Length of powe outages

[BobRip]

During most storms like hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms etc your local utility is most likely overwhelmed as most company's have cut down on line crew numbers over the last 20 or so years , so most use what is called mutual aide from out of town mostly out of state crews, usually while waiting for the out of town line crews to arrive most smart utilities put their A-team line crews on restoring power to priority feeders such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools and restaurants and motels to feed and house the line crews when they get there. Another thing is where the line feeding your home is located, if it's on the road and truck accessible that usually is a quicker fix than if it's in your backyard with fences and dogs etc etc and everything has to be done by hand or climbed ie no equipment, their are a lot of variables, older generation lineman are few and far between this day and age and getting fewer by the day, we are losing a lot of good experience in this trade that isn't easily replaced. I have been on storms all over the US and have met a lot of good people, helping others is what it's all about.

Our power lines are on the road and we get power back sooner than those with lines in the backyard.

 

[Toyboy]

I'm on the process of getting quotes on a 17kw Generac whole house unit. It's a whole new world when you lose power in the middle of winter and it's -20 deg outside. We'll have one before the snow fly's.

 

[Pete Judd]

I went through the same storm as Ultra, 120+ mph gusts on the coast, only a few miles away and knocked over a major power tower, that they had to bring in helos to put a new one in. Knocked out the power, but then we got flooded in for a few days, so the PUD could not get to our side of the valley to restore power. Total time, 9-10 days, and 4 of those could not get out to get fuel, food, or med's. But we were prepared, the wife liked it as she had a valid reason for not having to go to work. The gen still gave us the entertainment and Internet, the phone lines still worked, pellet stove and lanterns kept us warm, but the dogs slept a little closer to us at night. Been without power a couple of other times, for a few days, and learned to live with it, Its the price you pay when living in a place you like. If you want better power service move to the city, and live next to something critical

I always keep fuel, food, med's, ect in case of problems, chain saw, to get out on the logging roads is an option so keep 2 fueled, and sharp.

 

[Elviscaretaker]

I myself have not lost power (for more than a few..) since I bought a generator

 

[JimRB]

I bought a used Honda generator a few years ago that had gas in it. I fixed a dinged up air filter holder, replaced the air filter and changed the oil. I have started the generator a few times since on the same stale fuel and it starts right up easily. I ran my little 4" grinder off it a few weeks ago just to "exercise" it. I have never needed it since the purchase like others. My problem is my car and truck are diesel so keeping a lot of gas around is folly especially when we have a dry summer and the grass does not require the gas powered lawn mower. In a true emergency I would run out of gas.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Those of us who live in wildfire areas know you can lose power to fires as well as weather. Creosoted power poles go up like a torch, and even the big transmission lines can be damaged or shut down by forest fires.

 

[MossRoad]

One thing I'd like to discuss is whole house generators VS small portables VS what you NEED in a power outage VS what you WANT in a power outage and all the costs associated with it.

Personally, in a power outage, if is was just me, I'd go camping! I can survive on very little pretty well by myself. HOWEVER>>> Wife and kids, spoiled freezer food, no flushing toilet, no shower and neighbors frowning on fat bald guy peeing in the yard, etc... disuade me from doing that. :laughing:


Sure, I would like to have a whole house generator so I could maintain our lifestyle uninterrupted during power outages. But what does it cost? Lets discuss cost VS convenience.

Choice 1.
Whole house generator + associated wiring and transfer switch = several thousand dollars. $5k is not unreasonable to expect and much more with a big house.

Choice 2.
4000W portable generator + some extension cords and a twist lock plug on the well pump and furnace fan = $500.00 (let's hope you don't have electric heat).

Given the infrequency of power outages, it seems kind of un-frugal to spend $5k or more on a generator that may get more hours testing itself each year than actually providing power during outages just so you can sip frozen drinks in your shorts in the dead of winter in your hot tub for 20 minutes during a power outage once a year. :laughing: However, if you earn a decent living and can afford it, it is a nice little luxury item to have.

And, if you have health problems, it could be a life saver.

Anyhow, my 2 cents worth is anyone that has a freezer worth of valuable food, likes to be able to flush their toilet and shower on a regular basis and wants to be a hero to the wife and kids should at the least get a 4000W generator, a few cans of gas treated with Stabil, some extension cords and some twist lock plugs on the major HVAC and sanitary equipment. :thumbsup: And be sure to test it a few times a year, too.

 

[aczlan]

Or, option 3:
Put in an interlock switch (ie: breaker lockout) for your 4kw generator to prevent backfeeding the panel when the main breaker is on and shut off the circuits you dont need.
If you mark the breaker box properly, it will be easier than running extension cords all over the house.

Aaron Z

 

[Lineman North Florida]

The Husband of a lady I work with is a PGE lineman 45 years now...

They won't let him retire because he is their legacy link... people he trained are retired and he keep plugging away...

His wife said he just likes the big shiny lineman bucket truck parked in front of the house... he always gets the new one because he won't tear it up...

I still like bringing the bucket truck home and the kids do to but I'm probably gonna be retiring from the company I've been with for over 25 years within the next year if they keep messing with our retirement, that will probably open up some doors for me and I can probably catch a lot of storms.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Many times Dominion Power has brought in outside help. It saved us during Isabel. The distribution system was largely destroyed. Thank you for your help during these events. If you have a very broad area event things could take a long time to restore. Everybody would be fighting their own fires.

Always glad to help, there is nothing better than doing something little for people while they are trying to put their place and life back together after a natural disaster. I just got back a week or so ago after helping Baltimore Gas&Electric restore power after Hurricane Irene, and the best thing that happened on the whole trip was a couple of days before we left to come home late one afternoon I ran up on an older gentleman who had to use a walker and lived by himself who had been without power for 9 days and told me he hadn't had a cold drink of water the whole time, well I had a cooler full and when I gave him that cold bottle of water and told him that we would have his power on before we left that area that night his face lit up like a Christmas tree, and when I went to check on him and make sure his came on that night before we left to head back to the hotel I gave him some sandwiches and candy bars and cold drinks to snack on till he could get somebody to carry him to the grocery store. That made the whole trip worth it to me, I told my crew that's what we come for.