Coping with extreme freezing weather

[Sherye Story Reader]

I have not seen the weather this bad in Texas ever in my 66 yrs. I have not had electricity in days until yesterday morning at 11:30 am so it has been on for 13 hours now. Had to stay with a neighbor till yesterday when the guys mom passed away and went to another neighbors house with my dog. I didn't want to be a burden to them during all of their grief. She had terminal cancer. My living room is about 65f (17c) in certain spots so staying in that spot with a heater on near me blowing heat at me. My pipes in both bathrooms are frozen but since I have been dripping my water to my kitchen sink then I at least have some water here. It has been below 0f (-17c). I think it got down to -3f (-19c). This is weird for Texas. They are doing rolling blackouts here but the town I live near hasn't had their power off. Only in the rural communities and small towns near. I guess they think that we are not that important as the town of 25,000 is more important than our small towns and rural communities. I forgot that I had the site on my phone or I would have got on it. Thought about it after I finally got some sleep. For 4 days I have had 3 hours and 45 minutes of sleep. I was getting a headache last night so I put my dog's bed, food bowl and water bowl in my bedroom and with the small heater on we both stayed warm with the door closed.

[chris191070]

Wow. Take care and Stay safe 

[Zombie]

56 minutes ago, Story Reader said:

My pipes in both bathrooms are frozen but since I have been dripping my water to my kitchen sink then I at least have some water here.

crazily some plumbing websites agree while others say the opposite. Personally, I would leave taps dripping too to relieve pressure buildup in the pipes but you’d think someone would have properly tested out the science to prove one or the other... 

 

[Sherye Story Reader]

Thanks @chris191070. @Zombie, I agree with you there. People say they are smart so why haven't they tried to come up with better plumbing materials. They actually need pipes that are insulated with a pipe inside for the water to go through. That way when you insulate your pipes again on the outside of them by wrapping them the they are double insulated. 

[BigBen]

Those temperatures sound more like New York or New England than Texas.  Stay as warm as you can.  I hope things warm up soon!

[Sherye Story Reader]

@BigBen, I will do my very best to stay warm. My problem is having to pay a high electric bill, and hoping that my hot water heater and pipes don't freeze. I am on Social Security with a small amount each month. Hoping we all get our stimulus checks soon.

[ReaderPaul]

I have seen lots of stories on The Weather Channel and some of the major news networks about bursting pipes in Texas.  In some cases the pipes are cracking as the expanding water freezes in the pipes, then when the water melts the water pressure bursts the pipes completely.  Sometimes pipes to homes burst because they are not buried deep enough in Texas when this very unusual cold happens and the temperatures stay down two or three days in a row.   Hope none of your pipes burst, @Story Reader.

[Sherye Story Reader]

9 hours ago, ReaderPaul said:

I have seen lots of stories on The Weather Channel and some of the major news networks about bursting pipes in Texas.  In some cases the pipes are cracking as the expanding water freezes in the pipes, then when the water melts the water pressure bursts the pipes completely.  Sometimes pipes to homes burst because they are not buried deep enough in Texas when this very unusual cold happens and the temperatures stay down two or three days in a row.   Hope none of your pipes burst, @Story Reader.

My bathrooms pipes are frozen and so is the pipes to my electric hot water heater. Just hope I don't have any pipes bust though. I do have cable and internet though finally. It came back on awhile ago

[Bill W]

I've seen news reports of houses flooding from bursting pipes, ice cicles hanging from a ceiling fan, and ceilings falling down from the burst pipes on the floor above.  It's awful.  I hope you can find somewhere safe to go for now.  

[Sherye Story Reader]

10 minutes ago, Bill W said:

I've seen news reports of houses flooding from bursting pipes, ice cicles hanging from a ceiling fan, and ceilings falling down from the burst pipes on the floor above.  It's awful.  I hope you can find somewhere safe to go for now.  

@Bill W, I have electricity back on. My pipes, if the bust, will be fixed either by a neighbor if my stepson is not here. I live in a mobile home so it is easy to get under it and fix them. My friend in another town that is an hour and a half away, had all the pipes in her apartment building bust and flooded the apartments. She is homeless until they get it fixed. She is alright though cause she is in another building with the others in the lobby. My nephew and his wife and newborn baby had to stay at his moms cause their power went out. They all live in the same town as my friend. I opened all the faucets a little it to take the pressure off the pipes when they start thawing out. Just hope I don't have any problems at all. That is what I am worried about. But I did have to stay at a neighbors but had to leave the day the power came back on cause the guy's mom passed away and they had to deal with that. I went to another neighbor and stayed until the power did come back on and I walked to my house next door. So I am fine. Thanks for worrying about me. You stay safe yourself.

[Dodger]

9 hours ago, Story Reader said:

My bathrooms pipes are frozen and so is the pipes to my electric hot water heater. Just hope I don't have any pipes bust though. I do have cable and internet though finally. It came back on awhile ago

If the pipes aren't buried deep enough in the ground they will freeze. Best to leave the taps on just a fraction. You're experiencing a Canadian type winter, but Texas isn't equipped for those conditions. The temperature up here can dip as low as -30c during the winter months, but it happens every year so the houses are well-insulated with double and sometimes triple glazing. A mobile home would offer little protection from the extreme cold, but there are steps you can take to help you stay warm.

Stay in one room. If there's a window then cover it with spare blankets, sheets, or whatever you have available. Move your bed away from any exterior walls or windows. Wear as many layers as you can, loose-fitting to allow air to circulate between the layers, and wear a hat (most important). You need to stay hydrated, so drink plenty of water and eat as many calories as possible.

You may think this is all pretty obvious, but it works and people often forget to do the simple things.

Good luck, I wish you well and hope you manage to get some sleep.