Where the Power Is and Isn’t

[Wandering Sagebrush]

An interesting map that shows power outages across the nation.  As I type, Oregon leads the field because of ice and wind events in Western Oregon.  North Carolina, you’re in second place.  Click on your state to see the numbers.

https://poweroutage.us

[MAX Burner]

Very cool.  Suggest they add a category of "0 - 5,000" out, it would make for a more interesting view and add a lot more color to the map...IMO.  That's why we've got a NG whole-house standby genset at our place...

[topgun2]

1 hour ago, Wandering Sagebrush said:

North Carolina, you’re in second place.

Great! 

NC is the first loser! 

And, I so want NC to finish first given that this IS the southern part of the US.😇

[SeaDawg]

11 hours ago, topgun2 said:

Great! 

NC is the first loser! 

And, I so want NC to finish first given that this IS the southern part of the US.😇

I dub you first, in the south. 

Please step up and accept your prize. 🍺

PS, hope you actually didn't lose power for long.

[Patriot]

After several attacks on substations last year and considering our country’s electrical grid is ancient and not at all secure, we opted to have a 24KW Gen installed fueled by LNG last Jan. I really like being able to monitor Gen run times where ever I have cell service. Our installers did a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 job. https://neverdarkgenerators.com/

For times such as these we are soooooo glad we did. 

Patriot🇺🇸

 

[MAX Burner]

19 minutes ago, Patriot said:

For times such as these we are soooooo glad we did. 

Not to highjack the thread, but - same here, @Patriot - we installed ours about a year ago, but had been wanting to do it for quite some time.  Our installers wired the standby power system into the main house panel via an ATS which is in addition to the 6.8kW of solar on the roof.  Solar's not going to help us during a power shortage as ours goes back into the grid as we don't have battery bank storage (soon to change).  We have ten 300W modules in storage from another project that we're designing to power the "Man Cave."  Currently it's energized by a 75A sub panel from the house.  We want to make it completely self contained/off-grid later this spring.  Just another "honey dew."  HA!

We've experienced actual power losses and the system kicks into action in 50 to 80 milliseconds after detecting grid power loss, the digital clocks in the house don't even notice the changeover.  

We're also glad we did this.

[topgun2]

10 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

PS, hope you actually didn't lose power for long.

WE didn't lose power at all.  In fact - we didn't get any snow and/or ice either.  Virtually all of the reported snow/ice that hit NC was only in the high mountains (above 3,500 feet) mostly near the State border with TN.

Bill

p.s.  while we are not protected from general grid issues that Patriot mentions, our sub-division has all utilities underground.  Obviously, this prevents a majority of outages.  In the 25 years we have lived in our present home we have experienced only one outage that lasted just over an hour.

[MAX Burner]

2 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

In the 25 years we have lived in our present home we have experienced only one outage that lasted just over an hour.

We're not as lucky, @topgun2.  We'll experience several power outages annually, some lasting many hours to days.  Always seen to happen in the colder months.  But so long as LNG doesn't go off line at the same time as grid power - we'll be OK.  That's why we're planning to make the "Cave" off-grid, worse case scenario - we move from the main house to the cave during extended LNG/Power outages...  That scenario hasn't happened in the 19 years we've lived here...  BUT....?

[Patriot]

35 minutes ago, MAX Burner said:

We're not as lucky, @topgun2.  We'll experience several power outages annually, some lasting many hours to days.  Always seen to happen in the colder months.  But so long as LNG doesn't go off line at the same time as grid power - we'll be OK.  That's why we're planning to make the "Cave" off-grid, worse case scenario - we move from the main house to the cave during extended LNG/Power outages...  That scenario hasn't happened in the 19 years we've lived here...  BUT....?

I did a bit of a deep dive locally and learned from our LNG provider that unless there is a direct attack on our LNG supply substations we will not loose LNG here in Western NC. Its been awhile since we have had a large power outage via ice storm, attack on the our sadly non hardened sub stations or other natural disasters. Post generator install, I don’t think about power loss at our home very much. ✅

Two is one and one is none” 

Patriot🇺🇸

[MAX Burner]

31 minutes ago, Patriot said:

Two is one and one is none”

Always.

[SeaDawg]

5 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

Solar's not going to help us during a power shortage as ours goes back into the grid as we don't have battery bank storage (soon to change).

After a week of power outages after Hurricane Irma, sharing our 3000 watt Yamaha with the neighbors to keep a fridge, some fans and lights in each home,  and our gas water heater going, we ordered battery backup for our solar-powered home. It powers one a/c unit, most of the first level of our home, and essential services, like the oven and microwave, one washing machine, and many other outlets in the workshop. (Yes, the kegerator is powered.)

You will really enjoy it. Ours changes over so quickly I often don't know we've had an outage, until I check the app. 

Really came in handy two weeks ago, when a transformer blew on our street, and I had 30 people coming for a baby shower brunch at 10 am! No one knew, until they saw the Duke trucks in the neighborhood.  

