Brit Learns Things Americans Do To Survive Winter

[@a00141799]

When he made the comment, "I'd like to think that our pipes are quite well insulated over here" is such a British reaction. Mate it just might be necessary if your temps drop down 10+ degrees below zero. And btw, we insulate our pipes too!

[@ShariLindquist]

Another trick with the pipes is to leave the cabinet doors under the sink open. it allows heat to get to the pipes

[@NerdyNanaSimulations]

That doesn't work for me as my kitchen is not heated.

[@pamegan8735]

I do that too! I had a pipe to freeze and busted and Thank goodness my brother in law came to help me out so I wouldn't have to pay a plumber.

[@Moonbow1984]

I’ve always left the pipes that tend to freeze up drip. And leave the doors open to that cabinet so it gets better direct heat from the house.

[@annfrost3323]

No need for snow for water pipes to freeze if it gets cold enough. Dripping faucets overnight costs less than burst pipes. Easier way to remove ice from car windows is by running the heater/ defroster in the car. Another way, if you don't have an ice scraper, use a credit card to scrape off ice from glass. Driving to work in the winter in urban Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC, taught me all kinds of tricks. When tires are spinning on ice or snow, especially going uphill, place the rubber mats from your car in front of the rear tires to get traction. Retrieve your mats when you car is out of the spin.

[@waabiziikwe6668]

In North Dakota (and in a town close to the Canadian border) it gets 50 below zero (-45 Celsius) or colder for a few days each winter. January and February are usually 20-30 degrees below zero on most days with the wind chill. Anyway, when the pipes freeze at -50F , it can take a lot to thaw them so we try to make sure everything is in place before winter. Of course our houses are built to withstand colder weather, but some live in mobile homes too and we have heating tape that we wrap around our pipes under our houses and plug it in to an electric outlet to keep the pipes warm. We then wrap insulation tubes around the heating tape. People do open cupboards or leave a drip going if it is going to be a really cold night, but if you have your heat tape on the pipes and insulation around them, you won't have to run a drip on your faucet or open you your sink cupboards.

[@maryannanderson2213]

I live in Tennessee, and we seldom get weather so cold that our pipes are in danger of freezing overnight. However, there are those rare times where our pipes ARE in danger of freezing and on those occasions, we leave the taps dripping ever so slightly. Like someone else said, the few dollars you might have to pay for the extra water is nowhere near as much as you would pay a plumber to come in and fix frozen pipes!

[@AC-ni4gt]

Yep on the chains and the windshield wipers. I live near the Rocky Mountains and the snow piles on extremely fast in the canyon and mountain roads. Chains are a must on those. When I'm parked outside, I need to pop the windshield wipers up. It's a pain and a half to replace one if they break.

[@ESUSAMEX]

I have lived in some of the coldest areas of the US. I have seen people leave their faucets lightly running from time to time. It happens most when temperatures are going to be well below zero for many days in a row. My friend uses a electric heater in his bathroom because it is the always the coldest room in her house. She uses the heater for a few hours at night when it's minus 20 F outside.

[@stillracer2514]

I've had to do the water drizzle to keep pipes from freezing during extreme cold.

[@donnabert]

In Washington state we only leave the taps dripping if it is under 20F (-7C) which only happens about four nights a year. If we think below ground where the pipes are is going to freeze. Oh, this is western WA, north eastern WA gets snow a lot, they might do it more.

[@nancyminton3064]

Everybody I know leaves the faucets on to drip during a cold spell, especially here down South, because our homes aren't built to go thru the cold like the homes up North. So pipes running thru uninsulated attics and garages are vulnerable to freezing.

[@evapho2745]

Have seen people put a large plastic sheet over the windshield of car ( closing part of it in the car door) to keep windshield from being coated in ice during storms.

[@donnabert]

Thanks!

[@BritPopsReact]

Thanks Donna!! ❤️

[@manxkin]

I shoveled my first snow this morning. I’m about 40 miles north of Chicago, where Laurence lives. Chains are illegal in some areas and required in other places. Yes, the trickling faucet is a thing when it gets really cold over several days. Yep to the penguin walk. I’ve done everything on his list except the sliced potato thing. Never heard of that until I watched his video.

[@gregorybiestek3431]

I am from Michigan, never done the potato thing either, but I have instead used a plastic tarp on the windshield. It is fast & easy to put-on and take it off.

[@avlisk]

Living in Maine, I do most things this guys does. Not only do I keep the water dripping, but I order incandescent lightbulbs from Mexico to put in the space where the pipes come into the house because they provide just enough heat to keep the pipes from freezing.

[@sandracoyle3244]

yes, in the south we don't get freezing weather very much. when we do , most let the water trickle at night .

