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can whlvr

christmas storm

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can whlvr

so up here in Ontario we got hit real hard with an ice storm like no other,where I live it ice rained for 4 full days,knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people at Christmas of coarse,its been a week and some people are still with out power,the wheelhorses for the first time ever were completely useless,coulnt blow or plow or even rip and I have a mid mount ripper,lucky for me I own a skid steer or it would have been bad,i did a lot of neighbours to help out,i hope every body gets their power back soon

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Sparky

Sounds like an adventure Don. Did ya have a generator at least??

  Mike.........

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can whlvr

yes I have a 6500 watt Chinese model,im not a fan of china stuff usually but its been great,i only lost power for 24 hours,with the genny I didn't suffer,it will run the most of the house as long as you don't use it all at once,turn off most other things and the pump will run,the same for the hot water,i don't use the stove and it will run all we need to get buy

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cleat

Yes, I have a 30 HP diesel 4X4 tractor loader that I used to clear my lane. It also has a 72" snow blower but that was useless as it just rode up over the hard icy snow. Front end loader worked well, just a slow process. I live between Kingston and Ottawa, Ontario.

 

Wheel horse or any small garden tractor would have been of no use.

 

Cleat

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flyovrcntry

I don't know how folks get by without heat and water.I have city water and a gas furnace and water heater.I also have a well out back with an elect pump,I also keep a pitcher pump.I also have a generator.

The longest I have been without power is about 5 days,and luckily it was summer and not a scortcher either.

Be prepared folks.I'm not a survivalist but I always keep enough non perishables for a couple weeks.

Good luck everyone

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brandonozz

Sorry you guys are having to deal with the power outages.  I sure feel your pain as we have dealt with that a couple times in the last five years and it was rough.  The only good thing is people coming together to help each other and some nice/not so nice "family time".   You cant afford to run a generator non-stop for a week or more unless you really have to.

We had two outages in the last five years both for more than a week.  The most recently was for forest fires and dealt with plus 100 degree temps.  Lots of take out food and picnics in the front yard.  Five years ago it was due to freezing rain.  The weirdest thing was waking up in the morning with it absolutely quiet except for the sounds of the branches breaking.  Some sounded as loud as a shotgun when they broke. That was a first.

Good luck to you guys and stay warm.

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Lane Ranger

Ice storms are the worse winter weather-by far!   Sorry you have to deal with this and the follow up.   It is a good reminder though how we need to prepare to be off the "wire" !

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oldlineman

Yes storm work is bad and dangerous work. I was a Journeyman Lineman for 41 years, had plenty of storms summer and winter, very dangerous work. I went on the storm work yes for the money, but also to help those that did not have power. Most times my family had power and so I needed to help those without. Please have patience, these men and women have a very dangerous and difficult job, under very bad weather conditions. Usually 16 hours on and 8 hours off. Please say a prayer for safety for them all, I know I have walked in their shoes. Bob Blough , JL retired. 

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Racinbob

My hats off to the efforts of the linemen. We were without power for 6 days each time due to the 2004 hurricanes. I did my share of whining but it was nothing compared to having to deal with freezing temps without power. Being a retired electrician I get tons of requests about generators. Far too many of them were for help on back feeding their homes through a dryer recep, etc. I was adamant about doing it right and utilizing a transfer switch. I refused to help anybody that planned on doing it otherwise. Transformers work in both directions and a mistake can cause serious damage and threaten the safety of the linemen. My electrical background didn't involve HV line work and I know they take precautions but mistakes happen and the long grueling hours they put in during emergencies has to add to the possibility of a mistake.  

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oldlineman

You are right about generators. I was always extra careful when I heard a generator running. I have been to Long Island NY, Detroit MI. and other places helping to restore the HV lines over the years. Very rewarding to have a neighborhood come out and thank you for your efforts. Part off what I went for. 

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