Correction - DFW Reached 3 degrees in 1989. Seems you might beat that this year.

I’ve never seen that in Texas, only up in the Midwest. All my DFW homes used freeze proof sillcocks where the actual valve is buried deep in the wall of the home. Just don’t leave a hose connected all winter. Learned that one the hard way.

https://www.levcocare.com/2013/01/10/frost-proof-faucets-wk-2-2013/

Never seen an inside shut off for an out side drain. That is an idea to install on and put a cover over it. Need to figure out how to hide it or disguise it.

I did manage to score a small 1600w gas generator. So at least I can run the fridge, a light or two and a space heater should the power go out.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Hose bis are supply lines, not drains. I never saw an exterior bib without an interior shut off, even for the thru wall types. Anyway running a space heater on that tiny generator is a fools game. If you have a gas furnace then operate that with the generator.

It's below freezing outside and you're worried about running the fridge? Leave the doors closed if the power goes out, you've got a good 24 hours before having to really worry about things. If it gets to that point, just take it outside and open the doors!


Interior shutoffs for outside faucets are NOT a thing in our part of the world. Weather like this is a "once a decade" type event for us, our houses are not built for continuous sub-freezing temps or the ability to "winterize" since we typically only reach freezing temps at night or for short stints.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gas furnace and air handler are hard wired. No way to hook up a generator. I have no idea what a hose bis is or how/where a valve would be. Perhaps it's a regional thing. I do not think what you are referring to is something done down here.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Fridge Is in th middle of the house...not moving it outside. Should power go.out, we will live in the family room. A space heater or two, a light and the fridge...if I can get power to the router at the end of the house I will hook up the tv as well.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

poor spelling of hose bibb. Apparently my b key is failing.

Just energize your house (or at least the half of your box with the furnace on it), and turn off everything you can't run.


Your tiny 1600 watts is not enough for space heaters. And probably not 240v to energize your entire service box.

But it would also require that you flip off the main breaker and not be sending power to the grid and not have that grid come back and melt your generator when it is restored.

1600 watts may not be enough to start the furnace motors.

We have a 1500w small generator that has been used a couple times in emergencies. My main concern was the sump pump as we tend to lose power during heavy storms. 1500w is enough to power it no problem (I think its 2000 peak? which is needed for pump kick on), along with a couple small appliances. Sump pump is unlikely to be a problem in the winter, so we also have made sure it can run a space heater. We just run a heavy duty extension cord (12ga) in and plug in from there.

I would only worry about burst pipes if you are truly out for a few days and are also well below freezing and/or if you have very exposed pipes. Anything in the ground or under the house won't be at super high risk, and as others have said leave a faucet very lightly running to keep the water moving.

__________________
TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

On New Years Eve of (I think) 1979, i.e., Dec. 31st, 1979, Texas got hit with an ice storm that hit while a lot of people were inside celebrating. When they came out, after a bit of drinking, there was about two inches of ice on the ground. There were a lot of accidents.

I was in Houston and driving back to Dallas. It was usually a five hour trip at the 55 mph then. It took 15 hours.

Here in central Nebraska it was - 23 last night. It should be -17 tonight. With 14 inches of snow on the ground.

Wow ~ that's an incredible display of arrogance and stupidity .

The news showed some nasty pix of this storm, we got an E-Mail picture from the folks still back in Oklahoma City, it's brutal .

I hope everyone is doing O.K. .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Some perspective on the Fort Worth pile-up....

This took place, roughly, south of the intersection of I-35 west and 28th street. This section of town is known as Diamond Hill and the interstate is on the eastern edge of this hill which has a nice view of downtown.

North of 28th, which is a major street, I-35 sort of twists and turns slightly. It is straight north of there, then comes into the slight curves, and then south of 28th opens up as it is crossing the Trinity River valley. This is where people put the hammer down.

And this is where the accident happened.

So in the end I think it will be a combination of black ice and the citizens of Fort Worth driving like they always do through that section. It was not the driving, unless you consider they were driving too fast for the conditions. It was the black ice that caught everyone by surprise.

It was clearly driving too fast for conditions .

I grew up in hilly snow country and yes, the black ice is deadly, that's why most folks not in TEXAS slow down in it...

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better