What do you all do to be prepared for long term power loss?

[WinterDeere]

I’ve probably read 50-100 books in the year or two since reading those, but yeah… I seem to remember thinking the same. I enjoyed them enough to at least recommend the first to a few friends and family, tho.

 

[JasperFrank]

If some one is thinking they can protect against a major solar flare, like what happened in 1859, you are confused as to how it works.

 

[WinterDeere]

If some one is thinking they can protect against a major solar flare, like what happened in 1859, you are confused as to how it works.

What do you mean, exactly?

I design equipment for the EMC industry, and hardening consumer, industrial, and military electronics against EMP pulses, either natural or weaponized, is very big business.

 

[steve tym]

What do you mean, exactly?

I design equipment for the EMC industry, and hardening consumer, industrial, and military electronics against EMP pulses, either natural or weaponized, is very big business.

Oh, we should start a thread on this subject. How do you EMP proof a house?

 

[ultrarunner]

Oh, we should start a thread on this subject. How do you EMP proof a house?

Reduce/Eliminate electrical circuits and devices?

Read somewhere diesel engines with no electrical is a good bet

 

[RSKY]

Fifteen years ago a massive ice storm hit Western Kentucky. Some were without power for a month. I had two gas generators going. A 2kw running two freezers and the utility room fridge with us switching what was plugged in every few hours. It also ran the washer a couple times. Then a 4kw running everything else. There were extension cords running everywhere.

Now I just make sure the natural gas bill is paid up so the 22k backup generator will has gas for power.

Makes life much easier.

RSKY

 

[WinterDeere]

Oh, we should start a thread on this subject. How do you EMP proof a house?

Sure! Let me know if you start one. My area of work is more the design of the test equipment than the applications side, so I'm not really an expert in EMP classification, but I focused on electromagnetics in school and have lived in that world my whole life. My customers are the real EMP experts, I've built many very large scale amplifier systems used in EMP pulse generators, mostly for testing of military equipment.

As to "EMP proofing a house", it would depend on the vector(s) you're trying to block. EMC industry people usually speak in terms of conducted immunity or radiated immunity, the former being energy conducted in through power lines or network wiring, and the latter being over-the-air (OTA) threats.

A power line transient is a common threat from things as simple as utility equipment malfunctions, and probably the most likely source of entry for most, as I'd suspect power lines can carry energy at sufficiently high potential over much longer distances than anything over the air. Even if a nuke is used to generate an EMP, it'll likely be picked up as an induced current on power lines and conducted over long distances. Of course they make many different types of mains filters, suppressors, etc. to provide conducted immunity.

When it comes to purely radiated immunity, you're usually talking Faraday cages and grounded metal boxes. Ironically, your home's wiring is probably the first line of defense for radiated immunity for most homes, especially if the energy of an EMP pulse is mostly lower-frequency components, but then everything plugged into said wiring is fried.

All such threats and hardening are always classified by field strength (V/m or A/m) and energy (Joules). There will always be some power line transient that exceeds your level of conducted immunity, or some free-space wave intensity that exceeds your radiated immunity... the "always a bigger fish" theory of predation. So, like choosing the amount of insurance you want to buy, you need to choose the level of threat to which you want to remain immune.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Well...since this is about power loss, here's my tale of woe...I have to vent.
This morning 7:30 our power goes off. I checked with neighbors around and they all had power. Wife & recovering from pneumonia & I'm not fooling with my generator. I have Vermont Castings propane stove center of house so we had heat & I called AEP.
Walking around I see a 3" pine limb had fallen across the 10kV line going over to my power pole transformer, hot to neutral and it's smoking until fuse blows across road.
Two bucket trucks show up 1pm...yay!..guy flips branch off line 10 seconds with a hot stick. Three guys go over with a fuse...I tell wife just 2 minutes we'll have juice! Look again and they've left!!!
So 3pm they're make & replace fuse holder+fuse & all is well.
My other property is my home place where my 97 yo Mom has lived 85 years. Her power went out 10am. I report it to AEP. They show early afternoon saying a tree fell against line, how is beyond me since a few years ago they cut 50ft swath 1/2 mile through woods. They said tree stretched line, bending pole near house just enough to pull transformer wires which damaged weatherhead up on second story.
I said...well, fix it! They said they couldn't since it "was MY equipment!"
So...I call AEP to get a supervisor. I start off "it's AEPs responsibility getting power to meter base and past it is my responsibility, correct?" "Yes" was her reply. "Well, thanks so much! Get power to the meter...underground trench...whatever it takes...do it". She put me on hold while she spoke with crew. Came back saying it's MY responsibility!!!
I said, listen, when that house was built by Dad & Grandad they did not install the transformer, pole, weatherhead or meterbase, power company did! Fix it...however you wish.
She said I'd have to have certified electrician do it, inspected by county then they'd turn on power.
I said how about simply disconnect service & I'll call tomorrow for new service?
We argued back & forth saying her supervisor would call me (never did). I called 2 electricians I know who said they bend the rules a few years ago saying they now supply power up to the house, not the meterbase.
I called insurance company who will have an adjuster call me tomorrow, they said it "should" be covered.
Mom is staying with a caregiver now...but unheated house? Frozen pipes...spoiled food...plus $5K-$10K electric?
Sorry such a long post...I felt a stroke coming on!

 

[garry1p]

MY BIL asked me to check his power as he was having all kinds of problems.
I go over and find an open neutral, call power company and problem is on them they fix the problem and BIL has blown TV, garage door opener and several other 120V things.
I told him don't worry this is the power company fault. Call power company and they tell me it is in the contract they are not responsible for any damages from an open neutral and call his insurance company.
Looked it up on there website and in the small print they will not be responsible for open neutral.

Insurance did cover it less deductible.

 

[WinterDeere]

MY BIL asked me to check his power as he was having all kinds of problems.
I go over and find an open neutral, call power company and problem is on them they fix the problem and BIL has blown TV, garage door opener and several other 120V things.
I told him don't worry this is the power company fault. Call power company and they tell me it is in the contract they are not responsible for any damages from an open neutral and call his insurance company.
Looked it up on there website and in the small print they will not be responsible for open neutral.

Insurance did cover it less deductible.

We had the same happen in our neighborhood, the buried 15 kV line that loops around to all of the transformers lost its neutral a few years back. They strung a temporary on the surface, that we had to mow and drive around for a few months, then spent the better part of September that year digging grave-sized holes all over our lawns, as access points for their underground wire-shooting equipment. Fun summer.