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RosieG

How good are you are making something delishush outta lemons figuratively? How resourcefully do you adapt to situations beyond your control?

So yesterday about 5pm we lost electricity. Our side of the block and behind us too. Across the street everything was nicely lit. So we used a neighbor's phone to call the electric company to find what the heck was wrong. They didn't know anything about it! GROAN. A couple other neighbors phoned too and then we sat and waited. We have lotsa flashlights and we still had gas. Just no electric-powered anything.  CANDLES! Now how long has it been since we used any candles? YEARS! So I got them and lit them using the flame on the burner and there we sat in complete darkness except for the glowing light of a few candles. And we talked. I was figuring out how I was going to make coffee the next morning. Boil it in water using the burner nd then straining it. No add-ons. Just black. We did not open the fridges (we have 3) at all or the freezers. Along the way we dozed off . At about 7:30pm the TV came on and woke us up as did the lights. All is well. Made coffee with our electric coffee makers.  We felt like we had 'camped out". A nice breather from the usual. When did your electricity go out? For how long? Did your time out work out well?

Posted - February 16, 2019
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Responses


  • 10778
    When the power goes out you should immediately unplug everything (unless is on a surge protector) and turn off all lights (switches in "off" position).  When the power comes back on, the resulting surge may damage any items left plugged in - even if they are off.   I knew someone who didn't, and when the power came back on the resulting surge blew out all their appliances, as well as caused some  of their light bulbs to explode (thousands of dollars in damages).   Partial brownouts (lines still partially energized) can also destroy electric items.  During one snow-caused power outage several years back (tree fell on my house), the power lines didn't fully "snap" so some power still trickled through in spurts.  It fried the UPS (Universal Power Supply) I used on my computer (thank goodness I had it!). 

    They say that food in a refrigerator will only last for about 4 hours without power (assuming you keep the doors shut), and a freezer will keep stuff cold up to 48 hours (depending on how full it is).  I've gone longer without problems.  If your outage lasts longer than 4 hours, check your food to see it it's spoiled.  Be aware that even if it isn't, its "shelf life" will be greatly reduced. 



    While growing up, power outages were very common.  You could count on losing power every time it snowed or when a strong storm moved in. When it went out, it would usually stay out for days at a time. Than meant eating canned stew and pork-n-beans (could be heated in the fireplace).  It also meant eating everything in the fridge (or packing it in the snow).  We used kerosene lamps for light (which were kept full from October through April).

    Today when the power goes out, it usually is only for 8-14 hours.  I now use battery-powered lanterns for light (I keep 1 in each room year round).  It doesn't just take snow or storms to knock out power these days. PG&E's transformers explode quite frequently (year round).  When you see a bright pink flash or hear a loud BOOM in the distance, you know you're going to be in the dark for quite some time (and you keep an eye out for smoke).  I keep most small electrical things (clocks, microwave,TV) on surge protectors so I don't have to unplug them during an outage.  But I still unplug everything else and make sure all light switches are in the off position.  I don't keep much in my fridge, so there is little to eat or throw out on loing outages.
      February 16, 2019 2:32 PM MST
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  • 113301
    Thank you for an EXTREMELY helpful and educational reply Shuhak. I did not know that. I just asked Jim about it.  We have surge protectors for the TV and Computer and printer and other small electrical items. But what we just plug directly into the wall we don't. Like the  microwave. Now I always unplug the toaster after I've used it as well as the coffee maker. But not the microwave. Should I just unplug that automatically too? And of course the refrigerator (we have THREE) plugs directly into the wall. Our lamps plug directly into the wall.  Using flashlights in complete darkness we should then unplug all lamps too? Of course I always shut down the computer when I'm done for the day. I think some folks leave theirs on. What do you do? Anyway thank you again for the sound counsel. Now I know better what to do/not do. :) ((hugs)) Platonic friend hug! This post was edited by RosieG at February 17, 2019 9:05 AM MST
      February 17, 2019 6:36 AM MST
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  • 10778
    I'm not sure about your area.  Around here power surges are extremely common - especially when the power comes back on after an outage.  

    While a microwave doesn't need a surge protector, I have mine on one... just in case.  

    I too have gotten into the habit of unplugging the toaster after each use (they fry easily in a surge).

    It's usually extremely hard to unplug large appliances (refrigerators, freezers, stoves).  Plus if you unplug them and are gone when the power returns, your food will be "warmer" longer.  So unplugging them is a personal call.

    Lamps are fine plugged into the wall directly.  Just like your overhead lights, they are a direct circuit item (no electronics) so there's nothing to fry in a surge except the light bulb.  Turning them to the "off" position in a surge is all you have to do. 

    I tend to leave my computer on all day (bad habit, I know).  I have it plugged into a universal power supply (battery backup/surge protector).  So if an outage occurs, my computer will continue running for up to 90 minutes.  That gives me plenty of time to safely shut it down or continue working.  
      February 17, 2019 10:01 AM MST
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