Blizzard preps ,, what have you done

[eldirector]

Prep? As in last minute? I made sure we had gas for the snow blower (we did), and that anything that couldn't get frozen hard was in the detached garage (it was).

My wife put in an order from PeaPod that won't be delivered until we are dug out. She also made a big baked mac-n-cheese (w/ italian sausage) to "eat on" for a couple of days. Consider us prepped!

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Ensure that I had plenty of water stacked in the basement. I bought a squared off long-handled shovel from Sears on Saturday. Bought an extra "Water Hog" carpet for the back kitchen door.

 

[firecadet613]

I rewired my furnace to easily plug it into my generator if/when the power goes out. I've wanted to do it for a long time, but the storm just gave me an excuse and the motivation to get it done.

The power that used to go straight into the furnace is now a single outlet, and I wired up a cord for the furnace. Power out? Unlplug from outlet, plug into extension cord. Cost me a whole $13.

I did this as well. Very quick and easy!

Here's a link for those who aren't wiring savvy... How To Wire Your Gas Furnace To A Generator | RicksDIY.com

 

[IndyDave1776]

If you had to prep for a two day snow storm, you are not ready for anything.

I would agree for the most part, but it does have a way or moving things from the 'when I get around to it' list to the 'do it now' list. My biggest expenditure of time and effort was on unpacking preps after moving and buying things that were available to me before the move (I lived next door to my place of work and had access to all the goodies in the maintenance shop) and things I simply didn't need under those circumstances.

 

[kiddchaos]

I did this as well. Very quick and easy!

Here's a link for those who aren't wiring savvy... How To Wire Your Gas Furnace To A Generator | RicksDIY.com

Question. Do you flip the breaker off to the furnace when using the generator, for safety, or that doesn't matter?

 

[IndyDave1776]

Question. Do you flip the breaker off to the furnace when using the generator, for safety, or that doesn't matter?

If done in the way it was in the picture, it wouldn't matter since you are unplugging the furnace from the wall outlet and plugging it into the extension cord from the generator.

 

[printcraft]

Question. Do you flip the breaker off to the furnace when using the generator, for safety, or that doesn't matter?

see below

If done in the way it was in the picture, it wouldn't matter since you are unplugging the furnace from the wall outlet and plugging it into the extension cord from the generator.

^^^^^^^^^^^
This as the furnace is not hard wired to the house, the only source of power coming in to the furnace is via a plug in.
You are just changing the method to deliver the power to the furnace.

 

[churchmouse]

If done in the way it was in the picture, it wouldn't matter since you are unplugging the furnace from the wall outlet and plugging it into the extension cord from the generator

The furnaces in both our houses have the regular ssu switched/fused box. We added a box downstream with a switched plug. Turn off the ssu to isolate the panel (safety) and switch on the downstream box once the genny is in play. We can run both furnaces from the small genny if we wish. The big genny will run all the refrigerators and both furnaces.

 

[Landon]

I had a box installed next to the meter outside. Just flip the switch to auxillary (so you don't backfeed the line) and plug the generator it. This way the generator sits outside where its safe. I have a 4000 watt generator and our furnance is gas. We have plenty of power to run the blower on the furnance, fridge, tv, and some lights. Glad we had it last night when we lost our power around 9PM and didn't get it back till 2 AM.

 

[firecadet613]

I had a box installed next to the meter outside. Just flip the switch to auxillary (so you don't backfeed the line) and plug the generator it. This way the generator sits outside where its safe. I have a 4000 watt generator and our furnance is gas. We have plenty of power to run the blower on the furnance, fridge, tv, and some lights. Glad we had it last night when we lost our power around 9PM and didn't get it back till 2 AM.

About how much did that cost to get installed? I'd love to get a big generator installed, but since we rarely lose power, this seems to be the way to go.

 

[firecadet613]

Question. Do you flip the breaker off to the furnace when using the generator, for safety, or that doesn't matter?

Doesn't matter. All I did was switch the furnace from being hard wired, to a plug in. When the main power goes out, I can unplug it and plug it into a generator. Otherwise, you'd be hosed even with a generator.

 

[Landon]

About how much did that cost to get installed? I'd love to get a big generator installed, but since we rarely lose power, this seems to be the way to go.

