TEXANS Please share your experiences with TECH, during your difficult times.

[Industrial Toys]

This guy spoke of Kerosene heaters. They were all the RAGE (FAD) in the 80s. Like the Kerosun brand. I remember getting a used one at a thrift store for my Y2K preps. But ran into an issue with needing a wick. Got one, but somehow it didn't fit. Still have it and should revisit the matter. This guy speaks of adding alcohol to Diesel for use in Kerosene run equipment. Will have to look into that. Kerosene has been price prohibitive here for decades. Maybe why I never bothered with that (no electricity) kerosene heater.

 

[TractorGuy]

Texas electric bills? Maybe i misheard but when the tvs on i barely pay attention, like now.

Some young mother said her bill for THE DAY, 1 single day was, over $1000.00!!!

Her comment was, either that or the kids freeze?

What's all that about, $1000.00 elec bill for 1 day?

Pretty unbelievable!

Seems like living off the grid with a diesel generator would make more sense.

 

[coldsteelva]

I could be wrong, but with the state run grid and these smaller local providers/'transmitters' I think they do/are/were using surge pricing and time of use pricing, which in an emergency situation means 24/7. The other thing that I did see, which didn't help was with the average TX resident. Those that did have power were attempting to heat every room in their homes with space heaters or with the aux/emergency toaster heat on the heat pumps (meaning high watt usage).

All of the residents should have been told to be in a conservation mode; close into a single room with layers and blankets and all family members and maybe a single heater - don't attempt to run your whole house normal with no available power resource.

The other thing that frustrated the crap out of me, was how many people had no idea how or the foresight to TURN OFF YOUR WATER at the main and open the faucets. The government talking heads also didn't recommend for folks to do it in advance. This lack of action/ignorance has led to millions more in unnecessary damages.

 

[grsthegreat]

That's something that should be of special note for the posters here who feel diesel powered generators or PTO generator heads are best. They may be IF you have more fuel than you'll need. As with any fuel, if you run out and the major utilities can't even get it, a homeowner/farmer probably won't be able to either.

Depends on location. Up here in n idaho, most propane companies have always been able to deliver as long as road was open. Even after major wind storms, the roads are reopened in a few days. We have the equipment to do the job here. Now Texas doesn’t get much snow, why would it have a fleet of snow plows. It doesn’t need them.

A water company can’t ration gen use, but I can. I can stretch my 1000 gal tank out a looooooong time if need be.

 

[grsthegreat]

I could be wrong, but with the state run grid and these smaller local providers/'transmitters' I think they do/are/were using surge pricing and time of use pricing, which in an emergency situation means 24/7. The other thing that I did see, which didn't help was with the average TX resident. Those that did have power were attempting to heat every room in their homes with space heaters or with the aux/emergency toaster heat on the heat pumps (meaning high watt usage).

All of the residents should have been told to be in a conservation mode; close into a single room with layers and blankets and all family members and maybe a single heater - don't attempt to run your whole house normal with no available power resource.

The other thing that frustrated the crap out of me, was how many people had no idea how or the foresight to TURN OFF YOUR WATER at the main and open the faucets. The government talking heads also didn't recommend for folks to do it in advance. This lack of action/ignorance has led to millions more in unnecessary damages.

I actually plumbed my house so I can turn off main, open a valve downstairs, and gravity drain entire house system into floor drain if necessary. I used to do it when I traveled a lot. Don’t use it much anymore though. I’m a retired homebody now

 

[LouNY]

Just a comment on why Texas gas plants, booster stations, power plants couldn't handle the cold.
Years ago I worked in many of the West Texas Gas cleanup and booster stations,
at that time most of the transmitters and controllers where pneumatic and almost all of the valves where pneumatic operated.
The transmitters and controllers where in the process of converting to analog electronic.
There where attempts to use electric hydraulic and electrical control valves but they didn't work well.
The point being at that time all the instrument air systems had dryers with selectable dew points for the air.
Many where straight regenerative desiccant dryers some had a refrigerant pre dryer prior to the desiccant dryer.
The desiccant dryers worked well but required maintenance and periodic replenishment of the desiccant after a couple of years of regeneration.
Every single company has always cut cost especially in the maintenance area, maintenance is completely an expense to management,
it doesn't have a definitive payback period. Dry air isn't an absolute necessity till the temperature gets close to freezing.
When management gets told that so many thousands of dollars are needed to maintain a system that they have no knowledge of
and really don't care about they will cut those expenses as unnecessary and the bad thing about it is that so much mid level and almost no upper level
management has any knowledge of the maintenance and operational requirements of any plant or facility they manage much maintenance is cut,
because it does not have an immediate effect on the bottom line.
Instrument air has always been one of the early casualties of maintenance cuts. Once a pneumatic system becomes contaminated with water and or oils
it becomes very costly to clean up and dry out it can not be done over night.
It is not just Texas plants that are guilty of this, I have seen many Northern facilities do the same things and start fighting frozen pneumatic components
because some bean counter said we don't need -30F instrument air it only gets to -5 here and the system is allowed to deteriorate then when absolutely needed it fails.
But it's never managements fault.

Yes, this was one of my major aggravations when I was working and getting called out at 2 in the morning because a valve or controller wasn't working
because the plant wouldn't maintain the air system as it needed to be.
This was going on over 40 years ago and I doubt that it has improved much.

 

[rekees4300]

Texas electric bills? Maybe i misheard but when the tvs on i barely pay attention, like now.

Some young mother said her bill for THE DAY, 1 single day was, over $1000.00!!!

Her comment was, either that or the kids freeze?

What's all that about, $1000.00 elec bill for 1 day?

Unbelievable! :confused2: They had a Texas guy on TV whose monthly bill was $16,000... 50X normal WOW! Obviously, a system like that is fundamentally flawed, in need of a complete revamp!

 

[k0ua]

I am no expert on this, but from what I understand the super high electric bills is because many STUPID people signed up with electrical providers that offered a variable rate of electricity. They did this because they chose these variable plans to SAVE money over the fixed rate plans. They obviously have choices among plans and providers there unlike where I live where you have no choices. There is one electrical provider and it is a fixed rate. The variable rates plans are kind of like variable rate mortgages that STUPID people sign up for to SAVE money.

So the SHTF and now all of a sudden there is not enough electricity to meet demands, so the price goes sky high. Just like IDIOTIC variable rate mortgages. Or variable rate anything. It is like going to Las Vegas for services. It is a gamble that you cannot count on. If you don't have a fixed rate fixed in a contract, you are at the mercy of market forces. And sooner or later it can bite you in the rear. These STUPID people saved money when electricity was plentiful and laughed all the way to the bank. Then along comes a 100 year cold snap and now they are suffering. Never sign up for variable rate ANYTHING when the market forces are beyond your control. I am of the opinion that a lot of stupid people got a real education in the last couple of weeks.

 

[MossRoad]

I actually plumbed my house so I can turn off main, open a valve downstairs, and gravity drain entire house system into floor drain if necessary. I used to do it when I traveled a lot. Don稚 use it much anymore though. I知 a retired homebody now

Around here, I've never seen a house that couldn't be drained. Everyone has a main shutoff either at their meter, or unplug/turn off the well pump. Then you find the lowest water fixture in your house. For most folks, that's the water heater. Turn off your electric water heater and shut off the gas if it has that (don't want it running if empty), open the drain valve, and open all your faucets in the house, and everything drains down to that low point.

 

[MossRoad]

How many inches of snow did some of you Texas residents get? Just curious.

I realize, of course, that Texas is a huge state, so amounts and distances can be deceiving.