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

Thu Jul 27 15:14:19 EDT 2006

Bill,
I had a quite noisy 4000kw when I built our Aframe at Hartwell, thought I could improve on what seemed like a worthless muffler.  When I started it, the sound shook the trees - a little like the noise from a machine gun.
Art

-----Original Message-----
>From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>Sent: Jul 27, 2006 11:51 AM
>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] And now for something completely different -	Power outages
>
>Thanks, Brad,
>
>The last time I had to seriously use a generator was in 1973 when we 
>moved into a new house that didn't have any electricity because a major 
>ice storm ate up all the available wire.  Then the oil crisis hit.  
>Diane was pregnant.  You could only buy gas on alternate days.  It was a 
>challenge (solved by a BMW racing motorcycle with a 10 gallon tank that 
>was allowed to go to the head of the line any day of the week) -- but 
>not something we soon forgot.  That generator was so loud that hearing 
>it run out of gas sounded good.  It was half a year before we could use 
>electricity without associating it with a deafening sound.
>
>Generators have been out of the question here ever since.  Until I saw 
>the one you guys were talking about.  The modern appliances are so 
>efficient it's amazing.  We have installed the new low-power air 
>conditioners throughout our home.  They really work!
>
>I kind of thought low-power low noise low weight was the way to go, but 
>it's good to get the confirmation before I have to step up to the plate.
>
>Bill Effros
>
>
>
>Brad Haslett wrote:
>> Bill,
>>
>> I have a Honda 1000eu for home and a Yamaha 2000 watt at the gulf.  The
>> Honda is much lighter and can be handled by one person easily.  The 2000
>> watt units need two men at our age.  With 1000 watts you can run a 
>> 5000 btu
>> a/c unit or a small microvave.  I can run two fridges.  The Honda uses a
>> quart of fuel about every six hours.  Fuel consumption is the real 
>> issue for
>> long power outages, not comfort.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>>
>> On 7/27/06, Arthur H. Czerwonky <czerwonky at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Bill,
>>> You might want to look at the 2K Honda also, and make sure the generator
>>> is enough.  The extra 1K is little more in cost and same db, or close...
>>> Art
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> >From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>>> >Sent: Jul 27, 2006 10:13 AM
>>> >To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>> >Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] And now for something completely different
>>> -      Power   outages
>>> >
>>> > 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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>>> >>
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