It's snowing in Texas

We could actually run the gas heater (fan is electric), refrigerator, and a bunch of our LED lighting with the 9KW generator I have at the hangar/shop, but I'd need a transfer switch setup that probably costs more than the generator to implement. It's good for 13 hours at full load, more than enough. Fill it up at 8AM and 8PM.
 
Sergio said:
Wow! Feb. 2007,it was a bit warmer in Texas when I met you Grandpaul while riding my Norton.
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HEY THERE!!

Yeah, I was cruising along the highway and I spotted a JPN white paint scheme Commando. Slammed on the brakes, crossed the median, punched the gas and caught up to you just to see the bike.

It was nice hearing your travel tales, and seeing the photos you sent me.

Oh, yes, I believe we were in typical triple-digit weather that day...
 
Re-visiting the generator for the house scheme, I can do it very simply with one new 2-pole breaker, just have to be VERY careful to turn OFF the utility input main breaker FIRST!!! I already have a long enough #6 pigtail...
 
Around here that kind of work must be done by red seal tradesman and inspected , as you know shit happens .... most of the gensets further out which actually get used , are a packaged and self contained as far as I know the main switch is auto affair , while I have seen some manual one over the years mostly they just keeping a chest freezer and maybe a water pump running .... cross your t and for the i ..... guy lives in my town has only one arm from exactly what you talking on , just sayin’
 
Craig said:
Around here that kind of work must be done by red seal tradesman and inspected , as you know shit happens .... most of the gensets further out which actually get used , are a packaged and self contained as far as I know the main switch is auto affair , while I have seen some manual one over the years mostly they just keeping a chest freezer and maybe a water pump running .... cross your t and for the i ..... guy lives in my town has only one arm from exactly what you talking on , just sayin’
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Since it's pretty much exactly what I'm already doing with the generator at my shop/hangar, I know it works.

It wouldn't be powering anything 230v, just 110 sub-panel. very simple, as long as it's isolated. I don't need to touch the service side, just turn off the main disconnect, and A/C condenser breaker. Our furnace, water heater and range are all gas.

It won't be automatic by any means. The generator "lives" at the ranch, 10 miles away. I'll have to haul it over, shut off the main, plug it in, and fire it up. So we'll still be without power for some time (IF it happens again, which is not a very high likelihood).
 
I lived in TX in maybe '52, El Paso. Dad worked at White Sands PG. Anyhow, I remember one day it snowed. But not like this month's.

Here in VA I expect it. I keep a 10KW gen ready all winter, never know what's going to happen. During Sandy we were without power for 10 days. And it was hot. The gen runs everything except the stove, A/C, clothes dryer. It's a 240 gen, I just have a 2 sided plug and turn off the main breaker and plug the gen into a 50A 240 socket. It would be nice to have a switchover, but boy are they expensive.

But if you're not ready for it, it's tough. I feel for you guys there. I learned early on living in the country, get ready, I won't do without heat and running water, that's the basics. Gotta flush the toilet and keep the pipes from freezing. My grand parents didn't even have that.

A week and a day to March and then things change.
 
I'm curious for an answer from you many Texan Nortaners, how the hell do people get power bills for 16 grand as being announced on the news? Seems like you could turn on everything 24/7 and not get a bill like that.
 
brokeneagle said:
I'm curious for an answer from you many Texan Nortaners, how the hell do people get power bills for 16 grand as being announced on the news? Seems like you could turn on everything 24/7 and not get a bill like that.
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The system is whacked
 
brokeneagle said:
I'm curious for an answer from you many Texan Nortaners, how the hell do people get power bills for 16 grand as being announced on the news? Seems like you could turn on everything 24/7 and not get a bill like that.
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Texas' free market, supply and demand.
 
well I have seen on Youtube the devastation you guy have to put up with And Buy Now I would have gone all Off-grid and powered our selfs a big ex-army generator a big diesel tank full with diesel would keep the power on for hours and may power some nabour to it may be best to do an operative with some Nabours and share the cost and do the same with your water system as well take things into your own hands as the governments do not care about you even that you pay your tax you all end up the same with nothing time to be all out independent talk this over with your friends and nabours see what they think now take care you all the summer will be on its way soon
 
Craig said:
An old friend of mine lives way out in Advocate NS it back of beyond , he harvests wood sustainably off his 1500 acre lot , he has propane genset good for 14 days running everything in house ..... cost a lot of $
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It’s nice out there .
is that where the guy was running around shooting people last year ?
 
That started in Portapique , then east to Truro , then south to Halifax Mounties shot him dead as he gassed up in Enfield .... 22 dead
 
Ok , I guess I was close .
I have not been there for the last 25 years .
used fly over there to cross the Bay when going into Halifax .
 
brokeneagle said:
I'm curious for an answer from you many Texan Nortaners, how the hell do people get power bills for 16 grand as being announced on the news? Seems like you could turn on everything 24/7 and not get a bill like that.
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Deregulation.
 
Just saw this.

“Those deregulated Texas residential consumers paid $28 billion more for their power since 2004 than they would have paid at the rates charged to the customers of the state’s traditional utilities, according to the Journal’s analysis of data from the federal Energy Information Administration.”

"Some Texans were hit with sky-high electricity bills as the wholesale market price of electricity increased 7,400% following the storm. Texas Governor Greg Abbot has promised relief for those hit with monthly electricity bills that reached as high as $17,300."

www.wsj.com

WSJ News Exclusive | Texas Electric Bills Were $28 Billion Higher Under Deregulation

Texas’s deregulated electricity market left millions in the dark last week. For the past 20 years, its consumers have paid more for their electricity than state residents who are served by traditional utilities, a WSJ investigation found.
www.wsj.com www.wsj.com
 
Just got mine from one of those deregulated providers.... called co-ops.... it was for $97.42.

Since I was without power for a total of 42 hours out of a normal month which has 720 hours, doing the math I suppose my bill would have been $103.15.

Granted that LP gas heats my home, hot water, and is my cooking fuel, I found that during the last frigid 10 days, I used 20 gallons of Propane. At $2.30 per gallon, that amounts to $46.00.

Slick
 
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texasSlick said:
Just got mine from one of those deregulated providers.... called co-ops.... it was for $97.42.

Since I was without power for a total of 42 hours out of a normal month which has 720 hours, doing the math I suppose my bill would have been $103.15.

Granted that LP gas heats my home, hot water, and is my cooking fuel, I found that during the last frigid 10 days, I used 20 gallons of Propane. At $2.30 per gallon, that amounts to $46.00.

Slick
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Our highest bill EVER in this 2800 sq.ft. house (almost 2 years) has been $145. We are with the sole provider in this area, Pedernales Electric Cooperative. My shop is in another location, served by my generator, so hard to determine what it might have been all together.

Our highest bill in Laredo, in a double-wide 1600 sq. ft. mobile home, was $720 (also included my shop). We were with a 3rd party energy reseller, one that is probably socking it to it's customers right about now...
 
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