BIG MAC Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Clair...get some frost inhibitor injected in the system now...if you had then your rad would have been ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Some people seem to be really suffering, such as Clair. [:(]Down here on the Languedoc plain it is less harsh.Our Saturday morning market was rather sparsely attended by customers, but to their credit the stall holders, some of whom come down from much higher places in Hauts Cantons were all there.Lovely blue sky, spoiled by an iced tramontane. Was still able to get my cheese , fruit, fromage blanc battu (he has 12 cows) pain aux noix and pain aux raisins... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty Sam Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 [quote user="Frederick"] "Delicate bits wrapped up " What sort of kids we are we breeding these days ... tough or just plain daft Today outside my house minus 1.5 was a 14/15 year old girl in a tea shirt leggings and gloves bare arms of course chatting to two boys ..And the boys in these temperatures going to school never wear anything other than a school shirt their jackets are stuffed in their bags ..rain hail or snow . What is all that about ?[/quote]I think it's all about maintaining their 'Street Cred' and being 'Cool' (literally!)[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I have just returned from a bracing 10 mile walk around the Somme and its marais, the weather was just too good to work inside, cold, minus 5 but so sunny, I feel a lot better for it.On returning I got a texto with the good news that our planned plongée sous glace is on for tomorrow, I dont have a dry suit so I cant see me breaking my endurance record (1 hour at this site) on this one!I am struggling to heat this place above 14 degrees but just think how warm it is going to be when I return, shame I dont have a bath-tub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moriarty Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 cold here, no snow, but our lake has mostly frozen over part from one small corner. Very funny to watch the wild ducks come flying in and land on what they think is water, then go skidding off to the end. Should take a video and put it on 'You've Been Framed' and use the £250 to buy some more firewood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogs Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I had frozen pipes yesterday morning and spent most of the day trying to thaw them out, in the end I called our plumber who, after 2 hours, managed to defrost the pipes and so had a lovely hot bath last night. Said pipes were given extra insulation and coverings to try and stop it happening again.Got up this morning, went to fill the kettle and guess what, frozen pipes once again! I hope the thaw comes soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 [quote user="BIG MAC"]Clair...get some frost inhibitor injected in the system now...if you had then your rad would have been ok[/quote]Yes, Mr Clair will do that once he's replaced the radiator... [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I am worried that there may still be 'live' pipework to the rad which could perhaps also be affected hopefully the pipework is lagged if not may be an idea to wrap it (Carrier bags twisted then wound loosely can be a good temporary fix) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 No worries MAC.This rad is in the coldest area of the house and the other rads are fine.Mr Clair says the system is vented (my limited understanding is that that should there be any further frost, it would expand out of the blow rad rather than towards the (relatively) warmer side of the house.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 mogs we often had very cold winters in the alpes and we would leave a tap running gently all the time and apart from 1985, it worked and our pipes never froze again, even when it was down to -12 and lower. In 1985 our thermometer went down to almost -30 and our pipes froze, including the ones to our sceptic tank, that was fun for others defrosting it, well chain sawing it and cutting the frozen part out and replacing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 It's reached us at last, the snow!Started, according to OH, after 4 this morning and still falling. Good excuse to vegetate indoors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Got up this morning to a load of snow and then found the utility room flooded. The water was coming out of the washing machine due to the waste pipe outside being frozen. The water softener was merrily pumping water into the waste pipe and with nowhere to go it was back-filling the bloody washing machine.Lots of hot water and a bit of heat and I have finally got it running away, now all we have to do is get the humidifier in to dry the room out.Even worse our ordered supply of wood has not arrived for the third time of stated delivery and we are down to a couple of days supply. On with the central heating and watch the hyper-expensive oil disappear [:(]roll on spring [:D]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Bugs, do you wish you'd stayed in Barcelona?Only joking....glad you've sorted out the immediate problem.If it's any comfort, we have all our electric (![:-))]) heaters on full blast, also the 2 pôeles à pétrole. Better an empty bank account than dying from hypothermia, I guess!And so many people HAVE died, according to reports..............so sad ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 And in " the nice part of la vienne" the next time the max temp will nudge above zero is next sunday 12th feb.[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 [quote user="sweet 17"]Bugs, do you wish you'd stayed in Barcelona?