funny

[Burgerman]

This guys vids are hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At0advb9_fA

[Irving]

Thanks, something else to lose hours of my life watching

[Gnomatic]

This guys vids are hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At0advb9_fA

They are quite funny!

[greybeard]

Thanks, something else to lose hours of my life watching

Yep. Had it not been for a power cut in the early hours, I'd probably still be watching. Funny.

[Burgerman]

I had no power cut. And nobody here did. But our town caused it. It was the thousands of pointless subsidised overpriced corroding windmills that went offline due to the wind gusting and speed changes causing power fluctuations. The grid didnt like that, so it disconnected at 48 herts... Fortunately we are all fed from a gas power station. So you went dark, and it was fine here!

Fortunately power outages in the UK are extremely rare. And usually last for minutes rather than hours if they ever do happen. But still, thats why I have a generator, inverters that run from van or chairs, and a couple of generators. Because you never know.

[greybeard]

We had three cuts during the night. Several hours. I know because I use a CPAP machine for sleep apnoea. Keeps the airways open but wakes me instantly when the power goes off. Then no more sleep until it returns. Bummer. I didn't fancy rummaging around in the dark to fire up my genny. As you say, the cuts are rare and usually short duration.

[Burgerman]

You dont normally ever have a need to do that.

But I suggest a few things. Everything I have is connected to an anderson... However for longer term use:


Your chair has a couple of charged deep cycle batteries in it. If you have a 24V 2kw 240V inverter sat on the shelf, it can power your essentials like a light, electric bed, your air matress, and phone chargers, breathing aids, and anything you feel is essential. at least for 4 to 8 hours or so depending on what you connect to it. In the UK thats normally adequate. ***

If theres a real problem and the power is off for days than theres always the generator. ***
or:

If you need power, your vans anderson, (you did fit one right?) can recharge powerchair batteries directly, run your house via a 12V to 240V inverter so the fridge, heating system (gas) or a 1kw heater in your room, bed, other stuff etc for days while idling.

While your neibours are in darkness.

*** You can safely (ish) power a room, or a full house by switching off the MAIN power switch. And plugging your 2kw inverter or generator, illegally into any wall plug socket.

1. I use the one in my garage for the generator,
2. and a socket in my room, if powered by the chair/inverter.
3. And I leave an inverter under the vans wheel arch, engine running plugged into the vans anderson and use an extention cable to a close by outdoor mains socket.

You need a dodgy cable with a male 3 pin plug on each end. You can do that from an inverter powered by the van/chair/or your generator plugged into the wall. MAKE SURE THE MAIN POWER IS SWITCHED OFF FIRST!!! Ask me how I know all this works...
And seriously, DO NOT TOUCH the ends of that 3 pin adapter between inverter and wall or you may die.

Apply the 12V or the 24V or start the generator LAST.
Your whole house will work unless you try to cook or use some appliance that takes over 2kw or your inverter or generator rating. If you do this, the power will go off.. Again.

When the street power comes back, (your neibours lights are working) disconnect your generator or inverter, BEFORE switching the mains power back on or you may kill the generator or inverter... Or just blow a fuse. But dont test that.

[greybeard]

All good advice. Thanks.
My main chairs have to live downstairs so they're not convenient power sources. But there's no reason why I can't keep a fully charged battery and inverter by the bed as a backup. Actually, the CPAP machine might even run straight from 12v battery. Must check if it's powered by a wall wart. I've a feeling power outages will become more commonplace in the not too distant future.
Last time I tried my inverter it appeared to have died on me. Must dig it out and have a play. Thanks again.

[Burgerman]

It matters much more to those that need power to breath! I would test that backup every few days. Yes a set of old wheelchair batteries kept under the bench/bed or outside - wherever all wired to an anderson 12/24V and an inverter just in case, will be much better than nothing. Just give em a top up every 4 or 5 months.

[greybeard]

Good news, the inverter is working OK. Two reasonable condition batteries now being topped up. So, Grimsby, bring on the outages from your stupid inefficient brain dead windmills. I'm ready for you!!

