Do you have any winter hacks?

  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 56
    Does anyone have any advice regarding my tap? - My Brother said that I should wrap the tap in a tea towel before bed to ensure it doesn't freeze over, but the towel just froze with it too!

    I have my outside tap wrapped in layers of bubble wrap. Taped down so that it is nice and snug for it to then be encased it with a plastic plant pot to stop rain/snow penetrating onto the bubble wrap. I would say it might be as good as the jacket I bought for the other tap although the proof will come next week when temperatures start to rise a little. Not attempting to use either outside tap in these conditions and just use the kitchen tap for water to fill up the birdbath. Originally the jacket I purchased was not quite the right size for my lever style tap (and am just a tightwad these days).
    Last edited by Mailman; 14-12-22 at 11:10.
  • Tommysgirl's Avatar
    Guest
    @Billyjojimbob

    Nah. Soft shandy-drinking Southerner, but emigrated to Wales now. My maternal Granny hailed from Nothumbria, so roots in the Northeast if nothing else.
    I'm a Northumberland lass, born and bred, still living in our great county. Whey aye! With daytime temperatures at -4C it's even feeling cold for us hardy northern souls. Some residents of Northumberland say lavvy and some say "netty". Apparently Netty dates back to the Roman invaders who called their toilets gabinetti. Wouldn't mind Rome temperatures at the moment! Like the idea of two duvets. Quite a lot of people up here spread cooking or rock salt on paths and driveways to melt the ice but it takes a long time to work. Warmer weather is supposed to be arriving at the weekend, let's hope the forecasters are right.😀🐧🌞
  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 56
    If you have a plastic water butt, float a tennis ball on the top of it. Instead of the water freezing, expanding and splitting the plastic, the tennis ball will just compress, taking the strain. A plastic football in a garden pond will do a similar job. Remove the ball to leave an opening so if you have fish, they can get oxygen.

    I've got 3 of them and neglected to drain them before the freze-up. Managed to get 2 of them drained yesterday. The other one now gets the daily treatment with me breaking the ice with a blunt instrument/garden fork - in fact just off to break it up now.

    Roof repairs being done ATM so had other things on my mind. Hope to regain watertight integrity again after a worrying leak a few weeks ago. Even the cat has taken to using blankets these days.
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    Last edited by Mailman; 14-12-22 at 11:25.
  • Tommysgirl's Avatar
    Guest
    How is everyone coping with the recent cold weather? ❄

    For me personally, this winter feels colder than ever - and it's only going to get colder 😱. The temperatures for me are hitting -4 and it's just an overall nightmare!

    Everyday I find myself having to defrost the car and also brush the patio in our yard - (so our lovely dog doesn't slip🐶⛸).

    As small and minor as they may seem, doing these things are causing havoc with my life! So I have taken to the internet to see if there are any tips or tricks I may be missing - spoiler, there most definitely is. It has made me think that perhaps there's things that I don't know about and perhaps our lovely Community has some information to share.

    My first small but mighty discovery was how to defrost the car window screen quickly and safely. Simply fill a plastic bag with some lukewarm water and wipe the window screen; it really does work a treat! 🌟

    So my time with the hack for getting the patio defrosted was cut short yesterday... originally I was using the outdoor tap to spray water over the patio which in turn defrosted it - however this morning we woke up to the tap being completely frozen and the water in the pipes around it frozen too 🤯.

    Does anyone have any advice regarding my tap? - My Brother said that I should wrap the tap in a tea towel before bed to ensure it doesn't freeze over, but the towel just froze with it too!

    I would love to know if any of you guys have any winter hacks this year?
    DIY shops and Amazon sell outside tap covers. I bought a quilted cover from Amazon for mine. It is a quilted bag with velcro fastening which goes over the tap. You can also buy rolls of insulation to wrap around any outside pipes. So far mine have worked fine.😃
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    I'm a Northumberland lass, born and bred, still living in our great county.

    Canny, pet. It is a lovely part of the world and although all my family up there are long shuffled off now, it still has a 'draw' for me. Wild and rugged in winter. Just like here😜
    Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. I DON'T work for or on behalf of EON.Next, but am willing to try and help if I can. Not on mains gas, mobile network or mains drainage. House heated almost entirely by baby dragons.
  • Tommysgirl's Avatar
    Guest
    Canny, pet. It is a lovely part of the world and although all my family up there are long shuffled off now, it still has a 'draw' for me. Wild and rugged in winter. Just like here😜
    I agree. Our parts of the world have many similarities, we are very fortunate to live in such beautiful areas.😃🌲🌳🌄
  • Billyjojimbob's Avatar
    Level 5
    I'm in Northumberland as well. 😁

    Northumberland is the county, Nothumbria is the huge area containing Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, and Durham.
  • Tommysgirl's Avatar
    Guest
    I'm in Northumberland as well. 😁

    Northumberland is the county, Nothumbria is the huge area containing Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, and Durham.
    And we are Northumbrians, not Geordies. I remember being taught at school that Geordies are people born within 3 miles of Newcastle, and get the name from the miners safety lamp invented by George Stephenson (the Geordie Lamp). Howay the lads!😂
  • Tommysgirl's Avatar
    Guest
    @Billyjojimbob

    My Granny came from Morpeth👍
    A lovely town. I was born in Morpeth and live not that far from there.😃