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February 2021...err...2022?

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  • DaBull

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    11   0   0
    Nov 19, 2021
    686
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    San Antonio, TX
    I am new to TX. I remember the occasional icy or flooded road, but Feb 2021 was nuts. Are there any preppers or handymen who can help me get reasonably ready for a 2022 repeat? I was thinking maybe group the advice by "preventing water damage", "safe home heating" and perhaps "non-grid power". I am not a handyman, so please talk to me like I am a moron when you write your responses. Not trying to be snarky here, but the whole point of this is for me to survive a deep freeze, so if you are not certain of the safety of a tool or strategy recommendation (I don't want to die of CO poisoning or electrocution) then please limit your contributions accordingly. As for background, my home is two story and is all electric (water heater and oven/stove)...no fireplace but I do have a propane grill in the backyard. Appreciate your help!
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    Younggun

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    6   0   0
    Jul 31, 2011
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    hill co.
    If you think you might need to cook in that gas grill make sure you have a new tank. With temps that low a partial tank may drop enough pressure to stop working.


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    Fishkiller

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    Jul 22, 2019
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    Frederickburg
    All electric house, means you might have NADA when the power goes out. You may want to look into a generator to power the heat so at least you can be warm. However I do not think that SA lost power during the 2021 freeze so you should be OK. Your electric car nay not be, :roflfunny:
     

    Bozz10mm

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    Georgetown
    For cooking without power, you should have a propane camp stove. 25 or so 1 lb. propane cyclinders for the stove.

    The Mr. Buddy heater claims to be indoor safe and also runs on 1 lb propane cylinders. I have a couple of those. Also have a 20 lb. tank of propane and a refillable 1 lb. tank that I can fill from the larger one.

    I just bought a 23,500 BTU kerosene heater and 15 gallons of kerosene. (Home Depot) Kerosene heaters are considered safe with proper ventilation. But don't leave it on while sleeping.

    You need plenty water on hand too, as that was a problem for a while when the water company pumps froze. Water not just for drinking and cooking, but also to flush toilets.

    Consider stocking some Mountain House freeze dried food along with canned goods. Maybe a case or two of MREs. Did I mention water? Lots of water.

    For lighting, a bunch of battery powered and rechargeable lanterns and flashlights will keep you from stumbling around in the dark. Coleman propane lanterns are not really recommend for indoor use, but you could probably get away with it if you leave a window cracked a couple inches.

    Also, you will need something for entertainment while the power is off. I bought a 14" battery powered TV that pulls in over-the-air signals pretty well. (Mostly for the wife, she was going stir crazy, lol)

    To help prevent or mitigate water damage, turn your cold water faucets on and let them run with a pencil lead thin stream. If you live in a house, wrap the outside faucets with some type of insulation.

    Other things to consider:

    Ice cream salt to melt the ice on the steps.
    An old fashioned coffee percolator for the stove
    Coleman stove lighters
    Lots of batteries for the lanterns and flashlights
    Heavy clothing and blankets
    Food for the pets
     
    Last edited:

    Axxe55

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    Dec 15, 2019
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    Lost in East Texas Elhart Texas
    Buy the largest generator that you can afford. Have plenty of fuel for the generator. Have some source of back-up water supply. Have plenty of food that won't spoil on hand. Be prepared to have to be isolated ad not able to travel for some time because road conditions are bad. Have plenty of heat.

    Don't panic.
     

    pronstar

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    Jul 2, 2017
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    Dallas
    OP here’s a good thread for info on generators



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    Army 1911

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    Mar 17, 2008
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    Dallas Texas or so
    If you have a propane grill, have an extra full tank. Remember if you just light one end burner, it is also an oven. There are catalytic heaters that are indoor safe. Have lots of extra blankets, Make a poncho out of one. I used an old army blanket for this. Good to wear inside or outside. Belt it with rope or bungee cords. I had 80 bottles of water, canned food, fresh food in the fridge, running water. Power was out for something like 3.5 days. House got down to 45 or so degrees.

    Here's another survival tip. Cut arm and neck holes in a black trash bag and wear between a sweater and coat. Kitchen trash bags work as a great pair of second socks. That's how my dad used to stay warm at December football games in KC.

    Go Chefs...I mean Chiefs!
     

    skfullgun

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    Oct 14, 2017
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    In the woods...
    Lots of good advice here.

    Do NOT try to use the propane grill indoors.

    I have several Mr.Buddy heaters, a 3600 watt inverter generator and at least 30 gallons of fuel. Electric space heaters (for use with the generator if I lose power or if the main furnace gives out). A propane cooking stove.

    Most of this has been said.

