Mr. Fixit Strikes Again. For Real!

[Moondog Wily]

That'd be Square D...
She's good; you're good.

Thanks for that, makes me feel more comfortable about her situation!

 

[gush]

That is a really good idea! I will take my infrared camera to my friend's house next time I go over there and take a looksie to see what it says when I am pointing it at the breaker box!! I will do that on my own two boxes as well (one for grid feed, one for solar feed)!!!

FedEx has a company go to each location and test their control centers like this once a year.

 

[show_a_little_faith]

I really hate planned obsolescence. They make stuff hard to fix to try to deter us from fixing it ourselves. They also make it hard to get the parts. It definitely is frustrating.

the folks at https://www.partselect.com/ helped me keep my washing machine going for many extra years. They've got all kinds of parts for tons of appliances, as well as "how to" videos for many of the repairs. Super useful!

 

[Moondog Wily]

the folks at https://www.partselect.com/ helped me keep my washing machine going for many extra years. They've got all kinds of parts for tons of appliances, as well as "how to" videos for many of the repairs. Super useful!

I have purchased some parts from them. ifixit.com is good too for instruction. I recently watched a short interview with the founder of ifixit and he was talking about how they are constantly being sued by companies for posting info on how to fix a companies products. Rather than thanking ifixit for making consumers happy and extending product lifespans, they are suing them. In California, that will no longer be an issue based on the new law that was passed and I believe ifixit is located in Cali.

 

[Daryl Jones]

Have sort of been there with power outages. Thankfully I/we have two backup heat sources in the house. Damn handy when it's 40 below and the juice goes out and it's necessity and not just added comfort.
But what I came here to say was about your breaker panel. Just because it "looks" on, doesn't mean it didn't trip. Always flip the breaker fully off and then switch it back on. If there's no fault, it will manually reset. If it doesn't, there are other issues. Just saying.

 

[László]

Have sort of been there with power outages. Thankfully I/we have two backup heat sources in the house. Damn handy when it's 40 below and the juice goes out and it's necessity and not just added comfort.

A couple of years ago we learned we aren't allowed to have gas generators in this condo complex (we applied to have a permanent Generac automatic gas generator installed), so I have a rechargeable portable battery that will run the fridge for about a day without solar panels, or indefinitely with them, as well as run any other appliance.

We bought it in case I need backup power to send work files elsewhere and the system is down. Most of our outages have come during spring and summer storms. But it has enough juice to run a fridge for a day without a recharge, and save the food!

It'll recharge on solar, AC (my brother has a Generac I can use to recharge it in about 1 1/2 hours), or even from the car if it's running (that takes a bit longer, about 2.5 hours).

So it's never down for very long. However, we haven't had to recharge it during an outage yet - the longest one has been about a day since we got it. Weighs 35 or so pounds, so it's easy to transport for charging when that's necessary.

I check its status every month, but so far a charge seems to last about a year at 100%. That's beyond its spec, so I'm happy with it.

However, as a result of this furnace problem, we were rudely reminded that in winter we need more power to be able to run the furnace if we have an outage, especially important to prevent burst pipes ruining the valuable equipment in the studio. Since I run my business here, it's crucial to have backup power.

So I just ordered a second, more powerful one. It has twice the power, plus optional add-on storage batteries that give it six times the capacity of the first one. That's enough juice to power the essential stuff in the house for about 2-3 days if we don't go overboard.

I'm having a circuit-selectable transfer switch installed so I can run selected circuits in the house in the event of an outage.

But what I came here to say was about your breaker panel. Just because it "looks" on, doesn't mean it didn't trip. Always flip the breaker fully off and then switch it back on. If there's no fault, it will manually reset. If it doesn't, there are other issues. Just saying.

This is a great tip, and indeed I always do that.

 

[Prina]

But it has enough juice to run a fridge for a day without a recharge, and save the food!

That's a major battery. What brand and model?

 

[László]

That's a major battery. What brand and model?

The one I got over a year ago is the EcoFlow Delta. I did have to put it to the test with the fridge during an all day power outage; the caveat is that different refrigerator models use different amounts of power.

The battery still had juice left when the power came back on.

The new one hasn't arrived yet; it's another EcoFlow with double the juice and it can be expanded, which we will do. It'll run with a transfer switch; the one I got last year isn't compatible with a transfer switch. But now we're greedy for battery backups!

 

[Black Plaid]

The one I got over a year ago is the EcoFlow Delta. I did have to put it to the test with the fridge during an all day power outage; the caveat is that different refrigerator models use different amounts of power.

The battery still had juice left when the power came back on.

The new one hasn't arrived yet; it's another EcoFlow with double the juice and it can be expanded, which we will do. It'll run with a transfer switch; the one I got last year isn't compatible with a transfer switch. But now we're greedy for battery backups!

I got a nat gas Generac here, but, I thought, what if that also fails? I tried asking our electrician what it would take to have a back up battery solution for if the generator failed. He looked at me like a deer in headlights, so I dropped it.

I still want to tho!

 

[László]

I got a nat gas Generac here, but, I thought, what if that also fails? I tried asking our electrician what it would take to have a back up battery solution for if the generator failed. He looked at me like a deer in headlights, so I dropped it.

I still want to tho!

We wanted a nat gas Generac. The condo board refused to approve it, people complain about the noise, so it's only allowed if you have certain medical conditions that the law requires them to approve, and then if you move, you have to have it removed as well as the concrete pad at your expense.

Their position is, to me, stupid and shortsighted; most condos in the area allow them for anyone who wants one.

