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Frozen Texas

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  • #1

    Frozen Texas

    Texas appears to be in a bad way. Water treatment plants are going off line so residents have to boil their water..... if they actually have water arriving through their frozen pipes. I have no idea what depth building code says is the frost line in Texas, but there is a chance it's not deep enough to deal with the current freeze. They're already looking at a a huge amount of infrastructure damage. Tim Kennedy put out a video saying that there is a chance the state's entire power grid could go down and take a long time to get back up. Based on how the northeast blackout went in 2003, I'm surprised Texas hasn't already had a cascade effect take down their entire grid.

    Some pretty crazy pictures:

    https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/pict...f=bftwbuzzfeed

    If anyone has any plumbing projects they were planning on doing, you should probably head to the store and buy your supplies now. Give it a few weeks and everyone is going to be moving plumbing inventory to Texas. I'm guessing toilets don't hold up very well to the water in them freezing solid. Add in all the other pipes and fixtures......

    Edit: According to google, it appears a lot of Texas counties have a frost line of 12". Guessing that's not going to cut it for this freeze.
    Last edited by WARFAB; 02-18-2021, 09:40 AM. Reason: added content
    https://psynq.com/

    Praying things get better.
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  • #2
    Originally posted by WARFAB View Post
    .. I have no idea what depth building code says is the frost line in Texas, but there is a chance it's not deep enough to deal with the current freeze.
    looking at the building code it's 12" unless the local codes say it's deeper.
    https://up.codes/viewer/texas/irc-20...table_R301.2-1

    Last edited by big flash; 02-18-2021, 10:38 AM.
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    • big flash
      #2.1
      big flash commented
      02-18-2021, 10:38 AM
      Editing a comment
      and now it seems like you've updated your post with basically the same info, that's what happens when i start a post then get distracted looking into the codes of other areas LOLOL
  • #3
    Originally posted by WARFAB View Post

    If anyone has any plumbing projects they were planning on doing, you should probably head to the store and buy your supplies now. Give it a few weeks and everyone is going to be moving plumbing inventory to Texas. I'm guessing toilets don't hold up very well to the water in them freezing solid. Add in all the other pipes and fixtures......
    this is probably pretty good advice!

    i'm seeing people i follow on social media that are in texas having all kinds of problems. and none are insignificant. they all really should have probably "winterized" their systems as best as they could have with air compressors and anti-freeze.

    really a wake up call for a bunch of people to prep, having water stored, having alternative methods of heating/cooking, etc...

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    • #4
      Don't forget to fill up gas tanks as well. Gas prices will probably keep going up now too.
      www.AvidArms.com I'm STIHL out of conditioner!!
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      • WARFAB
        #4.1
        WARFAB commented
        02-18-2021, 11:36 AM
        Editing a comment
        No joke. I read that this cold weather in Texas has taken 40% off the US crude production offline. No idea how long that will take to ripple through the system.
    • #5
      Originally posted by big flash View Post
      i'm seeing people i follow on social media that are in texas having all kinds of problems. and none are insignificant. they all really should have probably "winterized" their systems as best as they could have with air compressors and anti-freeze.
      Back a few years ago when we had those crazy 80mph winds that knocked out power and then the temp dropped, I helped a friend drain all the plumbing in his house since he didn't have a generator and was taking his kids out of town until power came back. No idea how many people would think to do such a thing in Texas, but basements aren't nearly as common in those areas. Guessing it would be a lot more work and compressed air would be the only way to really do it.
      https://psynq.com/

      Praying things get better.
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      • #6
        Got friends in Louisiana, they had to wrap their pipes (water supply pipes, etc. enter houses above ground). San Antonio TX water plants use electric pumps but there was no forethought to having back-up generators....rolling blackouts are killing them. they're kinda f ucked down there......
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        • #7
          Originally posted by WARFAB View Post

          Back a few years ago when we had those crazy 80mph winds that knocked out power and then the temp dropped, I helped a friend drain all the plumbing in his house since he didn't have a generator and was taking his kids out of town until power came back. No idea how many people would think to do such a thing in Texas, but basements aren't nearly as common in those areas. Guessing it would be a lot more work and compressed air would be the only way to really do it.
          yeah another way i did it that same storm is i kept faucets dripping water constantly so the water was constantly moving. but i also was able to run some heat in the house (propane big buddy heater) to try and keep the house from getting below freezing. it worked, we were out 3 days then if i remember right and I didn't have a generator. i finally stole one of my father-in-laws gennies and literally as i was driving home with it the power came back on at home LOL.
          but you and your friend definitely did the right thing since they were basically abandoning the house in that weather, drain everything you can. RV antifreeze can go along way too where you can't drain, I know those guys that have cabins are good at winterizing, I haven't had to do too much of it myself. i blow the pex lines out under my deck every fall with a compressor though.

          ETA: these things are awesome for blowing out lines FYI:
          https://www.amazon.com/Winterize-Spr...s%2C183&sr=8-3
          Last edited by big flash; 02-18-2021, 02:11 PM.
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          • #8
            Originally posted by thughes View Post
            Got friends in Louisiana, they had to wrap their pipes (water supply pipes, etc. enter houses above ground). San Antonio TX water plants use electric pumps but there was no forethought to having back-up generators....rolling blackouts are killing them. they're kinda f ucked down there......
            yeah i imagine San Antonio is just inland enough too they probably don't have to worry about hurricanes as bad as the coast right? at least those used to preparing for hurricanes should have some things prep'd i'd hope.

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            • #9
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