442much

After that Gay Parade story, I bet you thought I had another story didn't you?

Well as it happens it was a POWER outage. Sorry to disappoint you It's -30C ambient temperature outside (about -37 with the wind) and all of a sudden a flicker, another flicker and then....darkness. POWER OUTAGE!

One of three causes:

1. Some yahoo ran into a power pole
2. Because of the cold everyone is using to much power...overload!
3. California had an earthquake. Our system is linked with Cal. that in an emergency, Alberta and BC power grids will slow-shutdown so California will have emergency power when needed.

I went upstairs got out the matches and filled the fireplace with wood. Karen lit enough candles to host the seance of the decade. The fire was roaring and we were all warm for the hour and 20 minutes that the power was off. I thought that we might have to move the contents of the freezers and refridgerators outside if it went on too long.

We strted getting low on wood so I got dressed up like I was about to take a space walk and my son and I headed outside to get more wood. Just as I reached the wood pile, I looked around and the street lights, christmas and neighbours lights were all lit up. House went from a constant 70F (my thermostat is in F) to 68F in the 1.5 hours that the power was off.

I thought I was going to have to start calling the neighbours to come since they all converted from wood fireplace to gas fireplace. Happily...the power...IT'S ALIVE, IT'S ALIVE. The universe is unfolding as it should.

cutlassgal

Well, that's a good thing!!!

wolfman98

I work for Asplundh doing tree trimming for the power company here ( at least I was before my injury ) and if it flickered twice before going out that is called 3 phase. if a branch or tree lays across the power lines thereby creating an arch called phase to phase or phase to ground then it is set up to try to turn the power back on automatically twice in case the branch might just blow off or the wind is pushing a tree into the line and if it is a permanent thing then the 3rd time it will stay off. The power surge created may also have popped one of the fuses and then the power company has to go out and find the problem then push the fuse back in once the line is cleared. Your neighbours down the street can still have power if they get their feed from a different line or substation. That's why they hire guys like us to cut back the trees from the power lines to avoid power outages , especially when it's cold. The federal government made it manditory after the big ice storm that left some folks in Quebec and new brunswick out of power for month's. here I was out of power for a week , but then again I was on the road working flat out for a week too!

442much

Found out this morning that we set a record for this date. We were at minus 46.1C (with wind chill -58C) . What the hell am I doing here? maybe I'll have another fire tonight. It was pretty cozy last night. Supposed to be +2 (34F) on Thursday. Well see.

Oldsguy

That is cold.....

wmachine

Glad it work out okay for you, but what would the problem be with a gas fireplace? Works fine here without power.

442much

The news said only Tiger Woods' bedroom was colder

From what I've been told you need power to deliver the gas. Our furnace was out so I thought that to be true.

wmachine

Last I knew most gas was actually pumped with huge diesel engines.
Regardless, you'll still have gas pressure in a power outage.
Your furnace won't work because of electrical controls and the need for your furnace blower to run.
A regular gas water heater, a gas stove (lighted manually), and a gas fireplace (lighted manually) will all work quite nicely in a power outage!

Bluevista

At those temps you need to keep the worms in your mouth to keep them from freezing when you go ice fishing.

I hate when I get baited breath from keeping worms in my mouth.

Not many of those old match-lit gas stoves around anymore?
The things never die but the cast iron is worth a lot sometimes.

Our junk guy Pasquale went back to visit his parents in Italy every year off of stove burners, he would bring an assistant back every year too.
He took the boat one time and drove his dump truck with his whole family in it to New York City to board it, luggage in the back.

I see the gas log and radiant fireplaces you have to open the valve and light in older houses, no thermocouples, no nothin'.
I had one in my batchelor pad a hundred years ago.

A lot of newer ones have remotes to turn on and light them.
They're probably online and there's an app for an I-Pod to light them too.
It may be a good thing...
I'm really surprised most people these days can even light a candle without blowing themselves up.

My great aunt had an old gas refrigerator until a few years back.
It worked in -30 temps too but I don't think you would need it??
The gas company tried for years to get her to replace it and even offered to buy her a new electric fridge but no dice.
I think they wanted it for their museum.

The Amish families up the road have no problems at all when the power goes out??

No power needed for anything, the horse always starts in the morning and you never have to plug it in at night.

I should say it always starts except once.

Jamesbo

IMHO You'd be better off burning money in a fireplace than trying to heat with gas logs.

