Kelly 1,028 #1 Posted June 7, 2008 We had a line of bad weather go through here last night about 6:00 till 10:00, very high winds, and 2-3 unconfirmed tornados, lots of rain and hail. We lost our power about 6:00 and it still is not back on I'm running a gen to keep the house going, mainly the fridge, and well pump. Damn that gen drinks alot of gas $4.09 a gal. takes about a gal. every two hours and I thought my electric bill was bad I'm tired only a few hour sleep, and need a shower, but no hot water, I'm only running 110 and it needs 220. Power co. says should be back on by tonight, well see, I've went 4 days before. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kj4kicks 151 #2 Posted June 7, 2008 Sounds bad Kelly. Glad everyone is ok at your place! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim_M 178 #3 Posted June 7, 2008 Kelly, I've been in that situation before too and it's no fun. In august of 2000 or 2001 we had a bad storm go through here and I was without power for 7 days. Of course it was the hottest, most humid week of the year also and since I have a well, we were without water too. Right after that I bought a 15,000kw natural gas powered backup generator and I don't think we've had the power go out for more than 4 hours since then. The power used to go out several times a year and would stay out for an hour or 2 up to a day or two, so I thought the generator would be a good investment. But if I hadn't have bought the generator we would be without power one week out of every month. That's just the way things work for me. Good luck and I hope they get you up and running soon. Jim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 19,539 #4 Posted June 7, 2008 Glad to hear your allright Kelly. Hopefully power is back on soon. Sounds like you need one of these... Mike................ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TT-(Moderator) 1,127 #5 Posted June 7, 2008 Now that's dedication! The man is without power, but he still came to visit at RedSquare! I hope they get you re-energized soon, Kelly - and that the bad weather is over for a long time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sorekiwi 761 #6 Posted June 7, 2008 I'm tired only a few hour sleep, and need a shower, but no hot water, I'm only running 110 and it needs 220. Somewhere I've seen instructions and a schematic on how to hook up a water heater to a 110v generator. I'll see if I can find it. Of course its not real effective, but luke warm water beats stone cold in a shower any day... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sorekiwi 761 #7 Posted June 7, 2008 Somewhere I've seen instructions and a schematic on how to hook up a water heater to a 110v generator. I'll see if I can find it. Of course its not real effective, but luke warm water beats stone cold in a shower any day... Oops, sorry Kelly, its still 220, but dropping down the wattage. Here's the link anyway.... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19638370?hilite= Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelly 1,028 #8 Posted June 7, 2008 Now they are saying could be mon. I'm going to have to take out a loan for gas to feed the gen. their calling for more storms tonight but not as bad. I got my shower but it was luke warm, I'll go to my MIL tonight to get a hot shower. I have two genarators, the little one 2250W is powered by a briggs 5hp, that's what is getting used right now, but I have a 10hp 220 6500W if I want to dig it out, I also bought the big one, after a few years of living here and losing power a couple of times every winter,no heat and borrowing my uncles, that I know own, the little briggs one, we also have a well, so no water with out power, I love country living but you have to be ready for anything. I'd like to have a WH gen. but I think my little briggs would get better fuel to the hour. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,012 #9 Posted June 7, 2008 Glad you and yours are okay Kelly. Yeah it blew thru Niles here is S/W Michigan around 2:00 P.M. yesterday, according to my weather station log file. Just some tree branches down around, here the storm must have intensified as it blew accross the state! Hope everything turns out okay and power is restored soon for you! Duke Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teddy da Bear 11 #10 Posted June 7, 2008 Now that's dedication! whtractor/thumbsup.gif The man is without power, but he still came to visit at RedSquare! I hope that the power to the fridge doesn't deplete when he is on Red Square! You can just see him trying to explain why the food in the fridge did not make it to the expiration date!!! :whistle: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
refracman 166 #11 Posted June 7, 2008 Kelly, Do you have a electric dryer outlet? if you do makeup a cable from the gen 220 to the dryer outlet and you will get 220. Thats how my brother and I have ours setup ( we share the gen). We had them storms also, power down about 5 hrs. and have 4 trees down in the yard. No time for playin just cuttin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 19,539 #12 Posted June 7, 2008 Be carefull with that dryer plug hookup. Personally I do not recomend it. If you do use that method you MUST turn off your main breaker or you will be shootin 220 out to the street. If a guy workin on the lines down the street gets "hit" by power from your generator you will be liable for any of his injuries. Thats the way the law reads. And the power from your generator may go thru a pole transformer before it gets to him and who knows what the volts will be then. This is why a transfer switch is used for swappin out the house from street power to generator power, it keeps your panel isolated from the street. Mike.............. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KyBlue 652 #13 Posted June 7, 2008 I was up that way yesterday (port Huron, Jackson, and Hudson IN) and glad I made it out before the storms hit. I could see em as I headed south. Glad your and yours are okay, stinks about the power thou. Hopefully they'll get it fixed soon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick 13 #14 Posted June 7, 2008 At least you had the internet. If you change to a gas water heater then your all set. Sounds like we just made it out of Michigan in time. We had went up near Flint for a travel trailer and on the way home around noon the wind was starting to have some strong gusts. I dont have an eagle eye but in a real small town South East of Flint ,Atlas I think it was, there were some old engines out for sale in a driveway but then I noticed what might have been a D with a big metal sunshade looking thing. Cant say it was for sale but never know. :whistle: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jerrell 1 #15 Posted June 7, 2008 hey sorry to hear about storms, we down here in arkansas know what you have been thru, we got hit 3 times in the same area, about a month ago, just getting back to semi normal, thank god i didn't get hit but a lot of other people lost everthing, and i know what you are speaking of about that darn gas, in early spring i filled up my motor home, it holds 100 gallons, i haven't used it because i may need to use it in my car, gas just jumped 11cents around here and don't see an end in sight, i have almost quit going anywhere , and they are talking about 5.00 a gallon before the 4th of July, what a mess, Hope you get ev erthing going again, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
