Brass Monkey

Hey DennisB, I just saw a neutered brass monkey wearing an O.U. sweatshirt go by. He said it was -31 degrees in Oklahoma yesterday and he was headed to Brownsville to look for Pancho. He wasn't your pet I hope. Stay warm my friend.

For the last few days it has been below freezing during the days and drops into the minus readings at night. Good news is that it will finally go above freezing today....HURRRRY!!!!

My washer and drier are out in my garage and for the past two years the water hoses have frozen on the washing machine.

Never had that problem before....It's been cold here!

DennisB wrote:

My washer and drier are out in my garage and for the past two years the water hoses have frozen on the washing machine. ...It's been cold here!

I spent 40+ years repairing laundry equipment for Uncle Sears, so I've seen this happen many times.

Next time the forecast says it's going to drop down below freezing you can stop those hoses -and more importantly the water valves & pump inside the washer- from freezing by sticking a 40W drop light under the washer (assuming your model has an open bottom) then covering the washer & hoses with an old blanket or drop cloth. The heat from the drop light will be enough to keep the water system from freezing up.

The big, unseen, problem though is that when the water in the system freezes it also expands and causes minor cracks in the plastic water valves, pumps & fittings. Later on those cracks will let loose and you've got your self some nasty flooding & damage if you're not there to shut the water off immediately.

Of course it goes without saying that you should turn the water off to those washer fill hoses when you're finished using the washer for the day. HTH

Tim

When I lived in Edmond Oklahoma we used to put a light bulb in our well in the winter time to keep it from freezing. Something tells me the light bulb wouldn't cut it lately. I hope the people that bought my house are doing okay.

Hey Tim,

Thanks for the light bulb tip. I'll give it a try when our temps drop to below freezing again. I found a leaky hose gasket in the cold water hose end that connects to the washers valve inlet. I looked through all my old washer hose gaskets and found one that was still soft so I installed it and turned back on the water. Seems to be holding. Now I have a large box fan drying the floor under the washer and drier. Floor is just concrete....Thank God!

Today...right now it is 40F outside and by the middle of next week it sould almost be in the 70's. Hopefully all this snow will melt

Been in the 30's all week down here. I have to wear my long johns to ride,and yes HI-YO I wear clothes over them.........

Are you guys comparing light bulb stories? This is a true story. Back in early 50s, my family lived in a small house that had cracks in the floor and thin non insulated walls that let all kinds of cold air in. There was one small space heater in the living room and another in the back of the house. Ice would form on the inside of the windows when they frosted. I slept with my brother which helped both of us stay warmer at night. BUT, once I got a little chilly even with him in the bed beside me. I had a small lamp beside the bed that I turned on and took the shade off of. Putting that lamp in bed with us seemed at first to be a "Brilliant" (pun intended) idea. But very soon, I made too close contact with that bare bulb that burned me bad enough that I had a scar for MANY years. Next time I got cold, I jumped up and got in the bed with mom and dad. That was a lot safer. Soon, here came my little brother.

Thanks for reminding me of that night.

It Has been COLD in East Texas also, 12 deg's here this morning but warmed up to 55 or so this eve.

Brought to you by... "Global Warming"

Who you kidding Dennis? I definitely remember arriving in OKC in January from Kotzebue, AK which is north of the Arctic Circle and being very glad I brought my heavy arctic parka with me. I wore that thing for my whole three week stint at the FAA Academy at Will Rogers airport. I felt right at home, colder than heck, and the wind was just like Kotzebue's you could lean a plank against the breeze and come back in a week and it would still be standing there if it hadn't blown away.

Gary, It's a good thing you wern't a bedwetter or we might be calling you Opalsgirl. You don't pee on an electric fence, but once.