[Rhodes22-list] And now for something completely different - Power outages

[Bill Effros]

Brad,

I've come round on this one.  I hadn't looked at portable generators for 
20 years, and am just about to buy a $700 Honda 1K because of the gas 
sipping qualities and extremely low noise.  The only reason I looked 
this time was because of you and ...Wally? talking about the 
practicality of bringing one on board.  I may even try that.

Bill Effros

Brad Haslett wrote:
> Some of you that have been here for awhile may remember the rather 
> spirited
> discussion we had on generators a few years back.  With the power 
> outages in
> the NYC area and other cities, now may be a good time to review the 
> issue.
> During Hurricane Elvis (strong line of thunderstorms that knocked out 
> power
> in Memphis for up to three weeks) my neighbors ran big Y2K generators for
> ONE day until they ran out of gas, then went looking for filling stations
> with power.  We're putting the finishing touches on our MS Gulf Coast
> evacuation plan and hurricane preparedness skills.  Here's my experience
> from Elvis.  Small is better.  You need to run one window A/C unit 
> during the
> day (available for $60 if you buy before the crisis) and a fridge at
> night.  One 1000 watt genset  will run on 5 gallons of gas for a week.
> Someone on this list will go for days without power this summer for one
> reason or another.  Don't say you weren't warned!
>
> Brad
>
> ----------------
>
> JULY 21, 2006Posted 5 days and 0 hours ago on July 21, 2006 Blackout
> Survival Guide
> <http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog/home/3391786.html?c=y&imageID=1338716&caption=%3Cb%3EBatteries+Included%3A%3C%2Fb%3E+Prepare+your+blackout+kit+now%2C+not+in+the+dark.> 
>
> <http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog/home/3391786.html?c=y&imageID=1338716&caption=%3Cb%3EBatteries+Included%3A%3C%2Fb%3E+Prepare+your+blackout+kit+now%2C+not+in+the+dark.> 
>
> *Batteries Included:* Prepare your blackout kit now, not in the dark.
> When it's as hot and humid outside as it is right now in the 
> northeast, air
> conditioning feels like a miracle. Until the lights flicker, dim, and go
> out. With air conditioning creating massive spikes power consumption,
> occasionally the grid calls it quits. That's just what happened on 
> Tuesday
> evening, when more than 200,000 homes in the New York region lost their
> power. Many people are still waiting for the power to come back.
>
> Before you're sweating it out in candlelight, take a look at our blackout
> survival guide.
>
> Download the blackout survival podcast
> here<http://media.popularmechanics.com/audio/Popular+Mechanics+PodcastBlackoutSurvival1.mp3> 
>
> .
>
> Have a Flashlight: If you haven't done so already, go out and buy at 
> least
> one small, inexpensive flashlight—one that takes 2 D cell or 2 AA 
> batteries.
> If you already have a flashlight, swap in new batteries. Leave it 
> standing
> on a book shelf, or on an easy-to-reach countertop so that you can get to
> quickly and safely in the dark.
>
> Be Prepared to Empty the Fridge: A freezer packed with dry ice will stay
> cold for days, but it's tough to find dry ice at the local corner 
> store. So
> if you've been without power for more than four hours, start emptying the
> fridge now. Even if the power does come back soon, chances are your food
> won't, and you don't want to let food melt in the freezer or, even worse,
> rot in the appliance. Cleaning that up is not a mess you want to deal 
> with.
>
> Shut Down Your Appliances: If your power goes out, make sure you turn off
> your air conditioner or reset the thermostat so the air conditioner 
> will not
> turn back on until you turn it on manually. When the power does turn back
> on, the combined load of thousands of air conditioner spooling up
> simultaneously can be enough to trip the grid again, starting another
> blackout. However, if everybody turned on their air conditioners
> individually, it would stagger the power demand on the grid. Every 
> small bit
> of help counts during an emergency.
>
> (Also, now's a good time to unplug that circular saw you were using 
> when the
> power went out.)
>
> Don't Overdue AC: When you do turn an air conditioner back on, don't 
> set the
> thermostat lower than 78 F. This is good practice in general: Although it
> doesn't seem very cool, the dehumidifying effect of air conditioning will
> make your house much more bearable, even at 78 F.
>
> Use Passive Cooling: If the power goes out, open as many windows as
> possible, especially windows and vents in the attic and the upper floors.
> However, use shades on the sunny side of the house (south and west) to
> minimize solar heating. This is a good practice in warm months, even when
> you've got your AC cranking like a Pratt and Whitney turbofan.
>
> If you really got caught off guard, take this opportunity to learn 
> from the
> mistake and assemble an emergency preparedness
> kit<http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_improvement/home_owner_clinic/2076037.html?page=4&c=y>consisting 
>
> of lighting, food, water, a first aid kit, tools and anything
> else you'll need. —Roy Berendsohn
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