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My dad has a generator attached to his well yeah. I’m betting you could do the same.
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Dec 19, 2023 17:58
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Jenkl posted:Homeowners thread: Our septic guy says he thinks it's highly unlikely we'll lose the house
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Dec 19, 2023 17:58
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GlyphGryph posted:Apparently having a well means that losing power means losing water. That should have been obvious if I ever thought about it but I didnt. It is less than ideal. Not being able to flush for a day and a half is a real bummer during what is otherwise one of my favorite things. You'll have to be a lot more specific about your needs and potentially wants. This can be done with anything from a $600 portable generator and extension cord to a 5 figure whole house generator setup that automatically starts and runs for up to 3+ days off of a gigantic propane tank buried in your yard.
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Dec 19, 2023 18:15
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Motronic posted:You'll have to be a lot more specific about your needs and potentially wants. This can be done with anything from a $600 portable generator and extension cord to a 5 figure whole house generator setup that automatically starts and runs for up to 3+ days off of a gigantic propane tank buried in your yard. All I really want is to be able to keep the well going so I have running water, although keeping the control system for the heat online would be a nice bonus. A portable generator would be preferable too, I guess, since I could use it for other things. I don't know what I need to actually make that happen, though - I guess that probably depends on how everything is hooked up? Right now I'm basically in phase where I'm trying to figure out what questions I should even be asking to determine what I need to do next.
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Dec 19, 2023 18:21
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GlyphGryph posted:All I really want is to be able to keep the well going so I have running water, although keeping the control system for the heat online would be a nice bonus. A portable generator would be preferable too, I guess, since I could use it for other things. I don't know what I need to actually make that happen, though - I guess that probably depends on how everything is hooked up? Yeah and you’ll probably need an electrician to wire the generator hookup for you too since the well is probably directly wired in. If the well is off on its own it wouldn’t be too bad.
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Dec 19, 2023 18:25
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Yeah, if you want a portable generator there are things than can be done to make this happen in an easier and less expensive way, like making your well and (I assume gas or oil) heater plug into an outlet rather than being directly hard wired. Then have alternate outlets next to them that go to an inlet on the outside of your house that you can plug your portable generator into. If the power goes out you swap the outlets these thing are attached to and fire up the generator. You can also potentially go with a breaker interlock where your generator is fed to a breaker that can only be turned on when the main breaker is off. This will feed the entire house but you won't be able to run everything. Lights/TV/well/fossil heater/microwave/TVs/chargers/fridge/freezer work just fine on a 5k-7k generator. You aren't running your electric oven/dryer/water heater or the AC. Then you get into more expensive solutions with separate panels for the generator to feed.
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Dec 19, 2023 18:37
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Thanks, this has already been helpful on getting me started figuring out what to look for!
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Dec 19, 2023 20:05
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I missed water heater chat by a little bit but I've got a basic rear end question! In our shower we don't have the most precise temperature control, in fact I usually have to turn it to scalding hot then back to ice cold, to get it to actually reach a happy medium. Is this something that flushing my water heater can help with? It's a gas water heater, I think installed in... 2020? Pretend I know nothing about water heaters, because I don't.
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Dec 19, 2023 20:10
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Johnny Truant posted:I missed water heater chat by a little bit but I've got a basic rear end question! Sounds like a typical (kohler) sticking pressure balancer and bad mixer cap. I'm sure other makes have similar issues.
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Dec 19, 2023 20:12
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I can definitely report back the brand/model tonight - is that something I can reasonably fix myself?
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Dec 19, 2023 20:16
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Jenkl posted:Homeowners thread: Our septic guy says he thinks it's highly unlikely we'll lose the house
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Dec 19, 2023 20:33
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Johnny Truant posted:I can definitely report back the brand/model tonight - is that something I can reasonably fix myself? If it is or is like a Kohler it's $60 worth of parts that, providing nothing is super stuck because of crusty water, you can swap out in like 15 minutes with whater screwdriver/allen wrench you need to get the handle off (depends on the trim) an adjustable wrench (maybe), a #2-ish screw phillips driver to take off the valve and a pair of needle nose pliers to pull the balancer out after you've taken off the mixing valve. Put some silicone grease on the gaskets of the new parts and slam it all back together again.
