20 Below?

Last night it was predicted that temperatures in the northern mountain communities of California could reach 20 below zero Fahrenheit. When I lived in the little town of Mt. Shasta around 1990 it did reach 17 below zero. I remember that the old 1925 house we then lived then wasn't insulated yet and I had to stay up all night long stoking the wood stove just to keep the inside of the house above freezing that night. We opened our cold water faucets enough to keep the water running so they didn't freeze. But I didn't think to shut off the hot water heater so I could open the hot water taps a little too and the hot water to the washing machine froze and broke and made part of the under the house area a natural ice sculpture. So before I could use any water in the house I had to crawl under the house the next morning in about zero degrees temperature Fahrenheit, find out what fitting needed to be replaced. Take the broken piece to the hardware store, get a replacement, install it before using water for anything in the house. This experience led to getting our landlords to let me insulate the wonderful very old house on an acre of land with about 25 bearing fruit trees of Black Cherries, Black Walnuts, Apple, Pear trees and a great organic garden in the spring and summer. So, within one month of thinking we might freeze to death in that house and freezing our hot water pipe to the washing machine I installed full 6 inch fiberglass insulation throughout the attic and bought a thick wool carpet for the living room. We were toasty all winter long after that even with 3 feet of snow in our yard outside!

1st note regarding replacing broken pipes. First of all if you are trying to replace pipes at zero degrees Fahrenheit you must be careful of your lungs. I find that especially if the air is moist(high humidity) that it hurts to breathe often below about 20 degrees Fahrenheit if you aren't used to breathing more shallow breaths to avoid lung pain. Second if you aren't used to crawling under a house (which is usually where the pipes tend to break (or they could be non-wrapped spigots that you attach your garden hose to for outside watering), you must be very careful. Because if you have a breathing or other problem under there people may not be able to get you out without dismantling the house. By then you could be dead. So, just going under a house at that temperature is a hazard potentially to your life unless you are young and well qualified through experience for this job. So, I had a friend come over to spot me under the house in case I had problems at that temperature so he could grab me by the leg and maybe tie a rope to me to drag me out if there were any problems. Also, unless you understand plumbing fittings to some degree or know what you are looking for this can be problematic. But a good sign (at that temperature) is a little ice sculpture under the house at that temperature. Then because it is so cold you might need a large wrench or hammer to break away the ice. I suppose under really difficult conditions you could get a hand blow torch to melt away the ice. But before you do any of this make sure you shut off all the water to the house and drain all the pipes as best as you can so you don't get water dropping on you and freezing on your gloves or hands at this temperature. Also, gloves are necessary based upon the principle of not putting your tongue on a metal post at this temperature. Just the moisture of your hand might stick your fingers to something metal at zero degrees Fahrenheit. So you need thin (or thick) gloves to avoid this sticking hazard. Also, since you can't move around much under a house usually, you will have to wear a minimum of thick warm clothes. I wore a down vest, flannel shirt, undershirt, jeans and boots under my coveralls to stay warm enough but just barely and a wool hat under the house with leather gloves to keep my hands from sticking from sticking to the pipes. And I took with me and adjustable pipe wrench and channel locks. I also took a Framing hammer to break away all the ice so I could work. And then I also took a blow torch to melt away the ice in the broken pipe and fittings that I had to replace. So, this all took about 3 hours from the time I went under the house to crawling out and going out to an open hardware store, buying new fittings and then returning and installing the fittings and then testing the fittings by turning the water to the house back on and venting all the air out of the system and replacing the air with water. Also, when you turn off the water to your house the first thing you have to do before you drain your pipes is to turn off the hot water heater. If you don't do this your heater may burn out and you might destroy your hot water heater and have to replace it. So then, after you have turned off the water, turn  off the hot water heater, and then replace your pipe fittings you then do the reverse. You turn on your water to the house, vent all the air out of the pipes and lastly after you have checked to see there are no other leaks anywhere, you turn back on your hot water heater and you are usually good to go from then on.

 2nd Note regarding trying to insulate your attic: To those of you who haven't spent time in an attic ever: If you want to install insulation first of all you have to be strong, coordinated and wear a mask and goggles and have good lighting and gloves. Coveralls with gloves, a good breathing mask and goggles are necessary if you don't want breathing problems or eye problems or skin problems later after installing fiberglass insulation. Next, you will need either a good ladder to reach the entrance to the attic unless you have fold down stairs or ladder for this purpose already installed.  Also, if it is a really old house remove sawdust or wood chips from the attic first like I did because these are a fire hazard. In fact, when I went up in the attic I could see there had been a fire in the house in the attic some time between 1925 and then 1990 winter because some of the cross pieces supporting the roof were slightly charred. The next thing you need to know is that the only thing that can hold your weight without falling through the ceiling are 2 by 4 ceiling or roof joists or bigger. So, kind of like a tightrope walker you have to only put your weight upon those 2 by 4 inch roof or ceiling joist or bigger pieces of wood. If you are using fiberglass it is not only a heat insulator it is also an natural electrical insulator. But the paper that lines the back of the insulation could be a fire hazard if there are exposed metal electrical wires, so that is something to think about. Also, don't cover any venting places in the attic with insulation or that could create mold or moisture problems for the house. But generally, if you protect yourself from the insulation by wearing goggles, gloves, a mask and coveralls, you can minimize any discomfort to your eyes, or skin on your arms or lungs from exposure to little bits of spun fiberglass in the air or directly to your skin.

And after you have insulated your attic you can be happy in all the money you saved by doing it yourself. However, remember don't attempt this unless you are coordinated enough to get up a ladder and down it safely and can stay just walking on the roof or ceiling joists while you are up there. Good Luck!

By the way, it can be much less stressful and frustrating if you have 1 or more people helping you. However, make sure they are also mature enough to do this without injury. I took my then 15 year old son into the attic with me and he was fine helping me then as long as I kept reminding him to keep his mask on and goggles on even when they started to fog from his breath from wearing a mask. I also had my wife down where the ladder was handing up full rolls of insulation to my son and I. Then I put the insulation in and stapled it with a staple gun to the tops of the 2 by 4 roof or ceiling joists on the foldout flaps on the insulation for this purpose.

It also helps to measure the distance between 2 by 4 roof or ceiling joists so you can buy the right width of insulation to begin with for your specific attic. Planning also is important in this sense. And the thickness of insulation depends upon how cold it actually gets or could potentially get where you live during the winter. The colder it gets in the winter where you live the thicker the grade of insulation you want to install. Good Luck and be careful if you attempt this. Good planning tends to make this job much safer.

Also, if your attic is vented insulating above you on the underside of the roof isn't useful at all in most cases. The only insulation that would be helpful is by insulating directly in the channels below where you are walking upon in the  attic.