Have you done any grid crash practice/tests??

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Tirediron

Tirediron

Seasoned HillBilly
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HCL Supporter
Joined
Dec 11, 2017
Messages
1,860
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Rural western Canada, Sunrise side of the Rockies
LadyLocust's what would you ask thread reminded me to do this. As many have probably gathered I heat with wood, so that's not a problem, and have a 13KVA pto genny, so if the down is localized, I just burn some fuel and do things in bunches. But if it is wide spread, i would not want to make a bunch of noise. the people who know me well know what I have, but I don't want a bunch of people from town showing up due to noise. the clean spring,good water,easy to fill containers is prolly 2/3 of a mile from my buildings, access is good, an old road bed for most of the distance. bringing water back perhaps 10 gallons at atime will be a chore, I won't be wasting it.
 
One of the things that many people have to replace disposable things is re usable cloth stuff, which uses lots of water, paper towel will be my go to for as long as it lasts, just to save water, and it makes heat when it is burned
 
My last rv trip was a bust, anyway I'd bought a new 20g portable grey water tank just before leaving. It has wheels on one end. It's food grade, drainage and filling caps are heavy duty and it's never been used.

I just checked the camping world website... $100. The wheels wouldn't stand up to long term use or rough terrain. 20g weighs 160lbs but that is manageable for 1 or 2 people.

One summer I hauled a lot of water for 2 big gardens. A 275gallon tote weighs about 2300lbs. They can be difficult to move.
 
I did almost three years worth on a creek bank recently, but to be honest it was only semi-off grid, I rented some solar cells and my Winnebago had a generator until it got stolen.
 
If I don't need to be stealthy it is easy, i just hook a trailer behind one of my tractors and haul a bunch of reliance water cubes, If I feel the need to be quiet it will be more work, My point of making this thread is if you try things in a "it is just an experiment" frame of mind you will see the difficulties and have time to figure out ways to correct them.
You know the same reason as guys and galls go to the gun range to "sharpen their skills", may be but more for the fun, come on be honest.
 
I just re posted my diary for year one of the Covid in the library, not a lot of how to but ideas and situations are up in there.
Since it was never designed to be let loose on the world, its not very nice or politically correct, me. totally off my leash!
 
Doing a 48 hour grid down test is where I always tell newbies to start. Before they do any prepping, go into their utility room, turn off all the breakers, close your curtains, lock your doors and just live for the next 48 hours with what you have.

People will learn way more about where they need to start prepping in those two days than they will in years just reading about it.
 
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Not an intentional test on our part but on several occasions and at different sites and in different states have found our selves in a grid down scenario ranging from a month to about 6 weeks . When the hum of electrical appliances cease , lights are gone and water from our private well ceases I know what it is like . With no one running up to solve your problem you are on your own . The thing we missed the most especially if it is during the summer , is bathing water . During the cold months a different problem arises . That is heating up a meager amount of water for a bath . Through going through these trials know what to expect and have already prepared for it to happen again and perhaps to remain grid down forever .
 
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Aerindel said:
Doing a 48 grid down test is where I always tell newbies to start. Before they do any prepping, go into their utility room, turn off all the breakers, close your curtains, lock your doors and just live for the next 48 ours with what you have.

People will learn way more about where they need to start prepping in those two days than they will in years just reading about it.
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That is an excellent suggestion!

poltiregist said:
Not an intentional test on our part but on several occasions and at different sites and in different states have found our selves in a grid down scenario for a month or two . When the hum of electrical appliances cease , lights are gone and water from our private well ceases I know what it is like . With no one running up to solve your problem you are on your own . The thing we missed the most especially if it is during the summer , is bathing water . During the cold months a different problem arises . That is heating up a meager amount of water for a bath . Through going through these trials know what to expect and have already prepared for it to happen again and perhaps to remain grid down forever .
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Master the bucket bath: you can actually wash pretty well with a bucket of water, but you do still need to heat it.

I like this thread. We got a test run last winter when someone hit the power pole and we were without power for a day and a half. Water is the key, and heat. Water is still a marginal issue here where we are although we do have a river out back - not sure I'd want to drink it. Water purifier. (We had plenty stored.) Also, heat as we are all electric here :mad: which drives me crazy. This summer I got a blue flame heater large enough to heat the house. I have tested it out & it's nice. The thing about a test run is getting set up for the "new way" to do things without power. If you are not very reliant on it in the first place, the transition is much easier. You will figure out what needs to be done to make that transition and become more efficient at it.
 
LadyLocust said:
That is an excellent suggestion!
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Thank you.

It really works. People find all kinds of problems they normally wouldn't have thought of, and the time period is just long enough that you actually push yourself to do things like cook, clean, keep yourself entertained..that in a shorter time period, you would just skip through.

BUT, its not so long that if something is totally failing, you don't suffer so much you just give up.