[@jenniferlemming3249]

When I moved here to Bismarck, ND ten years ago, I talked with a man who lived in a mobile home in Bismarck during the blizzard of 1978. He said with Bismarck dropped to minus 78 Fahrenheit, Not an exaggerated possibility. North Dakota often has wind chill warnings of minus 30 - 60 Fahrenheit. oh, the guy told me. he had to take a blow torch to his frozen pipes.

[@firefighterchick]

Yup, when it gets in the low 20s and teens(F)especially overnight I crack the faucets just in case.

[@wilbard6708]

Years ago there was a tire that had studs that could retract into tire and be put back out when needed. Don't know if they ever got into production or were just a prototype, Hakkapeliitta was the tire.

[@NancyMoran-r3b]

Carry kitty litter in your car trunk. If you get stuck in the snow put some of the litter under the tires to help gain traction to get unstuck.

[@Dee-743]

If you’ve ever had frozen pipes, you’ll remember to leave the water dripping. When it’s close to freezing, my faucet is running slightly. Leave the cabinet doors open too in order for more heat to get to the pipes.

[@Amandaarford83]

I’m in my 40s and my mom or dad still call me anytime we get a really cold snap to remind me to leave the faucet dripping. I’m like yeah I’ve been alive long enough now to remember

[@decolonizeEverywhere]

Seems as though a few people need to speak to some experts. Running water through pipes actually makes the pipes colder and more likely to freeze in extreme cold temperatures. The only reason your pipes haven't Frozen with the water running is because it was never cold enough to freeze your pipes. It's likely that your pipes run in between your heat ducts and if you leave the water turned off the heat from those ducts will keep the water in the pipes underneath your house from freezing.

[@tking747]

Recently found your channel and have subscribed. Please keep them coming!

[@BritPopsReact]

Thank you! Will do!

[@gregorybiestek3431]

The Penguin walk or variations of it are VERY common in the middle of winter, especially after an ice storm or a bad thaw/freeze cycle. My wife failed to do it one winter to rush into work and ended up permanently disabled with a hip injury that health insurance would not pay for. She uses a walker to this day.

[@sandygrunwaldt1780]

Here in Michigan chain's are against the law because they destroy the roads. Love From Michigan and it's a beautiful evening ❤

[@anjoleeeickhoff6800]

Yes we leave the tap drip, we also use heat tape on our pipes. We open the cabinet doors under sink so heat can get to the pics. However this isn’t everyday in winter. It’s only when it’s really bitter cold and wind is blowing like a banshee. So usually when it’s negative degrees below 0. So really not that often and mostly only on pipes that are on an outside wall because they tend freeze when it’s bitter cold, inside wall pipes don’t have that issue. We used to always put chains on in the 70’s here in Illinois. We usually carry a homemade survival kit in our car in case we get stranded in the snow/ice/white out conditions. We insulate our pipes too but we have some bitter cold weather off and on during the winter. It’s not everyday that we have negative below temps though but when we do then we know to look after the pipes that are likely to freeze, it’s not all of our pipes in the house.

[@valogden]

I live in Utah. If you're going up the mountain canyons on snow days to get up to the ski resorts they require chains on the vehicles.

[@stgermain1074]

I'm in Tennessee and dripped my pipes last night. It got down to the teens (Fahrenheit) last night. My pipes have frozen in the past, and a tiny drip of water is worth a pound of cure.

[@annfrost3323]

Some people get snow tires instead of chains.

[@Amandaarford83]

I don’t think I’ve ever known anybody that doesn’t talk about leaving the tap dripping when it’s really cold

[@dianec9860]

I live in Michigan and i run drip on a sink all winter. Had my pipes freeze a couple times that's why.

[@GaryHolloway-810]

Happy Christmas to you both, missing Dexter Fletcher & his friend.🙂👋 It seems pretty obvious to me but a good way to survive winter would be to turn on the heating & not go out much.🤭

[@woodywatson5570]

I do let my water taps drip slowly on cold winter nights when temps head down to 5 degrees above zero Fahrenheit or less. I live in upstate New York State in a mobile home and there is only a thin sheet of metal between the outside and under the mobile home. No insulation.

[@QwarkE1]

lol i was born and raised in southern california and a wee bit older then you, i have always had a set snow chains in my trunk/boot

[@hardtackbeans9790]

I leave my tap on a slow drip. No need for a stream.

[@MarieHook-zo1ms]

Like creeks and streams, running water doesn't typically freeze...ever notice if the wind is blowing overnight, you really don't see much frost, if at all, compared to a still night? Same concept...

