best ways to keep your holes open in permi over night

[dunnym]

Hi, I'm wondering what methods everyone use to keep there holes open in your permi houses over night. I normally at my house every couple days. It is always such a pain in the butt to have to reauger your holes. I always bank my house real good to keep wind from getting under the.house. I have tried putting the pink insulation board stuff over the holes, never had any luck with that. Anyone have any good methods they would like to share?

[MNfan]

Leave the heat on low!

[sunniewally]

I've been trying to find the answer too... one guy said to blow up a balloon and stuff it down the hole and set a pail of snow or something to keep it down. one said to make a foam cylinder out of the can of foam you can buy , the size of your hole and 5 or 6 " long and shove that down the hole.

i know a few decades ago the had a sealed stove pipe deal to shove down the hole and wedge a board accross it under your fish house hole, when you want to take it out pour a little charcoal lighter down in it and throw a match to it. don't need much. just to warm it up a bit. if a guy could braze a 8" pipe and braze a cover on the bottom to make it water tight that should work.

[timjones]

I just turn my thermostat for the furnace all the way down(not all the way to off). Works for my house.

[blue_healer_guy]

I just re auger the holes. seems like a lot less stress.

[TyGuy02]

I would leave the covers off and just bring a chisel. I did that several years ago. I hate to re-auger holes unless it is fully iced up. What will happen is the hole will start to get smaller and smaller, but if you start with 10", getting a little smaller won't hurt. One time I really saved my backside because I thought it would be easier to raise the house up 6" when I was done. Ended up getting really warm the next week and luckily my holes froze up before that happened. Everyone elses house had a foot of water around it, and mine was high and dry. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do. But if I was going to be back within a day or two, just chissel it.

[SFC]

For keeping hole open overnight try a couple shovels of snow.

[shortfatguy]

Card board with snow on top would work. Just make sure it's fluffy snow and not slush. We go to our cabin over Christmas and new years and cut a hole to get water from. Lay pine boughs on top and cover with snow. Stays open for over a week with out any ice. And we don't haul water every day.

[Stick in Mud]

Interesting idea, shortfatguy. I might have to try that.

Whenever we're concerned about this, we always just leave the heater on low. It's not ideal, of course, because you go through more propane, but it saves us having to redrill holes.

[shortfatguy]

I have heard of guys who net through the ice doing the same thing on cold days so I would assume it would definitely work in a house.

[Survyr]

I have a friend that fills 5 gallon buckets about half full of water and puts them through the catch cover instead of putting the cover on the catch cover. The buckets freeze and his holes stay open. It works well but the half bucks of ice are a nuisance. if you're only worried about a couple holes it may work for you. I'm fine with redrilling or leaving the heat on.

[dunnym]

thanks for all the tips. I will definately be giveing some a try