Holes Freezing Up Overnight

[Drama King]

Wondering if anyone has any tricks for keeping holes inside an ice house open overnight. I have a lot of trouble with rattle reel lines freezing to the side of the holes when it gets cold at night.

Any tricks help. I have an Ice Castle house and had this issue quite a few times last season. I know that banking with snow and eliminating any drafts under the house helps. But when it gets really cold (0 degrees or colder at night) I can't find a solution!

Any info or tricks that you are willing to share would be great!

[kevfish1]

fan

[BuckSutherland]

So I have a house that kinda looks like an IC. It is spray foam from floor to ceiling. I have the 20k BTU forced air furnace that blows out across the floor from my V-front.

1. Drill holes while house is in the air and let shavings pile up nice and high then set house down.

2. Get the glow in the dark hole sleeves and when you put them in make sure you have slush packed all the way around the hole.

3. Bank house and step on the snow so it compresses and you can get rid of drafts.

Never ever had an issue with the holes freezing. -20 isnt a problem at all. I can usually go 48-60 hours on a 20# cylinder.

[B-man715]

So I have a house that kinda looks like an IC. It is spray foam from floor to ceiling. I have the 20k BTU forced air furnace that blows out across the floor from my V-front.

1. Drill holes while house is in the air and let shavings pile up nice and high then set house down.

2. Get the glow in the dark hole sleeves and when you put them in make sure you have slush packed all the way around the hole.

3. Bank house and step on the snow so it compresses and you can get rid of drafts.

Never ever had an issue with the holes freezing. -20 isnt a problem at all. I can usually go 48-60 hours on a 20# cylinder.

Exactly. Hole sleeves are worth their weight in gold.

I'll add to make sure the line is somewhat in the center of the hole. On frigid nights, your holes might shrink some, and your lines can freeze into the sides.

[BehindtheHead]

train your minnows to switch directions every 10 min.

[honkerhunter64]

I've always thought about rigging up a minnow bucket bubbler and splitting it several ways to make a mini aerator running to every hole. Never tried it but I think it would work.

[honda400ex_treme]

Its a little more work. But after you drill your holes get as much of the ice shavings out and bring in a 5 gallon bucket of snow. Dump it down the hoke and use a thick rubber pair of gloves and pack the snow around your hole. Makes a night and day difference over packing with the ice shavings. Fans help as well as good banking on the outside.

[EJ]

train your minnows to switch directions every 10 min.

I have a hard time getting them to listen so I just clip the left pectoral fin before I go to bed and they swim in tight circles.

[Hawg]

Yup, ceiling fan.

[RiverChuckNorris]

Vodka. 1 shot for my "homies" down each hole