FFFFFFFF...Hell it's cold

[pidgeon chit welder]

Just been out and done a D&C on the car inside and out . The engine started like a dream even though I didn't use heater plugs ( well it turned and fired straight away no pause for heater plug action), thank you Mr Kia Sedona.

What did come as a shock was that the screen washer is frozen solid even though it is neat Halfords winter screen wash , goodness knows what the temp dropped to overnight .
Yes I checked the level for I want to go out later today thats when I noticed it was frozen solid

The spare top up half gallon in a container inside the car is very thick slush , this was situated in the rear of the car but the bottle of spring water ( Yea I know I'm a poseur ) in the front by the hand brake was not frozen.

Any body know a decent low temp screen wash brand.

I don't want to put methylated spirit in it for there is a tendency for the meths to ruin the wiper blades and non return valve seats on the jets

 

[Shox Dr]

Cheap vodka, when my bother in law was stationed somewhere in Germany the Vodka was cheaper than the s/wash and better

 

[Omniata]

Either that or de-icer out of an aerosol can...

Isopropyl alcohol should be fine

 

[English Lad]

We spray the windows of the car with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. It stops frost etc from sticking and makes it easier to clear.

Bloody pipes have frozen today and burst the mains to the house so now we are without water as well

 

[KTMMICK]

At least it burst outside the house didn't it!

 

[Shox Dr]

Pies you say, what comes out the taps Gravy

 

[English Lad]

There you go its that cold my brain is freezing up, spelling corrected lol

 

[Sam]

We spray the windows of the car with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water.

You end up smelling loke a chipshop attendant tho!

 

[matt1978]

I have been without Central heating or hot water since last Tuesday!

The boiler is still under warranty, initially the service was great as they had a engineer out within 24 hrs and he diagnosed that it was the pump that needed replacing............However the part hasn't yet been replaced because they are waiting for a pump to be sent out from the boiler manufacturer!

Shocking. How can the firm who do all the repairs, not have these pumps in stock themselves and why dont their engineers have atleast 1 or 2 in their vans and why has is taken the boiler manufacturer so long to get 1 dispatched?? Its because it broke down in the week between Xmas and New year and no one working around that time a year there gives a fcuk.

Hopefully the part is being dispatched today but I didnt realise what a pain it would be to be without heating and hot water for a week, esp with a 14 week old baby boy!!

I dread to think what my Gas and Electric bills will be with all the oil filled rads and gas fire has been on pretty much permantly..........you even have to boil the kettle 4 times just to do the washing up

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Either that or de-icer out of an aerosol can...

Isopropyl alcohol should be fine

Screen wash fluid Timothy, Screen wash .. Do pay attention LOL

I need screen wash that won't freeze because it's a wee bit mucky driving on the motorway & it is also illegal not to have working screenwashers if fitted , not to mention bleeding down right dangerous .


PS
It is still frozen even though I've has a fan heater on warm playing over it all day , the jets & pipes have thawed but the tank is rock solid.

Thank goodness the engine antifreeze is still liquid at -19 oC ( just checked the deep freezer test sample)

 

[the snooper]

ive got the correct screenwash in and its frozen.
what a good winter we are having this year

 

[zzr1200]

I have been without Central heating or hot water since last Tuesday!

How can the firm who do all the repairs, not have these pumps in stock themselves and why dont their engineers have atleast 1 or 2 in their vans and why has is taken the boiler manufacturer so long to get 1 dispatched?? Its because it broke down in the week between Xmas and New year and no one working around that time a year there gives a fcuk.

QUOTE]

It been around for years now in stock control terms, generally works until a holiday/shut down period, its called.........."Just In Time"........

 

[English Lad]

Ohhh now thats real bad. I have been in that position many years ago with a baby and no heating, its no fun at all.

I have been without Central heating or hot water since last Tuesday!

The boiler is still under warranty, initially the service was great as they had a engineer out within 24 hrs and he diagnosed that it was the pump that needed replacing............However the part hasn't yet been replaced because they are waiting for a pump to be sent out from the boiler manufacturer!

Shocking. How can the firm who do all the repairs, not have these pumps in stock themselves and why dont their engineers have atleast 1 or 2 in their vans and why has is taken the boiler manufacturer so long to get 1 dispatched?? Its because it broke down in the week between Xmas and New year and no one working around that time a year there gives a fcuk.

Hopefully the part is being dispatched today but I didnt realise what a pain it would be to be without heating and hot water for a week, esp with a 14 week old baby boy!!

