4.01.2024 Snow storm chaos 1!

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 Thursday 4th 28F/-2. Everything is plastered in snow. Fortunately it doesn't look very deep. 3-4" at the most. There may be more snow showers this morning.

 Up at 7am after waking earlier. 57F/14C in the room. 53F in the bathroom and kitchen. I have only enough logs to last a couple more days. As the temperatures is forecast to drop steadily to -10C/14F in the next week. 

  A quick snap through the window as it became lighter outside. The orange is from indoor lights.

 The snow took me completely by surprise. The forecast was showing rain until last night. I put off a trip to the timber yard as I waited for the new car battery. Which is still missing. Trying to fetch more logs is probably too risky until the local roads are cleared. The timber yard is on a narrow lane even if I can get to the junction on main roads. Then there are ramps off the lane to reach the yard.

 It is still pitch black here until 8.00 or later. So I cannot check the situation yet. I have plenty of warm clothing but it won't be very comfortable if I do run out of logs. I just hope the electricity stays on!

 I have also run out of my usual foods. Though I have plenty of tinned stuff. At 5km/3miles to the village shops it is a decent walk but not impossible. Though I still lack a rucksack. I also have the trike if the roads are clear enough. That brings the round trip down to about an hour instead of three or more.  

 Some motorists have been stuck on Danish motorways for 19 hours without food or drink. Extra emergency shelter centres were set up in nearby cities. This didn't help those still stuck in long, unmoving queues. The road clearing couldn't cope with so much snow and high winds causing drifting. 

 
  60cm/24" of snow is recorded in mid Jylland. There was mention of several army vehicle helping the police and ambulances but this hasn't helped to clear the roads. One accident and nobody moves. The snow ploughs can't move ether! More snow is forecast. 

 8.00 I can see outside now and I had better light the stove. 

 8.30  Off to connect the new charger [Noco Genius 5A] to the old car battery.  

 9.00 I needed a flat crowbar to get into the car. The door was frozen shut. As was the bonnet. The negative terminal was already disconnected. A long term practice to avoid drain in the long periods without use. The charger showed the battery to be fully charged. I know it's not. So I set it to 12V Repair. Which should take an hour or more. The red LED is now flashing. 

 I then cleared the outside of the car with a soft broom. In readiness for a drive into the village for vital groceries. The re-frozen snow on the car windows will need the car heater to make any impact. The de-icer spray will be completely wasted with that much ice to clear. 

 9.30  I took a walk along the drive to check the road conditions. As a bus route it is usually kept clear and salted.  An email has just arrived with an update on shipping of my new car battery. It is out for delivery this morning. Goody! The roads are certainly passable but probably slippery. The stove is sulking. The Danish news reports that the police are advising nobody should drive in East Jylland. Even an off-road army truck has fallen into a ditch.  

 10.00 The room has just reached 60F/15C two hours after lighting the stove. Checking the melting snow pattern on the roof suggests a weakness just above the open stairwell. Or that heat from the stove is rising up the stairs. Causing a local hot spot. 

 The unheated balcony room is at 38F/3C. The far end of the open attic [former bedroom] is at 55F/13C. The balcony room floor is insulated with 4" of fibreglass wadding. This was inherited from the time that the balcony was wide open. Now fully [double] glazed on the western gable end. 

 The balcony room insulation was not completed as I had planned over this last summer. A lack of motivation I am afraid. The whole bathroom and one end of the kitchen lie partially under the balcony. So there must still be considerable heat loss through their ceilings. This must be attended to. 

 The balcony room overheats badly in summer. Meaning that the balcony room is causing problems all year round. Except in the spring and autumn. The room needs controllable ventilation in summer. Using the chimney effect via an exit placed as high as possible on the north roof slope. To avoid solar infall. I considered fitting a small skylight for this purpose. Closable, mesh protected vents, down near the floor in the partition wall. Would allow cooler indoor air to rise out of the house interior. External shading of the huge glass area, via home made louvres, would also help.

Plus much better sealing and insulation of the balcony room in winter. To reduce heat loss to the rooms below and to the open, adjoining attic. All of which will contribute to comfort in the rest of the completely open plan house. Except for the halls, bathroom and kitchen. The open stairwell [85x145cm = 1.23m^2] allows warm air in the living room to rise freely into the open attic area. Minus the balcony room. Which is separated by a large and leaky, single glazed, double door. Kept closed to minimise heat losses and gains.

 See the next post:

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