Power Cut
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Mark Topic as New
- Mark Topic as Read
- Float this Topic for Current User
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Printer Friendly Page
- Plusnet Community
- :
- Forum
- :
- Other forums
- :
- General Chat
- :
- Power Cut
Re: Power Cut
10-02-2020 9:02 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Often wondered about those generators only problem is they are not cheap for a 4 stroke decent one.
Other problem is where to have it when in use, clearly not in the house and not outside if it's raining ?
A shed would do but long cable required.
Re: Power Cut
10-02-2020 9:45 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
@idonno wrote:
Oil boilers are just as bad. No electricity, no heating. Worse mistake the previous owner did was install a combi boiler. When the boiler goes down no heating and no hot water.
We've used Baby Wipes in the past as an emergency measure for personal hygiene.
I think you can also buy extra large Adult wipes.
Re: Power Cut
10-02-2020 10:08 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
@gleneagles wrote:
Often wondered about those generators only problem is they are not cheap for a 4 stroke decent one.
Other problem is where to have it when in use, clearly not in the house and not outside if it's raining ?
A shed would do but long cable required.
Yeah, decent generators aren't cheap, but they are effective, if you can get them used but working (or at the least get them serviced by someone who knows what they're doing) then they're worth the investment. Just got to look after them and store them properly, particularly with the fuel, given current petrol is poisoned with ethanol it can ruin a carburettor if left full of fuel (always store a small engined appliance empty of fuel if to be left unused for long periods), that's why there's so many of them two-stroke nasties littering ebay as spares or repairs, they get used once, thrown in the garage, shed or back garden with fuel left in them & left to rot, then when they come to use them the carbs are gubbed, and not worth the money to rebuild...
As for where to run them, yeah, inside a well-ventilated shed works, but you can stick them into something like a dog kennel-sized hut to keep the rain off, and as for the cable, well, I bought a 50 Metre reel of rubber 1.5mm square flex & stuck a plug on one end and a socket the other, mostly for reaching to the shed out the back for powering the lights from the house, but also as a way to get power from back there (as I also have larger, but less reliable, 2600 watt generator I dubbed POSgen, got a few vids of that junker on youtube!!) to the house if need be... 🙂
Re: Power Cut
10-02-2020 10:51 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
This was posted earlier, Beware if you use one of these stoves as they can explode in certain circumstances:
I have seen one of these explode at a local cricket event, I am also a scout leader and through that side of things i received this https://members.scouts.org.uk/newsandviews/module/31/943/safety-warning-aerosol-gas-stoves/cat/428
Never use a pan or pot larger than the ring supports it must never overhang the main body.
never use it for a prolonged amount of time
Always ue it in a well venilated area, never use one where the vents are obscured
never keep the gas cartidge in the stove, and ony presurise it when needed ( using the lever control)
These stoves are good bits of kit, however they are not suitable for rough handling ( domestic/light use only)
the issues with them are that they are made of lightweight pressed steel, this can warp over time especialy when heated up.
if you use a large pan, then the heat can be reflected back down from the pan base into the frame/body, over time this will warp, and the gas seals will start to leak, as the body is basicly a box gas will/can acumulate over time ( hence do not block the vents/use outdoors) depending upon how it warps with heat, the gas leak can be signifficant enough to cause an explosion.
Butane/propanne gas is heavier than air and will pool in places and hollows such as the body of the stove, or flow off a table and to the ground ( imagine a slow invisible waterfall of gas)
never ever use these stoves for heating purposes other than food, if possible use the outside, or inside for as little time as possible ( you can get similar heaters that are made for heating)
never use as BBQ inside - even a gas one as their is a risk of carbon monoxide gas
https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=3&TopicID=331650&ThreadPage=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdD7cZhaB0k&feature=youtu.be
SAfety talk done.... As for powercuts, i have a few high powered torches Emisar D4v2 , D1, fenix TK75ue and so on, my router is on a UPS back up that keeps it going for 5 hours, phone is also on a UPS so the cordless phone will keep on going, plus i have a basic wired phone plugged in.
AS i often go camping I also have plenty of powerbanks, and a couple of powerbanks with a built in inverter ( 230volt AC 50hz output) plus a fold out solar charger so mobile phone charging is no issue.
the only weak points are the mobile phone masts back up power suplys ( or lack there of) and the batterys/back up in the BT green street cabinets.
Central heating wise, its gas, but without electricity the pump will not run
As for generators, power cuts are rare, long powercuts in excess of 12 hours or longer are even rarer so for the cost its not worth it, plus if you have a generator theres no point shoving it in the back somewhere and forgetting about it until you may need it unless you keep it maintained and tested, and never feel tempted to jack into your house wiring
Re: Power Cut
10-02-2020 11:03 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
@gleneagles wrote:
We had a power cut due to the weather....only 45 minutes duration but it got me thinking.....