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Dec 19, 2023 20:41
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Jenkl posted:Homeowners thread: Our septic guy says he thinks it's highly unlikely we'll lose the house  great job mods
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Dec 19, 2023 20:52
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When we'd lose power to the well pump at my family home we'd flush with a 5 gallon pail we filled from roof runoff if available, or one of the creeks on the property.
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Dec 19, 2023 21:55
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TerminalSaint posted:When we'd lose power to the well pump at my family home we'd flush with a 5 gallon pail we filled from roof runoff if available, or one of the creeks on the property. Yep, and we also had a bunch of those kerosene lanterns. Goddamn, my kid is gonna think I grew up in the 1800s. And in the winter, it used to actually snow multiple feet at times! And I had to shovel my way 1/2 mile to the bus stop when it did! Gods honest truth!
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Dec 19, 2023 22:26
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Motronic posted:You can also potentially go with a breaker interlock where your generator is fed to a breaker that can only be turned on when the main breaker is off. This will feed the entire house but you won't be able to run everything. Lights/TV/well/fossil heater/microwave/TVs/chargers/fridge/freezer work just fine on a 5k-7k generator. You aren't running your electric oven/dryer/water heater or the AC. Yep. We're doing this method and the peace of mind alone is worth it. My buddy still lives in Texas and worriedly sent me the article from a couple days ago, I guess someone sued the utility over the snowpocalypse and the judge said "yep they're not legally required to generate electricity". Fucker nearly froze to death in his own house, most of the pipes froze and burst. Our generator (7500w continuous, 9500 peak) won't run the heater but it will at least run the Internet + microwave + standard 1800w space heater + TV laptops and phones for a couple of days. That ought to solve at least the 99th percentile of realistic prepper scenarios
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Dec 19, 2023 22:39
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There I fixed it no I didn't There's a plastic... Drainage thing under there that is supposed to direct the water away from the house. The water just sort of was splashing off it with about half going back towards the house and then running down to the foundation. Now at least 98% of the water runs down the aluminum foil and ~36" away from the foundation I'll go by the hardware store and get a proper fix tonight 
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Dec 19, 2023 22:54
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Motronic posted:You can also potentially go with a breaker interlock where your generator is fed to a breaker that can only be turned on when the main breaker is off. This will feed the entire house but you won't be able to run everything. Lights/TV/well/fossil heater/microwave/TVs/chargers/fridge/freezer work just fine on a 5k-7k generator. You aren't running your electric oven/dryer/water heater or the AC. I have done this at the past two houses I've owned using Reliance Transfer Switches and one house of a friends using a interlock kit and for my next house - assuming I don't go with a true whole-house unit - I would go with the interlock kit. Yeah, you have to have a handful of functioning brain cells and know not to run your whole house AC and cooktop on it, you will have to brief your spouse on what not to do, but it is so much more convenient to have all the lights in the house work, and the well pump, and that one outlet that you plug your phone into, etc. rather than trying to guess ahead of time which circuits you must have protected. Also, it's almost 2024 - buy an inverter generator when you do. I ended up with an Everlast because it was 1/4th the price of the Honda and offered a true 240v twist-lock hookup, but you can get smaller versions if you wanted to just power a single leg. The inverter makes such a difference with computers and other electronics.
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Dec 19, 2023 22:55
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skybolt_1 posted:Also, it's almost 2024 - buy an inverter generator when you do. I ended up with an Everlast because it was 1/4th the price of the Honda and offered a true 240v twist-lock hookup, but you can get smaller versions if you wanted to just power a single leg. The inverter makes such a difference with computers and other electronics. Most non inverter generators that aren't the cheapest thing you can find do just fine as far as voltage/frequency/thd so I really wouldn't be concerned about that. The real trick of inverter generators is saving fuel and lower noise when, for the bulk of the time it's on, you aren't running at full RPMs which is pretty much the same noise level as full load. Those things will throttle down when you're just watching TV with the lights on or whatever and throttle up for the 45 seconds your well pump needs to run. I guess my point is that it's great, but I wouldn't consider one necessary even if you're running electronics off of it. A mid level non inverter generac/briggs/honda is better than no generator because you can't afford a big enough inverter unit. Or a 2000 watt inverter that will stall if your fridge is running when the well pump turns on as opposed to the 7500 watt mid tier non-inverter you could get for the same price that will run all of those things and more.
