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Old December 28, 2017   #1561
bower
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Cold weather is a good time to check the batteries in one's carbon monoxide detector, whenever any sort of combustion heat is used, and smoke detectors too, I should add, for all of us.
Right... and the backup kit for power outages, we forgot about because fall was warm.

Carolyn, just a thought but, if you have a risk of running out of kero in a power outage, maybe you should use the electric backup and conserve kerosene until it gets delivered! Would not want you to be stuck there without heat in - of course!!! - the worst of weather.
The Monitor sounds like a good system, and does it work in power outage situation too? I wondered because of the computer and fans etc.

I have a wood furnace that can be made to work by convection if there's no power, although the heat is very uneven and depends on manually opening or closing the valves for each floor. It has to be monitored carefully to avoid overheating as well. I haven't used it for some time, and just noticed one of the chimney pots has rusted right through and looks like that flue is leaking with rainwater running down the inside... so now I'm afraid to use it until I can get the chimney checked.
I've been reading about backup heaters - and cooker! for my mom. There are some propane heaters rated for indoors but I really don't trust propane. Butane is safer and they have cooking burners that are rated for indoors as well. So leaning towards the butane option.
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Old December 28, 2017   #1562
carolyn137
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Right... and the backup kit for power outages, we forgot about because fall was warm.

Carolyn, just a thought but, if you have a risk of running out of kero in a power outage, maybe you should use the electric backup and conserve kerosene until it gets delivered! Would not want you to be stuck there without heat in - of course!!! - the worst of weather.
The Monitor sounds like a good system, and does it work in power outage situation too? I wondered because of the computer and fans etc.

I have a wood furnace that can be made to work by convection if there's no power, although the heat is very uneven and depends on manually opening or closing the valves for each floor. It has to be monitored carefully to avoid overheating as well. I haven't used it for some time, and just noticed one of the chimney pots has rusted right through and looks like that flue is leaking with rainwater running down the inside... so now I'm afraid to use it until I can get the chimney checked.
I've been reading about backup heaters - and cooker! for my mom. There are some propane heaters rated for indoors but I really don't trust propane. Butane is safer and they have cooking burners that are rated for indoors as well. So leaning towards the butane option.
No, the monitor needs power to run.

No power electric baseboad heaters do not work.

No,I can't get out to the front room to put logs in that wood Stove.

No, we've talked about a generator here, a lot, no can do with me living alone and dependent on a walker.

No propane here ever since a classmate of mine in elementery school, well, his parents were using propane for heat, there was a leak and the house blew up.Thankfully neither Peter nor his parents were home at the time.

So what is,is.

Still no kero delivery,I'll call tomorrow to see where things are at on delivery, but Julie said they were going all out trying to deliver fuel, they deliver both kero and heating oil, and I have no idea what the weekend looks like about how fast they can go,I know the two delivery men very well,and I'm sure they are exhausted.

Carolyn
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Old December 28, 2017   #1563
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Carolyn, I hope you and everyone affected by the potentially dangerous cold snap stays safe and warm.
Think happy thoughts of spring and tomaotes
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Old December 29, 2017   #1564
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cold here too. we have been hovering a little below or a little above zero for several days. we have had nearly 143 inches of snow fall to date. we are burning wood fast to keep the chill out. furnace hasn't kicked on yet. thermostat might be set at 55. the temp was at 56 this morning at 7am.
brrrrrrrrrr.



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Old December 29, 2017   #1565
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No, the monitor needs power to run.

No power electric baseboad heaters do not work.

No,I can't get out to the front room to put logs in that wood Stove.

No, we've talked about a generator here, a lot, no can do with me living alone and dependent on a walker.

No propane here ever since a classmate of mine in elementery school, well, his parents were using propane for heat, there was a leak and the house blew up.Thankfully neither Peter nor his parents were home at the time.

So what is,is.

