Preparedness Fail

[The Stig]

I have a preparedness failure that I wanted to share. While embarrassing I hope you all can learn from my dumbassadry.

So the country is being slow baked by the wicked high temps right? Being the preparedness guru it should cross my mind that (1) power grids tend to fail and (2) air conditioners really tend to fail under such high loads.

Nope.

Dumbass 1: I have a generator that I've never started to see if it works

Dumbass 2: I have no window unit that could be powered by said generator

Dumbass 3: Even if I had a window unit as a backup to the house HVAC system, I've let my supply of gas get very low. I used a bunch of it gassing up 2x riding mowers, a neighbors ZTR and other lawn implements.


So I have a generator that might work, very little to fuel it, and nothing to power.

Even as I type this I'm realizing we don't have any electric fans that we could toss in a window. Our cooling system is dependent on a heatpump of suspect quality and some ceiling fans.

Holy bat-dip....talk about being completely unprepared.

Let this be a lesson to you kids, there's always some aspect of your prepps that gets overlooked and can bite you in the ass.

[Fatty]

I'd say I'm only half-assed prepared except its on the opposite end of the spectrum. I bought a 8500 surge watt generator last year to have in case we lost power during an ice storm and whatnot. I had it topped off and extra gas on hand, but I failed to check to see if I could actually hook it up to my furnace. Come to find out the damn thing was hardwired to the box (i'm still a fairly new home owner) so this year, I happened to come across a pellet stove for the right price and its now in my garage waiting to be installed when I get the money for it. This way I have more than one way to heat the house. Even though it sux to have to burn 2 fuel sources to do it, but it sure as hell beats replacing frozen/bursted pipes in the house lol.

[LUNCHBOX]

I got lucky on this one. We lost power for 5 days a few years ago. I picked up a Champion 3500 for the new place. I keep 50 gallons of gas for emergencies. I fired it up and put a load on it to see how long a tank would run it. The new place is small and we use 2 window units to cool with. To circulate air better we use a couple box fans, also will be less $$$ in the Windows when it cools off. I won't be able to run the furnace but I can run my floor heater in the living/dining room.

[AlphaTea]

Fatty,
pardon my ignorance, but I looked into pellet stoves a few years ago and I thought they all needed power to run the feed auger. Has that changed?

Lunchbox,
You didn't say if you has a gas, electric or oil furnace. If yours is electric, the following does not apply.
My furnace has a "light switch" on the front of it to turn off the power right at the furnace. The power is mainly just for the fan so it does not take a lot of power, about 1800w to start and 1200 to run. I do not have a transfer box for my generator (just lazy) so I just run a few extension cords to what ever I need powered. For the furnace I made a DEDICATED extension cord with lugs that I attach to the fan leads after removing them from the light switch. Of course I tripped the breaker to the furnace too. As long as the gas is flowing, I can get heat for the whole house If I need to. When not being used, I keep the cord in a sealed foodsaver bag taped to the side of the furnace.

[Fatty]

nope, it hasn't, thats why i commented on "Even though it sux to have to burn 2 fuel sources to do it." I need the fuel to run the generator so i can power the pellet stove hopper:P

[LUNCHBOX]

AT, I could have it hooked up to run the furnace but I figure I can run the generator longer on less fuel to heat a smaller area. Our living room and dining room are open so that I could section the rest of the house. Of course that would work winter or summer. Furnace is gas by the way.

[TEOTWAWKI13]

Well, I'll be damned....I've been so busy working and all in recent months, I haven't been on here in awhile, and this is the first thread I open today, and I've got a hot house, and I forgot all about putting box fans in a dang window, blowing out...to remove heat. We did it when I was a kid. Talk about getting spoiled with today's technology and all. The house we live in now is 60+ yrs old.

Thanks for the reminders guys! Oh yeah, and I need to buy more gas for emergencies too....Stig, I fail right along with ya.

[RedJohn]

I don't call this a failure, I call this learning and sharing. It is a failure only if it happen a second time or when your survival was at stake.

[bacpacker]

I have to agree with RJ! I have had AC troubles this summer and while it wasn't out altogether it wasn't keeping up with the heat it was miserable in the house. I was about to go buy a small window unit to cool the bedroom with so we could sleep. Purchasing a unit is on my list this fall when prices go down.
good discussion on the generators and fuel to run them.

[choyboy]

For the furnace I made a DEDICATED extension cord with lugs that I attach to the fan leads after removing them from the light switch. Of course I tripped the breaker to the furnace too. As long as the gas is flowing, I can get heat for the whole house If I need to. When not being used, I keep the cord in a sealed foodsaver bag taped to the side of the furnace.

We think alike, that's exactly what I've done too except I've made a couple of extra ones in case my 4k watt Champion generators need to also power my elderly neighbours home too.