Meanwhile in Canada

[Mr Zog]

That weather is just rude man... 

Come visit Florida, it will be around 80 degrees tomorrow 

[ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS]

That weather is just rude man...

How does one dress when you go to work in the mornings? Guess you take a few layers off once you get to work?
Are the heaters in your office/control rooms gas or electric fired?

[Oshkosh]

Pretoria experienced there Highest Temp of 39 Deg C this year on Thursday!!
Believe me it was F#cking Hot!!   

[immigrant]

That weather is just rude man... 
Come visit Florida, it will be around 80 degrees tomorrow 

Rude indeed. Like a kick in the balls...

How does one dress when you go to work in the mornings? Guess you take a few layers off once you get to work?
Are the heaters in your office/control rooms gas or electric fired?

Actually ChrisL, not that many layers. Just a coat and a beanie. The house is 20C, and 10 min before we leave for work we remote start the bakkie so its nice and warm when we get in, also around 20C. We only spend about 2 min "outside". Front door to bakkie is about 10 meters and parking at work to entrance about 50 meters. Not really enough time to get cold after getting out from a warm house/bakkie.(we do have "emergency" supplies in the bakkie - blankets, sleeping bags etc). But if I plan on staying outside for longer, I put on 2 t shirts, thermal under wear. 1 long sleeved t shirt, fleece jacket, down jacket, and cover it all up with insulated coveralls. -40C rated insulated boots, waterproof gloves, balaclava and a beanie. As you warm up when doing chores you just undo the zip to let some heat escape. Sweat is your enemy!! Make sure you go to the bathroom before you get dressed and head out!!
99% of all heat is natural gas, or natural gas that is used to heat glycol that is then circulated through pipes in the floor or radiators. At work we create a lot of steam in the process and that is recycled throughout the plant as well to save on natural gas

[Pumbaa]

That weather is just rude man... 
Come visit Florida, it will be around 80 degrees tomorrow 

Rude indeed. Like a kick in the balls...

How does one dress when you go to work in the mornings? Guess you take a few layers off once you get to work?
Are the heaters in your office/control rooms gas or electric fired?

Actually ChrisL, not that many layers. Just a coat and a beanie. The house is 20C, and 10 min before we leave for work we remote start the bakkie so its nice and warm when we get in, also around 20C. We only spend about 2 min "outside". Front door to bakkie is about 10 meters and parking at work to entrance about 50 meters. Not really enough time to get cold after getting out from a warm house/bakkie.(we do have "emergency" supplies in the bakkie - blankets, sleeping bags etc). But if I plan on staying outside for longer, I put on 2 t shirts, thermal under wear. 1 long sleeved t shirt, fleece jacket, down jacket, and cover it all up with insulated coveralls. -40C rated insulated boots, waterproof gloves, balaclava and a beanie. As you warm up when doing chores you just undo the zip to let some heat escape. Sweat is your enemy!! Make sure you go to the bathroom before you get dressed and head out!!
99% of all heat is natural gas, or natural gas that is used to heat glycol that is then circulated through pipes in the floor or radiators. At work we create a lot of steam in the process and that is recycled throughout the plant as well to save on natural gas

How do you deal with cold engines and fuel gelling? Not sure if this is a petrol and diesel problem. When we travelled the Pamir highway in our 4x4 really winter, it was about -20 outside. We had to wait for the sun to 'warm' things up a bit in the morning before we could start the cruiser. You could feel the engine running rough and lots of white smoke when starting. We were using winter fuel at the time.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[FrankyB]

How do you deal with cold engines and fuel gelling? Not sure if this is a petrol and diesel problem. When we travelled the Pamir highway in our 4x4 really winter, it was about -20 outside. We had to wait for the sun to 'warm' things up a bit in the morning before we could start the cruiser. You could feel the engine running rough and lots of white smoke when starting. We were using winter fuel at the time.

That sounds like a diesel thing.  On my Cruiser I had the same when it slept outside in minus degrees....hard to start, followed by rough running and white smoke. 
Petrol doesn't have that problem...just needs a strong enough spark and there you go.

