Post by aquaduct on Apr 3, 2021 21:32:20 GMT -5
Since we've been blessed with never being shutdown for the 'Rona and since the government has now sent us 2 or 3 big checks that we never asked for, the wife and I have been doing the best we can to share with our local community by rennovating our house. After reworking both bathrooms and several other smaller projects, I was talking with some forumites about the massive Texas power failure and since that kind of weakening of the power grid will likely continue throughout the country, we discussed what we might do to protect ourselves from the worst of it going forward. We're particularly vulnerable here because our house is all electric- heat, A/C, water heating, stove, everything- so what would we change? Taking inspiration from the new 2021 F150s that have built-in 4500 watt generators, I realized that my 2017 F150 has a much smaller 400 watt generator on board which, while unable to power the whole house, would keep lights (recently changed out to these cool little LED discs in the ceiling through most of the house as one of those smaller projects) and probably a couple computers and the internet alive for the duration.
But what about heat? The ultimate disaster in that kind of failure is all of your plumbing freezing and being destroyed.
Long story shortened- propane fireplaces. Which my wife took to immediately. So we drove down to Charlottesville last weekend and picked up a lovely Jotul which has now been added to the living room.
This week the local propane company will sink a tank and plumb it into the house and it should be operational in a couple days.
Sharing the discussion with my wife originally started with the fireplace in the basement on the other end of the house where most of the plumbing is actually located. That, in turn led to the next phase which is rennovating that side of the basement into a second living room. Since we live on a hill, the other side of the basement is above ground. So we can put in big picture windows that look out over the town and the Alleghenies in the distance. And ride out the mother of all power failures drinking wine in front of the fireplace.
And our community loves it.
But what about heat? The ultimate disaster in that kind of failure is all of your plumbing freezing and being destroyed.
Long story shortened- propane fireplaces. Which my wife took to immediately. So we drove down to Charlottesville last weekend and picked up a lovely Jotul which has now been added to the living room.
This week the local propane company will sink a tank and plumb it into the house and it should be operational in a couple days.
Sharing the discussion with my wife originally started with the fireplace in the basement on the other end of the house where most of the plumbing is actually located. That, in turn led to the next phase which is rennovating that side of the basement into a second living room. Since we live on a hill, the other side of the basement is above ground. So we can put in big picture windows that look out over the town and the Alleghenies in the distance. And ride out the mother of all power failures drinking wine in front of the fireplace.
And our community loves it.