We are all Doomed!!!!!!
In the The Great Storm of 1987
Well stocked up with candles for a month (due to power cuts in the 70's). With no Electricity for a week, not even the gas boiler worked, it needed electricity to work.
Fortunately we had a good old fashioned gas fire in the living room as well and a good old fashioned gas cooker in the Kitchen.
As well as good old fashioned petrol car to take us to safety if needed.
It sounds like we do now need to make plans for the future!! Just like in the US of A, We ALL need survival equipment.
Plenty of tins of soup, spam and corned beef.
Tonns of noodles!!!
Survival cooking and heating equipment. Gas bottles maybe as long as you have enougth to last.
Otherwise wood burning equipment too.
A good old fashioned radio with plenty of batteries to tune in to Radio 4 and the World service etc.
A real landline telephone line (and not a vioce over IP phone, which won't work).
More candles.....
Oh! plenty of bog roll...........
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 8:19 AM - edited 11-02-2020 8:24 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
@Lægen wrote:
Additionally an escape plan.................... involving a car !
Would that be a KUGA, by any chance !
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 9:28 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
@twocvbloke wrote:
...(as I also have larger, but less reliable, 2600 watt generator I dubbed POSgen, got a few vids of that junker on youtube!!) ...
I just watched some parts of one of the videos and it's good to see you are elf'n safety conscious (NOT, IMO).
I don't think I'd risk test-running something on petrol with the type of open 'fuel tank' in the video in such an enclosed space - maybe outdoors I'd risk it (where there'd probably more chance of moving away from spilt fuel).
https://youtu.be/u1ShTrmjFZg?t=605
Also worth bearing in mind that running ICE items in sheds can in some circumstances cause the shed to transmit/amplify the noise to the detriment of neighbours. I know that from experience as I've got one who does that occasionally - made all the more annoying as he fixes things used in his business operating from supposedly domestic premises.
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 10:22 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
@RobPN wrote:
I just watched some parts of one of the videos and it's good to see you are elf'n safety conscious (NOT, IMO).
Oh I'm quite aware of my own safety, I just don't need to spend three weeks filling out H&S forms to allow myself to turn on a lightswitch, I have plenty of ways of dealing with spilled fuel, off-gassed fuel vapours and potential fire hazards, so I'm perfectly safe in my own regards, just not "Nanny State Approved", that's all... 😁
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 10:54 AM - edited 11-02-2020 10:55 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
@twocvbloke wrote:
... I just don't need to spend three weeks filling out H&S forms to allow myself to turn on a lightswitch, I have plenty of ways of dealing with spilled fuel, off-gassed fuel vapours and potential fire hazards, so I'm perfectly safe in my own regards, just not "Nanny State Approved", that's all... 😁
Well most elf'n safety is common sense, but it only takes a small amount of petrol to splash on a hot exhaust or a dislodged HT lead for example, and you'll have that big dog in your shed with you ...
WOOF!
Edit: typo
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 11:09 AM - edited 11-02-2020 11:10 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
I have actually spilled petrol onto the hot exhaust before, and, er, no woof happened, so that's a bit of a misnomer really, and even if it did go up in flames, the workbench is steel-topped, and I've plenty sources of water out there to douse any wood that catches fire, so I'm perfectly safe, may not look it, but I'm good... 😁
I'm sure there's plenty people could complain about, but compared to some other youtubers out there, I'm pretty damned safe...
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 2:30 PM - edited 11-02-2020 2:34 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Gas (propane) cooker, wood burning stove here, and candles/torch if desperate for light or if not, just go to bed much like they used to in the old days!
And how do you make a cat go woof? 😜
Don't limit the friends you haven't met with arguments you'll never have.
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 3:18 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
@Minivanman wrote:
And how do you make a cat go woof? 😜
I`m not going to risk the wrath of animal right activists, or PDSA, or RPCA or Cats Protection league telling you.... ! !
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 4:43 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Would a inverter be a cheaper solution..12v to 240v......
Connect to your car and using a wheel or steering wheel clamp use your car..?
Sure the output will not be as high as a purpose built generator but might be enough to power a few things...
Cost of fuel will be higher but no maintenance problems, no storage problems.
Equally how many times and for how long will you use it each year ?..........overall could work out cheaper unless of course you have a vehicle with a monster of a engine in which case the idea would be pointless.
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 4:50 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Well, you could use a car, but, I find it's cheaper to buy a generator when one does not already own a car... 🤣
And if you're going down the inverter route, it'd be easier and more efficient to have a set of leisure batteries (designed to power things long-term, rather than a car battery which is designed to supply high current briefly) connected to a smart charger that keeps them topped up until needed... 🙂
And of course th enext expensive option is one of them Tesla powerwall things...
Re: Power Cut
11-02-2020 7:19 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Mark Topic as New
- Mark Topic as Read
- Float this Topic for Current User
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Printer Friendly Page