Cold Miser Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 You can get smaller, portable generators at Lowes or Home Depot, instead of the very expensive generator that powers an entire home. My parents got one after the Dec '03 snowstorm and they have it hooked up so that it can power the basics....furnace, refrigerator, and some lights. If you can get those running...your all set for extended outages. Just make sure you know someone who is knowledgeable in rigging it up..preferable an electrician. Otherwise when the power finally does come back on, you can cause a surge..either into the house, or back onto the transformer on the street. They are still costly, but it's probably worth the expense if you live in an area that is prone to losing power. Our's is just that. Just 5,000 watts but enough to run all that wee need. Don't mess around with the back feed route to power the thing (double male end extension cord). It's a f*cking dumb idea. Don't be a cheap-ass. Spend the 600-1000 dollars and get the transfer switch via a licensed electrician. Doing so takes away the surge issues that Scott mentions above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Miser Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 . . . In terms of inconvenience I think that blame lies with the power company. It's a business decision for them... do they want to employ 200 or 300 extra linesmen at all times? It's a lot of money. Yeah. I get that. I have a few friends who work for CL&P and discussions we've had in the past focus on just that, as well as other cheap-ass routes the company has gone through to save money. Most of it has to do with worker's shifts, overtime, etc. With that being said, I'm not sure how much of an exact science the whole storm clean up process can/ will ever be for the power companies. Each storm brings many unknowns, prompting varrying ammounts of personell, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Not sure if you remember, but in January 1998 there was a HUGE ice storm in Quebec and northern New England. It was so bad in Canada that almost all the massive high-tension/voltage lines collapsed. One large area was so bad there was 4-6" of ice covering everything. That area was known as the "triangle of darkness" and they said because they had to rebuild the entire infrastructure it would take 30 days to restore power to those towns. I think they did it in 28 days or just under the wire....it can be done. I'm not faulting CL&P entirely in the recovery (yet, but I'm getting close!) but I'd like to echo what other posters have said...I have yet to see a single utility truck! I think visibility would probably help their publicity. I still stand by my stance that the percentage of outages compared to neighboring towns in Mass. with the same damage is appalling. Ah yes...I remember it well! (Apologies to the late Maurice Chevalier) We were fortunate in living only 400' from a main connector line running south from AUG, and thus got our power back in only 4 days. Had anything failed within that 400', 2 weeks plus. Many folks were 3 weeks and more w/o power, including the VP of Central Maine Power. There was some frustration expressed, but more a sense of "We're in this together." Line crews would find folks out there with coffeee and goodies cooked on woodstoves. The damage to Maine infrastructure dwarfed that of any other event since I moved here in 1973. One example: The main ice storm (Jan 8-10, 1998 - there were two lesser ones later that month) destroyed about 7X the number of utility poles as the combined effects of Gloria and Bob. Bucket trucks were driving in from all over beginning on Jan 9 (a Friday) and by the weekend they were arriving from NC via C-130. And that brings up a major difference from this event. Jan 1998 did little damage south of NNE; Irene has maxed out utility crews from NC north, so there's almost no available "cavalry" to ride in and win the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Our's is just that. Just 5,000 watts but enough to run all that wee need. Don't mess around with the back feed route to power the thing (double male end extension cord). It's a f*cking dumb idea. Don't be a cheap-ass. Spend the 600-1000 dollars and get the transfer switch via a licensed electrician. Doing so takes away the surge issues that Scott mentions above. Yeah those generators I think are worth it..if you think you can swing it and live in an area that is prone to outages. They have it running right now just outside the garage (don't run it inside the garage due to CO). I mean, if you think about all the food in a refrigerator or freezer alone, that could be 400 bucks right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I just saw a 5,000 WATT generator for 600 bucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tstorm723 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 You can get smaller, portable generators at Lowes or Home Depot, instead of the very expensive generator that powers an entire home. My parents got one after the Dec '03 snowstorm and they have it hooked up so that it can power the basics....furnace, refrigerator, and some lights. If you can get those running...your all set for extended outages. Just make sure you know someone who is knowledgeable in rigging it up..preferably an electrician. Otherwise when the power finally does come back on, you can cause a surge..either into the house, or back onto the transformer on the street. They are still costly, but it's probably worth the expense if you live in an area that is prone to losing power. I got ours in the early spring...no demand on them at that time. Ours was used...very low mileage on it...and was half the regular price. It may be tough to get a good bargain right now but down the road do some shopping around. Have a friend that works at Home Depot and after the ice storm he had a whole truck load of returned generators. People bought them and used them once. Wouldn't hurt to ask any retailer about used generators. And by all means have it hooked up properly by someone who knows what they are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grinch1989 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I just saw a 5,000 WATT generator for 600 bucks. You should have bought it, drove it to ct and sold it for 1200 bucks. My neighbor just paid $400 for one...here's the problem, he paid another $400 to have it overnighted! ETR is next Wednesday for power! