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Thread: Power Outage

  1. #1
    Senior Dog Bamps's Avatar
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    Power Outage

    So yesterday we lost power. All of our devices went on batteries and every thing was cool. After a few minutes, the 105F outside temp began to seep inside and it started to get a little warm. So I went outside and drug out the generator and fired it up and we all, furbrats and all, went out to sit in the travel trailer under the AC. The porch light was left on so we would know if the power came back on.
    After awhile I began to wonder if I should go get some gasoline, this may turn into an all nighter. The problem is that the trailer does not have the ultra violet blocking water tanks and I drain it when we come home from camping so I would need the bigger generator to pump water into it. My well is rigged that the pump can be run with a generator. Also we have a freezer full of food that we need to get started before it begins to thaw. Basically, to make a long story short, we have one big generator, 8,000 watts to run well pump and freezer/frig and a smaller, 3000 watts to run the trailer in case of this situation. But they need gasoline.
    Off to the gas station we went, three gas cans, all the furbrats, DW and I, to find huge crowds sitting waiting for the power to come back on so the gas stations (3) can reopen and pump gas. So we went to the next one and filled the three cans and the truck as well.
    This morning at about 530-600 the power finally came back on. This morning I put the generators away and put gas stabilizer in the tanks.

    What's your emergency plan?

  2. #2
    Senior Dog sparky's Avatar
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    Sounds like you are a Boy Scout, Be prepared! Glad the power came back on.
    Were we live (in SW Ohio) if lightning strikes in Georga our power goes out. The power CO. says "it's squirrels on the lines" we must have the largest bunch of Kamize squirrels in the world!
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    House Broken csblabmom's Avatar
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    We have a Generac 22KW generator hooked to our propane tank. We live in a hurricane/TS prone area, so it is a necessity.

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  6. #4
    House Broken Lobo's Avatar
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    With Obama's was on coal Texas has had problems delivering enough power during the hot summer months. The last two years we have had rolling brown outs where they cut power for 15 minutes every hour. It blows breakers and will shock circuit boards to certain appliances and has caused havoc for some. Its especially hard on the low income people and those that have medical equipment at home and also need refrigeration for medication.

    I have been looking into a 7500 or 10,000 watts gasoline generator with a sub panel and auto trip circuit for when the power goes out. If we do go with a generatorI will then need to install a bay for gasoline that I can rotate to keep it on hand and fresh. Location is a huge problem as our storage shed in 100 feet from our panel and garage which will make it very expensive to hook up unless I sacrifice a spot in the garage.

    Did not have any of these problems pre-Kenyan.

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  8. #5
    Senior Dog Bamps's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lobo View Post
    With Obama's was on coal Texas has had problems delivering enough power during the hot summer months. The last two years we have had rolling brown outs where they cut power for 15 minutes every hour. It blows breakers and will shock circuit boards to certain appliances and has caused havoc for some. Its especially hard on the low income people and those that have medical equipment at home and also need refrigeration for medication.

    I have been looking into a 7500 or 10,000 watts gasoline generator with a sub panel and auto trip circuit for when the power goes out. If we do go with a generatorI will then need to install a bay for gasoline that I can rotate to keep it on hand and fresh. Location is a huge problem as our storage shed in 100 feet from our panel and garage which will make it very expensive to hook up unless I sacrifice a spot in the garage.

    Did not have any of these problems pre-Kenyan.
    i went for years off grid with solar. We quickly learned the hard way and now I will pass it along to you . . . Buy the absolute BIGGEST generator you can possible afford. Go cheap and you will regret it

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  10. #6
    Best Friend Retriever Sue's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lobo View Post
    With Obama's was on coal Texas has had problems delivering enough power during the hot summer months. The last two years we have had rolling brown outs where they cut power for 15 minutes every hour. It blows breakers and will shock circuit boards to certain appliances and has caused havoc for some. Its especially hard on the low income people and those that have medical equipment at home and also need refrigeration for medication.