[@NerdyNanaSimulations]

Unfortunately, I've broken my tailbone 3x falling on ice. I and many others do a side-to-side wobble on ice but his was quite exaggerated. When you do it use the motion to pick the best place to step next rather than looking like a penguin.

[@debbie541]

leaving a drip of water running from the highest faucet in the home. the only reason to do that is if the pipes are exposed to the cold winter weather. or the home and the pipes are not insulted properly

[@dorian822]

Every apartment I've rented in America before freezing asks residents to leave faucets dripping.

[@jenniferworley7115]

Definitely drip the faucets and lift the wiper blades but have never used the other hacks. The only positive of being bedridden is not having to go out in this mess anymore and not busting my butt on the ice. Ohio makes up for our crappy winters with our beautiful other seasons. Happy Holidays to all. Peace and blessings. ✌🤗

[@nowhereman725_]

The best way to deal with winter weather in the US is to move to the South.

[@Amandaarford83]

Several years ago here in Arkansas we got an ice storm then had an unprecedented foot of snow on top of it (northerners don’t make fun of us complaining about that much snow 😂) and I greatly regretted forgetting to leave my wipers pointed up. It took forever to get them loose. We get more ice storms than snow so it’s a common practice here.

[@tracyseelye1360]

Massachusetts - Dripping the faucet and walking like a penguin are essential

[@sueosborne533]

Wait he mentioned my hometown 😂

[@oldmanjimh3165]

Here in Maine I'd say chains aren't common but studded tires may be. Hard to put chains on when most people don't even park in their garage. If it gets -20 to -40 below zero and your home isn't well insulated requires a drippy faucet. If the driveway is icy I slip on a pair of shoe cleats.

[@lesaahrenstein6360]

walking like a penguin also redistributes your weight over a larger surface area. that's why when crossing a frozen body of water that hyou don't know how think the ice is you lay down and marine crawl 200 pds distributated over the whole front of your body or 200 pds being supported on size 10 feet.

[@emmettdwyer7584]

in chicago lived in a house built in the 1800 s and you had to keep the water on all night usually could turn off in the daytime

[@kevingouldrup9265]

We use ice spikes when it gets slippery!

[@earlymorningtwilight9119]

Yeah, pretty nippy at -5 fehrenheit and my dachshund turns into a frozen hot dog when she goes outside.

[@MichaelW969]

I live in the midwest and drip my faucets anytime temps drop below 10 degrees fahrenheit. Walking like a penguin is Lawrence being silly. It's not really necessary with proper footwear.

[@colleenmonfross4283]

Yes, allowing the water to run from the tap is extremely important when a hard freeze is expected, otherwise, your pipes will rupture. It works great. Just a small stream will do. Also, open the cabinet doors where pipes are, for example, under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and leave them open so the warmer air can circulate around them. Also, wrap your outside pipes in insulation. I have friends who live in Connecticut and Massachusetts and what they have to do to prepare for the winter is ridiculous and expensive!

[@decolonizeEverywhere]

You should take the time to speak to a plumber who will advise you to never leave your water dripping because it only keeps the cold water coming into your pipes rather than allowing the vents from your heat to warm the water sitting in the pipes still. Good luck is the only reason you haven't actually destroyed your plumbing by letting your water drip. It's an old wives tale that really needs to go away.

[@fermisparadox01]

Most likely, you have never experienced the kind of cold we get in the US straight from the Arctic. The ocean moderates the temperature. Not so here.

[@ericramsell5947]

We drip the water only if it is going to get REALLY cold, some houses have basements that may not stay warm or the water pipes are in some other uninsulated part of the house, like outside walls. Keeping the water at a low stream keeps water flowing so ice doesn't form. One year a few years ago, we had such long cold spell, and so cold, that we had a frost line down to 4 feet, deep enough to freeze city water supply lines. We had a number of burst water pipes where I worked. Yes, the penguin walk is pretty common. I had to use that the other day after we had 3-4 days of freezing rain/melt/fog/re-freeze. I had to walk to work instead of trying to drive.

[@decolonizeEverywhere]

Only stupid people with broken pipes leave their water running. Running water makes the pipes colder and freeze easier. And generally water pipes run nearby any heat ducks. If you have the water turned off it stays in the pipes long enough to actually warm up from the heat generated by the ductwork. And in turn, a good way to keep the heat in the ductwork during episodes of extreme cold is to close the heat vents in rooms you're not using, especially the bathroom. This business about keeping your bathrooms warm having anything to do with keeping the pipes under your house from freezing is bs. Unless for some odd reason the temperature in your bathroom is below freezing then of course the pipes underneath the sink are going to be above freezing and not go Frozen on you.