The power is out.

[sethwyo]

The power went out last night. Around the area where i live everyones lives have been turned off, Some of them i have seen are already git'in goofy. This happens more than a few times a year, the electricity going out i mean, Not the suburbers goin nuts. A power outage ususlly only last a few hours, this one is a long one.
I have a collection of old auto batteries that i keep on a solar trickle charger, the pannel is on the roof, the batteries are in the side room, With my inverter i can go on using my computer, radieo, and lights which are 12 volt bulbs i have for times like this, hook strait to a battery. *Gas stove, wood stove, *solar heated water tank, wood heated water heater. Gravity powered water system. *My life didnt change today except for switching to my inverter and batteries.
The power is out, But not for me. *

[walls0stone]

Awsome!
On the farm, we have a Generator that runs the barn. Power outage is common here...just part of life. As a child I remember a power outage in the dark of winter that lasted 3 days. you could see the farms becouse they barns had lights, but the houses did not.

[TNDadx4]

Good job. That's a prime example of being prepared for the common as well as TSHTF situations.

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

Good planning, seth. I, too, keep batts and inverters around for just such a scenario.

[sethwyo]

The well is 300ft deep, electric pumped, I have seen ads for a 'bison' hand pump that can lift watter from that depth.
I have an old general electric upright freezer, I leave it on a 6-8 hours, then turn it off, freezing meat and such in the bottom racks then use the top racks for referigation. My goodies will stay cold *for almost a week before i need to turn it on again, I tryed to use an old freezer as an ice box once, freezing 4 gal.ice blocks in this one and putting them into the non working one.
The only thing i have found to beat the heat in the summertime to replace the *kw hungry air conditioner, is an underground or semi-underground home. I have an old 40's era militay gererator, i cant figure it out. *A gasoline motor can be run on wood, coal, or charcoal smoke, with a manifold adaptor plate like for converting to propaine.
I would like to, And will hafto sooner or later, Do away with electric shavers and throw away razors, I have and use a pair of manual 'clipers' i got for $10 from a mail order catalog, Can anyone tell me how to use a strait razor?, I have been trying to make one of these work for years, I cannot get one sharp enough to shave hair off, I have tried a razor strap.

[bassntrout]

Power outages are becoming more frequent these days-- too much over development. I used to live in a small, nearby city (100,000+) on and off for 18 years and noticed the difference on the infrastructure-- they would take two houses out, and replace them with six houses. Traffic, water, and electricity was always under pressure and still is today.

Worst of all, all the "sheeple" that live in that city are ill prepared to deal with the problems. They all "prepare" after the trouble. I saw this earlier today-- http://divorceddadfrugaldad.com/2008/09/14/are-you-prepared-for-a-natural-disaster.aspx

Good luck with your preparations.

[walls0stone]

I love it when the power is out. Thing is we don't have near as many of them as we did 20 years ago. Last time it was out for more than an hour (not couting line work) was Christmas 6 years ago. Tree feel just down hill from my home, putting lights out all over for 5 days. My wife and I had power. Thank God it came back on. Mom Dad and the Grandparents were packing their things to come stay with us as the power came back on. DW and I were just married at the time..do the math. ;D

Since this was a dairy, it's set up for a generator run off a Alice 180 tractor. I still know the drill. Back before all the line work was done, you could count on the power failing 3 or 5 times a year...so you had to be able to keep power in the barn, and the milk cold. I remember seeing lights on in all the barns...and all the houses dark. Animals first, people second.

[bookwormom]

thanks for posting this, I am going to have my husband look at this thread.