Cold weather things. (please add).

Submitted by the_wookie_of_maine t3_10q115z in Maine

Check on your neighbors....Today go door to door let them know you are here and setup some check ins over the next few days to make sure you are safe and they are safe/warm. You may need their car to start in the morning (or vise versa)

Speaking of cars, back them in, if possible and face the battery away from the wind. You are most likely going to need a jump in the extreme cold how to jump a car youtube here's a how to jump a car (You should watch, and learn today instead of tomorrow). Having easy access to the front of the car to jump will make a miserable day easier. Find out where your jump points are while it's warm... when it's cold it's a pain in the neck.

There is a myth you need to run your car a few mins before driving around, [no, you don't].(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEaYKmxk_yc) Will you wreck your car if you let it idle this week, probably not. If you idle the car you are either sitting in the cold car, or you have been in and out of your home more than needed letting heat escape.

Worried about freezing pipes, if your home is new, it SHOULD not be an issue. Older homes, find the coldest faucet(s) and start a slow trickle over the extreme cold.

In your coldest rooms, unless drained, you do need to make sure you have some heat going through, you don't want freezing pipes. Set them to 45/50.

Locate your water isolation valves before the cold, and know how to turn off a heat zone in case a pipe bursts. You should cycle them soon to make sure they are working.

If you do have frozen pipes, and you have access try to unfreeze them with a hairdryer, and let them slowly run when thawed.

For those with Cable (not just Spectrum); there is a strong chance you will have a service interruption, there are two types of metal in the lines out on the poles, the inside conductor contracts at a different rate when compared to the outside layer, this leads to something called Environmental Pull Out (or the more fun name, Suck out) where the center stinger gets sucked out of connections causing the service to stop working. Call and let them know if you go down, and save some videos in anticipation of it going out.

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Comments

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Mainah888 t1_j6nj7dc wrote

People also need to be aware, that while 'wind chill' doesn't affect inanimate objects, it can affect what freezes and what doesn't.

Strong winds can force colder air into places the deep cold wouldn't normally reach.

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LibraryMatt t1_j6owi6w wrote

If you live alone be very cognizant of your keys and take them with you even if you are only going outside to shovel or take the trash or something. The last thing you want is to lock yourself out of your house in this weather. Maybe have a hidden spare somewhere that won't be buried by snow

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theresec t1_j6o7z8f wrote

>Worried about freezing pipes

If you have bathroom or kitchen sink on an exterior wall, you can also open the cabinets to let in more warm air and prevent freezing.

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derpmcperpenstein t1_j6nkc4y wrote

Leave you cold water running slowly when we are at -20 if your house isn't well insulated.

Beats burst pipes

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ram1176 t1_j6nw5hl wrote

And if you have cats, they might enjoy fresh running water ;-)

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pdevo t1_j6oq168 wrote

Niagara Falls freezes in the winter. Personally, I don’t think a slow drip of water coming out of your pipes is going to help anything.

I installed an interior ball shutoff valve for an exterior hose bibb today. Not sure why there wasn’t one already.

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NipDrunkChipmunk t1_j6ovucw wrote

If your pipes freeze, you want the water to be dripping so pressure doesn't build up and cause the pipes to burst. Frozen pipes are a hassle, cracked pipes and a flood are a nightmare.

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mymaineaccount46 t1_j6orlak wrote

Gonna be real cold. Stock up on any emergency items you need now. Particularly anything heat related, wood, kerosene etc. Better to be prepared than stuck scrambling in -20 weather.

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RelationshipBig2798 t1_j6n7w69 wrote

We endure cold temps in maine every winter every year. Including last year and the year before. Nothing new. Nothing to fret about. Stop fear mongering. Common sense will prevail.

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Guygan t1_j6nafb4 wrote

We haven’t had temps as cold as predicted in about 5 years. There are plenty of folks here who’ve never had to deal with these temps.

Let people spread good advice and good vibes, pls.

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RelationshipBig2798 t1_j6nbtj7 wrote

Bs last year was the coldest since 2009. It will be no different for this weekend's short cold front that will come and go. Another nothing burger. It's cold every year. Nothing new and definitely nothing strange about it.

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Armigine t1_j6nsc5d wrote

They didn't say there was anything new or strange about it. There will still be people who die, there will be some people who don't know some important cold preparation steps. Nothing wrong with sharing tips, they aren't saying the sky is falling.

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DidDunMegasploded t1_j6osgsw wrote

Citation needed.

What's so wrong with passing along good advice to people? Not everyone has been here for 20+ years.

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BeardedBaxterholic t1_j6oiyc6 wrote

Oh for crying outloud, I've read some lame comments on reddit but this one takes the cake. Fear Mongering? Against who? Against what? For what gain? Safety? Well being of your neighbors and homes? Take your crappy attitude and go find something positive to do. Your comment could not become any stupider.

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ecco-domenica t1_j6no367 wrote

Just like driving in the first snow, the first cold snap takes everyone by surprise. We get out of practice and it helps even the experienced to be reminded of all the big and little things that can affect us in the next few days.

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pm_me_ur_cutie_booty t1_j6p706h wrote

Hi, I'm from Oklahoma living in Maine. I find this stuff helpful.

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RelationshipBig2798 t1_j6p7t30 wrote

I'm sure alot of simple things help you. Have you knocked on your neighbors door and made sure their okay?

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