[ScubaRx]

I can count the number of power outages that we’ve had lasting more than 5 minutes at our home on one hand. That includes all the tornadoes and ice storms we have. And that’s over a forty year period. Almost all the power losses I’ve ever incurred have been due to squirrels shorting the breaker on a pole right in front of our house or some bonehead driving a vehicle through the neighborhood that is too tall to pass under the lines and pulls one down.

Have you ever seen a squirrel that has been turned inside out?  

 

[Patriot]

2 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

After a week of power outages after Hurricane Irma, sharing our 3000 watt Yamaha with the neighbors to keep a fridge, some fans and lights in each home,  and our gas water heater going, we ordered battery backup for our solar-powered home. It powers one a/c unit, most of the first level of our home, and essential services, like the oven and microwave, one washing machine, and many other outlets in the workshop. (Yes, the kegerator is powered.)

You will really enjoy it. Ours changes over so quickly I often don't know we've had an outage, until I check the app. 

Really came in handy two weeks ago, when a transformer blew on our street, and I had 30 people coming for a baby shower brunch at 10 am! No one knew, until they saw the Duke trucks in the neighborhood.  

A portable gen is better than no gen for sure. We had a portable Honda eu7000is which worked great as long as we were home to roll it out, fuel it and start it. No chance of it running our 4.5 ton AC. We also have a few freezers full of blueberries, wild game and other perishables, so our portable Honda was just no longer an option for us. Our other concern was during a mass outage it’s highly likely fuel station ⛽️ pumps may not be operating. So an LNG fueled gen was the answer for our needs.
Very generous of you to offer your home to those neighbors who don’t own a Gen! 👍🏻😊
 

 

[Patriot]

3 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:

 

Have you ever seen a squirrel that has been turned inside out?  

 

Only after a good day of hunting! BBcue squirrel on a stick anyone? 😄👨🏼‍🍳😋

[SeaDawg]

59 minutes ago, Patriot said:

Only after a good day of hunting! BBcue squirrel on a stick anyone? 😄👨🏼‍🍳😋

Tastes like chicken, right? 

My uncle tried to convince me of that.... 

[Geronimo John]

On 1/19/2024 at 4:36 AM, MAX Burner said:

 But so long as LNG doesn't go off line at the same time as grid power - we'll be OK.

First, nice sized generator.  Not too big, not too small, just right to keep refer's, freezers and of course the Man Cave beer cooler running!  I had to blow up your picture to actually see the size.  Can see it now!   🙂

You mentioned that it runs on local LNG.  Do the Champion's have a similar sized dual fuel (LNG local provided or on-site propane?  

Nice install too!

GJ

 

[MAX Burner]

2 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

First, nice sized generator.  Not too big, not too small, just right to keep refer's, freezers and of course the Man Cave beer cooler running!  I had to blow up your picture to actually see the size.  Can see it now!   🙂

You mentioned that it runs on local LNG.  Do the Champion's have a similar sized dual fuel (LNG local provided or on-site propane?  

Nice install too!

GJ

 

Thanks @Geronimo John:  We've got a fairly small house and the 12.5kW fits us perfectly.  All our 120vAC demands are met with this unit.   However, the cave isn't tied into the standby GENSET, that's why we'll be installing a standalone solar/battery bank back-up system this spring for the cave (what we do to keep our beer cold, right?). But this unit can run both LNG or LPG and it comes with the second set of jets to do just that.  Real easy to switch over to the other type of gas.

[SeaDawg]

For those of us with sometimes lengthy power outages, a whole home generator or big battery backup definitely make sense. Here in SW Florida,  it's a selling point.

Do make sure, if you buy the genset, that it has the automatic test feature.  I know several friends with older systems that couldn't start their generator when needed. Sticky carburetor, dead start battery, etc. (Mark calendar for battery replacement.)

[MAX Burner]

Ours runs a weekly 15-minute “Built-in-Test” .  The BIT results can be pulled up on the app.  Its peace of mind knowing it’ll startup after sensing a loss of utility power.  

[John Dorrer]

On 1/19/2024 at 8:46 AM, Patriot said:

After several attacks on substations last year and considering our country’s electrical grid is ancient and not at all secure, we opted to have a 24KW Gen installed fueled by LNG last Jan. I really like being able to monitor Gen run times where ever I have cell service. Our installers did a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 job. https://neverdarkgenerators.com/

For times such as these we are soooooo glad we did. 

Patriot🇺🇸

 

Thanks for sharing. My sister-in-law, in La Marque, TX has the Genrac.

[Patriot]

5 hours ago, John Dorrer said:

Thanks for sharing. My sister-in-law, in La Marque, TX has the Genrac.

You are welcome John. We have been very extremely pleased with our Gen so far. 👍🏻

[Patriot]

Our Generac power plant exercises every Monday morning at 9 am and runs for 5 min. As soon as it starts I get a txt message letting me know it is in exercise mode anywhere in the US.  After the 5 min exercise run, it shuts down and I  receive another txt letting me know that it’s now on back standby ready to go. The company that did our install also monitors the gen during this time. I had the tech set the exercise mode up on Monday morning in case there was an issue. If our utility power goes off within 8 seconds we have full power restored via the gen.
Generac was advertising in writing a 10 yr parts and labor warranty when we had ours installed.
This pretty much sealed the deal.