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

[Brad Haslett]

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

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 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