what to do without power (by matt [TX]) Feb 15, 2021 6:53 PM
what to do without power (by Ken [NY]) Feb 15, 2021 7:04 PM
what to do without power (by razorback_tim [AR]) Feb 15, 2021 7:06 PM
what to do without power (by NE [PA]) Feb 15, 2021 7:52 PM
what to do without power (by Dave [MO]) Feb 15, 2021 7:59 PM
what to do without power (by tima [PA]) Feb 15, 2021 8:07 PM
what to do without power (by del [MD]) Feb 15, 2021 8:08 PM
what to do without power (by Lana [IN]) Feb 15, 2021 11:37 PM
what to do without power (by Robert J [CA]) Feb 16, 2021 4:49 AM
what to do without power (by Johnny B. [MA]) Feb 16, 2021 6:35 AM
what to do without power (by Allym [NJ]) Feb 16, 2021 7:48 AM
what to do without power (by LindaJ [NY]) Feb 16, 2021 9:22 AM
what to do without power (by Robert J [CA]) Feb 16, 2021 11:39 AM
what to do without power (by Oregon Woodsmoke [ID]) Feb 16, 2021 11:51 AM
what to do without power (by Oregon Woodsmoke [ID]) Feb 16, 2021 11:56 AM
what to do without power (by Lana [IN]) Feb 16, 2021 11:57 AM
what to do without power (by NE [PA]) Feb 16, 2021 11:59 AM
what to do without power (by don [PA]) Feb 16, 2021 2:34 PM
what to do without power (by Robert J [CA]) Feb 16, 2021 3:29 PM
what to do without power (by Robert J [CA]) Feb 16, 2021 3:35 PM
what to do without power (by John... [MI]) Feb 16, 2021 4:54 PM
what to do without power (by John... [MI]) Feb 16, 2021 4:55 PM
what to do without power (by Lana [IN]) Feb 16, 2021 5:21 PM
what to do without power (by John... [MI]) Feb 16, 2021 8:07 PM
what to do without power (by Lana [IN]) Feb 16, 2021 8:56 PM
what to do without power (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Feb 16, 2021 10:52 PM
what to do without power (by Pmh [TX]) Feb 19, 2021 5:21 PM
what to do without power (by matt [TX]) Posted on: Feb 15, 2021 6:53 PM Message:
Texas is having unprecedented cold. We had low of 2F last night.
Three of my faucets (two hot and 1 cold) no longer have water coming out though rest are OK. I let everyone of them drip.
House was built in 1997.
Many neighbors have rolling power outage by power company to conserve power.
I'm preparing for power outage. In case of power outage, should I shut of main water supply to prevent further freezing of pipes?
--47.187.xx.xx |
what to do without power (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: Feb 15, 2021 7:04 PM Message:
Are you on a well or city water supply? if city water supply the water will keep going without power so open cabinet doors and open faucets and it should start trickling then pick up the speed until it opens up full speed.Try to get a generator and some form of heat going if you can.If you turn the water main off you need to open faucets and drains to at least minimize breaks --72.231.xxx.xxx |
what to do without power (by razorback_tim [AR]) Posted on: Feb 15, 2021 7:06 PM Message:
I would try to get them unthawed while you have power and run them at more than a drip. Cutting off main supply won't keep them from freezing unless you purge the system of water by draining or blowing out the water lines. But it would prevent a flood once everything thawed out and the leaks were revealed. --107.77.xxx.xxx |
what to do without power (by NE [PA]) Posted on: Feb 15, 2021 7:52 PM Message:
If you there think you're going to lose power, fill your tubs with water now so you can at least flush your toilets. As long as you don't have little kids. --70.44.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by Dave [MO]) Posted on: Feb 15, 2021 7:59 PM Message:
Don’t shut the main water valve off or they will freeze for sure, unless you can do as Tim said. Let the water faucet hot and cold run a steady stream not a drip.
Be prepared for a flood under the house when pipes thaw if you don’t get them thawed soon.
--173.216.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by tima [PA]) Posted on: Feb 15, 2021 8:07 PM Message:
You can use temporary portable heater like Mr. Heater come with 1 gallon propane, with the adapter you can hook up with 20 lbs propane tank can last a few days. --172.58.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by del [MD]) Posted on: Feb 15, 2021 8:08 PM Message:
I have a 24,000 BTU kerosene heater to keep my house from freezing. Kerosene heaters may be a Northeast thing and not available in Texas? The propane heaters which sit atop a 20 pound barbeque tank work great. Filled propane tanks can be bought at any Walmart.
Maybe grab a propane heater and Four Blue Rhino propane tanks and beat the rush? You can always use the tanks on your grille so no money wasted. --157.204.xxx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Lana [IN]) Posted on: Feb 15, 2021 11:37 PM Message:
I outfitted my mothers trailer with an LP wall furnace big enough to heat her house. No electricity, but 3 Ecofans on heater start turning when hot. She has heat in a power failure. I heat with wood and wall furnaces as well.