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowman21 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Ah yes...I remember it well! (Apologies to the late Maurice Chevalier) We were fortunate in living only 400' from a main connector line running south from AUG, and thus got our power back in only 4 days. Had anything failed within that 400', 2 weeks plus. Many folks were 3 weeks and more w/o power, including the VP of Central Maine Power. There was some frustration expressed, but more a sense of "We're in this together." Line crews would find folks out there with coffeee and goodies cooked on woodstoves. The damage to Maine infrastructure dwarfed that of any other event since I moved here in 1973. One example: The main ice storm (Jan 8-10, 1998 - there were two lesser ones later that month) destroyed about 7X the number of utility poles as the combined effects of Gloria and Bob. Bucket trucks were driving in from all over beginning on Jan 9 (a Friday) and by the weekend they were arriving from NC via C-130. And that brings up a major difference from this event. Jan 1998 did little damage south of NNE; Irene has maxed out utility crews from NC north, so there's almost no available "cavalry" to ride in and win the day. CL&P says they're getting an additional 300 (30% more than what's out there now) crews over the next couple of days, so we'll see. They also just posted that they are setting up additional satellite staging areas in the eastern part of the state. They should set up shop in Westbrook and Franklin. Those spots are right in the middle of the high outage areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmwes Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Yeah those generators I think are worth it..if you think you can swing it and live in an area that is prone to outages. They have it running right now just outside the garage (don't run it inside the garage due to CO). I mean, if you think about all the food in a refrigerator or freezer alone, that could be 400 bucks right there. I tried to buy one before the storm...I was even looking around before the hype machine really started and I still struck out. Just happened to check the Lowe's near my work yesterday and they had gotten in a shipment of 5500w Generacs for $650. Bought it on the spot and was able to pump out my basement last night as well as have my fridge/freezer run for a while. I'll run it for a few hours every night until this is all said and done. I'll definitely be putting in the transfer panel. My neighbor is backfeeding via his dryer vent; but why spend $100 on a cable to do that when the transfer panel kit that comes with everything is about $350? So no water for me until CL&P gets to it. I heard one neighbor say today, I heard another say next week. I'm leaning towards the latter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 much of the rest may be, impatient yuppies. You are an idiot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIPPYVALLEY Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Why do you have to keep the oil tank at 3/4 or more? How do you you siphon the oil out of the tank to get it to the generator? Or do you access it via the line right before it enters the boiler through special valve connection that allows you to fill up a tank? Keep it 3/4 full just to ensure you have plenty. Folks I know that have this set up have a split valve on their tank. I may get diesel someday but first priority is to get an electrician put in a 2nd panel and transfer so my home is plug and go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Miser Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I just saw a 5,000 WATT generator for 600 bucks. That is a really good deal. Never seen one that cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 This was a TS when it made landfall. The surge was obviously stronger than a TS because the pressure was so low, and the surge takes a while to lower. However, lets face it...we're screwed if a Cat II hit CT again. Rainfall impacts would be similar since the difference between a TS and Cat II are about the same in that department, but the wind impacts from winds that are even 30-40 mph more than what we faced would be devastating. In a way, this storm was a wake up call for emergency planners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 That is a really good deal. Never seen one that cheap. It was actually at Home Depot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamrivers Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 CL&P says they're getting an additional 300 (30% more than what's out there now) crews over the next couple of days, so we'll see. They also just posted that they are setting up additional satellite staging areas in the eastern part of the state. They should set up shop in Westbrook and Franklin. Those spots are right in the middle of the high outage areas. It doesn't matter how many "crews" CL&P gets to come here, they all need a CL&P lineman with them or they can't do a damn thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowman21 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 It doesn't matter how many "crews" CL&P gets to come here, they all need a CL&P lineman with them or they can't do a damn thing! I'm sure it's a combination. By Friday they will be up to 800 line crews + 400 others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmwes Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 This is what I have on my CL&P account (hasn't changed since Monday morning) We are aware of an outage affecting your area. Estimated restoration times are currently unavailable. You can check your estimated restoration time once it becomes available at My Outage Status Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Torchey Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 I have a client in Norwalk, she works for CL&P, she looked like absolute crap this morning, working thru the night till 2-3 am then home for a few hours sleep and back again. SHe works at the sat office in Norwalk on or off New Canaan Ave. She is exhausted, mentally and physically..............she said the biggest problem was lack of crews, and the fact that the storm hit the entire east coast bar fla and ga, they could not bring in crews from surrounding states. She told me a crew from FLorida was arriving this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Torchey Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 This is the problem, i dont take pics of downed trees there are thousands, but there are also hundreds of telephone poles down, this simply is not a wire issue. Good luck in restoring everyones power by Saturday, not a chance in hell, way too much damage for that too happen. i heard from an inside source next wed........