44 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | February 2024 Tractors, Trucks & Growing Grain heaters for temporary use. You don’t see them too much anymore but battery blankets keep the battery warm. At -30 C, a battery loses about two-thirds of its charge. If it’s warm, it works a lot better. In the old days, I had a 1956 Dodge car I bought for $100. It would start at -35 anytime as long as I brought the old battery in the house to keep warm. Make sure to have a good extension cord and you might need a 20 amp breaker if you have too much plugged in. A 2,250 watt circulating heater draws over 18 amps. A standard house circuit is only rated for 15 amps. When my wife was driving the school bus, we had to put in a 20 amp circuit for the block heater and the pan heater on the bus. Don’t forget the block heater tester to make sure everything is working. Defrosting windows Someone told me years ago to not put too much heat on the windshield if it’s snowing. Get the frost off the windshield and then when it’s clear, let it cool down so the snow doesn’t melt when it hits the windshield. Then, the snow should just blow off the windshield as you drive. Sticky weatherstrips on your vehicles or equipment? There are various weatherstrip lubricants that will help keep the ice from sticking to them. The lubricant also keeps them from squeaking. One of my first jobs was as an assistant car washer at Mid City Motors in Saskatoon in 1974. A task of mine was to put weatherstrip lubricant on the new cars so the doors didn’t squeak. Back in those days, they had a lot of hardtops where the glass was on the door and the weatherstrip was on the body. Well, there’s a few ways to help your home and transportation items work better in the winter. Enjoy a bit of relaxation and have a great winter. BF RON SETTLER Ron has farmed for over 45 years in Lucky Lake, Sask. In addition to grain farming, he and his family also operate a mechanical repair shop. Prevent your septic tank from freezing with a few helpful fixes: Here, a homemade device with a remote thermometer is propped up against a septic tank cover. Ron Settler photo
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