Jim/Hugh
After the 17-Nov windstorm, we lost power for five days, having similar damages and drama in the article by ShepherdFarmerGeek! Thank you UTAH Power for driving 40 hours to help Avista out!
- Now we keep two turkey fryer pots of water on the woodstove for hot water and extra radiant heat between firings. Oh, we leave our tin can of used chicken egg shells on the stove instead of the kitchen window so they dry crispy and are easy to crush.
- We installed a Lux Bidet on the toilet two years ago, which has cut our TP usage by 95%! No more stockpiling TP, use washable cloths like I did in the middle east!
- The water pump for the house: I wired it into an Outback UPS, so we can flush and wash for days. When the power goes out, having running water is a MAJOR PLUS for the Missus during those critical “normalcy bias adjustment minutes.” I fire up the generator with less urgency.
- Those cheap solar lanterns placed in the house are a great place to fully drain your disposable AA batteries. We have mostly switched to Eneloops.
- Christmas LED strings are left hanging in the living room, since they use five watts and are fun.
- My VHF antenna blew over because I thought I was living in a wind-free zone after moving here to Idaho three years ago from SC. After this wind storm, my policy has changed to “you better tether”, including metal roofing edges! Hurricane studies show that metal roofing peels off because you leave them un-screwed along the edges. Get your DeWalt out and do the “tighten up!”
- As soon as we lose power, out comes the blankets and they get draped on the fridges. We have been leaving the chest freezer covered since last year. It runs less.
– K&K