Winter Weather Advisory for Travis County (Dallas, Austin: home owners insurance, maintenance, plumbing)

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by riaelise

Thank you. It was absolutely unbearable at the house. The gas fireplace doesn’t work so we had no alternative heat source. We were huddled in our beds for much of the day. Coming from the northeast I’m used to cold but that was a special type of hell.

FWIW I haven't felt this level of cold in decades, probably since Chicago. We even got snowed on in Seattle one year and it didnt get anywhere near this cold.

[Jimmyp25]

My wife is at home with son and 1 year old. Luckily we have a fire place, but she has had no power for two days almost. she said it came on for an hour at 4 am last night and went out. My flight was cancelled so I cannot get there until tomorrow and it looks like more possible freezing rain. Our water lines our frozen at the house as well. Luckily I have cases of MREs and food and fire kits for them but I would never think in 100 years that 5 inches of snow and ice can wipe out the entire grid out there. Im def getting a generator or solar panels after this one. This seems to be happening more and more frequent in Texas .

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Jimmyp25

My wife is at home with son and 1 year old. Luckily we have a fire place, but she has had no power for two days almost. she said it came on for an hour at 4 am last night and went out. My flight was cancelled so I cannot get there until tomorrow and it looks like more possible freezing rain. Our water lines our frozen at the house as well. Luckily I have cases of MREs and food and fire kits for them but I would never think in 100 years that 5 inches of snow and ice can wipe out the entire grid out there. Im def getting a generator or solar panels after this one. This seems to be happening more and more frequent in Texas .

The windmills I can see, the natural gas plants I'm kind of in question of, from what I heard they didn't have enough fuel and after everything froze over they were incapable of refueling them.

I dont think solar would have saved us though, those panels are useless if they're covered in snow or ice, that and also they don't feed into the home but only the grid from what I understand.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

So does anyone think the snow and ice will be gone by Saturday? Looks like temps will be low enough to preserve most of it though most of the week except Friday.

If not, do you think roads will be cleared to the point of drivability?

It's supposed to be well over freezing on Friday and in the 60s on Saturday and Sunday. It will be gone by then.

[Bp25]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I dont think solar would have saved us though, those panels are useless if they're covered in snow or ice, that and also they don't feed into the home but only the grid from what I understand.

This is the crazy system Austin Energy forced on its solar customers that you can't feed your own home with your solar. After realizing that, I said f-no, I am not paying to install an AE generation plant on my roof. If they want to put their generation plant on my property, they will have to pay me.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Bp25

This is the crazy system Austin Energy forced on its solar customers that you can't feed your own home with your solar. After realizing that, I said f-no, I am not paying to install an AE generation plant on my roof. If they want to put their generation plant on my property, they will have to pay me.

Yeah admittedly after reading into that that’s pretty much how I feel about it too. In a sense I guess the credit on your bill is nice but the customer doesn’t receive any real benefit such as living off the grid or anything. I think Tesla makes a system where you can live off the grid as they have battery storage but I’m unsure on the stipulations of installing said system in compliance with your electric provider.

[Bp25]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Yeah admittedly after reading into that that’s pretty much how I feel about it too. In a sense I guess the credit on your bill is nice but the customer doesn’t receive any real benefit such as living off the grid or anything. I think Tesla makes a system where you can live off the grid as they have battery storage but I’m unsure on the stipulations of installing said system in compliance with your electric provider.

I heard that AE will not allow power wall for their customers. I have not investigated it but it makes sense because the solar panel and inverter are on the city side of the meter, so what will the power wall even do!

I am investigating a small generator to support a handful of loads and the natural gas furnace.

[kitkatbar]

A friend has solar panels. They are among the lucky ones whose power is still on but they were explaining that if their power went off, they would only be able to keep a few things for up to 24 hrs because of solar (lights, tv, stove top, microwave) and that heat would not be one of them because it drew too much energy.

[ScoPro]

My brother in Woodland Park near Georgetown has a 1,000 gallon propane tank buried in his yard for his gas stove & house heater. It also powers the big 15,000 kw emergency generator on a slab behind the garage that can run most everything in the house except the a/c - while burning about 2.5 gallons per hour. His electricity went off 3 hours ago.
Luckily he just had the tank topped off two weeks ago, so he’s good for a couple of weeks if need be.
They keep their house temperature at 78 because they are old (80s).

[Need4Camaro]

Welp. City of Leander cut water flow by 75% ... almost nothing coming out the faucets now and we're also under a water boil. Now I'll bet we'll see some freezing pipes.