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Utility Failure

G

Gomez

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 28, 2010
Messages
102
Location
Sask
The snow is blowing and wind is howling and I'm inside nice and warm and thinking.... what if the power went out? A couple hours - no bid deal. 12 hours - what is freezing up? 24hrs - no so much fun. More than a day - what can we do with what we got? How much damage is done? How much scrambling and hurry up offense must i do to minimize the damage and what's the inconvenience involved? I have never had utilities out for long enough to cause damage, but what if?

I am just wondering how many of you have backup power, heat etc to keep water systems from freezing, keep house functional and livestock looked after if the utilities were out for more than a day? Permanent standby generators, portable generators or pto generators or just a good bottle of scotch, crib board and a candle? How long can you go without utilities? Times like that a simple place is much better! How easy is it for you adjust to no utilities? Flip of a switch or flick of a lighter?

:???:
 
Gomez said:
The snow is blowing and wind is howling and I'm inside nice and warm and thinking.... what if the power went out? A couple hours - no bid deal. 12 hours - what is freezing up? 24hrs - no so much fun. More than a day - what can we do with what we got? How much damage is done? How much scrambling and hurry up offense must i do to minimize the damage and what's the inconvenience involved? I have never had utilities out for long enough to cause damage, but what if?

I am just wondering how many of you have backup power, heat etc to keep water systems from freezing, keep house functional and livestock looked after if the utilities were out for more than a day? Permanent standby generators, portable generators or pto generators or just a good bottle of scotch, crib board and a candle? How long can you go without utilities? Times like that a simple place is much better! How easy is it for you adjust to no utilities? Flip of a switch or flick of a lighter?

:???:
Click to expand...

Last year we were with out power for 5 days. Our house is on propane, but require electricity to run the blower to get the burner lit. The bosses house is all electric. On my house, we were running 2 portable generators. 1 was 1800 watts and the other was 3500 watt. Just enough to run the crockpot, and the furnace. The bosses house I just used his JUNK fireplace, and was able to keep the water from freezing.
This year we have a 20KW standby propane generator, and wouldn't you know it, I haven't even had the power flicker since we got it.
 
There's two magpies out in theyard squirting ether in a raven's beak right now trying to get him started. It's -35 this morning-Ty is heading about six hours north to sort a load of bred heifers and then were heading south tomorrow if I can get my ducks in a row here. Got some dr'in to get done and some bulls to sort. It was bitter yesterday-when the horses come up to the yard-you know it's nasty outside. I think a stand by generator is a good idea for sure-I've got some little propane heaters I can heat the wellhouses with if need be but power for pumps is another thing. We had a woodstove for years but insurance basically made us take it out-the way our house is-it was situated in not the best place. Probably a good idea with standby gens to start them every once in awhile to make sure they'll go when needed.
 
We are 15 miles from either a power or phone line. Wood heat, diesel generator that runs 3 to 4 hours every day, a few solar panels that we will add to and a 6 kw inverter with batteries that gives us power 24 hrs per day. Satelite tv, computer and phone. I don't worry about major power outages and no one else worries about ours.
 
We have three houses in the yard and 6 water bowls. We have a stand by PTO generator that has sat for years never needing us and last winter run 4 days straight. It is a 30 Kw 60 Kw surge.
 
at - 31C those thoughts scare the he!! out of you if you're not prepared. i agree that simple is better. we run wood heat with propane backup, small generator to run the blower fan, and the water pump . have we really progressed that far from our fore-fathers. sounds like gcreek has the best system, none of it is "back-up"
 
We have friends that installed a battery/inverter system that is charged by BC Hydro. They use all of their household power except the washer and dryer from the inverter. The power bill is minimal and they can go through a 48 hour outage before starting to worry about their furnace fan or water. A fair investment at the start but cheap and reliable once in.
 
That's the system we're heading towards. Don't want to have to rely on propane, gas or diesel as backup. One day it won't be there either, might as well get used to it ahead of time.

As for present day, I'm filling 5ga pails in the bathtub daily to water layers and hogs. Water in the barn is froze up because the water lines are on the north wall, and with the wind the last few days they're a li'l stiff. It only happens in the coldest windchills, but seems to at least once per winter.

-45 windchill here this morning, a stark reminder that there are winters where equipment won't work, lines will freeze, and livestock must be fed or they die.
 
Do I get it gcreekrch - the power when on keeps batteries up and when power is down the batteries/inverter system has them good for 48 hrs?

Big Muddy yikes! That must have been an ordeal for those not prepared, good for you - do you have one connection for the pto generator or do you have one at each house/shop etc and move generator around with a "lock out" at each one.