    One thing I ended up needing/using that is old school are the metal-caged, trouble lights and incandescent bulbs. In a pinch, you can remove the shade from a lamp with an incandescent bulb and use it as a heat source near water pipes that tend to freeze. Use the trouble light by hanging it off outdoor spigots. Fashion cardboard around the light so it holds the heat (like an Easy bake Oven). Only incandescent bulbs work for this as their energy is about 90% heat). This system goes a long way to keep your pipes from freezing.
     

    OutlawStar

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    4   0   0
    Sep 14, 2017
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    Anna
    Man I was just looking for a place to ask about the Mr. Buddy heaters. Seems like if a few people here recommend them they must be alright. I plan on using it to heat my garage (kinda) to work on my bike during the winter and have it as a backup if the power goes out and I just need to heat my bedroom as I'm not really in a position to buy a generator. I saw Mr. Buddy also has a hose kit to attach to a normal 20lb propane tank. Propane generally doesn't go bad in the little camping cylinders or even the 20lb cylinders does it? Even if it sits in a closet for 12 months?

    I've got a couple cans of propane/butane for my MSR pocket rocket to cook and heat water on, and 2 cases of bottled water along with canned, dried, and camping food. Its just me in the house, so I'll be just fine in the cold. hoping to be able to help others this time around.

    For OP, it really depends on your family situation; if its just you (like me) then you'll be fine with a small heat source, small room, blankets and winter clothing. If you've got 3 kids, a wife, 4 animals, and desperate neighbors, you may need a bit more in your tool kit to keep everyone sane. Heat source, more blankets, more bedding so everyone can sleep in the same room, card games or board games to occupy the kids, extra food, etc.

    The obvious stuff is have some spare batteries for flashlights because disaster usually gets worse at night. Have a lot of candles, even the $4 100 packs of tea lights are better than nothing. About 30 can actually heat a small room and it'll be like daylight inside. Be sure to have a bunch of matches and lighters. I wouldn't bother with firestarters since you can't reliably light a candle with it. Know in advance where your home's water shutoff valve is. It'll likely be frozen but with a wrench you might still be able to shut it off. If you lose electricity for days, like others said open the faucets to a slow trickle, shut off the water to the house if possible, and do your best to keep heat in the house. At a very minimum, open the doors to cabinets. I'd also advise to know where your wrenches and hand tools are so you're not in a blind panic trying to find them in a dark garage.

    Lastly, if you're in suburbia like me, just know that wood fireplace probably isn't great for heating the large living room, but at least its something. Wood is taking a premium this year, so $1 per log seems normal. Don't go crazy buying 4 tons of wood unless you're fine storing it out of the weather a little.
     

    Grumps21

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    Apr 28, 2021
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    Houston
    Well, I’ll offer this because it worked for me. I was without power for about 1.5 days. Not a big deal, we managed. The biggest issue was the frozen water pipes. City of Houston cut the water off because their pumps didnt have power so no way to have pressure for a steady drip at the faucets. I was fortunate to have lost water pressure about a day before my power was lost. The first indication was no water from faucets on the north wall. I turned off the water at the main and opened all faucets in the house both interior and outside to relieve the pressure in the line to allow for ice expansion and left them open. I did not have any burst pipes, but my neighbors and family did. Simply cutting the water supply does no good. You need to drain the lines as well. Got a 3500kw RV generator over the summer time because wife, and got wood for the fire place to hold us for a couple of days. Oh, and I revived my Coleman stove that hasn’t been used since 1998 and have fuel for about a weeks worth of use.
     

    Wulf202

    New Member
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    0   0   0
    Jul 5, 2021
    18
    11
    Canton tx
    So minor correction: Drip both hot and cold faucets, hot will actually freeze first. Open the doors on sink cabinets to let air flow.

    If you have a pier and beam or mobile, get underneath and insulate the pipes, if you have the funds a thermostatically operated heat tape is available from amazon for pretty cheap insurance, assuming you have power


    Read and understand your requirements from you homeowners insurance. Most of the claims from the freeze I worked had no coverage of pool equipment and many other items. Plan accordingly.

    One failure of Mr. buddy heaters I've had is that spiders love propane and clogged the pilot light. When my heat was out and it was cold I had to troubleshoot that issue. I solved it by holding a propane torch on the pilot orface for about 60 seconds.


    Observations from the claims I worked in DFW after the freeze, MANY reported that their plumber was completely out of fittings and was either getting creative on how to fix the hundreds of breaks or asking the homeowner to source parts becuase they couldn't afford the time to stand in line or drive to a store with their phone ringing off the hook. Having a selection of appropriate fittings to repair your own plumbing even if you're not capable would allow someone to do the work who was out of supplies. A little plumbing knowledge and a few tools and some fittings could get you water back up quickly.
     
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