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.
If there was power out ledge to the house, can you still have gas for the stove to cook and hot water to shower? I presume you can light pilot with a match?
Very few "normal" (non-"on-demand") gas water heaters do NOT have pilot lights and thus don't have any electrical need UNLESS there is a fan-induced draft or other combution / ventilation requirement. Even then water ought to stay warm for at least overnight exccept in really cold weather.
Stoves are different. Most have no standing pilot and use an electronic spark to ignite the gas. (and ovens use a "hot wire" type circuits) Many cooktops have no special "interlock" and could be lit with a match but more and more do include some kind of solenoid that cuts off the gas if there is no spark as a safety measureb (and all ovens need a way to ONLY trigger the gas flow once the "hot wire" comes up to temp, though some can do this with a thermocouple...).
Never try to override such safety controls.
Last edited by chet everett; 06-06-2012 at 01:52 PM..
So long there is running water (manual pump)... no electricity is really not a big deal for me.
I have candles up to the waazoo for light.
Have alternate fuel source than electric (to keep warm) or when fuel runs out... got a ton of blankets & also have the constant 60 degree cellar.
Can cook on our grill.
We love to live in the SHTF scenario... so love manual everything anyways.
Independence = freedom, out of the standard, is a motto we thrive for.
I have a propane furnace and a propane on demand water heater. Both have electric ignitions. So if the powers out, time to go build a fire in the backyard and boil some water the old fashion way
Im screwed when the power goes out. We have a well that runs on electricity. So pretty much going to the bathroom becomes an issue after a few toilet flushes. No more water. No showers, no washing hands. We have jugs saved for emergencies but you will be amazed at how quickly you can go through water. We have a gas fireplace that runs just on natural gas. We won't freeze death so thats good. We have been looking into those home generators that are hardwired but they aren't cheap.
We're pretty much prepared for at least a few weeks. We have a generator big enough to run the furnace, pump, freezer and refrigerator. There's two fireplaces in the house, we don't have a lot of wood cut but if it came down to it I could go out back and cut down enough standing dead wood to make it through months....
The final pieces of the puzzle I want to get is a manual pump and small coal stove. We have enough coal stored most of the time to heat a small area for years. They have them with small water jackets for hot water. so with one unit I could heat, cook and make hot water.
When we lose power, freezing isn't a problem. Trying to breath in heat and humidity is the problem. Modern insulated homes hold in heat. Old homes were designed to breath which caused a circulation of air to flow up to the attic and out the house thus keeping the interior of the home fairly comfortable without AC. We have 1,000 hour candles, hand crank LED flashlights, and canned foods safe to eat without heating.
When we lose power, freezing isn't a problem. Trying to breath in heat and humidity is the problem. Modern insulated homes hold in heat. Old homes were designed to breath which caused a circulation of air to flow up to the attic and out the house thus keeping the interior of the home fairly comfortable without AC. We have 1,000 hour candles, hand crank LED flashlights, and canned foods safe to eat without heating.
?????????????????????
A house with no insulation will cost way more to cool than a well insulated house.
It is current "best practice" / most energy efficent to not just "super seal" homes so that the interior maintains a stable/comfortable temp, but also to provide for either PASSIVE or active ventilation. In homes with active ventilation any extended power outage could lead to a build up of trapped fumes if combustion source was not properly fitted with an feed air and exhaust but honestly that is a pretty remote possibility.
Passive air exchanges can be coupled with powered energy recovery ventilators, but again you are talking an EXTREMELY small number of homes and the amount of air exchanged by normal comings and goings through the entrance doors would prevent any difficulty of breathing...
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.
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.
