Title: Winter storm to evolve into bomb cyclone as it produces a blizzard in Midwest | AccuWeather Source:
AccuWeather URL Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5XqK6fo_b0 Published:Dec 21, 2022 Author:AccuWeather Post Date:2022-12-21 16:30:55 by Esso Keywords:None Views:1713 Comments:34
Poster Comment:
Ugh. This is supposed to get here late Thursday/Friday. Local WX says high Fri is supposed to be 2 with a low of 1. I got the snow blower staged and ready to go yesterday when it warmed up a little.
Last year it was so warm about that time, the gnats were swarming when I had company and ended up with a house full of gnats. Took until about mid Jan to get rid of them.
I'm about 120 mi ESE of the southern tip of lake Michigan.
Lots of frozen pipes here -- upstairs where the pipes are exposed in the little triangular space outboard of the dormer walls. One small leak so far. Old copper pipes -- I hope I don't have to tear out any drywall to make repairs.
If you're thinking about using heat tape, don't use that crappy nichrome wire stuff, it's dangerous.
They make a semiconductor stuff now that's self regulating and doesn't mind crossovers. Even if a part of it burns out, the rest still works. I can't remember the brand name, but I got it at Wayne Pipe & Supply here in FW. It looks something like coax without the outer insulating jacket, but IIRC it has two center conductors. you can cut it to any length you need since it's not a continuous loop. I've got it encased in corrugated wire loom. They make special proprietary plugs for it and the terminus.
I used it to make heat for my garage pantry cabinets by clipping it to the back wall in a serpentine pattern. I have a snap disc type thermostat on it so it only comes on near freezing and shuts off at about 45. I don't remember the exact hysteresis of the t-stat.
I use the old resistive heat tape with built-in thermostat out in the pumphouse. A failure there wouldn't pose a danger to house or occupants. But now that you mention it, I probably wouldn't trust it inside -- or even under -- the house.
Never heard of the semiconductor cut-to-length type. Sounds interesting.
It's pretty neat. It works like a strand of parallel resistors rather than a series loop. I probably built those cabinets 20 or so years ago and never had a problem. I just did a quick search. I think I used the Raychem brand. Looks like there's a lot of choices now. You might even be able to get it at a big box lumber yard now.