I'm off grid, so if the power goes out in the middle of the night, either someone goes out to the shed and starts the generator, or we just put up with it until morning. I prefer the first option because since I became disabled I basically live on the internet, and although my laptop has an internal battery, the wifi router does not. For my next house I want a much bigger solar array. Solar panels are so mind-numbingly cheap these days, it's unreal. And I don't like using a fossil-fuel-powered generator to make electricity when so much sunlight falls on our roof for free.
1 month ago
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Being on well water, without electric, we have no water or water pressure, so no running water or toilets. I have a manual work around which involves a hill and a pond and a bucket and a lot of manual work for each flush, so it is a nightmare, but not as bad as it could be. I probably need to invest in a battery and solar panels just to back-up the pump. I do have all the other problems. I have been thinking about a dedicated battery backup with solar panel for a college dorm fridge, the tall kind with a small freezer on top, which use a lot less electric than a regular fridge. If you have the sunlight available, you can get used massive solar panels for less than $50, the batteries depend how long you want to run without any charging, which is probably 72 hours, which I think you can do for about $400 in batteries or power stations. So for about $500, I think you could have a very useful solar backup fridge which doubles during all other times as a drink cooler, which might free up a lot of space in your regular fridge. The small extra freezer is very handy when you overbuy those deep discount freezer items you know you will never see so cheap again at the grocery store. I think you could do the same set-up with a small freezer which at all other times is just plugged into your wall. And you have the option to shut down either unit and use their battery and solar charging for another purpose. I think I can use a similar set up for the well pump, but it is a little different because it outside and wired directly into the main electric from the pole, making it a bit trickier. You could also use this idea to power a window AC unit, but I think it would take about three big solar panels to run a single unit and charge the battery during the day. Of course, these are just ideas, I have not actually implemented any of them, so for now, I haul water in a bucket into a hot house with no working fridge during such an emergency.
1 month ago
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Deciding what neighbors to help out and how much to help so that we don't get spread too thin or reveal too much.
1 month ago
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If it was just our place then not a huge issue. We could charge some stuff off my camping solar panel or simply give it to the neighbour to charge as we help each other out. Perishables can be put into our Eskies with ice and there should be plenty of ice available at various outlets nearby. Lighting and cooking aren't an issue, water is taken care of via tanks/gravity or mains and we have more than enough shelf stable foodstuffs along with what's in the garden. If I was worried I would just go and buy a fuel generator and a solar powerstation with a couple of solar panels to get by. If a large area around us was out for a week then I would probably have to rethink a few things but no big deal really.
1 month ago
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Electrical covered with reduced usage, but I’m on public water system, one week no issue, three weeks this is a pain, after three months water will be an issue.
1 month ago
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If the power went out at my house only, I have city water so that’s covered, I can see a cell tower from my house and we have charging jacks in the cars, though the WiFi router would be out, we have propane bottles and camp stoves, can boil water for dishwashing or use paper plates, the chest freezers are good if we leave them shut and it’s not blazing hot outside. we have a generator set that we need to overhaul. We Longest we’ve been out was 9 days in the winter and we broke down and went to a hotel one night for hot showers and tv and Cracker Barrel next door. Put all the fridge food out on the shaded porch in freezing weather, used the fireplace and the kerosene heater. If it was in the heat of July it would be harder.
1 month ago
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Normal Prepping
If the power went out at your home tonight, With a possible duration of a week, what would be your biggest challenge?
1 month ago | [YT] | 8