The dark nights / Winters coming

[Yorkshire Andy]

Well summers at it's back end the trees are showing the start of autumn had a cool couple of mornings this week ..

there's rumblings about a bad stormy / cold winter due to global weather patterns , the shortage of gas and the threat of power cuts


So what are we all doing to prepare??


Last weekend I started in earnest I've added a mains flood light to the small shed and a led bulkhead lamp on the patio so if I need to do any work on a night over winter I can actually see, solar lights have their place but long dark nights meaning in the depths of winter they struggle with sustained use.....


The outside tap has been lagged with a proprietary foam wrap with caps top and bottom to try and keep the frost off if it gets really cold I can isolate it behind the dishwasher..


The shed could do with a coat of stain but will last the winter if I dont get chance...


Spent today charging stuff up the rechargeable outside lights have all nearly now been charged and cobwebs wiped off ... Along with the CCTV cameras that are battery powered dark nights = more power used for the infrared illuminators ...


New bike lights are on my work bike ready for the clocks changing work gave me a nice branded high Vis coat for riding to work which was appreciated

Tomorrow it's smoke alarm day all the battery units will get new batterys fitted as will the CO alarms

Over the coming weeks diesel heaters will be got out and tested as too with the calor heater and buddy heater..

Started sorting my thermal work clobber out too just ditched some old tatty stuff but have stocks of new ready to go

Got a new jacket my old faithful sprayway goretex jacket has started to delaminate must have had it 20 years

My cars on all season tyres

Wife's winters are in the shed will wait till it turns cold to fit them

[Kiwififer]

Off on Monday so I am going to try and get the shed painted and touch up bits of the fence.

Garden needs a tidy up, weeds done, and a few other bits need done. Might get the window cleaner to look at the gutters.

I bet it rains…

[pseudonym]

Solar input down by 50% but still covering my base load for fridge and router.

Jackery E1000 still at 100% charge through that's powering 32 w laptop and 6w usb lightbulb

Charged my 12KWh Jackery upto 100% ready for any powercuts.

Had first of season burn on my Esse100 woodburner all working OK.

Need to book and arrange boiler service next week.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Solar input down by 50% but still covering my base load for fridge and router.

Jackery E1000 still at 100% charge through that's powering 32 w laptop and 6w usb lightbulb

Charged my 12KWh Jackery upto 100% ready for any powercuts.

Had first of season burn on my Esse100 woodburner all working OK.

Need to book and arrange boiler service next week.

That's a point boiler got recertification after kitchen men damaged the casing....

Might open all the windows and burn the dust off the radiators tomorrow too
Ecoflows are all topped off

[GeraldTheBonzai]

The summer clothes are getting put away this weekend. Wood shed has been cleared out. Need to book a chimney sweep.

Up to yorkshire this week which will be a change from the south coast...

[Frnc]

One thing I need to do soon is check the two solar motion lights over the back door. I've not checked them for months, due to the light evenings.

I also need to fill a hole in the kitchen wall, where the old kitchen sink pipe went through. I've got expanding foam ready.

Some things already done:

Boiler serviced early Sept.

Heating checked including all radiators. Thermostat set. I'm going to try 17.5 for the first hour, and 17 after, for the first few weeks, then go back to 18. Maybe 17.5 in between. Boiler is set to 56. Winter default is 61.

More or less charged or checked spreadsheet for all batteries. Hand torch and head torch batteries charged. Bike front light and spare back charged.

Clear safety glasses in bike bag (for when it's too dark for shades). Autumn and winter cycling clothes sorted, including gloves and caps. I now get changed for cycling in the front bedroom, and use the drawers in there. My cycling clothes used to be in the prep room, so this helps separate day to day from preps.

Got my insulated jacket out and on the prep room door hook. Hat in pocket, as it has no hood. Gloves are on the shoe rack in hall. I also have a hooded insulated jacket, which I keep for best/spare.

Lawn cut, hopefully last one, and hedge had a minor trim by hand.

In a couple of weeks I'll finish most of my winter rotation and to-do list.

Things are a bit different this year, partly because I have the front bedroom that used to have a lodger. Also the wardrobe in my room and the one on the landing are decluttered. In the past, I didn't actually use the wardrobe in my room for day to day, but now I do. I try to keep prep stuff out of my room now, but I do still keep my bug-out back in the bottom of my wardrobe.

[Winterprep]

Coal and logs all stocked up to see me through the worst of winters.

WP

[Medusa]

We are well stocked with de-icer and screenwash for the truck and works van and probably for the adult children popping in who have none. The truck has had recent new tyres and a new battery.We spent a few hours today chopping wood, him with the chainsaw chopping pallets and me with the big axe chopping logs. Tomorrow he will be chopping kindling. We have stocked up on candles, have 3 oil lamps, wicks and oil, torches and headlamps plus batteries and have several charged small powerbanks, a Jackery and are about to invest in another bigger one of a different brand. We had a power cut last week, luckily whilst we were at work, so added to the stores a bit more to cover more of those. Stocked the first aid kit/medicine cabinet with extra supplies for flu, stomach bugs, coughs and calpol for the grandchildren when they visit in case of need. Need to give the stove kettles a descale ready for woodstove brews and remove the stoves for the chimney sweep who is due next week. I do want to install another camera at the back of the house but need to do a bit of research first. We have been careful with heating oil this year so cannot order the minimum for delivery, heating water takes very little but will keep an eye on the gauge.

[Frnc]

Bit of a freak day today, 24° forecast. But 4° nights are likely in just over a month. I have to be prepared to be outside in that.

Summer clothes moved out of my room now (except ones I'm wearing!). Autumn ones in. Winter ones checked. Mostly base layers - jackets live on the clothes rail in the prep room.

[GeraldTheBonzai]

I bit the bullet and had the car battery replaced. It was on its last legs and even during the hot spell the engine stop/start rarely cut in. No way was it going to get through winter. Had considered new tyres but having a good inspection there is more thread than i thought. We rarely get snow down here and these days if conditions are bad i just don't drive, so think i can kick that down the road a bit.