Weird weather
- Thread starter strawman
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Two hands, two eyes, two mice, two keyboards, two monitors. I don't see the problem
It's almost here... Went and got everything we could for a week (other than bread that was sold out everywhere) so I don't have to go anywhere for a week since I know if we get much of the prediction they won't be able to clean it all up any time soon, other than the main roads.
Better bring that gnome inside. If you're cold, he's cold, too.
He’s the guardian for the front of the house. He laughs at the snow and throws stuff at dogs that try to pee on him.
The snow blanket was oddly peaceful this morning. It was perfectly flat and there was no car marks or footprints, just pure, even, untouched.
Of course once I let my kids play in it, it's a mess now.
Unfortunately, my mother lost power late last night and has been without power for the last 8 hours. She said they are fine, house is new and well insulated, and they have a gas stove to cook warm meals, but whoever they use for energy needs to get their shit together. I heard many houses in the Austin area have been dealing with the same. Makes me kind of glad our power runs on a different grid then the city proper.
Did have one snag so far, one of kids, after washing their hands, only left the hot water line on and not the cold water. It was the most susceptible to freezing too, since the line is connected to a splitter that diverts cold water to the indoor faucet AND an outdoor faucet on the same wall, meaning the cold from the outdoor faucet creeped in and plugged up splitter and thus the indoor faucet. I cut a hole into the drywall below the sink, held a hair dryer right on the splitter for about five minutes, until I regained water flow, now I am going to leave it on a slightly increased flow. Made sure to have a talk with the kids to keep the cold water slightly on.
Now if only I can help my wife get rid of her migraine brought on by "snow blindness", I tried to warn her that shit gets bright as fuck.
Of course once I let my kids play in it, it's a mess now.
Unfortunately, my mother lost power late last night and has been without power for the last 8 hours. She said they are fine, house is new and well insulated, and they have a gas stove to cook warm meals, but whoever they use for energy needs to get their shit together. I heard many houses in the Austin area have been dealing with the same. Makes me kind of glad our power runs on a different grid then the city proper.
Did have one snag so far, one of kids, after washing their hands, only left the hot water line on and not the cold water. It was the most susceptible to freezing too, since the line is connected to a splitter that diverts cold water to the indoor faucet AND an outdoor faucet on the same wall, meaning the cold from the outdoor faucet creeped in and plugged up splitter and thus the indoor faucet. I cut a hole into the drywall below the sink, held a hair dryer right on the splitter for about five minutes, until I regained water flow, now I am going to leave it on a slightly increased flow. Made sure to have a talk with the kids to keep the cold water slightly on.
Now if only I can help my wife get rid of her migraine brought on by "snow blindness", I tried to warn her that shit gets bright as fuck.
Just for info, you can buy power from a variety of companies in Texas, but there is only one company that does power delivery, ONCOR. The grid in Texas is near capacity (around 95% last I checked) and is having failures ina areas. I’ve seen some areas it’s from downed lines, others from substations blowing, and even reports of a few generation plants shutting down. This state isn’t built to handle the freezing, it’s built to handle extreme heat.
I personally certainly don't mind, but doesn't your **** get sore from doing the Thing this often? One would assume that rock would chafe and cause wounds.
How do you think that gas is ignited? Or blown through your vents.
GasBandit
Staff member
Ok, you got me about blown through the vents, but my heater (and water heater) pilot light is not electricHow do you think that gas is ignited? Or blown through your vents.
if it goes out, a gas company guy has to come to relight it. As for the stove, I have candle lighters.Thing is, though moving the air through the vent takes way less power than heating it. If more people had gas heat instead of electric heat, we might not be in so bad a power crunch.
Yes I was reading up on it and one of the reasons they failed was because some natural gas and coal power stations shut down from the extreme cold.
figmentPez
Staff member
I know this isn't in the politics sub-forum, but:
Wow, conservatives really are stupid. I'm seeing complaints online claiming that Texas built it's power grid based on the "climate hoax" and that's why it's failing... But climate change science says that weather will get more extreme and increase power demand, both in the summer and the winter. If the power grid were built to stand up to climate change, it would be ready for this harsh winter and the heat last summer.
Wow, conservatives really are stupid. I'm seeing complaints online claiming that Texas built it's power grid based on the "climate hoax" and that's why it's failing... But climate change science says that weather will get more extreme and increase power demand, both in the summer and the winter. If the power grid were built to stand up to climate change, it would be ready for this harsh winter and the heat last summer.
Pilot light? Ughhh.Ok, you got me about blown through the vents, but my heater (and water heater) pilot light is not electric
Thing is, though moving the air through the vent takes way less power than heating it. If more people had gas heat instead of electric heat, we might not be in so bad a power crunch.
One of my hope to do soon projects is to install a bypass on the electrical line to my furnace. That way I can hook up my generator to it easily and still keep warm if we loose power.
My point was, you're not going to have them in Texas.
It also ignores the fact that it seems a lot of the failures happened because our power plants that use gas and coal were the ones that shut down. The cold temperatures are preventing the proper gas / steam generation to power the turbines. For solar, all it takes is wiping off the panels, and wind isn't effected at all (might even generate more, due to the storm winds). People are just dumb.
GasBandit
Staff member
From what I'm reading, there's a problem with wind turbines being frozen.
Frozen wind turbines, limited gas supplies and rolling blackouts: Behind Texas' energy woes | CNN
Some of the warmest places in Texas, where rolling power outages are occurring across the chilly state, are inside cars and trucks parked in the driveway of a home without electricity.
www.cnn.com
edit -
But then ArsTechnica contradicts that...
Texas’ power grid crumples under the cold
Competition for natural gas and frozen wind turbines are only some of the problems.
arstechnica.com
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No power for 12 hours. Getting cold in the house. Just ran out of firewood. And it turns out the power company shut down 2 power plants for reasons. I hope someone gets fired/arrested. Will be freezing inside soon.
Power is back on. I hope the heater will stay on until the temp gets back to the 60s.
Like I've said, it's pretty much de rigueur in Arizona to note how the temperature is "not like it was back home." I'd say blame Del Webb and all the developers who created their retirement communities out here that promoted them with "sunny skies and 70 degrees" to cold Midwestern senior citizens.
We pay for it in the summer, of course. And there's that lovely little tidbit that came across the wire a few weeks ago that several Arizona counties may be unlivable within 30 years.
It happens every 30-40 years. Many places are nearing record lows that were set 90 years ago. I’ve read a few articles that mention that Galveston Bay froze back in 1893.
In 1983 the bay at Rockport Texas froze. I went there that summer, and the whole area smelled to high heaven because it killed millions of fish.
I am shocked that the lake I live on did not freeze. Temps in the teens and 6 inches of snow and ice should have frozen that joker.