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Dec 19, 2023 23:04
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Motronic posted:Most non inverter generators that aren't the cheapest thing you can find do just fine as far as voltage/frequency/thd so I really wouldn't be concerned about that. The real trick of inverter generators is saving fuel and lower noise when, for the bulk of the time it's on, you aren't running at full RPMs which is pretty much the same noise level as full load. Those things will throttle down when you're just watching TV with the lights on or whatever and throttle up for the 45 seconds your well pump needs to run. To be fair, my comparison was going from "balky, cantankerous 22 year old Coleman with a history of carb failures" to "brand new Champion inverter" so I am def. going to be biased. You are correct tho, for the money I could have gotten a generator that put out like 18kw and run my house plus my neighbors. The throttle up / throttle down thing owns bones though.
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Dec 19, 2023 23:12
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My front-loading, compact Samsung washing machine is making a ton of noise on the spin cycle to the point that it sounds like something is banging around. I'll call a technician soon but I'm steeling myself for the possibility of having to replace it outright. Because of size constraints, any replacement has to be compact, and it has be stackable. Is there a washing machine and dryer brand that doesn't suck these days?
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Dec 19, 2023 23:38
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skybolt_1 posted:I have done this at the past two houses I've owned using Reliance Transfer Switches and one house of a friends using a interlock kit and for my next house - assuming I don't go with a true whole-house unit - I would go with the interlock kit. Alternatively if your utility allows it, this is an option too https://www.generlink.com/generlink.html
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Dec 19, 2023 23:53
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GlyphGryph posted:Apparently having a well means that losing power means losing water. That should have been obvious if I ever thought about it but I didnt. It is less than ideal. Not being able to flush for a day and a half is a real bummer during what is otherwise one of my favorite things. How is your well currently powered, is it hard-wired to your panel?
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Dec 20, 2023 04:53
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My parents are in a very rural area with a well and periodic power problems after storms. They went with a Powerwall instead of a replacement generator. Might be worth considering in place of the higher end generator options.
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Dec 20, 2023 13:45
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skybolt_1 posted:To be fair, my comparison was going from "balky, cantankerous 22 year old Coleman with a history of carb failures" to "brand new Champion inverter" so I am def. going to be biased. You are correct tho, for the money I could have gotten a generator that put out like 18kw and run my house plus my neighbors. Using the full range of variable speed can be an issue if you're running large inductive loads. At our old place we had a Generac 3kW inverter generator which was unable to start an older refrigerator when in Eco mode (the variable speed option) but had absolutely zero trouble when running at a higher RPM. Additionally some inverter generators with electric start require an at least semi-charged battery to be present to run, even if you intend to pull start them. Some manufacturers rig the ignition system to be controlled by the inverter/engine controller, and I guess that the engine doesn't spin fast enough for long enough in a pull start to power up those circuits. A 12V jump pack for a car works just dandy though, and once the generator is running and producing power it will sustain itself without a battery. Just some things to watch out for.
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Dec 20, 2023 16:01
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Which reminds me I should probably start and run the generator for the first time since summer
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Dec 20, 2023 19:41
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I should pull mine out and run it as well. It's been several years. It was run dry last time it was run, so it should be OK. Probably should change the oil. I don't think I've put 24-hours on it since I bought it in 2002. Got it after a 4-day power outage here in NJ, I had to sleep in my car with an inverter & my CPAP.
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Dec 20, 2023 19:47
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PainterofCrap posted:I should pull mine out and run it as well. It's been several years. It was run dry last time it was run, so it should be OK. Probably should change the oil. I was thinking about getting an inverter for emergency power from the car myself.
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Dec 20, 2023 21:35
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Any recommendations for a small document safe that's as fireproof and waterproof as possible? It's to store our wills, which apparently have to exist as notarized physical copies and can't go into a safe deposit box in a bank - those apparently get locked if a bank sees a death notice and need a court order to open. I figure if I put it in a basement corner it's as safe from fire as it gets, but floods are another question entirely.
