ice warriors

[DTW902]

If you need a storm every year or so to keep your self in business then I would say you need to find another line of work.
I would rather just have good old steady flow of business, These ice storms put a hardship on everyone, extra money is hard to come up with at Christmas time. Frans it's not just your block thats without power. It's the whole area, it's hard to get anything. Hard to get fuel for your trucks and equipment let alone your generator. How many gas station's in your area have generators to run the pumps.

 

[Paul B]

nobiffy, its a solar / dynamo radio meaning you can wind the little handle and it charges. otherwise tho its in the window sill

 

[sawinredneck]

The temp is dropping, and it's still misting. I think the mist is worse than the rain, it sticks better!! My truck, still nice and warm from running around tonight, has nothing, the wifes van, it's covered solidly!!! (She insisted on taking the truck to get dinner tonight even, and she doesn't like it much)

And all of you are right, it's instant money now, but by the time all is said and done, you have trimmed these trees back so much, there is little of anything to be gained in the next few years.

 

[Chisel Tooth]

We didn't anything compaired to Oklahoma City 600,000 without power. I expect tomorrow might be worse than today. We get a mix on top of the ice this could cause bigger problem. Will have to wait and see.
See Ya
Mike

 

[stehansen]

I'll bet it has been over 5 years since we had an electric outage. I have a 3000 watt generator also but it probably wouldn't start. We have a fireplace but it only heats a small part of the house. I have my BBQ that has a burner and we have water for the toilet in the swimming pool. We could get by OK for a while. I actually cooked on the fireplace a few years ago just for fun. It wasn't that fun. I really like hot showers. I don't have any drinking water stored. I had better get the gen set out and fire it up, and get some drinking water and I will be all set.

 

[Frans]

FINALLY, the hills around here are getting green from the bit of rain we have had





Actually, I really do hope it all goes well for you guys.

 

[sawinredneck]

All clear around Wichita!!! Holding at 28 now, no new mosture over the night and none expected today!!!
No ice on the driveway, no new ice on the truck, but I'd imagine there are some slick spots, and I can live with that!!!!
Thanks for all the good wishes!! I hope the others fair as well as I have!!

 

[squisher]

Heh for all of you that run back-up generators. How do you have it set-up to power your house? I mean like how do you 'wire' it in to power your home?

And I hope y'all are safe from the ice storm but get a nice little bonus of work right before christmas.

 

[Paul B]

we had one at a greenhouse / store I worked at in the early 90's. we had a genset hooked right into the main board on a 220V plug I think. kicked on when power kicked off. all full auto. no idea of the Kv rating of the old beast.

 

[squisher]

I'm gonna set something up. My power goes out atleast once a month if not more, we get along fine but I'd rather have all my goodies on the go still.

 

[sotc]

you guys need to seperate your home off the main circuit before you charge up your house with a generator. the power will back feed into the power grid. transformers work both ways so your generator will put high voltage out on the far side of the transformer and possibly kill someone working on the lines.

 

[squisher]

Good advice Willie, I beleive all homes up here have a mainbreaker/cut-off after the meter but before the fuse panel. So I'm assuming that would be the switch to throw and tie your gen in after that switch but before your breaker box?

 

[Burnham]

If you set up with a gen of sufficient size to power up much of your home, the "proper" way to do it is with an auto switch-out box. This device automatically isolates your home from the grid when you power up you gen, so that feedback into the grid is impossible. Any competant electrician can tell you more...I'm less than competant .

If you use a small gen to run some lights, maybe cool the fridge down off and on, that sort of thing, then just plug what you want to run into a heavy extension cord from the genset, keeping those things isolated from your house wiring.

Be extra cautious of where you set up the genset. Think about carbon monoxide gas...it is heavier than air and can collect in basements or crawl spaces through foundation vents. Of course, never run one in your house or garage.

 

[squisher]

Yah don't worry I'll not be trying to wire something like this up myself, just trying to be armed with some info.

Good advice on the placement issues, thanks.

 

[sawinredneck]

What I have done, not the proper thing I know, was to take out my 220v welder in the garage (don't need it now ). It had a 60 amp breaker and plenty of extra wire, for moving the welder outside. I leave that breaker turned off all the time. When the power goes out I turn off the main breaker, turn on the welder breaker, turn off everything but one light, and fire up the generator.
A smaller 110v genset can be plugged in an outlet, as Burnham said, then turn off the main again.
Easy enough?

 

[squisher]

Well damn that does seem very simple, so I can just isolate my house, plug.....heh wait don't generators have the plug-ins on them not the plugs? Now I'm confused again.

 

[Paul B]

http://www.emergencypower.com/transferswitches.html maybe seeing some of the hardware will help ?

6500 Watt 'silent' gas model, sale now $1000 reg $1700. so they say.

 

[squisher]

Hot damn! I've learned that I'll definetly need someone who knows what they're doing to set this whole gig up for me. No power means no running water for me and that sucks!

 

[DTW902]

You are supposed to use a disconnect, manual or auto. A breaker does not isolate the common/ground wire so there is a chance that you can back feed juice through the common/ground. A actual disconnect isolates both hot leads and the common/ground.
You can hard wire it to your gen set or wire up a outlet under your disconnect and make a pig tail to go from the house to your gen set.

 

[sawinredneck]

Well damn that does seem very simple, so I can just isolate my house, plug.....heh wait don't generators have the plug-ins on them not the plugs? Now I'm confused again.

They do have the plug in on them, but many come with the proper connector, and they are easily bought.



It ain't rocket science scooter!!!

 

[squisher]

It ain't rocket science scooter!!!

You're right it's more like magic to me, rocket's make sense. Electricity is more just something I accept and am grateful for moreso than understand in any capacity.

 

[sawinredneck]

You are supposed to use a disconnect, manual or auto. A breaker does not isolate the common/ground wire so there is a chance that you can back feed juice through the common/ground. A actual disconnect isolates both hot leads and the common/ground.
You can hard wire it to your gen set or wire up a outlet under your disconnect and make a pig tail to go from the house to your gen set.

Blah Blah Blah bluh ba blah la bluh blah

Did somebody say something?

Sorry Dave, work is getting the better of me, "It ain't right, but it'll work until you get time to do it right!!"
Then I never get the time anyway.
Bu yes, the disconnect is the right way to do it, and the absolute safest for all, but I are a cheap bastad!!!

 

[DTW902]

I was putting that out there for Justin so he would know the the right way to start off with. Not dissing you Andy....

 

[sawinredneck]

It's all good

And yes, that is the way to go for sure!! Some day I might even do it right, probably not though.

 

[Frans]

I have heard that the disconnects set you back about 4 bills.