I hired an electrician that bought the box and wired it up. If I remember correctly I paid him $800 or $900, plus the price of the generator which was around $600. So I have around $1,500 in it. Like you I don't feel we lose power enough to warrant a $10,000 standby generator. Plus with the portable generator you can use it for other projects if you need to.

 

[Psode27]

Bought (and drank) lots of beer, wine for the wife. made a killer pork roast and picked up some frozen pizzas. Not that I needed to buy anything (except beer....). I really want a generator. We have been fortunate to keep power, but if we lose it wed be completely SOL. I am paranoid of my sump pump stopping. Just moved recently to new house with the wife. Though it hasn't been bad, it made us realize some areas we need a bit of help in, water storage for one.

 

[Lunati]

Didn't necessarily prep but I took a nice hike out in the woods today and started a fire just to test my abilities in extreme weather. Everything turned out well and stayed mostly warm.

 

[mdale]

I had a box installed next to the meter outside. Just flip the switch to auxillary (so you don't backfeed the line) and plug the generator it. This way the generator sits outside where its safe. I have a 4000 watt generator and our furnance is gas. We have plenty of power to run the blower on the furnance, fridge, tv, and some lights. Glad we had it last night when we lost our power around 9PM and didn't get it back till 2 AM.

Can you post a pic of outside transfer switch setup? I'd like to do the same type of setup.

 

[teddy12b]

Washed out a big bath tub so that I could fill it with water if need be. Started up the little generator just so it'd be ready to go at a moments notice. Kept the snow blower running. Brought some firewood into the garage so it'd be a shorter walk to resupply.

My wife went to the store early on Saturday morning against my recommendations. She said every lane at Meijers was open and the lines were all half way back into the store. I'm glad she saw that and I hope now she has a better understanding of why there's some big heavy plastic totes & buckets taking up room in the basement. She said the canned foods were all wiped out, but she was in there for the produce & healthy stuff.

I don't know why people rush out to buy canned foods for a storm that's going to last a couple days.

 

[churchmouse]

Washed out a big bath tub so that I could fill it with water if need be. Started up the little generator just so it'd be ready to go at a moments notice. Kept the snow blower running. Brought some firewood into the garage so it'd be a shorter walk to resupply.

My wife went to the store early on Saturday morning against my recommendations. She said every lane at Meijers was open and the lines were all half way back into the store. I'm glad she saw that and I hope now she has a better understanding of why there's some big heavy plastic totes & buckets taking up room in the basement. She said the canned foods were all wiped out, but she was in there for the produce & healthy stuff.

I don't know why people rush out to buy canned foods for a storm that's going to last a couple days.

If you look closely at the mentality of all this it is a minor test run for a real situation not a bump in the road like we are having. If thing really go sideways there would be fights to get in the stores.......No long term view of the world. Everything is right now.

We stopped in at Krogers just to get some of their good sliced meats last Thursday. Picked up some comfort items and have only left the house to fix a furnace for a neighbor and pull some idiots out of some drifts. I use the term idiot very loosely.

 

[teddy12b]

If you look closely at the mentality of all this it is a minor test run for a real situation not a bump in the road like we are having. If thing really go sideways there would be fights to get in the stores.......No long term view of the world. Everything is right now.

That is what I was trying to really explain to my wife. People in Ft Wayne freak out over a snow storm like it's the end. Similar panic was seen a year ago when half the city lost power. If things go sideways for an extended period Ft. Wayne is going to be a fine example of a city in Chaos.

 

[churchmouse]

That is what I was trying to really explain to my wife. People in Ft Wayne freak out over a snow storm like it's the end. Similar panic was seen a year ago when half the city lost power. If things go sideways for an extended period Ft. Wayne is going to be a fine example of a city in Chaos.

I am lucky in the fact that after 32 plus years with my wife she has seen the light and is totally on board with me. She has helped me organize and prepare. Our only limitations are space.
Her family was completely anti-gun when I met her but they have all changed their views and are regulars with me at the rang.

 

[singlesix]

I am lucky in the fact that after 32 plus years with my wife she has seen the light and is totally on board with me. She has helped me organize and prepare. Our only limitations are space.
Her family was completely anti-gun when I met her but they have all changed their views and are regulars with me at the rang.

My wife was a bit leftish when it came to guns, well the amount of guns I had, until Kartrine and the mess in New Orleans.