Lessons learned from the snowstorm - reader questions answered

 

As we gently "melt out" from the snow and ice of the past few days, a number of readers e-mailed me to describe problems they'd encountered, and to ask about aspects of emergency preparation in such weather.  Of particular importance to them was solutions that will work in extreme cold, when the power's out for an indeterminate period.

Let's start with light.  The simplest, easiest and cheapest way to light your home for a few hours, or days, or even weeks, are the pull-up camping lanterns available under various brand names (but probably all made in the same Chinese factory).  This is the cheapest 4-pack on Amazon at the time of writing:

They run on 3 AA batteries, which give several hours' bright light.  They're very lightweight, too, and one can use the handle to hang them from any convenient hook or branch, or stand them on a firm surface.  To use them, just pull the top up (or partway up if you want less light).  I've used them for years.  Some may not work very long, because they're Chinesium, and quality is an afterthought for many such products;  but at the price, it's hard to complain.  I keep half a dozen handy for emergency use.  You should also keep a few flashlights on hand to carry around as needed.  Candles, tea-lights, etc. are useful if you have a safe place to burn them, but they do add to the fire danger, and you leave them unattended at your own risk.

What about generators?  Very useful, but also very noisy, and thirsty for fuel if power remains out for several days.  They also have to run outdoors, for safety reasons (carbon monoxide from their exhaust will kill you deader than dead if you run them indoors).  I have a smallish, lower-cost model, which I'll use mostly to charge up my battery power banks if and when necessary.  It doesn't produce enough power to run all our electrical appliances.  (If you can afford it, you can by all means consider a whole-house generator and a dedicated fuel tank to run it for a week or more, but they're usually very expensive.)

Another problem with generators is theft.  They're in high demand during weather emergencies.  There are those who travel around in such conditions, listening for the sound of generators or evidence of their presence such as lights at night, and then steal them from wherever you've put them.  It happened to a friend of mine not far from here a couple of years ago, not 48 hours after he bought the unit.  The thieves waited until the small hours of the morning, when the generator wasn't in use, then cut the chain he'd used to fasten it to a pillar and carried it off.  He was not a happy camper, to put it mildly!

If you rely on a fuelled generator, make sure you have one powerful enough to run all the appliances you want to use:  then calculate its fuel consumption under load (not just idling).  A lot of manufacturers won't give you that information in their sales brochure, so you might have to dig around to find it, or establish it by trial and error.  Once you know what it is, store enough gasoline or propane to run the generator for however long you might need it.  That adds up very quickly, by the way:  for a large generator, you may need up to 10-15 gallons per day.  Smaller ones are rather more economical.  (Don't forget oil:  if you have a new generator, you'll normally be expected to change its lubricant after 20-30 hours of operation, and at regular intervals thereafter.  Spark plugs of the right size, plus spare air and oil filters, are also worth keeping in stock.  A trickle charger to keep the generator battery topped up isn't a bad idea, either.)

Finally, run the generator regularly to make sure it's in good working order.  Some recommend every month;  others, every quarter.  If it won't start when you desperately need it, you aren't going to be very happy (and even less so when your family finds out)!

My preferred solution for electric power is to use one or more electric power banks, which are sometimes referred to as power generators or solar generators.  They usually offer a more expensive solution than generators (at least, at today's prices), but they're also much more convenient, can be carried to wherever you need them, can be easily recharged by even a small generator, and don't smell of exhaust fumes or drip fuel and oil on your floor!  There are many models, some of which you'll find at the link above, but I'd divide them into three size categories based on likely use.

The first are small power banks up to 1KW (kilowatt - 1,000 watts) in power and a similar storage capacity in KWh (kilowatt-hours - the energy used to produce one kilowatt of power for one hour).  These can't run anything very big in power draw, but for lightweight use (portable lights with LED bulbs, charging cellphones or tablets, game consoles, etc.) they can be very convenient.  I know some families who keep a couple on hand to let their kids use them while Mom and Dad use a larger power bank for larger power needs (e.g. TV, DVD player, computer, etc.)  Small units are also useful to power low-draw appliances such as a CPAP machine or oxygen generating device, which are often important for home health care.  Check the appliance's power draw and make sure the battery bank you buy has adequate power and storage capacity to cope with its needs.

The next category is what I'll call medium power banks, 1.5-4KW in power and a similar storage capacity in KWh.  These are general-purpose workhorses, usually portable, and with enough stored energy to be useful for several hours before needing to be recharged.  My personal favorite at present is the Bluetti Elite 400, for two reasons:  one, its capacities are 2.6KW power and 3.84KWh storage capacity, which meet most of our needs, and two, it's on wheels with an extendable handle.  Being a larger, heavier unit (about 85 pounds), and because my wife and I both have health issues restricting us from lifting heavy loads, the Elite 400 is much easier for us to move around the house if necessary.  There are, of course, many competitors to the Bluetti.  Shop around and see which you prefer.  Also, don't forget extension cords so you can plug in your fridge, freezer(s), etc. to the power bank, no matter where it is.