My brother has a Generac, and of course I wish I had one. His transfer switch is automatic, and it starts up within an instant if the power goes out, though there was an outage where it didn't work and he needed it serviced to work again.

So we bought the battery thing just to have something for emergencies - for example, if I need to send a client a track and lose power at the time the client needs it, etc (this has happened, and the client had much anxiety over it!).

But it's also useful for other stuff, like not having a grand worth of food in the fridge go bad. I like that it's light enough to be recharged at someone else's house in a relatively short time.

It's also completely, 100% silent in operation, and doesn't need to be run once a week or maintained other than keeping it topped up - so far in one year I haven't had to do that, I check it every week and it's always at 100%. The only recharge was last fall when the power went out and we used it.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

The new one hasn't arrived yet; it's another EcoFlow with double the juice and it can be expanded,

Which model did you buy? The EcoFlow are very nice units.

 

[Black Plaid]

We wanted a nat gas Generac. The condo board refused to approve it, people complain about the noise, so it's only allowed if you have certain medical conditions that the law requires them to approve, and then if you move, you have to have it removed as well as the concrete pad at your expense.

Their position is, to me, stupid and shortsighted; most condos in the area allow them for anyone who wants one.

My brother has a Generac, and of course I wish I had one. His transfer switch is automatic, and it starts up within an instant if the power goes out, though there was an outage where it didn't work and he needed it serviced to work again.

So we bought the battery thing just to have something for emergencies - for example, if I need to send a client a track and lose power at the time the client needs it, etc (this has happened, and the client had much anxiety over it!).

But it's also useful for other stuff, like not having a grand worth of food in the fridge go bad. I like that it's light enough to be recharged at someone else's house in a relatively short time.

It's also completely, 100% silent in operation, and doesn't need to be run once a week or maintained other than keeping it topped up - so far in one year I haven't had to do that, I check it every week and it's always at 100%. The only recharge was last fall when the power went out and we used it.

Myt neighbor has solar and batteries. I kinda wish I had gone that route, but the logistics for this old house didn't seem like they would work out (going to need a new roof sooner rather than later)

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Myt neighbor has solar and batteries. I kinda wish I had gone that route, but the logistics for this old house didn't seem like they would work out (going to need a new roof sooner rather than later)

It’s a big investment to make.

For me in the UK, it’s the equivalent of buying 10 - 15 years of electric up front.

 

[show_a_little_faith]

We wanted a nat gas Generac. The condo board refused to approve it, people complain about the noise, so it's only allowed if you have certain medical conditions that the law requires them to approve, and then if you move, you have to have it removed as well as the concrete pad at your expense.

Their position is, to me, stupid and shortsighted; most condos in the area allow them for anyone who wants one.

My brother has a Generac, and of course I wish I had one. His transfer switch is automatic, and it starts up within an instant if the power goes out, though there was an outage where it didn't work and he needed it serviced to work again.

So we bought the battery thing just to have something for emergencies - for example, if I need to send a client a track and lose power at the time the client needs it, etc (this has happened, and the client had much anxiety over it!).

But it's also useful for other stuff, like not having a grand worth of food in the fridge go bad. I like that it's light enough to be recharged at someone else's house in a relatively short time.

It's also completely, 100% silent in operation, and doesn't need to be run once a week or maintained other than keeping it topped up - so far in one year I haven't had to do that, I check it every week and it's always at 100%. The only recharge was last fall when the power went out and we used it.

One of my dreams is a Generac, but I don't think my wife would ever go for it. I'm estimating the cost would be +/- $10,000, and it's not like we have frequent outages or anything. To me, it's more of insurance - when power does go, it's almost always during big storms, often winter. I'm paranoid about the pipes freezing without the furnace, or in summer the basement flooding because the sump pump has no power. Plus obviously things like the fridge, as well as our own general comfort.

But we've literally gone years without a sustained outage, so it's definitely a hard sell. And unlike say, expensive guitars (ahem), I wouldn't be able to discretely tuck a new generator away from her prying eyes

 

[Black Plaid]

It’s a big investment to make.

For me in the UK, it’s the equivalent of buying 10 - 15 years of electric up front.

The way electricity prices are here, and solar keeping coming down in cost, it's more like 3 - 4 years here.

When I first saw you say that, I thought you meant 10 years of electric guitars. Which tells you just how broken I am.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

The way electricity prices are here, and solar keeping coming down in cost, it's more like 3 - 4 years here.

When I first saw you say that, I thought you meant 10 years of electric guitars. Which tells you just how broken I am.

Genuine chuckle when I read your comment.

 

[László]

One of my dreams is a Generac, but I don't think my wife would ever go for it. I'm estimating the cost would be +/- $10,000, and it's not like we have frequent outages or anything. To me, it's more of insurance - when power does go, it's almost always during big storms, often winter. I'm paranoid about the pipes freezing without the furnace, or in summer the basement flooding because the sump pump has no power. Plus obviously things like the fridge, as well as our own general comfort.

But we've literally gone years without a sustained outage, so it's definitely a hard sell. And unlike say, expensive guitars (ahem), I wouldn't be able to discretely tuck a new generator away from her prying eyes

We're unfortunately in an area with a lot of trees. I thought that was cool, but now I call it The Revenge of Nature!

In storms they fall on the power lines and we have outages at least once a year, usually more like 2-3. Sometimes they only last a day, but occasionally they go a couple of days. Drives us nuts. I can't believe I waited so long to actually do something about it!