Grumpy, are you staying warm?

[Duckbubbles]

Yes I did see that Austin was also suffering like Houston. After all it is typically cooler than Houston for a start.

I found out that our absolute low temperature was 5 deg. F. Also 144 straight hours below freezing, a dubious record. Plumbers are said to be backed up for more than a month. All my friends came through this with minimal damage.
And we are forecast to be in the 70's on Wednesday! I think I'll go for a ride!

Frank

[Grumpy Goat]

How deep are the waterlines that come to the house down there?
One time when I was working out of Mandeville Louisiana one of the guys at the project office said their water line was barely below the surface and had froze a couple times in the past.

That sounds about right. Mine is about 8" under the level of the lawn. In the photos below you can see where the dry-well is in the front lawn by the green arrow, and in the second photo the green arrow points to the valve and the yellow arrow points to the meter. So when I shut this off, the undrained water is from that level all the way up to the lowest hose bib outside.
   
   

[Olgry1]

Glad you are ok Frank.

In Illinois I believe it is code for the outside water pipes to be buried 4' deep. I know our shut off valve is also buried deep and needs a special tool to reach it.

[Lee]

After the main shutoff servicing the property (in my house it is in the front lawn

That's it. No need to flush the toilets -

For some reason our town water department gets real pissy if you turn off the shut off valve in the yard.
They want you to call and have them do it.
I've seen picture of burst toilets when they freeze.

[Lee]

How deep are the waterlines that come to the house down there?
One time when I was working out of Mandeville Louisiana one of the guys at the project office said their water line was barely below the surface and had froze a couple times in the past.

From what I have witnessed at my house (Leaking pipe on MY side of the meter during the summer) they are at least a foot under the surface. Austin, Texas.
The issue (as you are well aware of) is mainly where they come out of the ground and are on outside walls of a house.

Frank

Around here water lines are about 4 feet deep. Guessing 5 foot for Minnesota.
The water line does not come up to ground level outside the house.

[MrVvrroomm]

https://www.hammerpedia.com/frost-line-map/

[Grumpy Goat]

https://www.hammerpedia.com/frost-line-map/

We are good in Houston then (> 5").

[Grumpy Goat]

For some reason our town water department gets real pissy if you shut off the shut off in the yard.
They want you to call and have you do it.

I believe you meant "... have them do it ..."

I can understand why.

Can't really trust all homeowners to be careful around what is the municipality's equipment (valve and gauge). My gauge has a brass lid over the glass (?) face of the gauge and a dropped wrench onto the open gauge would bust the glass (and possibly the gauge as well). Then the water would flow unmeasured until the next time the guy comes to read the gauge, after which the municipality would have to repair the gauge as the homeowner would likely deny any knowledge of the break.

[Lee]

For some reason our town water department gets real pissy if you shut off the shut off in the yard.
They want you to call and have you do it.

I believe you meant "... have them do it ..."

I can understand why.

Can't really trust all homeowners to be careful around what is the municipality's equipment (valve and gauge). My gauge has a brass lid over the glass (?) face of the gauge and a dropped wrench onto the open gauge would bust the glass (and possibly the gauge as well). Then the water would flow unmeasured until the next time the guy comes to read the gauge, after which the municipality would have to repair the gauge as the homeowner would likely deny any knowledge of the break.

Thanks, I went back and edited. Debbie had the computer working on taxes and I'm all thumbs when using a phone or tablet.
Our shut off would be hard to damage, it's a heavy duty brass shut off valve like farmers use on a livestock water line. It's not in a well like in the south. It's buried 4 foot down with a pipe up to the surface. You slip a 6 foot tool down the pipe to turn the valve.
Water gauges/meters are in the house so they don't freeze and they read them electronically. Years ago they came into the house to read the meter.

[Duckbubbles]

Can't really trust all homeowners to be careful around what is the municipality's equipment (valve and gauge).

Probably true for 90% of the people out there who don't have a clue.

Frank