Usually when people have their 'ah ha' moment is the second day, when they wake up and the house is still dark, the heat or cool from the previous day has soaked away and their house has reached its ambient temp. The 'fun' of the first night reading by candle light or whatever has worn off and they have to start solving simple of the grid problems, like how to cook breakfast and the thought that they are going to go all day, and back into night, with the lights still off gets them thinking.

If your already fairly invested in prepping, its not a big deal, but for people just starting, it really gets them thinking the right direction in a way that usually doesn't sink in just from reading about it.
 
We lost the use of all toilets, showers and anything but drinking water for 24 hours. Apparently our septic got fouled up. So NO water down the drains or toilets. Yes we had to go "pioneer" with buckets but for anyone who never had to do this, putting the bucket in the tub, blocking the drain (in case it tips) and using the sides of the tub for stability, comfort, helping you get off the bucket made it easy if icky. Couldn't just use water to empty the toilet as it would not go down.

Plus you were still in your bathroom so everything you needed was there. Last time DH suggested we put the buckets in the garage! Way way harder. Especially since I have no rear meniscus at all (tore it in 1/2) on one knee so cannot just jump up from a lower bucket.

Noted we needed new C& D batteries in the last power down as altho we are net zero solar with full battery back up, of course not knowing how long the crews would take to fix the town's power after the terrible wind storms this month and last, we were planning on using our great boat lanterns instead of candles or led stuff or the batteries.
Bought plenty to last many years.

Water and a way to get and use it is critical. Our 2 deep freezes and house refrigerator and our well are the first priority on our solar battery backup. All else is gravy.
 
We couldn’t do a navy shower because I toilets were full to the brim with Clearwater from testing the flushing before we realized it was the septic and not Plumbing because the septic system was fully stopped up.

That means no drainage, no gravity, help nothing.
Once they pumped out everything was fine. But we did shower the day before and we showered after they left so there was no hardship but yes that would be a big problem we have to figure out- probably a solar shower.
 
Plenty.. :cool: Most-recent was an 'involuntary 3-dayer', back in August, when house-house over from us's 'Guest house' / garage went Ka-Poof! at ~2:30am (..and I was the one who saw it 'flash-over'.. I should prolly start a Thread on that, cuz there were Many 'lessons learned' from that craziness..)

Fire-1.jpg


..Aaaand, guess what was Right in the perfect 'roasting spot' - Yep, aaall those Power lines for our sector, so.. Yep - 'involuntary power-out practice' for just-under 3 days, bada-bing.. :cool:

..and there've been multiple '24-48' situs in past out here ('brown outs' / forced shut-offs, due to 'heat-load', etc) but we had a Really good test, ~ 2015, when a Crazy storm came thru, and knocked down Poles / trees, everything.. Power was out for a Week 'n 1/2, and we Genny and Propaned-thru, just fine.. (Still had NG, but Did take the Op to Test the Propane > Genny adapter, and proved it out just fine.. :cool:

Probably the 'Longest test' was while living down in El Sal, in my Wife's Grandmother's 'finca' for upwards of a month at a time.. Was "on grid" (when the 'grid' was On, which was very 'skippy', at best, sometimes out for 2-3 days at a time..) but no Refri, 100% Well-water, all hand pumped (no 'running' water) 'lleña' (sticks) for Fire to cook and heat water, and 'pitchel' (pitcher) and 55 gal drum to shower, Outside.. (shower was 4 sapling-branches, with 12 mil black plastic for "walls", on a sloped concrete-pan - Wide open to the Sunshine Blue sky.. 😍 ) Some of the Best times of my Life, tho.. 👍

..but prolly the most 'Brutal test' was the infamous 'Great Ice Storm of 1991', up in ol Rottenchester, NY...

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..Was still living 'at Home' (with Grandparents, actually..) so wasn't a "prepper", yet, but.. My Depression-era Grandparents sure taught me the Value of that 'mindset' / Being prepared, during those terrible ~2 weeks.. No NG (and no Power for Heat or Cooking) meant 100% reliance on Fireplace / 'Kerosun' heat, and Propane for cooking, but.. Even so, it was Freaking Cold and a bonafide "disaster". Many did Not have 'preps' - at least not for that Much time - and Really suffered..

We did Not - because they had Prepped.. :cool:

jd
 
The value of having a small at least 2000w, efficient, high quality,quiet inverter generator and ten gallons of stable fuel cannot be overstated.
Just think on this one area..... Back in the middle 90s was the last time I had to use a genny to power essential items at my home (hurricane Opal ) for a little less than two weeks but we still had water and was on a septic system. Using the genny a couple of hours in the morning, one at midday and two at nite would keep the freezer and refrigerator going ....... Now with sooo many addicted to cell phones and portable devices for the low price of one half gallon of gas you can charge your devices at my charging station between the hours of one and two.
They now make those multi port USB plug in charging adapter so four to six can be charged at once.
 
