The person who keeps every pipe in six homes from freezing, in his own words.
Miles Ashcroft has lived in Placerville for twenty-two years. He can walk into a cold house in January and tell you, from the way the radiators sound, whether the boiler has been cycling normally.
He keeps a spreadsheet of every zone valve in every home. He has never once let a pipe freeze.
We interviewed him for ninety minutes about the winter cellar. He would not tell us where he buys his long underwear.
Written by Nell Hollaway. Published on October 11, 2025.