Finally, there are whole-house battery banks, some from providers such as Bluetti, some permanent installations such as the Tesla Powerwall.  Such banks are much larger than portable units, and many require professional installation, usually along with solar power panels to keep them charged when grid power is shut off for any reason.  They're an excellent solution, but very expensive;  the least you can expect to pay for all components (batteries, solar panels, wiring, plus installation) is usually $25,000 or more.  On the other hand, they tend to work very well, and give owners peace of mind.  (For example, you can read Divemedic's blog posts on his Florida installation at this link, from most recent to oldest.)

I find battery banks' convenience and ease of use to be head and shoulders above any other low- to medium-cost solution.  We have the equivalent of about 14KWh stored across a few units, charged and ready to go, which should be enough to get us through two to three days before we have to run a generator to recharge them.  With judicious use and not wasting power, I think we could go several weeks without electricity from the grid, if we had to.

What about heat?  If the HVAC system goes out, we're reduced to what we can power using our battery banks and/or generator.  In both cases, in extreme temperatures, we'd move into one or two rooms and heat or cool only them.  For heating indoors, a fireplace is a very desirable option, and/or a wood-burning stove:  if you don't have one, but can fit one to your home at an affordable price, I highly recommend it.  Otherwise, I use and recommend the Mr. Buddy propane indoor-safe heaters, which utilize the familiar green Coleman fuel cylinders and can be fitted with an adapter to run them off conventional propane cylinders.  (With any fire or propane heater, remember the danger from carbon monoxide, and take appropriate precautions!)

There are electric options if you don't like fire or other fuel.  Given a suitable size of power bank, you can buy low-power electric heaters from 400W up to about 900W.  A medium-size power bank can run a 400-500W heater all night long.  They're not very hot, but will warm a 10x10 foot bedroom, which will do nicely in freezing weather.  Larger rooms, not so much - but then, in an emergency, one has to compensate by adjusting one's lifestyle.  If you have an electric blanket, a medium-size power bank will also run that all night long, making things very snug.

What if it's summer, and you want to keep things cool?  Air-conditioning units are power hogs, to put it mildly.  Even the smallest window or stand-alone unit will drain an average power bank in a couple of hours.  I'd suggest using fans instead of air-conditioners, and venting the hot air inside through windows and doors as the day cools down.  Only a whole-house power backup system will allow you to run your HVAC as usual, even without incoming power from the grid.

Cooking?  Use camping gear such as butane or propane stoves.  They're simple, relatively cheap, and work on almost any surface.  You won't (I hope!) burn them long enough to pose a carbon monoxide hazard:  if that worries you, use them on a table in your garage.  I'd suggest having two burners, because a single burner might limit what dishes you can cook (and get extra fuel cartridges for them).  The good old Coleman 2-burner camping stove has been around for decades, and still works well, but it's a lot more expensive than it used to be.  Buying two single-burner butane stoves can often be much cheaper.  Make sure to clean the stove(s) and cooking utensils thoroughly;  sanitary cooking conditions are important for your family's health.

I won't speak to needs such as food, clothing, warm blankets, etc.  We've addressed those subjects several times in the past, and many Web sites have done likewise.  You pays your money and you takes your choice.  However, there are a few things you'll do well to remember.

1. If your kids need to be entertained, have a stock of board games, coloring books and crayons, etc. on hand.  Game consoles, etc. are not useful if you can't switch them on!  TV's can be a problem because of their power consumption.  If you want to use one, get an extra power bank for the purpose.
2. Batteries, batteries, BATTERIES!!!  Make a note of what size of battery (AAA, AA, C-cell, D-cell, 9V, etc.) your toys and small appliances need, and then stock up on them (and rotate your stocks frequently, so you always have fresh supplies when you need them).  I keep at least 50 AAA and 50 AA cells on hand, and I try to buy only small battery appliances that use that size.  I have a dozen C- and D-cells, and 9V as well, just in case.  For a larger family, I'd say 100 of each important size is not unreasonable.
3. If it's going to freeze, get your emergency supplies into the house and out of the worst cold before the storm hits, if possible.  It's no fun to have a week's water in reserve, in case your taps and/or pipes freeze up - only to find that your reserve water containers are also frozen!
4. Have plenty of paper plates and bowls, and plastic drinking cups, available.  That way, you won't have to waste water and time washing up dishes.  You can simply throw it all away.
5. For your vehicles, have windscreen de-icing fluid, ice scrapers, show brushes, etc. on hand, and use them regularly so you can drive if you have to.  It may be better not to, but if you have to get a family member to a doctor or hospital quickly, or evacuate to a hotel if your home becomes uninhabitable for some reason, you want to be able to move quickly.
6. Keep in touch with friends and family nearby.  Make sure everybody's OK.  You could save lives that way.

That's a quick pass through most of the questions I was asked.  If you have something I haven't addressed, please ask it in Comments:  and readers, please feel free to answer such questions, or contribute ideas from your own experience.  We can all learn from each other.

Stay safe out there!

Peter