I have a wood stove that works very nicely. My neighbor just bought a cool wood stove from http://www.usstove.com/products.php?id=1 of course it's made in China?

wolfman98

I guess the solution would be the one that my mom chose when she built her new house. She runs propane for her hot water and has infloor heating so she also has a generator outside that runs on propane and comes on when the power goes out. If the power goes out she is the only one in her neighbourhood who is still sitting and reading by her electric lights and watching tv and is still nice and warm even at -20 . If it stayed out for several days then she would just have to call the propane co. and get more gas. Me I just have kerosene lamps and heater to get me by.

citcapp

I have two wood stoves, one on the main level and one downstairs and have heated with wood only for the last 30 years up until this year. I installed a heatpump system because I was getting tired of splitting wood it works great and is cheap to operate. Still keep a cord of wood on standby for the days we loose power during the winter.

bulldog

442much, I wouldn't wish that cold on anybody,BUT! I hope it stays there and doesn't blow into Ontario the way it has a tendancy to do.

geckonz08

good god that is cold .
Reminds of when working in a silver mine near great bear lake .
You are a wise team retaining the wood fire .
Think I would include a generator in the back up plan.
mike

442much

The birtch I get is free. All I have to do is split it. But I have a pick up truck load in the backyard under a tarp and I can't burn it all in a season because there is so much. Every year my friend asks if I need more wood because it cleans up his acreage. So wood is not a problem.

It set a record for that day. We're paying for November where people were cutting their lawns. You guys got all the snow. We got two feet the week before. Tomorrow is supposed to be -9C and Thursday is forecast as +2C. Crazy weather the last few years. In the summer we are warmer some days than Honolulu & Miami. Inuvik, on the Arctic Ocean was -22C when were -46C. Go figure?

I thought of a generator but then again this is the first time I can remember where we lost power in the Winter. So I don't think it would be cost effective. Heck, I didn't buy one when all Hell was going to break loose when new years day 2000 arrived. One interesting tidbit: It's against the law to disconnect the power or gas on people who don't pay. Come Spring, you'll lose it and it won't be reconnected, until you pay, but during Winter your can't be disconnected.

bulldog

Actually Ken,
All the snow fell about 80km from here in Barrie. I could walk around the block pushing a snow shovel and not fill a garbage bag with the snow we got here. +2 you say what you going to do in balmy weather like that???

442much

If it all melts......swim

wolfman98

Well hopefully it won't all melt at once. here all our snow is gone and the grass is still green. I got fall crocus' trying to bloom. Monday it got to +6 here and yesterday was +5 in the valley. Today is going to be +2 to +3 with rain. Scattered flurries for the weekend and around -5. It could be a white xmas but most likely rain again next week. After spending 13 winters in Regina I can't really say I miss the cold but I sure do miss the dry air. With all my arthritis this cool damp weather really sucks. When I was much younger I thought those old guys were really full of it when they said they could feel a low pressure system coming in cause their bones would hurt. Well these days I am one of those guys

wolfman98

What's your heat source , groundwater?

Lady72nRob71

Not bad at all despite such low outside temps!
I keep my house at 62 when I am away and I never heat it more than 68, regardless of outside temps here in TX. I guess I am hot blooded...
I find it hard to heat a house and keep some needed humidity. Heat too much, humidity drops to 20%, skin itches like crazy and I am scratching my skin with a screwdriver until it bleeds. My nose and eyes dry up and I feel like to sufficate. Use a humidifier, and all the moisture condenses on the (double pane) windows and floods the window sills. Air humidity never really rises that way, and I get a mess to keep cleaning up in the window sills.
Gas logs are great, but only the unvented variety. Of course one is limited to how long you can run those due to CO release. The vented gas logs suck - 85% of heat does up the chimney and pulls in cold outside air.
I had a heat pump, but it sucked, too. They only work with temps above 45* and are not efficient. With gas heat, it was not worth to have in any way. When it died, it was replaced with just an A/C unit.

I want to install an old pot-belly stove and feed it all the junk mail I get throughout the year. - Free heat for a whole winter!

OLD SKL 69

There's cold, very cold, and too freekin cold! I think that qualifies for the latter. Hope you have heat in that garage Ken to keep the baby warm.

wolfman98

There must have been something wrong with the heat pump. My mom has one that just sits outside and she uses it on days like today (-12) to heat up the house quickly cause the infloor heating is a slow heat. She also uses it in the summer as an air conditioner and it really works good though we don't get above 35C which would be like 95F. here that is really hot because we have so much humidity , all you have to do is go outside to break into a sweat. Today is -12 with windchills at -24C that would be well below 0 F . The humidity yesterday was around 70% and my doors were frozen shut as usual this morning. If it ever hit -40 F & C (cause that's where they meet up ) I might never get out of the house.

citcapp

Rob,

Something must have been wrong with your heat pump. Mine works fine down into the early teen's before the electric backup heat kicks in. cheapest heat besides wood that I have ever had.