I dread to think what my Gas and Electric bills will be with all the oil filled rads and gas fire has been on pretty much permantly..........you even have to boil the kettle 4 times just to do the washing up

 

[English Lad]

PS
It is still frozen even though I've has a fan heater on warm playing over it all day , the jets & pipes have thawed but the tank is rock solid.

Thank goodness the engine antifreeze is still liquid at -19 oC ( just checked the deep freezer test sample)

I owned a Vauxhall Carlton in the past and it had heated washer jets and an element in the spray bottle. Every car I have owned since they have frozen up. You would think if it is ilegal to have a dirty windscreen that they would have made manufacturers fit them as standard by now.

 

[chunkolini]

Cold?
Bonkers, I cycled in today, 8 miles of country lanes, saw three cars in the hedge, saw one silly woman go sliding along bouncing of both hedges, theres me waiting to leap out of her way when I can see which way she is going. The road was only 1" thick with ice for about a mile. Just as I was getting worried she bounced off the hedge again and wet straight by waving at me.

-4C when I got into the wprkshop, lovely, but what a beautiful ride in to work, tomorrow I take the posh camera and hope dont fal off and land on it.

Here's why beards are a good thing.

By then the eye brows and tache had thawed out.

Chunko'.

 

[MrFluffy]

I was up a ladder at 8am this morning trying to fit a homemade (exterior, I dug through the cob wall in the end) double insulated chimney stack till I gave up after my hands kept sticking to it and the ladder. Mrs's car reported -3 outside at that point during school run. Since then it warmed up a bit by 9.30 (by which time I was hard at work on my day job ) then plummeted once more to recording -5 on the thermometer in our bedroom earlier so odds on -8 or more outside proper...
Sooo, we're still on a couple of blow heaters and a 3kw electric space heater firing into bits of the house build to stop it freezing up with some hasty rewiring of circuits to keep the phase balance reasonable on our supply, and a few smaller heaters in the mobile home to keep the kids room at a steady 16 and our bedroom from freezing, although the water to it froze up at 10am for about 20 mins then went again. At least we've got a working bog this time round, since I managed to fit one into the house a week ago in anticipation, and even managed a shower this morning in the defrost window. Im trying to ignore the readings on the meter of 19,23 and 24 amps steady per phase and what thats going to cost when the bill comes in...

Im just off into the shed to tig the last four sections together into a solid unit, having not at all liked the wobblyness of the solid jointed pipe with the proper manufacturers clamps holding them together for above the ridge. Then its a quick bit of plumbing to join it all the underfloor heating and we can fire up our lovely 50kw hs tarm gassifying wood/oil furnace (but wood alone this year). Then its just a question of what to do with all that lovely heat

Now, problemo, Ive only got 2.6 tungstens and collets and some 2.6 filler rod and Ive got to weld thinwall stainless tube together. And I dont have a pedal. And its got to be reasonably gas tight and strong. Should be one of lifes rich experiences, and I dont think Ill need the torch watercooler running somehow, maybe even the flood onto the bottle to stop it freezing more like
But welder warmth... got to love welding on a night like today
Another week of reasonable weather and we'd have been sat pretty again, that should be my battle cry, another week and we'll be ready...

 

[MrFluffy]

.you even have to boil the kettle 4 times just to do the washing up

If you boil a pan of water on the stove, it heats the room AND gets you hot water for dishes. Thats what we've been doing the past few days

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

If you boil a pan of water on the stove, it heats the room AND gets you hot water for dishes. Thats what we've been doing the past few days

Those cold pinkies try David's winter warmer tip of the day :-

Use some rubber marigolds and a pair of old long socks , nick out the holes for your pinkies & thumbs and put them on over the marigolds then you can work in far colder conditions without too much frostbite and only the sock material sticks to the ladder /pipework .

 

[oilcooled :)]

handbrake cable froze on my car the other nyt and tit her heating and beating the hubs for an hour in six inches of snow

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

The screen wash bottle eventualy thawed enough for me to leg it down to the local garage 3 miles away to buy their super concentrated screen wash , ..... 2 x1 litre bottles later as I read the label
" Super concentrated in very cold weather use neat ...will freeze at -5 oC ".

Ah well , down to the local horse feed stockist for I know they sell Meths in 2 litre containers for the horsey set to play with Bobo's hooves .

I didn't really want to use it but the devil is driving for the next few weeks .

I reckon that 50% meths & almost 50 % of the " Concentrated screen wash should be OK, I will be doing a - 18 oC freezer test on a small plastic bottle full just to be sure though.