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Dec 21, 2023 18:40
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MJP posted:Any recommendations for a small document safe that's as fireproof and waterproof as possible? It's to store our wills, which apparently have to exist as notarized physical copies and can't go into a safe deposit box in a bank - those apparently get locked if a bank sees a death notice and need a court order to open. IMO your best bet is to just use ziplock bags for the documents and any old fire safe that is rated to a level you feel comfortable. Most fire safes "require" that you open them periodically to dump humidity because of reasons, I solve this by just ziplocking everything so it doesn't get damp.
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Dec 21, 2023 18:46
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Humidity is no joke inside safes, for a great example see the mold stains on my passport that caused raised eyebrows from customs.
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Dec 21, 2023 23:12
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raggedphoto posted:Humidity is no joke inside safes, for a great example see the mold stains on my passport that caused raised eyebrows from customs. https://www.amazon.com/GoldenRod-Dehumidifier-Installation-Operation-Prevention/dp/B00D1WYXR0?th=1 Us TFR types have been using these things forever.
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Dec 21, 2023 23:14
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My house has an indirect heating water tank as part of a boiler system for radiant heating in our house. I just took a look at our water heater because my wife wants to see if we can get the shower water hotter. 1. Water heater is set to 170 F (!) 2. Mixing valve is mixing it down to 110 F. Is there any advantage to keeping the water heater that (what seems like insanely) high? I should probably use the mixing valve to adjust the temperature up, right?
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Dec 22, 2023 03:48
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Yeah, 120f is what my hwt guy said to leave our system at, I was complaining and he said if that's not hot enough, I probably have an issue at the shower tap. (he was right, Moen cartridge was shot). Edit, I've got a tankless system, 170f in your tank seems way high and is then mixed down? Almost sounds like they're compensating for a undersized tank. unknown fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Dec 22, 2023 |
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Dec 22, 2023 04:10
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Keeping it hot and mixing down to not burning is to prevent build up of legionnaire's disease yeah? Also other bacteria because it's sitting at rapid pasteurization temps (though all you need for that is 15 seconds at 161ish tbh). Yeah if you want hotter sink/shower water, adjust the mixing valve up a bit. Be careful if you have young kids.
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Dec 22, 2023 04:42
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MJP posted:Any recommendations for a small document safe that's as fireproof and waterproof as possible? It's to store our wills, which apparently have to exist as notarized physical copies and can't go into a safe deposit box in a bank - those apparently get locked if a bank sees a death notice and need a court order to open. Can’t you leave a copy on file with a lawyer for a pretty nominal fee?
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Dec 22, 2023 05:51
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MJP posted:Any recommendations for a small document safe that's as fireproof and waterproof as possible? It's to store our wills, which apparently have to exist as notarized physical copies and can't go into a safe deposit box in a bank - those apparently get locked if a bank sees a death notice and need a court order to open. I got a fire resistant bag, and inside that the papers are in a big ziploc bag. I put that on a tall shelf.
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Dec 22, 2023 06:28
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Cyrano4747 posted:Can’t you leave a copy on file with a lawyer for a pretty nominal fee? You can also see if your city/county/whatever jurisdiction has a will repository. The county I live in does, it’s like $20 to leave your will there and they’ll hold on to it.
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Dec 22, 2023 06:32
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MJP posted:those apparently get locked if a bank sees a death notice and need a court order to open. This might not help you but that’s why my dad put me on the lockboxes so I can still access them.
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Dec 22, 2023 07:27
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MJP posted:Any recommendations for a small document safe that's as fireproof and waterproof as possible? It's to store our wills, which apparently have to exist as notarized physical copies and can't go into a safe deposit box in a bank - those apparently get locked if a bank sees a death notice and need a court order to open. I use a bog-standard firebox safe, about 14" cube. I keep it in the attic, locked at all times. You can ziploc your wills & keep them in one of these. I have my notarized will in it. Everyone in my immediate family has a copy, it's in PDF and Word, on every hard drive & a couple of thumb drives, one also in the firebox. I'm more worried about survivors getting my passwords, which are on an encrypted WORD document on a floppy disc, and one thumb drive. No one knows the password to open the WORD document but me, it's not written down anywhere.
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Dec 22, 2023 07:57
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