As NE said if no kids, get tub filled with emergency water. You can never get enough water in a long power failure. Think about getting a generator for next time to run essentials such as heat and refrigeration. Think about having a backup kerosene heater, as kerosene is a long storing hydrocarbon, and the newer heaters are cleaner than in the past.
The wind turbines Texas depends on for over half it's energy are largely frozen and still, a testament in white to the fact that effective use of wind energy will require storage capacity on a large scale and we don't have that technology yet. Someone may need to fire up your old coal power stations because you certainly don't have solar in a blizzard either. The Achilles heel of reliance on Green Energy is winter.
I am expecting a whiteout here. I charged my 1500 amp-hr 24V battery bank to 100% using grid power this afternoon in case power fails. That is enough to run my essentials for 3 to 5 days and more as my wind turbine is cranking out 1000W now in the bad winds here. Lots of wood is in and stacked near the wood stove. I keep a 2 gallon pot of water hot on top, because hot water is always nice. --216.23.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 4:49 AM Message:
I am a contractor, ham radio operator, electrician, plumber, home owner, landlord and tinkerer.
For little money I purchased a Gasoline Generator and converted it from 1 fuel (Gasoline) to a tri-fuel generator. It can operate on bottles of propane or Natural Gas provided by the City. I by 30 pound bottles and fill it up with 7 pounds of propane. Can run the generator with a half load for 20 hours on one tank.
Propane you can store for years without any issues. Gasoline after a few months can go bad.
I have generators from 1000 watts up to 22,500 watts.
But I also have solar. Panels on the roof to recharge my battery banks. Instead of buying a Tesla battery bank or some other packaged deal, I buy surplus new lithium Ion LiFeP04 batteries 3.2 volts and put 4 in series to make a 12 volt battery. Then put dozens in parallel to up the amperage.
Instead of spending $1,200 for a professionally made back up battery, I did so my self spending $400 for the Battery's and a BMS (battery Management System). Spending 1/3 the cost, I was able to make up 3 systems giving me triple the power/load. Each battery came to 13.3 volts at 100 amp hours.
For water I have a on demand pump, 12 volt and 120 volt hooked up to a 400 gallon reserve tank. I also have an on demand hot water heater. With NO POWER, NO WATER, I have no problems. I also have septic tank for disposing of my liquid waste.
I have one tri-fuel generator outside inside a modified plastic shed. I fireproofed the inside walls and installed a cooling fan. When I run the generator at night, It has an extra muffler, only my neighbor can hear it. But the sounds are reduced to the point that at 60 feet, the noise is acceptable. --47.155.xx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Johnny B. [MA]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 6:35 AM Message:
Go to work on the pipes with a hair dryer and try to get them thawed while you still have power. As long as they are not thoroughly frozen they can likely be thawed out without damage. The longer they stay frozen and continue to freeze the more likely they will split. --73.186.xxx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Allym [NJ]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 7:48 AM Message:
I have rolls of plastic that I can form into a small tent if necessary so I and my 3 little dogs could warm ourselves with a pot of hot water. Have gas stove so I have matches to light it if power should go out. No problems out east here yet, but I think we will be getting this situation next year. It seems to move across the country and it takes about a year to do that.
I always thought it might be nice to have an outdoor tent to set up inside if there was a prolonged problem.
Does propane throw off Carbon Monoxide so that it can't be used inside? One inspector told me that propane can leak out of containers and without an odor a person could innocently walk into a room and it could be full of propane and blow up from a spark.
Kerosene stinks and it has to sit in front of an open window. I had one when I lived in a fancy apartment but the power would go off and that was during the mid 80s. Must have been bad here those winters.
Save big styro meat containers you might find outside and put some warm things in there as it will conserve heat as well as it does cold. --108.24.xx.xx |
what to do without power (by LindaJ [NY]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 9:22 AM Message:
Thaw those pipes as soon as possible. Hair dryer, propane heater, what ever you have.
You need to drizzle the water, not drip it. Open the cabinet doors to any inside heat, look for cold drafts along any pipes you can access and plug them. Even if electric is out, if you have city water, you should still be able to keep that flowing. Flowing water does not freeze easily. However if the water does stop flowing because of a well or no city electric, you want to shut off the main in case any pipes break so you won't have a flood. Open all the faucets to relieve the pressure, try to drain the lines from a faucet at the lowest point, but it still won't clear a lot of "low spots", horizontals, elbows etc. So you still might have frozen pipes and broken pipes.
When this is over and you turn the water back on, try to do it in sections to see if there are any leaks. I install shut offs all over to isolate different sections of pipes. Well worth the extra few bucks. --71.164.xx.x |
what to do without power (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 11:39 AM Message:
I have 3 models of the Mr. Buddy indoors propane heaters. Only 1 model gives off Zero C/O. It had an oxygen low cut off sensor and I also put a c/o sensor nearby when in use. --47.155.xx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Oregon Woodsmoke [ID]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 11:51 AM Message:
In the middle of a deep freeze is a bit late to prepare for freezing weather.
