I don't have AC in my house and since I have been off the night shift and not trying to sleep during the day the 5 or 6 days a year i would like it it isn't worth it to me.

I have those faucets that drain with the valve inside about afoot. Of course, you can have them at whatever length you need. But I still drain the pipes that go outside. It's easy and I don't have to worry about it. Got to do the sprinklers so I do the faucets too.

[QUOTE=planeden;1931671
I can hook up a water hose to a valve at the bottom of the heater and then undo the water intake or open a faucet to drain the hot water heater. Unless you wanted me to translate "dragging water out"; that just meant I was running hot water through the faucet in the house.

[/QUOTE]

Then you are draining your hot water heater. If you open your hot water faucet the heater is still full of water and shouldn't over heat because it is still full.

Same here.
Cook it out early in the season, before you shut the house up the season.

Its actually the rust and dust, burning off the burner plate inside your furnace.

Originally Posted by outback

Same here.
Cook it out early in the season, before you shut the house up the season.

Its actually the rust and dust, burning off the burner plate inside your furnace.

Thanks for backing me up and now I know I am not the only one!