Jamesbo

Rob,

My heat pump works well also

But if ya cut your own fire wood..................ya get warm twice.

Lady72nRob71

Yes, that heat pump / A/C must have been crappy. It only lasted 8 years before the compressor blew a valve (middle of summer, naturally).
I now have a nice Carrier A/C only unit that works very well (still using R22).

I still think that heat pump was a waste of $$ when there is a high-efficiency natural gas furnace installed also. Back then, gas was so cheap I disabled the heat pump and always ran the gas... I think even now gas is still cheaper.

I would not mind having a wood stove. That would make good use of the tree brances I normally throw away. My house came with a fireplace, but it is too small for a REAL fire. Put in a nasty wax duraflame 'log' and it is about full... I put in some gas logs, but do not use them as they are the wasteful vented variety...
My neighbor says i should cook more and the gas oven and stove will heat the house also... Not sure when that will ever happen.

Jamesbo

How about a wood stove insert for your fireplace? Just use the existing chimney as a vent. Some come with blowers that work pretty good.

Or of course you could just get yourself a FAT girl friend to keep you warm.

Lady72nRob71

I have seen these and have been rather impressed, until I see the cost of them. Not sure how many years it would take to recoup my costs in utility savings.
I am sure Alice would like the warmth though - she complains about the cold too much.
This does deserve some extra thought.

That's risky. I do not need the crush / suffication hazzards. Plus, the annual food costs would probably be more than the wood stove!

cutlassgal

Just take her to Jamesbo's for a few meals.... she'll be plumped up in no time!! LOL!

OLD SKL 69

but a scary thought!

Lady72nRob71

Hmmm - I can imagine it now...
Quite cozy I'd admit!

citcapp

Not only is a fat girl good for warmth in the winter, they provide shade in the summer as well. What more could you want

wolfman98

Cute picture , hey what color is a polar bear? What the heck do you mean you don't cook Didn't you know that was one of the requirements for a wife if you can't cook yourself

citcapp

A polar bear's skin is black, their hair is clear and reflects the sun.

cutlassgal

.....Not only is a fat girl good for warmth in the winter, they provide shade in the summer as well. What more could you want


Citcapp..... shame on you!

wolfman98

Right but I was hoping for somebody further south to answer they have two layers of hair plus a healthy layer of fat if they manage to find some yummy seal meat.
Did you see on the news where they have been finding polar bears that are actually half polar bear and half grizzly bear? Not something I would want to run across when they are hungry

Lady72nRob71

Normally they are white, but I was looking for a picture of one with an olive complexion...

Wife? Huh??? What are you gettin' at? What road are you on??

I could live without the radiant heat they give off in the summer.

wolfman98

If you shaved off their fur they would be black. their fur makes them appear white and protects them against the cold. Short thick fur as an undercoat and longer fur that is hollow shafted which helps them when they go in the water, boyant and waterproof. They still have to shake off the water when they get out or it will freeze.
Wife...cook? Just saying that one person in a couple needs to be able to cook. I was thinking about it and have been back home here in N.S. for 18 years and could count the number of times I have ordered food in on 1 hand. I have gone out to restaurants for special occasions and when I was working away from home living in motels but other than that if I am at home then I make meals at home.
I know of better ways to raise the temperature between couples if it's cold

Col Wickham

Keep going guys. I'll keep this thread open and on screen and use it to cool my house down....it's putting out more cold energy than my ducted air conditioner.
43.5 celcius here on Thursday..whatever that is in fahrenheit. The bush fires have started. Gonna be a long hot summer. Wish I was up there cos I hate the heat.

Lady72nRob71

Wolf - you asked what the color of a polar bear is. You did NOT ask what the color of a NEKKID polar bear is!!
So I wonder if black bears have white skin??
Jamesbo is the bear expert, maybe he will know.

Reindeer fur is similar - about 3" long hollow shafts. I brought back a beautiful white & brown pelt from Finland a few years ago. Alice likes to curl up in it.

I am just missing the "couple" part for now...
However, I cannot tolerate Chinese food every day. Especially when she trys to sneak in feet, or stomach, brain, etc.......

Me too!!

Sounds just like Texas about 5 months ago. Now it is your turn (we like to share our heat!)
I hate the heat also, but for a while it was too cold. The next few days will be nicer (around 50*F.)