Myself, for my own house, I have a whole house generator. That keeps the heat on. But in the shop, the electrician wired it so that a portable generator has a place to plug it in and it will run one light and the gas heater.
The electrician says he can wire a home furnace so that you can plug it into a portable generator to keep the heat on.
Please note this is not a do-it-yourself job. The generator wiring has to be done so that no electricity flows back into the power lines or you could kill a lineman.
Middle of a deep freeze with rolling blackouts isn't the time to be looking for a generator to buy. I'd be very surprised if all the stores are not completely sold out. --76.178.xxx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Oregon Woodsmoke [ID]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 11:56 AM Message:
Always I've had a woods stove and so no heat or cooking issues with a power outage. Here, I don't because I have been trying for two years now to find a contractor who is licensed to install a wood stove.
But if you can get a wood stove installed, it will heat your whole house and if you pick one with a flat surface you can cook on it.
I keep several rechargeable lanterns fully charged and ready to use when the power is out. Plus a few fat candles. --76.178.xxx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Lana [IN]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 11:57 AM Message:
I keep 20 gal propane tanks and LP "salamanders" stocked in winter to thaw or protect basements in severe cold where I have not already installed gas heaters. This is terrible, Texas is far enough south nobody thought to prepare for artic hades. It does demonstrate that renewable energy always needs a backup and is not viable until tecknology developes electric energy storage capacity. --216.23.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by NE [PA]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 11:59 AM Message:
Oregonwoodsmoke, I made some fat candles this year from the deer I harvested. Did you also make yours? You can also shove wicks down into crisco tubs for emergency lighting. --70.44.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by don [PA]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 2:34 PM Message:
RObert--How can your propane heater not give off CO?? ANy combustion of a carbon based fuel produces CO. Propane or kerosene heaters can only be used indoors for a short time. Same with using the oven or burners for heat. Never go to bed with them burning, as you may enter into eternal sleep. --70.90.xx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 3:29 PM Message:
I would agree with you don (PA), but this model was tested by several Labs. The burning plates consume 100% of the propane and the glowing flame burns off harmful gases. You can you tube a Big Mr. Buddy indoor/outdoor heater. I have my C/O sensors close by when in operation . --47.155.xx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 3:35 PM Message:
My power just went out here in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. I overhead high voltage line isolator broke and down came a wire in a neighbors yard. Since my home touches 7 other properties, I grant the power company an easement for the power lines.
At first I turned on my battery powered inverters to give power to my electronics and lights. Then when I learned what the issues were, and it's going to take time. I fired up my medium generator, locked in a custom made sound shield and fire protection boards. With a 10 AWG cord, 4 conductor, I plugged the cord into the generator and my main power transfer switch. Took around 5 minutes to give the family back full power, no air conditioning, pool or electric oven for now. If so, I'll hook up a larger generator. Running on propane. --47.155.xx.xxx |
what to do without power (by John... [MI]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 4:54 PM Message:
Robert: You may want to re-read your instruction manual. It specifically states that it should not be used indoors except in "well ventilated" areas.
To be clear, burning propane gives off CO2 as long as there is enough Oxygen is present. If it is not, then it gives off CO (which will kill you, of course). So, it still needs to be a very well ventilated space to not create CO.
This burner has an Oxygen sensor on it. So, it is SUPPOSED to shut off if the Oxygen level gets too low to make CO2. So, you're trying your life to an Oxygen sensor. (Note that I've had two Oxygen sensors go bad on my cars in the last decade, so...)
- John...
--67.209.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by John... [MI]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 4:55 PM Message:
Typo: I meant: "You're TRUSTING your life to an Oxygen sensor."
--67.209.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by Lana [IN]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 5:21 PM Message:
I heat my house with non-vented Rinnai propane wall heaters. They burn clean, but do release water vapor into air which I like in winter. I keep both carbon monoxide and gas monitors in the two rooms with these heaters. I have used these with wood heat for 15 years. --216.23.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by John... [MI]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 8:07 PM Message:
Those are direct vented outside though, right? Quite a bit different from the stand-alone unit that Robert is talking about...
--67.209.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by Lana [IN]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 8:56 PM Message:
When I said non-vented I meant non-vented. No direct vents at all. I have such excessive wind on my farm that the vented heaters I installed at first all refused to stay lit. I have been very happy with these. --216.23.xxx.xx |
what to do without power (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2021 10:52 PM Message:
Matt,
Pipes can freeze in one spot, but it’s usually a long length of the line.
Warm house air is the best way to thaw lines. Open trap doors, etc and use a fan to blow house heat to the pipes. Or pop open a heat duct.
Here’s the problem - water expands when frozen which usually cracks the pipe. While frozen there is no leaking. Once thawed the cracked pipe will spray water so keep listening for hissing or spraying under the house a few hours after getting heat to the pipes.
BRAD --73.102.xxx.xxx |
what to do without power (by Pmh [TX]) Posted on: Feb 19, 2021 5:21 PM Message:
best to drizzle. not drip. --107.77.xxx.xxx |
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