Cold weather tips

[Kingfisher678]

If you think the water might go out save some of your "dripping" the faucet water in the tub so you can flush your toilets

 

[Kingfisher678]

Our Dodges have been gelled every morning. I don't know why but it seems like if we leave the key in the run position for about 20 minutes they will then start right up.

May have a fuel heater in-line?

 

[callmefence]

May have a fuel heater in-line?

Idk king but it sure seems to work.
If you cycle the key to run the lift pump you get a start and die. Leave the key in the on position go inside and drink a cup of coffee go back and crank and they run.

 

[Atimm693]

That stuff had horrible reviews online for actually working. They had to use like double the reccomend amout. There was a white jug from the same brand that did good.

A HotShot brand was a top performer. Seafoam lists itself as preventing gel. I bought out the 5 bottles of stp gel prevention stuff here.

I don't know that any of them are very good at actually clearing gelled fuel. An ounce of prevention definitely applies here.

Idk king but it sure seems to work.
If you cycle the key to run the lift pump you get a start and die. Leave the key in the on position go inside and drink a cup of coffee go back and crank and they run.

Probably a combination of both, the lift pump circulating fuel and the fuel heater doing it's thing.

 

[callmefence]

I don't know that any of them are very good at actually clearing gelled fuel. An ounce of prevention definitely applies here.



Probably a combination of both, the lift pump circulating fuel and the fuel heater doing it's thing.

You know what..the def tank does have a heater. And on a dodge the def tank is part of the fuel tank.... reckon thats it??

 

[bird dog]

My Cummins started this afternoon and ran on high idle for about 10 minutes with no issues. It had started but died on Monday and I had let it sent until this afternoon when it got up to 28.

 

[callmefence]

A 40 quart yeti packed full of snow ,drug in the house and melted down will you one flush and two pots of coffee...

 

[TCRanch]

My Cummins started this afternoon and ran on high idle for about 10 minutes with no issues. It had started but died on Monday and I had let it sent until this afternoon when it got up to 28.

Hubby's Chevy 2300 Silverado wouldn't start yesterday. None of our neighbors outside diesel trucks or tractors would start. Good thing I have a spoiled F250 gasser that gets to stay in the garage!

 

[greybeard]

A 40 quart yeti packed full of snow ,drug in the house and melted down will you one flush and two pots of coffee...

I did that as well, till it rained today and melted all the snow.
I caught nearly a 35 gal drum of flushing water from off the roof tho.
I'm doing better than some tho, as I've heard of people whose toilet's won't flush at all. ..sewer drain line is froze between toilet and septic tank.

 

[Dusty Britches]

Sorry Fence, I've been too busy to check in here until this morning.

A friend of mine outside Gatesville said they have one tractor that is open cab and does not have an engine heater. They threw a tarp over their tractor engine and stuck a small electric space heater under it. It works very well. You can use a small generator to run it. I don't see why that would not work for a truck.

I use my insulated hunting boots in weather like this. The rubber cleats really help with gripping the ground.

My entrance gate I opened and left open in anticipation of the storm. We do this any time the weather gets below 32 and any precipitation is in the forecast.

For the cattle gates, you can pre wrap the latches in plastic grocery sacks. The will break off easily in the ice yet the latches wont be wet.

While the water drips in the sinks and showers, I try to capture as much of it as possible and set it aside in case the power to the pump house goes out and to haul to any cattle that might be penned. I think when this front ends I might try to figure out a way to heat at least one water line in the pens. I'm impressed with some of the things I learned about keeping the water troughs / tanks from freezing and I'll try to recall the suggestions next time.

 

[greybeard]

putting the stopper in the bathtub to catch drip water too, as long as the overflow is not frozen down below the tub.

(it sure was cold yesterday evening and last nite running outside to pee, so I didn't add to the flush requirements, but if this keeps up, I'm going to use a slop jar of some kind, as much as I hate too.)

Other than salt, how do you keep wooden steps unfrozen? They were good yesterday but it rained frozen drizzle last night and they're a mess again. (sand not an option here)

 

[Mrcopier]

Just saw something pretty cool on FB. Someone had taken a metal bucket and filled it full of charcoal and lit it and put a t post through the handle and draped it over his watering trough, instant water heater

 

[WFfarm]

And if you do use a hair dryer to thaw out your door and it still doesn't open, hit the "unlock" button.

Reminds me of the time I had to drive across town to help my wife who's battery was dead. I got in the car and it started right up. She asked what'd I do to fix it. I said, I put it in Park first.

 

[Texas G@l]

Mr. Greybeard, I threw down some cornmeal on an icy spot and it helped with the traction .

 

[Brute 23]

Reminds me of the time I had to drive across town to help my wife who's battery was dead. I got in the car and it started right up. She asked what'd I do to fix it. I said, I put it in Park first.

I did the same thing. I went out with a warm pot of water to pour down the door cracks of my Ford. It worked good so I moved on to my chevy. Forgot I hadn't unlocked it yet.

 

[WFfarm]

kitty litter works good on ice too.

 

[Dave]

A thought for future events. I have an old 97 pickup that is the feed truck. Don't license or insure it as it is just the feed truck, not out on the road. It is a gasser. Always starts no matter how cold it gets. I know people who have one old gas tractor for just the same reason. Diesel is nice but gas will generally start.

 

[hurleyjd]

Pouring coffee or hot water on things that are frozen will help you get them open, but you can expect it to get worse as you've just added more water so it will ice up thicker next time. You would've been better off with a hair dryer or alcohol, medicinal cleaning type as it will evaporate.

As far as dressing goes, loose layers is much better than bundling up tight. The layer next to your skin is good to be tight, IE t-shirt or long johns tight to skin, then a loose pair of jeans and loose long sleeve shirt next. Then over the top a loose fitting coat and coveralls if you have them. Basically, try to keep air gaps that your body is heating and keeping heated close to your skin. As far as your feet, if you put a 2nd pair of sock on, you want them loose and it's better if your socks are not cotton, cotton absorbs and holds water, once the water, sweaty sock, is cold you're done...you'll never get them warm. You could take a bread bag and put it outside your socks to try to make that "warm air pocket" I described with clothing. The problem with the plastic bag is it won't allow any moisture out, and the worst thing is having wet feet...once they get cold it takes forever to get them warm. Wear a hat and a scarf, heat rises and this will help keep the heat in...

If you have hand warmers, carry 1 or 2 in your pockets and use them on your hands as needed. Blowing on your hands will make them feel warm for a couple seconds, but there is too much water vapor in your breath and they'll get colder faster every time you do it.

Unfortunately good insulated boots are expensive and I doubt you'd want to spend $100 for something that you might only use for the rest of this week. Those old 5 buckle rubber boots that you wear over your shoes can actually be very warm, but they cost money too however you'd probably get more use out of them as they're great when it's muddy or wet.

Yes and when you get out to the truck or tractor you realize you have to pee and the hose is shrunk and not long enough to get through the cloths. Now give us some advice on that.

 

[Peace]

Yes and when you get out to the truck or tractor you realize you have to pee and the hose is shrunk and not long enough to get through the cloths. Now give us some advice on that.

You're going to have to get that advice from somebody else.

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, but what if there is no hose and you know you cannot just go back several miles/acres to go pee...... all those clothes and then freeze off the back end to get the "front end" clear of the 6 layers you have on......