Power outages

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Morticia

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Tis the season...high wnds, lots of rain or snow, beeeeeeeeeeeep, there goes the power. Told tonight's guests to be prepared. There's a flashlight in the nightstand. I have candles set up in the kitchen, ready to go.
Things (it's too nasty to go find out what things) have been crashing on the roof all night.
Power just flickered...enough to cause all the clocks to reset to 12:00. I have the non cordless phone plugged in. Of course, when the power went out, I was nowhere near a flashlight...the dog is hiding under my feet.
 
We've had three outages in the last two weeks. The longest was for about 18 hours. No guests, but we do worry about the pipes when it's below freezing.
Guest rooms have electric heat only, but we have a woodstove for us. We have two generators but they only power things that can be plugged in (like a fridge, which is good). The well pump is hard-wired, which means when the power goes out, there's no running water. Not fun when we have guests.
sad_smile.gif
 
Being in Hurricane country, we too are use to power outages. Each room has an emergency light plugged into an outlet which was a requirement by our ins. co. At least we weren't required to get hardwired ones for each room!
We have 2 generators to power necessities including our water pump. HJ, you may want to look in to having yours wired for a plug in if this situation is a common one for you or if there is a possibility of a long power outage.
Bree - do you have alt. power for your PC & internet or was this thread started in between outages?
On a side bar - This is one of the main reasons I have not made the jump from a hard line phone to VoIP (internet phone service). After Katrina, the only communication I had was with my hard line phone service (most did not even have that). It makes me content to continue to pay the price for it.
 
Being in Hurricane country, we too are use to power outages. Each room has an emergency light plugged into an outlet which was a requirement by our ins. co. At least we weren't required to get hardwired ones for each room!
We have 2 generators to power necessities including our water pump. HJ, you may want to look in to having yours wired for a plug in if this situation is a common one for you or if there is a possibility of a long power outage.
Bree - do you have alt. power for your PC & internet or was this thread started in between outages?
On a side bar - This is one of the main reasons I have not made the jump from a hard line phone to VoIP (internet phone service). After Katrina, the only communication I had was with my hard line phone service (most did not even have that). It makes me content to continue to pay the price for it..
We've looked at having the well pump wired, and it's on the list. It'll just be expensive to do it properly. In the meantime, we keep jugs of water in the cellar for flushing, and a case of bottled water for consumption. Plus, our neighbours have their generator hard-wired to their panel, so we fill water jugs from them.
Our longest power outage so far has been 4 days.
 
We also have the plug-in emergency lights - they are considered hard-wired because as soon as your power goes off, they come on. They have 2 features that are wonderful. #1 if it is a power failure they pull out from the outlet to be used as a flashlight and #2 they are affordable. I went to the sales receipt from today (I actually noticed yesterday that one was missing) but it rang up as a rechargeable nightlite for $2.50 - they were around $10 last time I bought them. We rarely have more than flicks here but my daughter bought me a UPS for my computer last year so even those are no problem now. Guestrooms and baths would be a problem as all of them are electric baseboard heat. For us, although the furnace is gas and needs electric for the blower, we have a "radiator" (design) in the foyer that is straight turn on gas, light, voila = heat that could keep us warm if we block off the foyer with blankets and live in that area - sit on the stairs. No safety features (it is OLD) so we only use it when it is extremely cold or power is out.
 
My thoughts are with you. We have the emergency flashlights plugged into outlets near beds in every room. We did have the power go out briefly this year during the late Summer thunderstorms.
 
Holy High Winds Batman .....
Last night was truly extreme. The gusts were very strong, but it was the force of the sustained winds that were so impressive.
I STILL can't believe we didn't lose power. Everywhere around us was dark .... and we weren't. THANK YOU !!!!!!
 
