Cold Snap
Originally uploaded by mikeysklar
It looks like we made it through the great cold snap of 2011. Nnormally don't have trouble with freezing temperatures but things got bad when we reached down into the negative numbers. We repaired three copper pipe breaks, in the process used five new compression fittings. I'm not certain, but our well pump is losing prime and I suspect that it cracked inside the casting which was full of ice.
We went for 3 days with no hot water and about 12 hours with no cold water. Even our rain water tanks were not accessible. But we got off easy on this one. Our neighbors have been telling us horror stories about how they have had no water for over five days. We also heard from multiple sources that northern New Mexico ran out of natural gas + rolling had blackouts and closed gas stations. Ultimately we did break the 120 year record making it down to -6F with windchill in the -20's.
5 comments:
Are you planing for an insulated tank and fittings for the next year?
The water tanks are insulated except for the fittings. We just need to pour hot water over them to use them.
Just wanted to say hi. Found your site today I am just an hour north in San Antonio Learned a lot from the deep freeze last week now that I understand the pump and storage tanks I am closer to converting the whole water system to solar, maybe this summer.
PS Use Rainbowrabbits@msn.com mostly
Hey Mikey,
I've been dealing with this one for years... last summer I redid the barn water manifold (where our pump and pressurizer tank are) and this year it made it through our -20 patch with no issues. I ended up wrapping the pressurizer tank in a hot water tank blanket with heating tape under it, and heating tape w pipe insulation for all of the other runs. You might not need anything this extreme... but the heating tape (w sensors) has very little draw, gives a little extra security so you don't have to defrost in freezing weather.
Btw, I saw the chest cooler - I think I'll try that one out as soon as I'm out of school. Have you looked at absorbtion cooling? I'm thinking of building a non-ammonia prototype this summer and then putting one in at a local organic meat farm (solar thermal for the heat, PV for pumping.)
Tim
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