How to prevent locks from freezing.

[groundcover]

I have one gate lock which is filled with ice after every rain storm followed by cold temps. I thaw it, leave it on the truck defroster until it gets so hot you can barely handle it; and put it back on so that I can do it again next time after spraying it with various lubricants. Nothing I have tried seems to help, although I am not ready for the B&C mess which the OPs link describes.

Cut a flap of old fire hose to keep the weather off it, makes a huge difference.

 

[cqaigy2]

Do you have a well house? We do and I discovered a solution it will help you or someone else since I had years of frozen pipes. Get some reflective foam insulation panels, one side is mirror-shiny. I put a light socket in well house with 60 Watt incandescent bulb. Panel cut to fit, mine is cinder block, top tilts up. Panels reflective side down. This morning I checked and lifting a panel it was toasty warm, I'm guessing 60°F and 9°F outside.View attachment 776278

Buddy of mine had his mother call him because she lost water pressure. He figured the light had burned out, like it had, once before, but no. The light was still on, then he noticed that his mom had replaced it with a LED light, you know, to save power...... Same mother that put paper bags over the phone, because the local radio station had put out a warning that the phone company was going to blow out the lines, on April 1st.

 

[ZTMAN]

Good to know about the butane lighters. I always carry a box of wooden matches in my truck, which usually gets the lock unfrozen.

Went to check the camp on Christmas Eve and turn the heat up. Gate lock was frozen solid after 1.5 inches of rain, then a flash freeze. Match did not work. Wrapped some post it notes around some match sticks and tied them together with some dental floss. Still did not work so I just decided to walk to the camp.

The lock has been on that gate 25 years. That was the first time I could not get it unlocked. I figured I would buy a butane lighter, but after reading this thread I guess that is not a good idea.

 

[notaz3]

Electrical tape over the bottom of the lock, lock it upside down. Never had an issue with freezing even down to -12 F the other day.

 

[beowulf]

For locks, pouring any water over the lock has worked for me. Once in an emergency I had to use my own water if you know what I mean.

For pipes, I have installed below ground shut-offs to the outlying bibs, and where we cannot do that, we leave the fartherest bib dripping, and have used a heat tape (I think it kicks on at about 4o degrees), and a chicken brooder lamp at the well, like this one:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/chicken%20brooder%20lamp?

The lamp would even work better with fuddyduddys suggestion about the reflective panels.

 

[ArlyA]

Many of these "frozen lock solution's" do not appile to the remote gate locks we've had to deal with. Best was to have a roof over them and keep them oiled.

 

[mikester]

My diesel tank's padlock is exposed to the elements. I dangle the lock in my tractor exhaust for about a minute to completely melt and dry out the lock. A squirt of silicone oil lube helps keep the moisture out. Seems to last for quite a while.

I find the trick is getting all the moisture out of the lock and prevent it from getting in.

 

[TheMan419]

WD40 works well.

Kept our locks from freezing in Northern Indiana in the recent "why the hell do I live here" conditions.

 

[miscjames]

Kept our locks from freezing in Northern Indiana in the recent "why the hell do I live here" conditions.

"why the hell do I live here" conditions.

Hahaha i am going to steal this

 

[masscity]

I spray all my locks (including pickup door) with Fluid Film and have never had a problem. The locks on my enclosed trailer were sprayed many years ago and are still fine.

When I was working as a Crane Operator I used to spray the outside of padlocks with ether and then light it with my lighter, let it burn for a little bit and ready to go.