Last day before the big freeze.

I've got extension cords strung out to my greenhouse and my cactus all boxed up, hopefully I can keep them above freezing. Added more antifreeze to my tractor and the old truck I'm not driving now, everything else should be ok. My hot water heather is on my back porch, I've wrapped it in a sheet of cardboard to keep the wind off the pipes. The cats usually sleep on top of it bit I'm thinking I'll fix them a box big enough for them all to pile up in. The dogs will probably sleep in the shop. I should sweep all the shavings up into a pile for them. I installed a new shower last year and I'm thinking I need to crawl under the house and be sure I got those pipes wrapped. I'll spend part of the day rounding up firewood. Maybe I can get a little work done in the shop before it gets too cold because I suspect I won't be out of the house much before Monday or Tuesday.

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hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

You drive a vehicle without antifreeze? I plugged in my truck last night because it was 23 below F and an hour and a half later it fired right up. By the time I got out to it a few minutes after I started it it was putting out heat. In short order it was nice an warm when I drove to the store for some Christmas shopping.

robb65 · 56-60, M

@hippyjoe1955 Not totally out but too low to protect it with the weather we've got coming. The old truck hasn't been driven in months and when it was it was just to run up to my parents or over to the farm so if it was low I just topped it up with water. The tractor needs a new radiator cap and looses a lot of coolant when it's used. I just top it up with water over the summer.
We've had temps slightly below freezing but not cold enough to hurt anything. This weekend it's dropping into the teens with wind chills around 0. Alabama here, it's been a few years since it got this cold.

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@robb65 A number of years ago I rescued a young fellow on a frozen highway. It was about 20 below and his radiator froze as he drove. When he noticed the temperature in the vehicle was going up he sped up thinking the extra cold air would cool it down. Long story short - he took the engine out. If he had pulled over and put a blanket over the radiator it may have thawed out. An expensive lesson.

robb65 · 56-60, M

@hippyjoe1955 I had that happen once. My '54 chevy froze up back around '84. Best I can remember I caught it before it got out of the yard, or at least was close enough to make it back home. I think it dropped down to around 5 that year. I was in trade school then and they canceled school because they were having problems with the gas supply.

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@robb65 I had an old 63 chevy pickup that froze its rad. It was about 40 below at the time. I knew what it was right away and shut it down. I found an old news paper in the cab and covered the bottom half of the rad. Once it thawed out I drove it home without issue. I added some more antifreeze that night. It tested good to 45 below when I was done.