[Burgerman]

Mmm. Its not that they are faulty. Its that because it was very stormy the power they made was quite large, but intermittently and so the grid couldnt adapt to the additional power coming and going fast enough. As they ADD power to the grid they do so in advance of the AC the sine wave. Which causes the AC frequency across the current to speed up. Generators unload and rpm increaes etc. So the other coal/gas/etc throttle back to maintain the grid at 50 c.p.second. So they did. Just as the intermittent wind stopped, and so now insufficient power was being fed to the grid. This only happened for an instant (wind dropped) and the grid frequency fell to a figure where the windmill power system said. Nope. We need to disconnect. System out of spec. So thats what they did.

So then it dropped some more, and so all the other generating systems also disconnected. Because they are supposed to be adding power at 50 cycles per second.

So its not really something I can do. Its the weather. If you rely on unpredictable renewables thats what is likely to happen. At least solar shuts down slowly at night, so the rest of the system has a chance to add fuel, and torque at the generators to up power a bit to take over the loss.

I might add that my own solar setup, works the same. If the grids AC frequency drops below 49 herts or over 51 it will cut off all power. So when this happens thousands of microgenerating stations, as well as big power plants, will disconnect.

[Gnomatic]

Backup power always a good idea. About 10yrs ago my area lost power for five days. A small 2kw generator saved me. Charged my neighbor and I's chairs, kept the fridge/freezer cold enough. And other odds and ends. But it still sucked. Afterwards I bought a standby generator that runs off my gas line, and had it wired into my main breaker panel. Ever since when the power goes out for 10 sec or so, the generator kicks on and the auto transfer switch cuts the grid tie and my entire home then runs off the generator once its spun up, till the transfer switch senses the return of grid power and hands off my main breaker panel back to the grid.

I have all my PC's etc and other important electronics plugged into UPS batteries, to cover the 10-20sec delay between gid power cut and generator startup and auto transfer switch to kick in. My system cost ~$5K installed I believe, but its been worth every penny and then some...

[Burgerman]

Do you know when most people suddenly realise this?

Roughly 5 or 6 hours after the power vanished. The inability to do *anything*...
Call the power company to find out whats going on? Cant the phone needs its "base" powered even though the phone line still works. Never mind I will check on the internet. Cant... Thats down because your modem needs power even if the cable or fibre still active. Coffe while you wait? Nope... Never mind then, I will take a shower. Nope. How about the heating, thats gas. Yes but it need power... So you are now freezing cold too. And the freezer is starting its defrosting. And its getting dark. Quick, charge the torch batteries. Nope... Try the phone again. Nope. TV because you are bored shitless to find some news. No way.

So then You cant charge you chairs, see anything, cook, boil a kettle, turn on the GAS heating, or do anything. You cant contact anyone, or call anyone. You 1 day smart phone is dead obviously. And no electric bed, or no recharging breathing aperatus if thats needed.

About now you realise how much less silent and dark, and cold the world would be IF YOU HAD A GENERATOR or even a van, and an inverter, etc. But that now is too late!

*******************************************************



Do it today. Even a cheap budget 2kw inverter and a connection to your cars battery and an extention lead. That alone can give you a couple of kw of PEAK power (for starting fridges or strip lights etc) and 1kw of power continuously for a day or two in needed from an idling car. At 12V a 1kw load will take around 90A from your van. And thats the most you should subject your cars alternator to. Thats way more than lights, laptop, central heating pump, electric beds etc need. Dont use high watt gadgets like heaters!

Sort out connection (anderson) and and a 120/240AC extension cable, and test that it all works. Realise that if you switch off the main switch FIRST, you can illegally connect the inverter to any wall socket with a double ended cable. That is HOT so be careful. Then the whole house will work as normal at least for lights and low power stuff. Dont try washing machines, or cooking or electric heaters. But everything else will work. Your solar system grid tie will even help. Adding more kw in the day as needed.

[greybeard]

True enough.

But then the lights come back on and.......... I know what BM says makes absolute sense............. I'll see to all that later...............!!!!!!!

Until the next time..........

[Burgerman]

And of course always turn on all the lights that face your neibours...

That alone makes it worthwhile!