Being in Hurricane country, we too are use to power outages. Each room has an emergency light plugged into an outlet which was a requirement by our ins. co. At least we weren't required to get hardwired ones for each room!
We have 2 generators to power necessities including our water pump. HJ, you may want to look in to having yours wired for a plug in if this situation is a common one for you or if there is a possibility of a long power outage.
Bree - do you have alt. power for your PC & internet or was this thread started in between outages?
On a side bar - This is one of the main reasons I have not made the jump from a hard line phone to VoIP (internet phone service). After Katrina, the only communication I had was with my hard line phone service (most did not even have that). It makes me content to continue to pay the price for it..
Copperhead said:
Being in Hurricane country, we too are use to power outages. Each room has an emergency light plugged into an outlet which was a requirement by our ins. co. At least we weren't required to get hardwired ones for each room!
We have 2 generators to power necessities including our water pump. HJ, you may want to look in to having yours wired for a plug in if this situation is a common one for you or if there is a possibility of a long power outage.
Bree - do you have alt. power for your PC & internet or was this thread started in between outages?
On a side bar - This is one of the main reasons I have not made the jump from a hard line phone to VoIP (internet phone service). After Katrina, the only communication I had was with my hard line phone service (most did not even have that). It makes me content to continue to pay the price for it.
I logged on after the outage. I USED to have internet access even with power outages but now we have wireless, not dial up. If the box goes out, no internet. HOWEVER, I COULD find my way around the house by the light of the battery-powered laptop!
 
All we needed was ONE outage with guests here...and we put in a small back up gas powered generator..which is wired into a circuit board. It runs the furnace and lights to at least one room and keeps the kitchen functioning. My husband of course did all the work for it and it works great for us now even though we have closed the B & B. it's kind of cool to watch TV while everyone else is in the dark:)
He just did the same system for friends with a B & B nearby. Didn't cost that much..but the peace of mind is so worth it.
 
We also have the plug-in emergency lights - they are considered hard-wired because as soon as your power goes off, they come on. They have 2 features that are wonderful. #1 if it is a power failure they pull out from the outlet to be used as a flashlight and #2 they are affordable. I went to the sales receipt from today (I actually noticed yesterday that one was missing) but it rang up as a rechargeable nightlite for $2.50 - they were around $10 last time I bought them. We rarely have more than flicks here but my daughter bought me a UPS for my computer last year so even those are no problem now. Guestrooms and baths would be a problem as all of them are electric baseboard heat. For us, although the furnace is gas and needs electric for the blower, we have a "radiator" (design) in the foyer that is straight turn on gas, light, voila = heat that could keep us warm if we block off the foyer with blankets and live in that area - sit on the stairs. No safety features (it is OLD) so we only use it when it is extremely cold or power is out..
gillumhouse said:
I went to the sales receipt from today (I actually noticed yesterday that one was missing) but it rang up as a rechargeable nightlite for $2.50 - they were around $10 last time I bought them.
Wow! Where did you get them? The last time I got them they were around $10, also.
=)
Kk.
 
We also have the plug-in emergency lights - they are considered hard-wired because as soon as your power goes off, they come on. They have 2 features that are wonderful. #1 if it is a power failure they pull out from the outlet to be used as a flashlight and #2 they are affordable. I went to the sales receipt from today (I actually noticed yesterday that one was missing) but it rang up as a rechargeable nightlite for $2.50 - they were around $10 last time I bought them. We rarely have more than flicks here but my daughter bought me a UPS for my computer last year so even those are no problem now. Guestrooms and baths would be a problem as all of them are electric baseboard heat. For us, although the furnace is gas and needs electric for the blower, we have a "radiator" (design) in the foyer that is straight turn on gas, light, voila = heat that could keep us warm if we block off the foyer with blankets and live in that area - sit on the stairs. No safety features (it is OLD) so we only use it when it is extremely cold or power is out..
gillumhouse said:
I went to the sales receipt from today (I actually noticed yesterday that one was missing) but it rang up as a rechargeable nightlite for $2.50 - they were around $10 last time I bought them.
Wow! Where did you get them? The last time I got them they were around $10, also.
=)
Kk.
.
There was only one darn it although it would not have mattered since I did not realize what I was charged until I was on the Forum. It was at Lowe's. Maybe I will go back today to see if there are more...... I have to be up there taking the rental car back.
 
All we needed was ONE outage with guests here...and we put in a small back up gas powered generator..which is wired into a circuit board. It runs the furnace and lights to at least one room and keeps the kitchen functioning. My husband of course did all the work for it and it works great for us now even though we have closed the B & B. it's kind of cool to watch TV while everyone else is in the dark:)
He just did the same system for friends with a B & B nearby. Didn't cost that much..but the peace of mind is so worth it..
We have one too. It can run the kitchen and a couple other things. But it's noisy!! What I worry about is the well. We have water for people to flush with in the basement but it's just not something that I would hope to have to ask them to do...!
Riki
 
