Jimw wrote:
On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:17:02 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:

wrote in message
...
if you can't get a furnace to run and the outside temp is in the teens
or lower, what should you do? I'd guess the first thing is to shut off
the water main. Then do you have to open taps in the kitchen and
bathroom? Do you have to open every one a little?

Would all of that insure that pipes won't burst?
Water laying in the pipes will still freeze if the main is shut off. They
must be drained completely. Having flow through the pipes can prevent a
freeze. Still water will freeze first.

You should have access to a service company that offer 24/7 protection. Any
house can go 4 to 10 hours without a major freeze, but you do want someone
out asap. Backup propane, kero, or electric heat helps too. Turn ont he
gas range or electric oven.
Do NOT use a charcoal grill.



Everyone should have at least one electric heater, and a kero heater
is handy too, if the power goes out. Of course your first action
should be to call a furnace repair service. They are supposed to be
available 24/7. Of course if there is a disaster, you may not be able
to get any furnace repair people, or any other help, and if the power
is out, you are on your own. Thats why a kero heater (and several
days of fuel), are good to have.

When you shut off the water, you MUST drain all pipes and the water
heater, and get the water out of the toilet tank and bowl. Since you
cant get all water out of the toilet bowl, antifreeze is needed, so it
a good idea to always have a gallon of that on hand. (or remove the
toilet and flip it upsidedown).

Another thing would be a generator large enough to power a furnace or
electric heaters.

Some people have woodburners too (I do).

My elderly mother called me a few weeks ago during a cold spell, and
called me around 2am and told me she was really cold, adn the furnace
would not start. I explained to go turn up the thermostat and listen
for the fan. The furnace would not light. I told her to call a
furnace repair company. She insisted that they would not come during
the night, and wanted me to come. I live over 100 miles away, on a
farm, and I was snowed in. By the time I would dig out and drive
there, it would have been noon. I told her I'd call a furnace company
and hung up. I was thinking about calling the fire department in her
city, when all of a sudden I remembered that she has a built in wall
furnace in her basement. I used to live there, so I knew that. I
immediately called back and told her to go in the basement and turn up
the thermostat on the wall furnace, and stay down there until someone
comes to fix the furnace. PROBLEM SOLVED.

However, I knew she was upset, so I called the person who cares for
her, and they called her and then went over by her right after I
called.

It sounds to me like you could use a little education on survival
skills. They have books on that sort of thing at the library. When
you live on a farm like I do, you need to know all of them. I just
spent 6 days snowed in, with temps as low as MINUS 39. It was tough
on both me and the animals, but we all survived. I even went outside
unthawed my frozen sewer pipes at the peak of the cold spell (minus
39).

Dont take this wrong, everyone should know survival skills. City
people have it a little easier, because there is more help available,
but learn before you need it. And dont forget, most police and fire
departments will assist when things bad enough.

Jim

This may sound like an odd question but why would you "unthaw"
a sewer pipe? Did you use liquid nitrogen? Oops, I just looked
it up. It's seems that it's a common mangling of the language.
Sort of like "irregardless". *snicker*

TDD