[/quote]Yes, but I suppose that if we had I'd only be worrying about the house [:D]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I am very worried, we left the vents open in the house thinking it better to leave the house with some ventilation. [:'(]The house is in Dordogne so I know pipes and all sorts may be frozen. Can anyone tell me if the pipes are indeed frozen, I assume there wouldn't be floods until the water thaws?Edit: Sorry, I was very quick to post without reading the thread properly. So sorry Bugsy to read about your problem.[:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 [quote user="WJT"]The house is in Dordogne so I know pipes and all sorts may be frozen. Can anyone tell me if the pipes are indeed frozen, I assume there wouldn't be floods until the water thaws?[/quote]Just because pipes are frozen does not mean they are burst.I have frozen pipes in the house now - I can use the dishwasher but not the sink, shower or toilet downstairs.Unfortunately defrosting them means taking the insulation off - and they'll just freeze again overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 That is good news, but not for you if you want to use your dishwasher or sink though! Thanks for that I will keep my fingers crossed.I just have visions of the house being flooded and the worst of my visions is the iron rads upstairs being cracked ot the pipes burst with water pouring through the downstairs ceiling. The one we just had re-done that was like pulling teeth with artisans! [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Have you got anybody you can call who can access the mains supply tap NOW to turn it off . Mine is under a metal cover in the garden where the water counter is and a drain down tap on the property side of the counter as well . .........................You may have somthing similar . ? ........... If your pipes are frozen .... now is the time to get the mains flow stopped prior to flooding the place when it melts and stop any future problems with re freezing . . I do hope you have someone to able to go round and deal with this or is it off at the mains and just the water sitting in the house undrained down that may freeze up ? Good luck ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Hi Frederick, I had to step out and just saw your message. I did turn the main supply off, I am worried mostly about the cental heating pipes and the cast iton radiators. When we had the extension done the plumber fit and filled the rads before the windows were fitted by just a few days during Novemeber and there was a cold snap. On a Sunday one of the iron radiators cracked and flooded the new extension which was a nightmare. This is what I am mainly so worried about. [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 You poor people, its been positively balmy here in Finistère for the past week apart from two days when the wind was slightly cold. However never below 3°C here and its been sunshine and blue skies. Must admit the snow makes you feel all cosy shut up indoors but here in the sticks, its a nuisance as the roads are not cleared and there are hills to go up and down which makes using a car not a good idea. Perhaps those with frozen or burst pipes should think about a good lagging asap if not done and include your water meter as well if its not protected in a plastic box with the insulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 It's late fall and the Indians on a remote reservation in Oklahoma asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared. But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, 'Is the coming winter going to be cold?' 'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,' the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared. A week later, he called the National Weather Service again.. 'Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?' 'Yes,' the man at National Weather Service again replied, 'it's going to be a very cold winter.' The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find. Two weeks later, the chief called the National Weather Service again. 'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?' 'Absolutely,' the man replied. 'It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we've ever seen.' 'How can you be so sure?' the chief asked. The weatherman replied, 'The Indians are collecting a shitload of firewood' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Good one [:D]Take care on the roads - I set off for the market half an hour ago and had to come back because the brakes weren't holding - black ice.I might try again this pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 With the trend towards colder winter temperatures over the next decade or so, allegedly thanks to the current low cycle in sun spot activity, I would have thought those with maison secondaires in France have two choices when leaving their houses in winter. Firstly, to turn off their water supply and drain all the pipes, or more extravagantly if possible run the heating system whilst absent. Come to think of it, surely you should always turn off the water when away for a long period of time and not to do so could be argued by your insurers as contributory negligence?Maybe, some maison secondaires owners don't appreciate how low winter minimum temperatures in France can get, with even on the Med regular night time temps often well below freezing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 We always switch off and leave taps open to allow expansion. I fear this year that may not be enough as the Ballon is in the cave.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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