All we needed was ONE outage with guests here...and we put in a small back up gas powered generator..which is wired into a circuit board. It runs the furnace and lights to at least one room and keeps the kitchen functioning. My husband of course did all the work for it and it works great for us now even though we have closed the B & B. it's kind of cool to watch TV while everyone else is in the dark:)
He just did the same system for friends with a B & B nearby. Didn't cost that much..but the peace of mind is so worth it..
We have one too. It can run the kitchen and a couple other things. But it's noisy!! What I worry about is the well. We have water for people to flush with in the basement but it's just not something that I would hope to have to ask them to do...!
Riki
.
OUrs runs the well pump so we are good. Got to have the flushing toilets:) Yes the generator is noisy..but consider the alternative...no noise and nothing working;-(
 
All we needed was ONE outage with guests here...and we put in a small back up gas powered generator..which is wired into a circuit board. It runs the furnace and lights to at least one room and keeps the kitchen functioning. My husband of course did all the work for it and it works great for us now even though we have closed the B & B. it's kind of cool to watch TV while everyone else is in the dark:)
He just did the same system for friends with a B & B nearby. Didn't cost that much..but the peace of mind is so worth it..
We have one too. It can run the kitchen and a couple other things. But it's noisy!! What I worry about is the well. We have water for people to flush with in the basement but it's just not something that I would hope to have to ask them to do...!
Riki
.
OUrs runs the well pump so we are good. Got to have the flushing toilets:) Yes the generator is noisy..but consider the alternative...no noise and nothing working;-(
.
Yes you're right! I'm hoping sometime soon that we can afford to do the whole main floor generator. Chris had them come out for a whole house generator estimate and they said it would be $9,000!
He called them to see what it would cost to just do the main floor and guest rooms and they never called back. I guess they have so much business they won't bother with us right now.
We got information in the mail though, that our electric company has a system that we can order and pay for monthly. That might be the ticket!
RIki
 
All we needed was ONE outage with guests here...and we put in a small back up gas powered generator..which is wired into a circuit board. It runs the furnace and lights to at least one room and keeps the kitchen functioning. My husband of course did all the work for it and it works great for us now even though we have closed the B & B. it's kind of cool to watch TV while everyone else is in the dark:)
He just did the same system for friends with a B & B nearby. Didn't cost that much..but the peace of mind is so worth it..
We have one too. It can run the kitchen and a couple other things. But it's noisy!! What I worry about is the well. We have water for people to flush with in the basement but it's just not something that I would hope to have to ask them to do...!
Riki
.
Yes, most are very noisy but music to the ears when you are without power for a long time. The Honda models are considerately less noisy and yes, a little more costly too.
We have been looking at the 'house system' too. Even the H. Depot has them here. There are different ampreage models. For us we would be looking at having one large enough to run the pump, the refridgerator, freezer, lights and at least one A/C unit as our needs are mainly in summer months.
 
All we needed was ONE outage with guests here...and we put in a small back up gas powered generator..which is wired into a circuit board. It runs the furnace and lights to at least one room and keeps the kitchen functioning. My husband of course did all the work for it and it works great for us now even though we have closed the B & B. it's kind of cool to watch TV while everyone else is in the dark:)
He just did the same system for friends with a B & B nearby. Didn't cost that much..but the peace of mind is so worth it..
We have one too. It can run the kitchen and a couple other things. But it's noisy!! What I worry about is the well. We have water for people to flush with in the basement but it's just not something that I would hope to have to ask them to do...!
Riki
.
Yes, most are very noisy but music to the ears when you are without power for a long time. The Honda models are considerately less noisy and yes, a little more costly too.
We have been looking at the 'house system' too. Even the H. Depot has them here. There are different ampreage models. For us we would be looking at having one large enough to run the pump, the refridgerator, freezer, lights and at least one A/C unit as our needs are mainly in summer months.
.
We need it year round. It's terrible here - we can lose power without any storm at all. The setup is obviously not good here. Add being on a well and we really need to get one for the whole main floor. Our apartment upstairs can be left out as we could always just use the little generator for that. And our basement will not need it. Just the main floor for the kitchen and the guests' rooms for their comfort. It's only gone once when we had guests but when they saw we had the plug in flashlights/nightlights and the radio that still worked they considered it fun.
That's only because the power came back on at 4am and they were able to flush and take showers the next morning. I could not sleep all night figuring that I would go to the hotel around the corner and get a room and clean the bathroom between the twos sets of guests....
Riki
 
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