Well, the propane company sends their big truck out to refill it.
Search found 3 matches
Return to “Something else about the recent blackouts”
- Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:24 pm
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: Something else about the recent blackouts
- Replies: 28
- Views: 6687
- Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:11 am
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: Something else about the recent blackouts
- Replies: 28
- Views: 6687
Re: Something else about the recent blackouts
I agree, a decent sized generator is NOT a long-term solution to anything, unless you can keep hundreds or thousands of gallons of treated gas on hand at all times, or maybe hijack an 18-wheeler gas truck.
Another thing many people don't know is that many of these generators, especially the lower-priced ones (e.g. Duramax), require an oil change every 20-25 hours. A high end Honda can go 100 hours.
One thing that can be very beneficial is a propane tank. We have a 250-gallon propane tank we use JUST for the range in the kitchen, as we hate cooking on an electric range. It will last through 2+ years of cooking easily. No electricity needed. That was a gift from Heaven a couple of weeks ago when our power and water were out. By sheer luck, we had JUST made our bi-weekly HEB trip a day before the freeze started, so that, combined with being able to cook, made things 1,000% easier. When the fridge was out, we put some of the food out in the snow and it was fine until the rolling outages started. So we had plenty of good, hot food, hot coffee, etc.
I really felt sorry for those folks with electric stoves and no water or food on hand. I heard about some people burning their heirloom furniture in the fireplace trying to keep warm.
Another thing many people don't know is that many of these generators, especially the lower-priced ones (e.g. Duramax), require an oil change every 20-25 hours. A high end Honda can go 100 hours.
One thing that can be very beneficial is a propane tank. We have a 250-gallon propane tank we use JUST for the range in the kitchen, as we hate cooking on an electric range. It will last through 2+ years of cooking easily. No electricity needed. That was a gift from Heaven a couple of weeks ago when our power and water were out. By sheer luck, we had JUST made our bi-weekly HEB trip a day before the freeze started, so that, combined with being able to cook, made things 1,000% easier. When the fridge was out, we put some of the food out in the snow and it was fine until the rolling outages started. So we had plenty of good, hot food, hot coffee, etc.
I really felt sorry for those folks with electric stoves and no water or food on hand. I heard about some people burning their heirloom furniture in the fireplace trying to keep warm.
- Fri Mar 05, 2021 6:43 pm
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: Something else about the recent blackouts
- Replies: 28
- Views: 6687
Something else about the recent blackouts
I was contemplating our blackout experience the other day, and another angle crossed my mind. We often hear of preppers and people interested in a problem arises situations talking about the national power grid going down, and the nightmarish scenarios that might ensue. The CDC did an analysis some time back and determined that if the national grid went down, 90% of the population would be dead within a year, the primary causes of death being disease and violence.
The experience we had a couple of weeks ago was just a TINY EXAMPLE of what that would be like. It was a good yardstick for just how prepared we were for such an event. Stupidly, we didn't have any firewood put back, and we're sitting here on 7 acres of cedar and scrub oak. We DID have a big, freshly filled propane tank, enough to cook on for a couple of years. That was a huge help. We had a 12-pack of bottled water, and 4 gallon jugs we were able to fill up before the power went out and there was no well pump. We were able to wash dishes using a TINY bit of water. But if it had gone on, say for weeks or months, and not local, but nationwide, it would have been a different story. It was a wake-up call.
The experience we had a couple of weeks ago was just a TINY EXAMPLE of what that would be like. It was a good yardstick for just how prepared we were for such an event. Stupidly, we didn't have any firewood put back, and we're sitting here on 7 acres of cedar and scrub oak. We DID have a big, freshly filled propane tank, enough to cook on for a couple of years. That was a huge help. We had a 12-pack of bottled water, and 4 gallon jugs we were able to fill up before the power went out and there was no well pump. We were able to wash dishes using a TINY bit of water. But if it had gone on, say for weeks or months, and not local, but nationwide, it would have been a different story. It was a wake-up call.