Thank you
 
Gomez said:
Do I get it gcreekrch - the power when on keeps batteries up and when power is down the batteries/inverter system has them good for 48 hrs?

Big Muddy yikes! That must have been an ordeal for those not prepared, good for you - do you have one connection for the pto generator or do you have one at each house/shop etc and move generator around with a "lock out" at each one.

Thank you
Click to expand...

The whole yard runs from one meter so that is where the genset hook up is located. We have the special box with the double throw switch.
 
PTO generator here. Flowing wells and solar panels could take care of all the livestock if the generator quits. The power company phones when it is back on so a trip out to switch over is all that is needed. Making the house self sufficient would be a good idea.
 
I have a 10KW generator in one service truck and a 6.5 KW in the other.

I put a double throw switch at the meter pole and if power is off for long I just drive the service truck to the pole and power the homestead and the small service truck can go to the pit if I need the scale house to run trucks. I normally blow the water lines at the scale house in the winter unless we get a good sized contract and so don't worry about water for about 4 months a year there.

The 10KW seems to use anywhere from 1/2 to 1 full gal of gas an hour depending on load. Pulls fuel stright from the trucks tank but I put in a seperate line for it and when the tank gets to 1/4 full the generator runs out so you can still run the truck to get more.

I have gas (LP) furnaces in the small shop, House and scale house. LP stove and hot water as well so we have been in good shape. I havent needed it for outages for about 5 years now. We were out for 10 days about 10 years ago and for 5 days a couple of years befor that. I would run the generator till bed time and then shut it off. I'm insulated good enough that we only lose about 1 degree F per hour so I would get up the next morning and fire it up and use about 10 gallons on a 16 hour day.
 
Gomez said:
Do I get it gcreekrch - the power when on keeps batteries up and when power is down the batteries/inverter system has them good for 48 hrs?

Big Muddy yikes! That must have been an ordeal for those not prepared, good for you - do you have one connection for the pto generator or do you have one at each house/shop etc and move generator around with a "lock out" at each one.

Thank you
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what they do. They don't use a lot of power and are very conservative with the small (2500 watt) inverter they use but it works for them.

We also have propane hot water and stove. Electric fridge and freezer. We need to change our water pump as it is a power hog when it kicks on.

George, your gas powered gen set is very economical. It wouldn't be an old Fairbanks Morse with the big flywheel would it?
 
We lose power alot with the hurricanes.

The longest we had to go was a week with no juice, but then again our problems are more like dealing with heat/humidity and the misery of it all. Not to mention that alot of folks down here don't put back canned meat, fruit and veggies like we do.

Nothing like the challenges of dealing with cold like alot of you northerners.

Our cattle drink from dugout tanks so they never even notice the difference so long as there is grass in front of them.

bart. †
 
Northern Rancher said:
There's two magpies out in theyard squirting ether in a raven's beak right now trying to get him started. It's -35 this morning-Ty is heading about six hours north to sort a load of bred heifers and then were heading south tomorrow if I can get my ducks in a row here. Got some dr'in to get done and some bulls to sort. It was bitter yesterday-when the horses come up to the yard-you know it's nasty outside. I think a stand by generator is a good idea for sure-I've got some little propane heaters I can heat the wellhouses with if need be but power for pumps is another thing. We had a woodstove for years but insurance basically made us take it out-the way our house is-it was situated in not the best place. Probably a good idea with standby gens to start them every once in awhile to make sure they'll go when needed.
Click to expand...

I recall an outfitter from your neck of the woods telling me about a logging camp he once endured one winter at Normal Wells. Said they got up one morning and it was -70......don´t recall if that was F or C, but who cares, it´s cold. Said the propane in the propane tank was frozen. Also said you could hear what sounded like rifle shots in the bush but it was trees splitting open. :shock:
 
It's a Kroler water cooled 4 cylinder that came with the truck I bought from Cinncinnitti Bell telephone.

Terrible to find parts for as they were special made - - - Most Kroler dealers will tell you they only make air colled engines and only 1 or 2 cylinders.

The generator and engine were made as a unit. I only put 100 hours or less on it a year so I hope it outlast me.
 
Northern Rancher said:
Was that Jim? We sure hear nails pop when the temperature starts to drop. We've had to heat up our propane to get it to work when it's really cold also.
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I don't recall his name though I do seem to recall he had a place on JackFish Lake.....even a golf course he ran there. The guy did a bit of everything and really worked hard for his hunters.
 

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