If you are reading this, then you probably still have power. Last week's storms have been an eye opener to many people about how vulnerable they are to weather related emergencies. At 3am Friday morning our power started blinking off about every 20-30 minutes. I assume it was caused by the high wind gusts. At 9:30am it went out and stayed out. This is an issue because here in the South because most new houses have heat pumps that don’t work at all without lots of 220V power. Fortunately, our power came back on quickly. I’ve had so many projects to do since we moved to our new house and hadn’t gotten to installing our ventless propane heater yet. So, guess what I did that afternoon? FYI, after the power goes out is not the time to install something. You may not be able to get the parts you need. Anyway, losing power in sub-freezing weather can be deadly for those that have nowhere to go or can’t get out of their house or apartment. In Buffalo NY many of the streets are impassable. It’s important to be ready for events like this. Know the weather in your area and be prepared for power outages. It’s very important to have alternate heat sources. Fireplaces will work in a pinch, but modern units are designed for aesthetics not for heating and you need to have a good supply of wood. Wood stoves are much better but don’t fit into modern decor. In my old house, we had a natural gas furnace. The computer board and blower ran off 110V and would run using a small generator. It’s great to have heat in your whole house! Alternately, you can use kerosine or ventless propane space heaters and a small generator to power other things. Just make sure they are designed for indoor use.
