Homer":31qza5nw said:
You seem to have a pretty good handle on it there Miss M.
Then I listened really well when my husband was talking!
:lol:
Homer":31qza5nw said:
open the main before connecting and starting it
"Open" means "turn off", right? Like opening and closing a circuit?
Homer":31qza5nw said:
If public service come back on while your generator is connected it WILL be destroyed
I did not know that. I think I'll stick to cords. :shock:
Homer":31qza5nw said:
We have a 6000 watt one for our house that puts out 220 vac. I start and transfer loads manually and there is nothing to it. 6kw gives you a bit over 25 amps available at 220 volts. Put a dedicated 220 volt/30 amp breaker in your box that goes to your generator plugin ONLY. When you need gen power just open the main, start the generator then turn the dedicated breaker on. (shut off all unnecessary breakers first)
We have a Ridgid 5700 watt one (7125 W startup). My husband is planning to install a dedicated outlet that is centrally located to the refrigerators and freezer, and connecting the generator to that, when needed.
MaggieJ":31qza5nw said:
Just saw that Hawaii also had an earthquake - 4.5 on the Richter scale. Just what they need with the two hurricanes bearing down on them.
Wow...
dayna":31qza5nw said:
I'm electrically challenged. I changed a dead outlet ONE TIME but so far that's the extent of my electrician work. haha
Uh... that's way more than most people can do!
dayna":31qza5nw said:
Everyone, I've only lived in Hawaii for a couple years and this is the first hurricane to hit the Big Island in recorded history (?). Which isn't that long but usually it misses the Big Island.
I didn't realize... it looks like Iniki was the last storm to hit Hawaii? In '92?
dayna":31qza5nw said:
Here's the buns all safe and sound!
That looks great!
Hopefully, you don't have any climbers. :roll: Probably not, though.
dayna":31qza5nw said:
Thanks everyone! I'd rather over prepare than under.
Absolutely! Try to make sure all your gas tanks (cars included) are full. Fill any bathtubs or large buckets with water, so you have something to sponge off with, flush toilets with, etc. It's good to have bottled water at home, though as an only drinking water source, that wouldn't last long with all the animals. Hopefully, your water doesn't get contaminated or anything.
I think it's 8 drops of bleach (not old bleach, it should be less than 6 months old to still be strong enough) per gallon of water, stir, let stand until it no longer smells like bleach... that should render water safe to drink, as long as it isn't chemically contaminated. Or boil it.
We've only had to boil water once, and I don't think that was even hurricane-related, so you should be okay.
Your main thing to do to prepare right now is to secure everything you have outside. If you have a pool, throw all your outdoor furniture and everything else that is okay with water into it. Everything else needs to be brought inside. Look at everything as a potential projectile -- if your house is boarded up, that potted plant could still go through your neighbor's window.
Make sure you have all your flashlights out and ready with good batteries. Plenty of batteries. Any lanterns you have, too. Glow sticks. Make sure you know where they are. If you have glow sticks, wear one around your neck, ready to break if you lose power. Have a radio out and ready with fresh batteries. You should have at least one local station that will go to constant or at least frequent hurricane coverage. If you have a tracking map, you can get coordinates from the radio, so you know when the worst has passed. Food that can be eaten as is, straight out of the can (which you will need a manual opener for, or a strong knife) or bag or whatever. Vienna sausages, potted meat, trail mix, crackers, etc. Other canned food that you can heat over a grill or campstove.
I don't know what your sewer situation is. If you have a septic system, you may have some backing up due to too much water in the system, but it shouldn't last long. If you have city sewer, you may have some backing up due to too much water as well. If your sewage goes to a lift station, you will quickly not be able to send anything down any sort of drain in your house. You may need to designate a 5-gallon bucket lined with a trash bag and topped with a toilet seat. Peat moss or lime will help with odor, as will a healthy dose of Pine Sol.
Just trying to think of a lot of the situations we had to deal with. It's highly possible that your local stores are already out of batteries, canned goods, bread, flashlights... even gas. But... since there hasn't been a hurricane there in so long, maybe not. You tend to live prepared when hurricanes keep hitting you.