The strong enough spark is a different matter though...I believe in Canada they insulate the battery to not get too cold....Immigrant can educate us further

[immigrant]

Diesel is a big problem. Its starts gelling at around -8C. We have to pour in a conditioner when we fuel up, and the petrol station also have a conditioner already blended in. Petrol doesn’t gel, but the vapour pressure needs to be higher in winter petrol, and they also blend it at the refinery. The winter petrol also have a distinct smell.
This is what a diesel fuel filter looks like without conditioner (not my pics. Taken of the internet)





We “ plug in” our vehicles when temps are around -15C or less. There are 3 types of heaters. Block heaters, that heats up the coolant which keeps the block somewhat warm. Oil pan heaters heats the engine oil. Battery blankets helps to keep je battery from freezing. A vehicle may have one or all installed depending on make or model. The heaters use around 1000-1500 watt. Like having a kettle boiling for 8 hours at a time.
Propane also gels up when it gets really cold causing a lot of headaches for those who still use it for heating

[evansv]

I've seen & experienced gelled up diesel while working in Germany & the first time was near Sunderland in the Cape. Germany was -25C, not sure about Sunderland, but it was cold enough to crack all of the water pump housings for the camp plumbing!

[Fudmucker]

I remember a TV program about a trip across Russia in winter using diesel 4x4s
The engines were not switched off for 6 weeks !
One ran out of fuel and it was so cold that by the time they got it fueled up again
they had to use a blowtorch to unfreeze bits.

I wondered if petrol with alcohol would be problematic in sub-zero,
I know that the alcohol absorbs some water and so wondered if the water would freeze out.

[immigrant]

I wondered if petrol with alcohol would be problematic in sub-zero,
I know that the alcohol absorbs some water and so wondered if the water would freeze out.

You are correct. In the “old days” they used to mix isopropyl alcohol or methyl hydrate with petrol. With extreme temp swings condensate forms inside the fuel tanks, which finds its way in to the fuel system. The water typically freezes in the thin fuel line.   Isopropyl alcohol will combine with water and remix any phase-separated water/ethanol to accomplish two things: First, it will prevent water from freezing anywhere in the fuel system; and second, it will carry the "mix" through the system into the engine to burn. This prevents the moisture and alcohol from sitting in the bottom of the fuel tank.But with modern fuel that contains 10% ethanol and fuel injection water in the fuel doesn’t seem to be an issue in the winter.

[immigrant]

[ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS]

OK so wasie pad?!!

[immigrant]

OK so wasie pad?!!

Iewers in die middel 

[ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS]

OK so wasie pad?!!

Iewers in die middel 

Julle is brawe mense!!
Is daar n grond of teerpad onder Immigrant?

[immigrant]

OK so wasie pad?!!

Iewers in die middel 

Julle is brawe mense!!
Is daar n grond of teerpad onder Immigrant?

Grond

[Fudmucker]

In Europe they have little poles with red reflectors just off the road shoulder every 50m or so
to show drivers where the road is in the snow.

[immigrant]

 

[ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS]

Ai jinne Immigrant!!
Ek het nounet my kalwers se water loop check, en papnat van die sweet hier by die aircon kon sit sodat ek net kan ophou sweet so warm en hoog is die humiditeit. Ek sal maar sweet ipv daai minus 36!!
Ai jou arme koeie se voete moet geys wees!!

[immigrant]

Ai jinne Immigrant!!
Ek het nounet my kalwers se water loop check, en papnat van die sweet hier by die aircon kon sit sodat ek net kan ophou sweet so warm en hoog is die humiditeit. Ek sal maar sweet ipv daai minus 36!!
Ai jou arme koeie se voete moet geys wees!!

Die waterbak is vereseker ge-ys! Gelukkig nie erge wind nie. Maar dis bliksems koud....

[ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS]

Ai jinne Immigrant!!
Ek het nounet my kalwers se water loop check, en papnat van die sweet hier by die aircon kon sit sodat ek net kan ophou sweet so warm en hoog is die humiditeit. Ek sal maar sweet ipv daai minus 36!!
Ai jou arme koeie se voete moet geys wees!!

Die waterbak is vereseker ge-ys! Gelukkig nie erge wind nie. Maar dis bliksems koud....

Stoepid vraag hoe hou julle daai bakke vloeibaar? Ek weet in die Karoo moet die manne elke oggend die ys loop breek vir die skaap.
Het julle heaters by die drink krippe?