power outage -- EVERYBODY FREAK OUT!!!

[Alkali Ike]

requires either-pre-picking a few things that are the only things that get power

The way I worked around that was connecting the microwave oven circuit to backup power. The microwave oven is plugged into a dedicated outlet in the kitchen. I got an extension cord long enough to reach any room in the house from the microwave outlet. That was the wildcard circuit. And I could still use it for the microwave.

Circuits I wired up:

• Living room lights & plugs (included Internet and TV)
• Master bedroom lights & plugs
• Microwave oven outlet in kitchen
• Gas furnace

 

[Michedelic]

It's not surprising when you have a sizable portion of the population that relies on Alexa, Siri, or whatever to explain to them the difference between their asses and a hole in the ground, and to take care of everything else.
This just in to the sports desk...
Solar storms are back, threatening life as we know it on Earth
Invalid Link Removed

 

[kesslari]

Went from a pull-start generator to a auto-switching hard-wire propane hooked up to our main propane tank about 2 years ago.
Wife and daughter have disabilities (plus the old genny was pretty cranky about starting) so if I was out they were SOL.
About the same time PG&E (the utility here) started turning off power for extended periods (days) during high-fire-risk periods, which means August through October these days. Reduces their liability for fires started due to electrical equipment mishaps.
I consider the new genny to be money well spent.

 

[MonetBass]

This past Easter Sunday, only part of the power in our house went out. That meant overhead lights & fans plus the HVAC, but most of the outlets worked. Of course I checked with the neighbors on either side to make sure it was just our house. I reported it to AEP (utility company), and the guy came out that day (amazing) and said we had a bad leg (underground line) to the junction box, so he ran a temporary line from the neighbors behind us. A week later they came out and permanently fixed it.

 

[Fishheadjoe]

We had an ice storm roll through in Dec 2013. I had to move my family to a friends house as we were without power for 5 days, including Xmas day. I cooked the turkey dinner on my BBQ.
I fed my fireplace for those five days, with me and my dog sleeping right in front of it, to keep warm. Over-night lows after the storm passed were in the -20-25C range with the daily high reaching near -15C. The thermostat in my house read 33F, when the power finally came back on.
Not something I want to live through again, if I can help it.
Fishheadjoe

 

[T_Bone_TL]

This past Easter Sunday, only part of the power in our house went out. That meant overhead lights & fans plus the HVAC, but most of the outlets worked. Of course I checked with the neighbors on either side to make sure it was just our house. I reported it to AEP (utility company), and the guy came out that day (amazing) and said we had a bad leg (underground line) to the junction box, so he ran a temporary line from the neighbors behind us. A week later they came out and permanently fixed it.

Not surprising at all to have them come out. That can cause serious problems, and not being storm related (ie, a single problem, not hundreds of problems at once), prompt service is the norm. Even on Holidays (the guy drew the short straw, perhaps, but also probably got double-time.)

 

[sleddogn]

what sucks about the rolling blackouts for A/C usage, it takes more energy to bring the house back down to cool than maintaining it i would think...

 

[Pilgrim]

I just glance out the windows to see if lights are on next door. No need to rile the natives.

 

[Fishheadjoe]

One thing to remember when the power goes out is that there is a spike through the lines when the power goes out and when it comes back on. I have lost the power module on my plasma tv as a result of those spikes.
Fishheadjoe

 

[Gaolee]

We had a tornado blow through here a couple of years ago and knocked out power to most of the city for 56 hours. I was charging my mobile phone in the car.

up at our rural property, it was 50/50 whether the power would last the weekend. A moderate breeze would knock the transformer out. We managed without power just fine.

Back in my day, we lived without fire, because it hadn't been invented yet. Sunlight was good enough for us, and it only lasted half a day!

Darn kids these days! Spoiled. All of em!

 

[Gaolee]

We had an ice storm roll through in Dec 2013. I had to move my family to a friends house as we were without power for 5 days, including Xmas day. I cooked the turkey dinner on my BBQ.
I fed my fireplace for those five days, with me and my dog sleeping right in front of it, to keep warm. Over-night lows after the storm passed were in the -20-25C range with the daily high reaching near -15C. The thermostat in my house read 33F, when the power finally came back on.
Not something I want to live through again, if I can help it.
Fishheadjoe

That is quite an adventure!

 

[GregC]

I live in a residential neighborhood in a major city here in the U.S... and this afternoon, right after I began my daily walk, there was a power outage in my neighborhood.

As I strolled through the area, there was a steady trend of unhappy people were coming out of their houses in droves, nervously asking their neighbors if their power was out as well.

Haha... really? Yes, I was amused.

When I was a kid, I never remember a power outage sparking (pun intended) such action amongst the neighbors.

Is this really where we're at as a species? Maybe it's a testament as to how addicted some folks have become to their computers and devices?

Power outages can be a very serious deal. Look at what happened in Texas just a couple months ago. 150+ people froze to death.