Still no kero delivery,I'll call tomorrow to see where things are at on delivery, but Julie said they were going all out trying to deliver fuel, they deliver both kero and heating oil, and I have no idea what the weekend looks like about how fast they can go,I know the two delivery men very well,and I'm sure they are exhausted.

Carolyn
My brother is also afraid of propane for the same reason. He saw a house on his way to work that had blown up, and the wife did pass in the explosion. It was a less than 10 year old large nice home with a basement. This happened 2 years ago, and after that - he converted his house to all electric. They removed all the propane lines and everything.

I personally like having both propane and electric heat sources, but do fully understand why you and my brother don't want propane in your homes. However, you know I care about you and wish you had an alternate form of heating your home.
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Old December 29, 2017   #1566
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What ever you do dont ever get conned into using that cheap flex gas line in your house.
I cant believe they still use it after all the fires.
Not talking about the one from the wall to the appliance but the stuff they use for main runs inside walls and so on.
It is complicated but if lighting hits it and it goes to ground some place, which it will, it will make a small pin hole.
In almost every case it is because the house didn't have lightning rods from what I have heard.
Next a worker can put a small puncture in the line ((after)) the pressure test.
If it is a home owner doing it did they test it, not likely.
Next after it is installed the home owner may do it later doing something as simple as hanging a pictuer.
Been in fire protection for 27 years and I take my job seriously, too many dont.
This is something I stress to my co-workers all the time.
Peoples lives are at risk because we are there when everything else fails and the last line of defense.
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Old December 29, 2017   #1567
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Here's a summer time photo to cheer you guys who are in the cold blast areas.

Me and the kids swimming at our nearby river Christmas day.
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Last edited by Medbury Gardens; December 29, 2017 at 03:40 PM.
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Old December 29, 2017   #1568
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Update on my weather and situation.

I did call the fuel Co again this AM and Julie said my ticket was out for delivery, but she didn't know which driver, there are two,one has the truck with just heating oil , the other truck has both kero and oil.

It's now about 5 PM here,no delivery and I don't expect it.

My indoor outdoor unit here says 72F in and 4 F out, but it sure doesn't feel like it in here.

I simply cannot get warm.

How can I get mad when I know many others here are also having probloems, well,I can get mad.

I could try to get my walker out to the kitchen,go to the top of those stepst down and see if my Monitor is running or has any red lights.

But that makes no sense, even without red lights since I can't remember if it has a temp control which shuts it off,and when cooled down comes on again.

The base board electric heat was on in my bathroom this AM, but I've been there several times to check and nothing.

Freda couldn't make it here this AM since her truck wouldn't start so Martha came.And she and her husband had problems,yesterday with furnace,got Ed the plumber and he told her up front it would be $100 extra before doing anything.

I couldn't get the computer going until about maybe 11 AM today,who knows what tomorow will bring.

Sheesh,I sound so NOT cheerful,sorry about that.

Carolyn
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Old December 29, 2017   #1569
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Yayyy! Very cheery, Richard... I feel warmed. I spent 5 hours in the woods today, teaching a young man how to cut firewood and helped him fill up his truck. Not too bad out, but well, it was snowing. No swimming today.

Re: various gaseous fuels, when I was nine years old I was in the kitchen when the gas stove exploded. All my handlings of fuels have ever since been infused with intense caution.
I use a butane torch for metalwork, and I've gotten used to handling it, and consider it quite safe. I have used a propane torch too, and didn't get any comfort from that experience. Stinky, nasty, misbehaves if handled in certain ways (like tilting the torch) and you can't even store it in the house when not in use. No thanks. Also keep in mind, our houses are very well sealed here because it's so cold in winter... the carbon monoxide risk is hard to forget even supposing a heater is "rated" for indoors. Too easy for something to go wrong.
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Old December 29, 2017   #1570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by carolyn137 View Post
Update on my weather and situation.

I did call the fuel Co again this AM and Julie said my ticket was out for delivery, but she didn't know which driver, there are two,one has the truck with just heating oil , the other truck has both kero and oil.

