Cold wave in Texas

[parshisa]

Don't leave a hot water heater on with a chance that it will lose water! It will best case destroy itself, worst case become a steam bomb!

If you're home to monitor it, that's different. It'll be insulated and offer at least tepid water as long as the city water has pressure.

Shutting off a street spigot is a good start-- if a pipe bursts, it won't flood your house with a never ending supply of water.

You likely don't have a drain, so find the lowest point and open its faucet then open the other faucets so they can drain through. Follow up with some compressed air if you can find a way to rig it.

RV antifreeze, good luck finding it. Some is potable safe but most is not. It would be good for your toilet P-traps and sink traps but you'll have plenty of time to panic and put it in there if you're living there. Honestly cheap vodka might be the tonic to somehow force into your drinking water pipes, maybe with a funnel and hose from a 2nd story faucet. You just want it so that if ice forms, it won't burst your pipes. Alcohol can make it slushy and or lower the freezing point.

what about setting it to vacation mode?

 

[4WD]

Saw on the news that the "Power Grid" has been improved in a interview with a Texas power offical. I'm from Missouri.
If it goes down again it affects us here in KC, as the electric utility here is part of the Southwestern power grid.

As I stated before - bought my house in 1996 - 5-1/2 hours on my generator to date … (central coast)
have 4 sources of gas heat that don’t need power …
You mean the grid for the panhandle ?

 

[JimPghPA]

If you drain the water heater be sure to put some reminder note at the power switch that you turn off before you drain it, that you have to fill the tank back up before you turn the power back on otherwise you'll burn out the element.

 

[brianl703]

what about setting it to vacation mode?

Turn the gas off and relight it when you get back.

 

[parshisa]

Don't leave a hot water heater on with a chance that it will lose water! It will best case destroy itself, worst case become a steam bomb!

If you're home to monitor it, that's different. It'll be insulated and offer at least tepid water as long as the city water has pressure.

Shutting off a street spigot is a good start-- if a pipe bursts, it won't flood your house with a never ending supply of water.

You likely don't have a drain, so find the lowest point and open its faucet then open the other faucets so they can drain through. Follow up with some compressed air if you can find a way to rig it.

RV antifreeze, good luck finding it. Some is potable safe but most is not. It would be good for your toilet P-traps and sink traps but you'll have plenty of time to panic and put it in there if you're living there. Honestly cheap vodka might be the tonic to somehow force into your drinking water pipes, maybe with a funnel and hose from a 2nd story faucet. You just want it so that if ice forms, it won't burst your pipes. Alcohol can make it slushy and or lower the freezing point.

So what would I need to do? Turn the main water off, turn the water heater knob to off, cut off gas, open hot and cold water faucets around the house and let it all drain?

 

[4WD]

In TX? It's heated, until it's not

I move into a new build down there in January, one of the first things on the list is getting a whole house generator. The TX grid is a joke.

Surely you’re not buying an all electric … ?

 

[Owen Lucas]

We’ll be heading out of town for the weekend. Will drip every faucet.

I had a friend in TX who dripped the faucet in his condo during the last bug freeze. Well, the faucet froze and the pipes burst anyway. I would shut the water main off with the lowest faucet(s) open, then close once the water stops.

 

[parshisa]

So what would I need to do? Turn the main water off, turn the water heater knob to off, cut off gas, open hot and cold water faucets around the house and let it all drain?

Silly me, that won’t work, no pressure on the system, nothing will come out. I don’t have time to drain it through the drain valve. Just shut it off then and leave the water in?

 

[parshisa]

I had a friend in TX who dripped the faucet in his condo during the last bug freeze. Well, the faucet froze and the pipes burst anyway. I would shut the water main off with the lowest faucet(s) open, then close once the water stops

My main question is what to do with the darn water tanks?

 

[Oillover]

My first time seeing dual water heaters in an attic.

My first time seeing a water heater in an attic!

 

[SC Maintenance]

Saw on the news that the "Power Grid" has been improved in a interview with a Texas power offical. I'm from Missouri.
If it goes down again it affects us here in KC, as the electric utility here is part of the Southwestern power grid.

I thought Texas had their own grid - ERCOT - and everyone else was either on the Eastern or Western grid - each having subsections. Have I been mislead?

 

[wag123]

duplicate post

 

[wag123]

This is happening again. Temperatures are expected to drop to 15s here up north of Houston. I wouldn’t be as worried, but going out of town for a few days tomorrow. Trying to figure out what to do with the water. Cut it off (shut off valve is in the garage) and drain all faucets? My water heater tanks are in the attic, should they be drained as well? I guess I’d need to turn them off as well?

What would be the right sequence here guys? Last two freezes I was around and no issues to speak of. But now since house will be empty, I’m getting super anxious

You are overthinking this and overreacting. We are not in the same dire straights as we were in Feb 2021 (both the weather and the power grid).
Leave farthest most inside faucet on with a fast drip to prevent the water from freezing. Leave the furnace on and turn the temperature down to 55-60. If you have plumbing in a cabinet on an exterior wall, leave the cabinet doors open. Turn off the water to your washing machine.
If you were leaving town for two weeks, then you might consider more drastic measures.
Have a happy and worry-free holiday!
BTW, to all of the other posters, water heaters in the attic are very common in Texas.

 

[KrisZ]

I don’t know what the panic is all about, the sub freezing temps will only be at night, during the day it will be well above freezing. I’m leaving as well for Christmas. I’ll just shut off the water, drain the taps and shut down the water heater, it’s in the attic too.

Should be fine for a week.

 

[wag123]

I don’t know what the panic is all about, the sub freezing temps will only be at night, during the day it will be well above freezing. I’m leaving as well for Christmas. I’ll just shut off the water, drain the taps and shut down the water heater, it’s in the attic too.

Should be fine for a week.

My advice applies to you as well.

 

[KrisZ]

My advice applies to you as well.

I’m not dripping any faucets. Shut down the main valve from the streets and then drain all taps. That’s safer IMO

 

[SwampSurvivor]

If you think Texas is going to be cold then look at the weather this week for the Midwest and Western states. It will be very frigid.

We're prepared for it, though. Our homes and infrastructure are designed for the cold weather.

My preparation for this winter on the mo-bile home was to wrap the water line coming in with heat cord and then do insulation over it. Not sure if it's needed but that's what I'm doing! The previous owners had one.

I had to go in the crawlspace a few weeks ago and it was honestly quite warm. We have a block skirting on the house and it's on a slab. Almost like a mini-basement.

 

[Rmay635703]

My first time seeing a water heater in an attic!

Texas knows better than the rest of the country and runs water above ground through unheated, uninsulated areas using drop downs which is illegal in the rest of the country in normal residential builds.

In my area you can’t insure a home setup the way a normal Texas home is.

It wouldn’t take “much” for Texas to correct the law for future builds, only 2 other states are as lax on common sense building code.


That said shutting off the water and cracking any taps should allow any pressure to release and will prevent a waterfall from the ceiling, not as good as draining but far better than leaving the water on from the street.

Turning the water heater off usually isn’t too tough either.

 

[Snagglefoot]

In Houston, copper pipes in the attic are to hold the insulation down during hurricanes.

 

[Joel_MD]

I thought Texas had their own grid - ERCOT - and everyone else was either on the Eastern or Western grid - each having subsections. Have I been mislead?

Yes, you are correct. The Texas grid does have some capability to buy or sell power to the neighboring grids, including Mexico, but for the most part Texas does its own thing.