Baby It Is Cold OutSide!

[58limited]

Dang it! Coldest weather in over a decade and the heater bro

Not only that, but it almost burned my house down. The blower went out and the gas continued to run. The thermal safety switch did not shut the system down. The heat damaged the A/C evaporator coil too. A wooden brace under the unit burned half way through. If I hadn't come home for lunch the house would probably have burned down.

Since I have to replace all of the attic unit, I'm having it moved. This way I can build in the attic and make another room sometime at a future date.

 

[launderess]

Close Call!

Good job you *did* go home for lunch! Or dear lord works in strange ways, but thank goodness He, karma or whatever stepped in.

There have been so many tragic circumstances recently due to the cold weather and heating problems. Fires, CO2 poisonings, and even "frozen to death" because of exposure to cold.

L.

 

[gizmo]

Summer here

We are preparing for bushfire season. I have been putting some quad moulding along the eaves lining, a little job I didn't get round to when building the house. It is covering a little gap where the eaves lining (USA - soffit lining???)meets the wall. We are being advised to seal gaps against ember attack - we live in a forested area which was NOT burned in last year's bushfires, but the fire authorities say we are probably next...I hope they are wrong but we are getting ready...

Chris.

 

[iheartmaytag]

It was 1 degree when I woke up this morn with a -17 wind chill. Praying to win the lotto so I can afford the gas bill.

 

[duetboy]

Propane

We did our duty and according to our Propane Company, "Call on Tuesday, Deliver on Thursday." When we got home from work last night we went out to the propane tank and we're at 16%--no gas delivery. We called this morning. It seems that the company is out--there is a propane shortage. When we asked when they would be getting more in the reply was "Don't know."

We're hoping the cold snap eases and so does the propane usage or we might be a little chilly in about the next 10 days!

duetboy
aka Jeff

 

[letim]

It's been so cold here lately - regularly below freezing. I was pleasantly surprised this morning when it was only 0°C (32°F), it felt almost warm!

It's just after 8pm now and already -1°C (30°F) outside... Not good!

 

[jeffg]

Jeff, don't mess around with this situation. Propane tank gauges aren't reliable once they drop below 10 or 15%.

If your usual propane supplier is out of stock, start calling other companies, and keep calling until you find one that has some -- at least enough to hold you over for a few weeks.

 

[Unimatic1140]

My current facebook status:

"Robert is enjoying the fact that snow flurries are forecasted today in Tampa, Orlando, Daytona Beach and even a bit further south on the Florida peninsula"

 

[58limited]

Good job you *did* go home for lunch! Or dear lord works in

Yes He does. I left town for New Years and forgot to turn on the heat. I came home to a 55F house but now I can't help but wonder if the heater would have broken while I was away and burned my house down.

I had to get a bank loan to pay for repairs (which start Monday, after the cold spell) but this turned out good: I had a collateral loan from 2004. I added onto the garage and re-roofed the house, as well as finished some smaller house related projects. The loan was paid off by about 2/3, but the monthly payment was high. The bank refinanced that loan, adding the amount for the heater replacement, and the new loan payment is over $200 less per month. So, this incident actually ended up lowering my monthly expenses. God does work in mysterious ways.

 

[mayguy]

duetboy

Jeff,

If you tank is getting low, DO NOT let your furnace run the tank empty otherwise, you are going to have a mess in the heat exchanger.

 

[whirlcool]

It was a fairly cold 17F this morning here in the north Houston area. No frozen pipes, the house kept fairly warm. Nut the furnace was running the majority of the time. One of the neighbors had their underground sprinkler bust a pipe where it exits the ground. Water everywhere on the lawn!

Safety Check

How many of you have a carbon monoxide sensor in your house? We got one a few years ago that has a digital readout. Fortunately, ours continues to read 0.

 

[launderess]

This really harsh winter couldn't come at a worse time for many in the USA. With so many unemployed, under-employed, credit, bank and investments accounts hurt by the recent financal crises, not to mention the "mortgage crisis", many persons are finding it hard to come up with funds to pay heating bills.

Seniors especially are hard hit as many are on fixed incomes, while they can be "house poor", and literally do not have funds to put oil in the tank. Gas bills are a different story as one can (hopefully), work something out, but oil companies normally won't deliver without cash or credit card.

States are lowering their requirements for heating assistance, and even before that there was record demand as many "middle class" homeowners simply have a choice to make; food on the table or heat.

 

[mayguy]

CO

Whirlcool,

We have 2 in our home.. By law we have to have them in our homes within 10' of the bedroom.

One is in the hall way (3 bedroom home), and one in the utility room where our gas fired furnace, water heater, and dryer are at.

 

[westie2]

CO

Have 2 in our home. One in the furnace and hot water heater room and one in the bedroom hallway.

 

[toggleswitch2]

By law in my state the gas company/utility may not cut off one's service during heating season (when the gas is used for heating) for non-apyment.

With fuel-oil and propane gas one pays to fill the tank BEFORE the product is used, with natural gas one pays afterwards.

 

[duetboy]

Propane

Unfortunately, out here in the boondocks, we're under contract with one company. No other company will fill another company's tank. We would have to enter into another contract (rent a tank) and then switch to that tank. It would be a mess. (And from what we are hearing, they are all in the same boat!)

According to the gas company, they will monitor our level and when we get really low, they will keep us at least up and running.

We've had a break in the weather which has helped out a lot! Yesterday was 59, today is 40 and the rest of the week should be in the 50's during the day. Lows at night will be high 20's to low 30's which will take a lot of stress off of the propane supply.

We've also invested in some of those oil filled radiator type electric heaters which, of course, will run up the electric bill, but for the time being, they ARE still delivering electricity to us!

Now if anyone has any information on flushing a transmission on a Ford 4400 industrial tractor, give me a holler!

Jeff

 

[toggleswitch2]

Can't you buy you own tank, and buy gas from whomever?

My sisters new house (10 9 years ago) came with a huge buried poropane tank that was "rented". However after 10 years of having to buy from that company, the tank tranfers to her ownership and she may buy fror whomever.

If I'd have to guess, the propane company starts brigning its rates back down to market in the 8th year to encourage her to stay with them in the 11th year.

I guesst the good thing abbut renting is that should there be a probelm, one can sue their butts off...after all, the tank is owned by, and theoretically maintaned by, THEM.

 

[toggleswitch2]

pipe.

I like her buried tank much better than some huge cylinders sitting next to the/a house.

Propane Tank Sizes, Dimensions, Selection and Use

Measurements and dimensions for different size propane tanks. Selecting the right size propane tank is important for all applications.

www.propane101.com

 

[duetboy]

Buried

Unfortunately, we have 2 tanks...one is buried and unused and the 2nd, we just moved there last March and had to start the leasing all over again as a new "renter".

They passed a law here in AR that propane tanks can't be buried any more. Probably as they eventually rust and leak/blow up if the homeowner's aren't careful.

Jeff

 

[toggleswitch2]

Interesting.

Leaking fuel-oil is consdiered toxic and is mildly radiocative in some cases. Buried tanks are no longer allowed in NY state.

Leaking gas (in the ground) IIRC in my state is considered safe. And I suppose in my sister's state of Pennsylvania as well.