Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New Jersey
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-05-2012, 07:44 AM
 
26,585 posts, read 62,102,354 times
Reputation: 13166

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by bradykp View Post
I was thinking this weekend, for the amount of money one would spend on such a setup, why not do solar or windmill instead? i guess they could get damaged in a storm, but you could use them year round...
Properly installed solar panels are surprisingly resistant to storm damage and generally installed on the rear/sides of a roof so they don't affect curb appeal. Windmills are very controversial due to their size and the noise they make.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-05-2012, 07:48 AM
 
19,148 posts, read 25,385,104 times
Reputation: 25445
Something that never occurred to me prior to the storm was that some modern water heaters would function w/o electricity.
Obviously, if you have an old water heater with a pilot light, that would be fine, but...what about a more modern water heater without a pilot light?

Well, the answer is that, if your water heater has Piezo-electric ignition instead of conventional electronic ignition, then your water heater was able to continue functioning just fine w/o electric power.

Several hours after the power went out, I was amazed that my hot water was still hot, and I thought...the insulation on that tank is really good! But then, after more than 24 hours w/o power, when my hot water was still hot, I realized that this was more than just a case of good insulation. Sure enough, reading the manual that came with the water heater revealed that it uses Piezo-electric ignition, which actually generates its own charge for igniting the gas flame.

Of course, it was still not pleasant to take a shower when the house temp was only 55 degrees, but by running the shower with the bathroom door closed, the room was acceptably warmed-up when I exited from the shower. And, of course, I was able to wash my hands with hot water all though the power outage.

I am not suggesting that everyone should junk their existing water heater, but, when it comes time to replace your water heater, I strongly suggest that you pay a bit more for one with Piezo-electric ignition.


Last edited by Retriever; 11-05-2012 at 08:11 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-05-2012, 07:51 AM
 
26,585 posts, read 62,102,354 times
Reputation: 13166
Quote:
Originally Posted by Retriever View Post
Something that never occurred to me prior to the storm was that some modern water heaters would function w/o electricity.
Obvioously, if you have an old water heater with a pilot light, that would be fine, but...what about a more modern water heater without a pilot light?

Well, the answer is that, if your water heater has Piezo-electric ignition instead of conventional electronic ignition, then your water heater was able to continue functioning just fine w/o electric power.

Several hours after the power went out, I was amazed that my hot water was still hot, and I thought...the insulation on that tank is really good! But then, after more than 24 hours w/o power, when my hot water was still hot, I realized that this was more than just a case of good insulation. Sure enough, reading the manual that came with the water heater revealed that it uses Piezo-electric ignition, which actually generates its own charge for igniting the gas flame.

Of course, it was still not pleasant to take a shower when the house temp was only 55 degrees, but by running the shower with the bathroom door closed, the room was acceptably warmed-up when I exited from the shower. And, of course, I was able to wash my hands with hot water all though the power outage.

I am not suggesting that everyone should junk their existing water heater, but, when it comes time to replace your water heater, I strongly suggest that you pay a bit more for one with Piezo-electric ignition.

My husband had the same situation. Hot water but no power. He said while he was in the shower it was great, and even in the bathroom with the door closed it got heated up with the steam--he is normally a two minute Navy shower guy, he was "splurging" on five minute showers last week . But then once he opened that bathroom door, reality hit him hard and fast.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-05-2012, 08:06 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,676 posts, read 84,998,937 times
Reputation: 115253
The only thing I would do differently is have a battery-powered radio. Never thought of that. I'm going to get one.

And I'll get a second set of candles for the floor-stand 7-piece candle holder my friend gave me just a few weeks ago. Told her it was the best present I'd ever gotten--those candles threw enough light to read by and lit up my whole living room.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-05-2012, 08:07 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,676 posts, read 84,998,937 times
Reputation: 115253
Quote:
Originally Posted by Retriever View Post
Something that never occurred to me prior to the storm was that some modern water heaters would function w/o electricity.
Obvioously, if you have an old water heater with a pilot light, that would be fine, but...what about a more modern water heater without a pilot light?

Well, the answer is that, if your water heater has Piezo-electric ignition instead of conventional electronic ignition, then your water heater was able to continue functioning just fine w/o electric power.

Several hours after the power went out, I was amazed that my hot water was still hot, and I thought...the insulation on that tank is really good! But then, after more than 24 hours w/o power, when my hot water was still hot, I realized that this was more than just a case of good insulation. Sure enough, reading the manual that came with the water heater revealed that it uses Piezo-electric ignition, which actually generates its own charge for igniting the gas flame.

Of course, it was still not pleasant to take a shower when the house temp was only 55 degrees, but by running the shower with the bathroom door closed, the room was acceptably warmed-up when I exited from the shower. And, of course, I was able to wash my hands with hot water all though the power outage.

I am not suggesting that everyone should junk their existing water heater, but, when it comes time to replace your water heater, I strongly suggest that you pay a bit more for one with Piezo-electric ignition.

I had hot water the whole time as well.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-05-2012, 08:39 AM
 
Location: Randolph, NJ
4,073 posts, read 8,991,644 times
Reputation: 3262
Captain????

Oh, Captain? Care to weigh in on this thread?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-05-2012, 08:41 AM
 
26,585 posts, read 62,102,354 times
Reputation: 13166
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
The only thing I would do differently is have a battery-powered radio. Never thought of that. I'm going to get one.

And I'll get a second set of candles for the floor-stand 7-piece candle holder my friend gave me just a few weeks ago. Told her it was the best present I'd ever gotten--those candles threw enough light to read by and lit up my whole living room.
Do you know that candles are being officially named as the root cause of the Breezy Point fire? (And one of the house fires my husband responded to in NJ.) Don't use candles in an emergency, they are a critical fire hazard. Buy a battery powered lantern and an extra battery, it will last 10 days with prudent use and you'll safely have all the light you need.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-05-2012, 08:49 AM
 
Location: Central Jersey - Florida
3,377 posts, read 14,640,261 times
Reputation: 2272
Quote:
Originally Posted by annerk View Post
Properly installed solar panels are surprisingly resistant to storm damage and generally installed on the rear/sides of a roof so they don't affect curb appeal. Windmills are very controversial due to their size and the noise they make.
Solar panels should be installed with a southern exposure. Many homes in my neighborhood have them on the front side. Just depends on how bad you want them. You can't just install them for aesthetic purposes.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-05-2012, 09:02 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,676 posts, read 84,998,937 times
Reputation: 115253
Quote:
Originally Posted by annerk View Post
Do you know that candles are being officially named as the root cause of the Breezy Point fire? (And one of the house fires my husband responded to in NJ.) Don't use candles in an emergency, they are a critical fire hazard. Buy a battery powered lantern and an extra battery, it will last 10 days with prudent use and you'll safely have all the light you need.

I have flashlights and other sources, but I like the candles, too. I do not allow candles to burn unless I am in the room at the moment. I've survived two WTC terrorist attacks and a house fire started by a faulty furnace, and I'm a grown-up girl who knows how to use candles safely. Remember, our ancestors survived for milennia using fire for light and heat and by using common sense and safety practices when they used them.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-05-2012, 09:10 AM
 
26,585 posts, read 62,102,354 times
Reputation: 13166
Quote:
Originally Posted by exhdo1 View Post
Solar panels should be installed with a southern exposure. Many homes in my neighborhood have them on the front side. Just depends on how bad you want them. You can't just install them for aesthetic purposes.
Why would you install solar panels for aesthetic purposes? They aren't exactly attractive.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2022 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New Jersey
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top