linen beige 14 #16 Posted June 8, 2008 Be carefull with that dryer plug hookup. Personally I do not recomend it. If you do use that method you MUST turn off your main breaker or you will be shootin 220 out to the street. If a guy workin on the lines down the street gets "hit" by power from your generator you will be liable for any of his injuries. Thats the way the law reads. And the power from your generator may go thru a pole transformer before it gets to him and who knows what the volts will be then. This is why a transfer switch is used for swappin out the house from street power to generator power, it keeps your panel isolated from the street. Mike.............. Not only would you be liable for any injuries, it's flat out against the law to hook up a generator without using a transfer switch/main breaker isolator. I don't know if the power company does it this way up there, but here when the power has been out long enough that generators are starting to be used, they go through an area looking for them and will not turn the power back on until ALL generators that are not hooked to a transfer switch are shut down and disconnected. In fact it is against the law for them to re-power if they think a generator may be backfeeding a line. Hope you get power back soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,342 #17 Posted June 8, 2008 Kelly, I feel for ya, man. Been there, done that. We lost power for a few days back in July '06 due to a killer storm. Then last of November that same year we lost power for about week due to an ice storm. You just gotta love the midwest. :whistle: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
perry 82 #18 Posted June 8, 2008 any luck with getting your power back on yet ?. did you get hit again last night ?. it looked like you where in the path. the storms here last night were'nt as bad as friday. still lots of lightning and that hard cracking thunder, but less wind. calling for more today{sunday}. chicago and the surrounding states had severe weather yesterday and reported something like 43 tornados. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelly 1,028 #19 Posted June 8, 2008 Yup We got hammered again lastnight LOTS of lightning, and heavy rain, and high winds, they said up to 3" of rain an hour I had to turn off my gen. about 11:00 last night I didn't want it in the rain, can't run it in the garage, it's hooked to the house, and the fumes wouldn't be good. I got up about 5:30 to turn the gen. back on, tuned the well pump on, and no water so I go to the basment to check it out, and I have 3' of water down there my funace, hot water heater, both under water, things floating around, then I think where is my water softner it had floated up broke the pipes off and sank to the bottom Needless to say I was not a happy camper, to say the least. found my sump pump by pulling the cord up out of the water, yes power was off, I'm dumb not stupid, and hooked it up to a power cord and 2.5 hour later I could see my floor. Me and my boy emptied the basment, and thanks to good neigbors he gave me the plumbing parts to fix my water lines temp so I have water Now they are saying more storms tonight And my insuance co. says I don't have flood ins. I live on a hill, no water around me for miles, but if I would have had power my sump pump would have taken care of it I'm going to fight it, they are calling back tomarrow, If I have to pay for all this I don't think I'm going to make the show or have our family vac. I'm glad I can vent some of this here, you guys are great, at least we are all safe just a house and things. :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick 13 #20 Posted June 8, 2008 Sorry to hear ya got hit again Kelly. Back in January my Uncle came home from near death in the hospital only to have his basement flood the same week. I believe he said his insurance covered the water damage because the water had come up from the sump pump hole and floor not from flooding that had run into the house. Im sure all insurance companies are different. Hope you have good luck with them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teddy da Bear 11 #21 Posted June 8, 2008 Kelly... Another line of thunderstorms is coming across Michigan. Came past my place at about 4pm. I posted a picture on my topic "7th horse came home". You need to get that furnace taken apart and dried out as fast as possible. Even if you have to call those "restoration guys". That is one expensive piece of equipment and there is a chance to save many of it's components. Just do not electricute yourself. (wish I was closer to help out). Yeah these "scum" insurance companies don't want to cover anyone for flood insurance after Katrina. We paid them enough for a sufficient profit margin........ They don't need to be whining about payouts. I believe there will come a day they will try to "opt" out of every aspect of an insurance policy. Then no sense in people carrying insurance at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
perry 82 #22 Posted June 8, 2008 damn that sucks ! . its 4:30 right now and your prombaly getting hammered again as i type. hope you'all the best out there. i cant imagine how your feeling keep us posted when you can. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TT-(Moderator) 1,127 #23 Posted June 8, 2008 And if the need arises, I'm sure we would all be glad to "pitch in" to get you fixed up, Kelly. We didn't bat an eye to contribute to the chat room fund, and Karl's tractor fund worked out rather well too..... What do you say RedSquare campers? Are y'all with me on this? The man wants to take his family on a vacation -- I say he gets a vacation! :whistle: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 19,539 #24 Posted June 8, 2008 Count me in TT. Mike........... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DMESS 24 #25 Posted June 8, 2008 Setup a Paypal or something and I'll drop a few bucks. Only 25 minutes for me to be at the show. I can spare a few dollars for your trip. :whistle: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