    I have been looking into a 7500 or 10,000 watts gasoline generator with a sub panel and auto trip circuit for when the power goes out. If we do go with a generatorI will then need to install a bay for gasoline that I can rotate to keep it on hand and fresh. Location is a huge problem as our storage shed in 100 feet from our panel and garage which will make it very expensive to hook up unless I sacrifice a spot in the garage.

    Did not have any of these problems pre-Kenyan.
    I am notgoing to even deign to answer your birther thoughts on the was (??? what is a was?) on coal allegedly being perpetrated by by OUR (duly elected, not once but twice) President. But I will say that brownouts have been ongoing for as long as I can remember in high electric use areas, and I daresay I'm much older than you are.

    And it's power surges that cause the problem. Invest in some surge strips, and you should eliminate half your problems. Or get your house wired a bit better.

    And why such a large gas generator? If you're going to go with one that size, you are far far better off to go with an automatic, that used either natural gas or propane. It's what I have, with a 100 gallon propane tank, as we're not fortunate enough to have natural gas out here.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bamps View Post
    i went for years off grid with solar. We quickly learned the hard way and now I will pass it along to you . . . Buy the absolute BIGGEST generator you can possible afford. Go cheap and you will regret it
    This^^^^

    And consider automatic. A good auto that runs most of the house will actually end up costing you less. No running around looking for gas, or having the power go out in the middle of the night and you don't know it. Or if you do, it's out to fuel up and start the generator. We got ours from Home Depot, delivered free, for less than a 5,000 watt gas. Hookup with a licensed electrician was $500. And the propane tank was $100.

    Can't go wrong going that way.

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  12. #7
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Lost power in Savannah for a week after Hurricane David years ago. What a mess. I covered the freezer, which was in the uninsulated garage, with quilts. We only lost what was on top. Trick is to not open it at all. Ice was being trucked into the area and got snatched up fast. The outside temps were right at 100 and humid. Not a fun time.

    Am surprised, in our area with all the snow and ice storms, very few power outages. If there is, we are back up fairly quickly. The two times I remember was a horrific storm the evening of DD's wedding, coming home from the reception, dark out, no power. Got up then next morning to lines down in the back yard. That one took about 24 hours to fix. The other was another storm early in the morning before we were to take off to Iowa to pick up Melody. No power, no sump pump. Back up ace-in-the-hole was iffy. DH was so determined that we would get Melody that we picked up stuff in the basement and went. Luckily, power was not out very long and we came home to a dry house.

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  14. #8
    Senior Dog Bamps's Avatar
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    When I was working in the power business in the 1990's they said that if they got the green light to build powerplants, nuclear or fossil fuelers, right then nation wide, they could not possibly keep up with demand. I think the days of the massive powerplants of any kind are a dying breed.

  15. #9
    Best Friend Retriever Sue's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bamps View Post
    When I was working in the power business in the 1990's they said that if they got the green light to build powerplants, nuclear or fossil fuelers, right then nation wide, they could not possibly keep up with demand. I think the days of the massive powerplants of any kind are a dying breed.
    Not only this, but it started way earlier. Remember the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965? That's when things changed, as far as how electricity was delivered. We're under the ISO-New England up here in Maine, but every region has their own Regional Transmission Organization, which ours was formed in 1997, originally as New England Power Pool (established in 1971).

    The cement plant I work for monitors the ISO-NE website, and when power demand is high, we shut down until it drops. It costs a lot, as we're not producing product, but it lessens the demand on the electric grid. And in the long run, saves us money, as the company gets a break later in the year, and electricity is our biggest expense, bar none.

    To Lobo, your brownouts are not caused by any president, but by YOUR regional ISO, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

    Info on power grid operators:
    ISO RTO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    And specific to yours:
    Electric Reliability Council of Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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  17. #10
    Senior Dog Bamps's Avatar
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    I am well aware of ISO, one of my sons works for ISO here out west.

    It don't matter what ISO says, I doubt if the monsoon microburst that knocked out our power gave them much thought. lol

    The Home Depot here won't deliver out this far so what ever I get I have to haul in myself. We did have propane delivered but it was too costly to continue

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