It's now about 5 PM here,no delivery and I don't expect it.

My indoor outdoor unit here says 72F in and 4 F out, but it sure doesn't feel like it in here.

I simply cannot get warm.

How can I get mad when I know many others here are also having probloems, well,I can get mad.

I could try to get my walker out to the kitchen,go to the top of those stepst down and see if my Monitor is running or has any red lights.

But that makes no sense, even without red lights since I can't remember if it has a temp control which shuts it off,and when cooled down comes on again.

The base board electric heat was on in my bathroom this AM, but I've been there several times to check and nothing.

Freda couldn't make it here this AM since her truck wouldn't start so Martha came.And she and her husband had problems,yesterday with furnace,got Ed the plumber and he told her up front it would be $100 extra before doing anything.

I couldn't get the computer going until about maybe 11 AM today,who knows what tomorow will bring.

Sheesh,I sound so NOT cheerful,sorry about that.

Carolyn
So sorry to hear that Carolyn, but it is hard to sound cheerful when you can't get warm. The holidays are always the worst, so hard to get anything you need whether delivered or beating back the crowds in the shops.
The first blast of winter cold is often the worst as well. I myself find it hard to get warm. When night falls so does the temperature - that's in a HEATED house with no fuel shortage and I joke to myself "it's vest o'clock" and I put my big vest on to try to keep my core warm. And if that doesn't work some nights I shake my head and say " it's Parka o'clock" !!! And yes, I have put my parka on and huddled in the parka watching a show or reading the internet. No shame. So pile on the warmest clothes you have, until you are able to get comfortable. It's all we can do sometimes.
And the worst of that is, the more vests, coats, sweaters and blankets you wrap around yourself, the harder it is to move or do any normal things, even eating. So do be extra careful when you're bundled up. Fingers crossed you will not run out of kero, and the delivery man will be there first thing tomorrow morning!! As nothing ever happens on New Years Eve.
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Old December 30, 2017   #1571
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Something that I have noticed for years that happens before a cold front comes through is that it (usually - but not always) gets warmer the day before the cold front arrives here. Right now for example - it feels warmer tonight than it did all day. I had to wear a winter coat for most of the day, but tonight, you could go outside in shorts and a T shirt. I had to turn off the heater and turn on fans.

The forecast is for a cold front to come through tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) and bring with it the coldest temperatures by far this winter.
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Old December 30, 2017   #1572
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I have a raised bed with mustard greens, mizuna, kale, and brassicas. A hard freeze (no precipitation) is coming through on Monday/Tuesday, should I cut the leaves on the greens before the freeze or will that "traumatize" them?
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Old December 30, 2017   #1573
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Extreme Cold Warning in effect for my area in Southern Ontario.

They are calling for -23 C / -9 F tonight. Average low is -8 C / 16.9 F.
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Old December 30, 2017   #1574
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started off the day yesterday with sunshine, and blue sky, nice and bright for a change.

it didn't last. it started snowing in the afternoon. we ended up getting about 8 inches of snow by morning. drive into work today was slow due to blowing snow causing poor visibility. the wiper stopped working on the tractor cab, so we will try rainex until we can get the thing fixed. gonna be a temporary pain.
still cold. single digit temps.

snow mobilers are flocking to town. good skiing too.


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Old December 30, 2017   #1575
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Tomorrow into Monday will be a record low for Omaha -23F tomorrow night. Wind chill to - 40F below. The outdoor ice skating rinks and the one regional ski facility are both closed tomorrow due to the dangerous chill. The annual fireworks show downtown postponed.

About an inch of snow on grassy surfaces keeping temps down all next week. Hopefully acting as an insulator for the perennials but I'm getting some seeds ready ...

Saw on TV that people still going out to expensive restaurants tomorrow and wearing dresses. No wonder things are such a mess.

- Lisa
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