What a mess!

[stevejr]

Up to this week, this area has been spared all of 'Ole Man Winter's' fury. You have seen the videos on T.V. showing the destruction of the trees and that is what we got here....but not as bad as the more northerly and westerly counties. Power went out Monday nite, came back on briefly Tue. evening, and off until last nite around 6 p.m. Only about 3 days, but it felt like a lot longer!! I have gas heat and gas cooking so we could stay warm and have a hot meal. But for those folks that have all electric homes are/were really hurting.



I consider us in this area so very fortunate that our power is already back on. So many people will be without power for weeks.

I have been saying for years that I need to get a good generator...and never got around to getting one...but my Grandaughter living here makes it a whole new game. I WILL be geting a generator very soon!!

Tuesday nite was incredible. Big limbs of 6" diameter and even much bigger, making a very loud and un-nerving cracking sound...and then the thunderous crashing to the ground, so much so that I could feel it thru the floor. Every crack and crashing to the ground made me jump.Those big limbs missed my roof by only a foot or two, with the tops of those limbs brushing the roof as they went down..and being covered with 3/4" of ice, they made a bone chilling sound.

All in all...I'm thankful that I didn't get any roof damage...I didn't lose any of my nice oak trees...and power was only out for about 3 days.

How about ya'll...?

[Steve R Jones]

Course, we had nothing compared to what you went through...But Dallas iced over big time Tuesday..(was melted anf gone by the afternoon)...But, if I loose my huge Elm tree I'll cry - then move.

[Train]

7.5 KW generator and a transfer switch.
8 seconds after the power fails, the transfer switch activates causing the generator to start up and you have power again.

[stevejr]

Steve...I know what you mean about losing that tree. I have 5 nice sized oaks ( at least 60" circumference @ chest high) close to my house, and I would be really disappointed if I lost any of them.!

Wow...

http://www.poweredgenerators.com/ona...500-HDKAJ.html

Now that's a generator...I will accept any and all donations...!

My wallet and I are thinking more along the lines of a 7500W gas unit. I would make a 220V pigtail from my water heater so I could have hot water...and maybe make one so I could run the clothes dryer if the outage was prolonged. I know that I would have to throw the breaker for each of those and just use one at a time. Hot water would be the most important need for 220V.,though. The refrigerator and minimum lights would be enough from the 115V side.

Tax return....get ready...

[Train]

Got natural gas?

Just got to remember you can not feed back though your power lines.

An automatic transfer switch includes a control circuit that senses mains voltage. When utility power is interrupted, it starts up the generator, disconnects the load from the utility and connects it to the generator. It then continues to monitor mains voltage, and when it is restored, switches your household wiring from the generator back to the utility. When the generator is disconnected it normally goes into a cool-down process and then automatically shuts down.


One like one of these 200 AMP ones would do nicely.
http://www.nextag.com/Home-Improveme...35DC4845467B52

[stevejr]

Out here in the country, I have propane for my wall heaters and for cooking...no natural gas out here yet.

I agree that a transfer switch will be the better way to go...I'll look at those and see what will work for my needs. I will still have to be satisfied with a portable gas generator in the 5500-6000W range. My water heater would draw about 4500W so I know that when I needed to run the water heater that I would have to turn off/un-plug just about everything else except for a couple of lights until I had hot water for a shower or washing dishes, etc...and then dis-connect power to water heater to be able to run the refrigerator and other basic stuff.

We just don't realize how much we depend upon and have gotten used to electricity until we don't have it......!!

[Train]

AH, your house has a 200 amp at 240 volt limit.
That is if you have a single feed to the house.

Well if you want to limit the hook ups, they do have smaller transfer switches.

Might even want to talk to the city/county code folks before going much further.

AMP load is the killer!

[stevejr]

Train...yes, house is a standard 200 amp service.

The hook ups would definitely be on a limited and hopefully just a very temporary basis of a few days. But this ice storm did some very extensive damage in other areas, some just a few miles from here, and they are still without power and may be for some time to come. That is why I am so very thankful that our power is back, and why having just basic electrical hook-ups from a portable generator will be much appreciated. I was planning on just using some heavy duty extension cords to directly hook up the few lights/ refrigerator/water heater ( as needed), etc...and this way avoid any feed-back into the mains....but I have been looking at some of the auto transfer switches and they would certainly make things easier to deal with.

I was just telling my daughter this morning that 1/4 amp can kill...!

[Train]

1 amp at 1 volt for women
.8 amp at 1 volt for men.

Men have lower body resistance is why.

If you use drop cords, get 10 guage for the water heater. That is about a 20 amp load by itself, and that is all only some of the portables can pull by itself.
I normally use 12 guage drop cords. Anything smaller is looking for touble down the road.

Going a couple days with a shower is not hazardous to one health either.

[Crimson Blonde]

I'm officially over winter ... after 14 inches of snow and ice last week and another storm predicted for this coming week ... I am ready to pack it up for ARIZONA!

[stevejr]

I agree with you on using 10ga. for the water heater and 12ga. for the other stuff....too many house fires have been caused by people using overloaded extension cords...ain't gonna happen here..!!

For myself, I could get by with heating water on the stove and taking a sink bath if I had to, but my daughter and her little girl are also living here so that puts a different perspective on things.

I enjoy the diferent seasons and I still enjoy a good snow now & then during Winter, but I have to admit that living in Irving, Tx. for nearly 20 years sure got me spoiled to the very mild Winter weather. Oh, we had our cold snaps and ice once in a while, but overall the weather was downright mild. Like Steve Jones mentioned, they had a little bit of ice but it was all gone within a day. But...some of the coldest that I have been is in Texas when the temp is about 35 Degrees..wind is blowing 25mph....and a drizzling rain is falling, or rather blowing, at you. The cold goes right thru your best efforts at staying warm...brrrrr!!

[Train]

Try watertown , NY.

-40 wind chill a -116 F
- 40 C = -40 F

Heat wave.
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/89606.html
Check it out in August

record was −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) was in Vostok on 21 July 1983
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vostok_Station

Flat nasty!

[Train]

I'm officially over winter ... after 14 inches of snow and ice last week and another storm predicted for this coming week ... I am ready to pack it up for ARIZONA!

Yuma?
http://www.wunderground.com/US/AZ/Yuma.html

[stevejr]

I realize that it sounds like one of those " Texas Tall Tales", but that is what that kind of weather feels like in Dallas...

When I was in the Navy, our air squadron went to Canada to work with the Canadian Air Force on electronic warfare exercises. The ambient temp. was -30F.,and we had a little bit of wind. Those of us that were out on the ramp quite a bit were issued "Bunny Boots" by the Canadians, which have an air bladder built into the outer layer of the boot that you blow up a little bit before putting the boots on. Guys with regular boots or work shoes didn't stay but a few minutes out on the ramp. I had a beard and mustache and whenever I left the warm hanger, the moisture on my beard and 'stache would instantly freeze...so quickly that I swear that I could hear it! I also had an extreme foul weather coat, one that has a big fur-lined hood, just like the ones that you see the Arctic explorers wearing.

All of that to say that I have experienced very cold weather, but I was dressed properly...and I would look darn silly walking around Dallas with Bunny Boots and wearing an extreme foul weather coat....

I like where I am...my ancestors helped settle this area back around 1812...I think I will stay.

[Train]

Been in both Tx and Northwest Arkansas. Been miserable in both places because of the temps.