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowman21 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 This is the problem, i dont take pics of downed trees there are thousands, but there are also hundreds of telephone poles down, this simply is not a wire issue. Good luck in restoring everyones power by Saturday, not a chance in hell, way too much damage for that too happen. i heard from an inside source next wed........... I think even that is optimistic. Like CL&P said before the storm, it will take up to two weeks to get to everybody, and I believe 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I wonder why more people do not have a generator? We got one after the ice storm up here two years ago. The cost at the time seemed unnecessary...but not anymore. My family lives in Salem and Ledyard in CT....2 hard hit towns. They have one as well. This is not an unprecedented storm for us locally. Bob and Gloria caused power outages for 5 to 6 days back then. This will happen again. People can be better prepared if they so choose. NECN did a poll and only 33% of households have any sort of disaster preparation kit. In this day and age? CL&P is certainly not perfect and a review of this outage problem should certainly be addressed. However, the individual response to ones own needs needs to be looked at as well. Irene will not be the last storm to hit us...and we all know this. Anyone else still want to realize a Cat 2 now? Not me. Maria is ours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 How long to restore power if 1938 happened today? My guess would be December. Can you imagine if a city was actually without power for two weeks, wonder how many of them have generators, ice, water etc. At least most country folk are prepared to camp out. Anarchy would reign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamrivers Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I'm sure it's a combination. By Friday they will be up to 800 line crews + 400 others. The point is that with all these out of state crews somebody from CL&P has to be there. And since they're arguably understaffed, you can have as many crews as you want - but if they don't have a CL&P person they can't work. That is what I have been told by 3 seperate CL&P workers. Maybe they will let them veer off from that considering the circumstances, but who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I can't say phenomenal yet, but I do agree that the post storm response has been good. Unfortunately in this day and age of instant gratification and people's "hurry up and give me results" attitude, folks just don't have patience. They see no truck(s) or whatever in a few areas and assume that nothing is being done. This kind of tunnel vision thinking is unfortunate as there is so much more out there that that individual(s) are not seeing with regard to what needs to be repaired. Big picture. You could not be more wrong Garth. CLP has a ratio of 1 worker for 400 customers, other states 1-200, CLP has the highest rates in the country. Very dangerous situations were ignored, this is not a oh no power situation , this is an absolute abandonment of their customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Windcredible! Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I think even that is optimistic. Like CL&P said before the storm, it will take up to two weeks to get to everybody, and I believe 'em. God help anyone who lost the lines from the street to their house. Saw one article this morning that said people with that issue should expect to be without power for up to a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 When do you expect your local area to have power fully restored? They told us Mon, keeping fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 God help anyone who lost the lines from the street to their house. Saw one article this morning that said people with that issue should expect to be without power for up to a month. I lucked out as an electrical contractor was driving by and he, his worker and five neighbors and friends put humpty back together again. 300 of the best dollars I ever spent, Good to go once the corporate monster does its thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Miser Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 You are an idiot I didn't even think the term "yuppie" was used anymore. . . . Although I think "idiot" is still used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I didn't even think the term "yuppie" was used anymore. . . . Although I think "idiot" is still used. Do not think us country bumpkins could be considered urban, although lots of wannabes around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Miser Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 . . . CLP has a ratio of 1 worker for 400 customers, other states 1-200, CLP has the highest rates in the country. Very dangerous situations were ignored, this is not a oh no power situation , this is an absolute abandonment of their customers. Sure Steve, but I also don't believe the magnitude of this thing can be ignored. Would more CLP workers have been the complete answer? Maybe. Would there even have been enough equipement for them? Maybe. What skill level would these workers have been at if we had similar ratios as other states, and would guys have just been getting in each other's way if not able to go out to a damaged site on their own, without someone of a higher management level involved? I don't know what having 1 worker for 400 customers means vs. 1-200? Does this mean there are more apprentice types, or people who can really get things done? Seeing stats like that is only part of the picture. People can go on and on about this, that, etc. In the end everyone's hindsight is always 20/20. My problem is that people are always quick to blame after the fact. Maybe there should be more public outcry in advance. Maybe there has been. All I know is what i read in bits and pieces from biased news sources, as well as what I hear from my CL&P worker friends. In the end, I don't think the public really can get an honest answer from anyone. The fact is this storm did a sh*t load of damage, and whether or not the electric companies need to have a permanant staff on board to deal with a once in a 10 plus year storm is up for debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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