Yesterday early morning power went out due to tree fall, according to a call from the power company, backup power took over instantly and ran our two refrigerators and a few lights. We're getting snowfalls that we've never gotten before in all the years we've lived here, since 1980. We've been praying for snow in the mountains above us, well we got some, now we're praying that it melts off slowly so all the water gets into the watershed. That God for all the firewood we have on hand, it is cold outside and occasionally I can feel the cold seeping into my bones inside our home, before I installed our wood stove I built a pedestal that I can sit on with my back to the stove, it does wonders for taking away the chill.
 
Grid-down is not bad here. Part of the house is on solar(3k) and we have a big generator with extra fuel. Generator noise is not a problem because everyone out here has one and the places are far apart anyway.
Before we had solar we had a longer term grid down and what we missed the most was lights. Yes we had candles, oil lamps, and propane lanterns but still wanted regular lights.
Now we are set up much better. We also have about 900 gallons of stored rainwater that is used to water the garden but could be used for other things. Our generator runs the well pump easily and could be run every few days to get water.
Our closest neighbor has about 80,000 gallons of stored water! (the tanks were there when the bought the place and they use that water for livestock so it is always fresh)
We have non-electric propane heat and cooking with a two-year supply on hand. We also have an RV which we could use for more "normal living" in a grid down scenario too. It has its own solar system. And we have a complete RV hookup next to the house for when others visit and wish to stay in their own camper.
 
dademoss said:
No real world practice for more than a couple hours since 2008, we were grid down for 7 days then.

I am due to replace my deep cycle next year, it's warranty is up.
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You know you can have that deep cycle refurbished for around 150$ if you know where to go.
have a spare. Hint: they rebuild automotive water pumps.
 
So today I was just relaxing in my glider rocker when all the lights went out except a light that is on when there is grid power. I went to the power panel and switched on the power to the inverter/charger and got all the lights back on again, I forgot to switch back to grid power and since Sunday morning we've been running on the solar system and batteries, why the lights went out is because the battery voltage dropped down to the inverter drop out voltage. Last time I looked at the control panel the battery recharge level was at 3%, 26.70 VDC at a 107 amp charge level in Bulk charge, pulling up to 28 amps AC. I'll have to check on the solar controller tomorrow to see if we're getting any solar charging considering that it's been so cloudy with all the snow we've been getting and as well the batteries may get all the charging they need from the inverter/charger. So by accident, I've done a test run on the solar system, lights, TV/DVD, microwave, 400 watt space heater and ceiling fans.
 
Last month we had several days of no power or power losses of over an hour or 2, this has given us a lot to think about. The small solar arrangement we have has proven itself to be insufficient when we have a week of rainy days, so I invested in an inverter/charger. Now I would like to save up for a couple of LifePo4 batteries for use indoors. But for that money I could get a lot of flooded batteries....
 
I finally got my panels back to the owner, his business crashed during the outbreak. :(
He didn't even mention back rent, guess he was just amazed to see someone not ripping him off.
 
viking said:
So today I was just relaxing in my glider rocker when all the lights went out except a light that is on when there is grid power. I went to the power panel and switched on the power to the inverter/charger and got all the lights back on again, I forgot to switch back to grid power and since Sunday morning we've been running on the solar system and batteries, why the lights went out is because the battery voltage dropped down to the inverter drop out voltage. Last time I looked at the control panel the battery recharge level was at 3%, 26.70 VDC at a 107 amp charge level in Bulk charge, pulling up to 28 amps AC. I'll have to check on the solar controller tomorrow to see if we're getting any solar charging considering that it's been so cloudy with all the snow we've been getting and as well the batteries may get all the charging they need from the inverter/charger. So by accident, I've done a test run on the solar system, lights, TV/DVD, microwave, 400 watt space heater and ceiling fans.
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UV has been zero here for ??? days.
 
Yeah, my solar as been pretty pathetic. My 200 watt panels are only pushing 2 watts, even when I get out to clean the snow off them. Definitely not a year round solution. Luckily, thats what everything else is for.
 
We're set up pretty good. Have a 8kw generator n plenty of gasoline. 2 Diesel fuel oil Toyo stoves. Each on its own tank .Wood heat in the garage.
When we are at our cabin i go for months without power. Except for generator. But really don't need that. Coleman lanterns and all the spare parts that I can find at garage sales. Or more cheap lanterns. Last 4 were free for getting them out of the way. I keep 100 gallons of gasoline on hand. But have several oil lamps.
Freezer is full. Rabbits keep having babies. Moose walking through the yard daily.
Probably the hardest thing we have done is rebuilding after a forest fire burned everything we owned. There was no power for weeks. 3 families shared 1 generator when needed.
For water I found the electrical wire to the pump. I had an old hose bib that I put on the water line where it came out of the ground for the burned house. And we had some water jugs in our greenhouse that didn't burn. I bared the wiring going to the pump n would stick them into the 220 generator receptacle after I started it. Still got that old hose bib hanging around.
I'm blessed to be able to do what I can. But it's a lifestyle I think. You can practice. But are you working towards being prepared to take care of yourself as a lifestyle ?
One of the more impressive things about this forum is folks who know how to take care of themselves n theirs.
 
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