Galveston, Texas this morning (just got it off of FB)

https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net...ee&oe=604E7CE0

I think global warming was all that was staving off the next ice age. All those people who stayed home this summer made a measurable dent in air pollution and this is the result.

Three or four nights ago it was -16C but today it was +10C :doh:

Neal and all who live in this "special" weather area: Stay safe.
@ Neal: has the power returned? Which generator do you use?

If we get a power-out here we really have a problem. Chimney for the installed oven not ready yet, all pumps and ignition of the heater/boiler done by electricity. At -15 degrees celsius it may be the heater pipes might freeze, and this would be real fun ...

I wanted to convert the old canola Elsbett engine of the VW to a power generator, but it is way too much hazzle - the dynamo alone would cost as much as a whole Diesel generator. So i am thinking about a Diesel/fuel driven one. Should be 220 Volts and around 5 kilowatts for emergency, and last for at least three days :hmmm:
A combined heat and power unit would be better of course (exhaust gases heating the water via heat exchanger as a by-product while producing electricity), but those are really expensive, and i would have to integrate this into the house heating system.

Something I just remembered :o , if its significantly below freezing and that's REALLY novel to your location, as long as your have water pressure in the pipes its best to slightly crack open one or two faucets. Not a drip, more like a minimal stream of water. You want to do this for both hot and cold water. :yep:
The reason being, you want to maintain a minimal flow of water in your pipes if there's a chance your pipes could freeze. This is really important on the inlet side of your water system (this is why you also want to crack a hot water tap, even if you have power).

It could be worse, at least the Gators are hibernating. :yeah:

No need to die on day 5 with cold feet. You want one of these:


https://images.askari-sport.com/de/p...ussheizung.jpg
https://images.askari-sport.com/de/p...1612825243.jpg


:D

My Texan cousins report mostly burst pipes. They knew about cracking the faucets but that didn't help. Problem is their houses just aren't set up for those temps. I told them they should get a generator. A freeze might be a once in a lifetime event but if they loose power to their ACs in the summer they might easily burst into flame.

Most people know where to buy a generator but they have no clue how to own one. :yep:

If you use it for camping three weeks per year, that's great.
If you buy one to power the house when the lines shut down, you're probably wasting money (assuming you also had the house wiring changed).

The reality is that if you lose power for more than a day, you're better off driving to where things are still normal and renting a hotel room.:up:

To start off, consider how much you'll be running that generator. Let's say you buy a gas-powered 1 kilowatt generator with a Briggs and Stratton grass mower engine. You're thinking ahead so you also buy a spiffy new plastic gas can and fill it with E85 ethanol, just in case its ever needed. Assuming you bought everything "off season", you may be "in" for less than $1 grand. You even found a great place to store it in the garage.

:yeah:

Believe it or not, this is about as much thought as most people put into a generator. We're not even talking about paying an electrician to come out and re-wire the house and install a cross-over/isolation switch. Or, for that matter, how to start the generator and when to throw the switch/es.

What winds up happening is that the power goes out, the generator either won't start when its needed, or it runs until you plug it into the right plug and throw the switch and then it either stops immediately or starts smoking. :timeout:

Nine times out of ten, you just tried to use a 1 KW generator with a 5 HP engine to restore the power to every house and electronic device in your county. :yep: If you're lucky, a fuse or two blew out. If you aren't, you just blew up your source of electricity.

That 1 kilowatt sounds damn impressive. It should be plenty of power to run the house, right? Think again. You have 1,000 watts of power available at 120 volts AC. Divide that 1,000 watts by 120 volts and you get.. 8 amps. :yep:
Look up the typical amperage loads of house appliances and start adding them together, you'll quickly zoom past those 8 amps the generator is struggling to provide. :yep:

So, is the generator even worth the effort? It depends on your situation and your budget. That 1 KW generator sure beats the snot out of having nothing.
How you use that generator is best described with two words that are VERY important:

DUTY CYCLE

You only have 8 amps to play with and if you try to run that generator 24 hours a day, bad things will start to happen quickly. So, plan ahead. Plan what to run and how long it needs to run to get what you need.

Forget about the electric range and oven, wrong type of power. Forget about the TV, its too wasteful. Get used to one lamp in the living room and only having one hour to use it. Can you run the furnace off 120 volt AC? Now would be a good time to find out.

Speaking of power, let's spend some time thinking about that gasoline that's going to save your butt. :up: Has it been sitting in the garage for the last five years? It might not be any good now. How much do you have? One gallon, maybe five? Where will you get more? Remember, those pumps at the gas station run on electricity.. :yep:

Still no power, water company just sent alert, they are shutting down the water supply. Internet down too, just my mobile. What's worse: more icy weather rules out driving, expected to continue through friday

Neal, hunker down as best as you can, more is coming.


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather...r-new-n1257964


Frozen roads in your part of Texas will not help electricity companies to have their teams moving around.

Read your message and have responded, so hope you have been able to read it....you take good care and I'll keep the office tidy.

Be careful when choosing secondary heating sources and where you place them, especially in homes with older outlets and wiring that may cause electrical resistance. Every season around where I live when it's the coldest fire trucks are racing to at least one residential fire.

Boy, the power came on for about 10 minutes, long enough to get online and see the weather does not look as severe as previously predicted.

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l...90b13ed784d26f

If the internet would just stay on... but it seems to go with the power.

I have to say, 2021 is not off to a good start.

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/att...2&d=1613503601

I am having the most interesting talks in other forums about the Winter Blast in Texas.
One of the big things is diesel fuel freezing in trucks!
Not a problem here in Ohio as additives are already placed in our fuel.
We also mostly have generators and fuel on hand just in case.

At what point did people down South figure they'd not need a Gen or fuel?
:hmmm:

I'd think after the 2005 Hurricane? A gen would be a requirement.

Another thing I see is how cold the house feels. Lack of insulation.
Ummm. You Air Condition down there so cold air getting in is cold air getting out!

Given the Internet can and does go out here?
I Hot Spot my Cell Phone for that.
Most Cell Towers have back up Gens to keep them running so Internet should be no issue.
But that is Ohio. We prep for hot and cold as both are well known to kill you here.

Yeah, I have been using my cell as a hot spot for 6 years as my full time internet connection. The area where my new house is, the data is spotty. Will need to see if another carrier is better.

I do have a generator, a lot of folks do. You have to remember, we don't get this kind of weather here. Ever. This is like saying Ohio should be better prepared for hurricanes.

This kind of weather doesn't happen very often does it Neal?

at least in Texas :yep:

but tell us what you would do different next time :o

https://youtu.be/H2SuF9wxBjs

This whole thread is about prepping is it not?
So who says I'm not prepped for a Hurricane? I do get Tornado's here and the effects of Hurricanes.
I'm also near the New Madrid fault line.

I've not seen more then 10" of Snow in my drive way for about 10 years.
Today I had nearly 24"!
Should I have said it never happens here. Ever?

Different cell carrier, although it doesn't matter much when the towers don't have juice and their backup generators run dry.

In a total prepper situation?
ALL services are going to go the way of the DoDo.
No water, fuel, electricity, food, ammo, medicine, etc.

Given many depend on the slightest amount of all just to live day to day?
Why allow yourself to be in that type situation?

I can survive for quite awhile with no services of any type.
I may have to resort to taking what I need after awhile but I'm perfectly capable and armed for that.

Now. The Wife and I are not on any medications that are life saving. So I don't need to raid for Insulin or stuff like that.
Plenty of Deer and Turkey so food is not an issue.
Can burn wood for heat as I live near a large wooded area.
My Air Guns I can hand pump and have a HUGE reserve of ammo.