Power outage prep…

[Pepere]

Monday we had a significant rain and windstorm in Southern Maine…. 
 

observed wind speeds of 60 mph experienced.

 

I experienced momentary losses and grid circuit breakers reset…

but

By storms end, 60% pf my town had lost power, and 8 hours 30% are still without.

my County as a whole saw 75% outage and currently is about 25% outage..

Best estimate is restoration by 10:00 pm Friday night…

 

This has turned out to be the worst power outage in Central Maines History.

 

much worse than the Ice Storm of 1998 as it is more widespread..

 

are you prepared for a 5 day outage? It can happen even if it is radically out of the normal yearly expectations…

[Tlindsey]

On 12/20/2023 at 5:31 PM, Pepere said:

are you prepared for a 5 day outage?

Tbh I only have battery operated pumps on hand. That my biggest fear because it's cold now where I live. 

[nabokovfan87]

Heaters. Nope. We have a generator, but not a whole house one and I can run some heaters in a pinch. I would need something like a solar panel to charge a battery longer term.

I have a single air stone that can run for a week. Media goes in the tank, clean the filter, and just run air.

For my other tank, I would have to run it with batteries. I do have enough pumps and batteries to keep them happy. Just those heaters.

[Cory]

I think battery air pumps and a BBQ with some propane to heat and mix water and pour into the aquarium will get most people through.

[Pepere]

On 12/21/2023 at 2:12 AM, Cory said:

I think battery air pumps and a BBQ with some propane to heat and mix water and pour into the aquarium will get most people through

Yes, but, do you have the ability to keep that battery air pump running for 5 days?  if it is a lithium ion battery air pump, how are you going to recharge it when it runs out?

My son and daughter in law are going to wake up to the start of their 4th day without grid electricity in a few hours.

I lived through the ice storm of 1998 which in my local area was much worse than this storm.  Not as bad. For Central Maine Power as a whole as it was not as widespread, but locally much worse.  We had portable generators, but on day two of the storm, there were only 3 gas stations in town that still had electricity on that could pump gas.  A generator that burns 5 gallons of gas a day becomes useless once you run out of gas and can not replenish.  
 

All grocery stores were reopened with battery lighting and calculators at the check out by order of the governor…   Cash only….   I walked through the store… the frozen food and refrigerated cases were all empty and the dumpsters were overflowing with spoiled items.  
 

There was not a single can on the shelf of ready to eat food as it was all sold out, no bottled water, not a battery to be had…. Crackers and cereal stripped bare.  No candles…   It was a post apocalyptic shopping scene…

Thankfully this event pales in comparison locally.  No problem buying gas, and stores open and well supplied.   So many more people own generators now than in 1998….

 

having an 18 hour battery back up air pump is great, especially if it is attached to a well cycled sponge filter or ugf…But, how do you recharge it if the power stays out longer?

[reefhugger]

I live in hurricane country so devoted some thought to how to sustain fish tanks.  We've gone a week without power in the past, happily before the aquarium addiction hit.  I found a DC to AC converter that uses car-size, golfcart-size batteries which is powerful enough to keep heaters and larger pumps going.  When hurricane season approaches we make sure to have batteries charged/available.  We do now have a generator that can manage some functions after the storm passes (run the home well pump, refrigerator some inside circuits etc.} but that has to be managed as its not a whole house one. I highly recommend looking for one,  they can be found on sale for good deals and are a wonder to have when needed.

 I bought inexpensive battery packs that hold 4 AAA batteries that work well on sponge filers pumps that can run off a usb cable, and stocked up on the Amazon batteries.  They worked very well, and the whole setup  was pretty cheap.   

I grew up in Michigan, and well remember ice storms and downed power lines.  

[TOtrees]

I have a fish room (15 tanks, plus or minus), and in the event of an outage, I could lose significant numbers of fish/inventory. So I diverted some of my income from fish sales to power options. Don't get me wrong, it's a hobby not a business. But I made it work. 

For shorter outages I have a 12v lithium iron phosphate battery. These are way more useful than traditional lead acid 12v that are found in cars (or even equivalent plain lithium batteries). They can be fully discharged and recharged for thousands of cycles with minimum loss of capacity. That battery alone, connected through a 300W inverter, will power my central air pump for the better part of 24hrs. Can also power my modem/router, and a few led light strings. 

For longer outages, I have a 3000w inverter generator. Best feature there is that it's quieter than most (not Honda quiet, but okay), and it will power the blower on my house furnace. Heat comes from gas, so even though it's not a whole house generator, I can easily heat the whole house if power is out. Plus the fridge, some lights, and probably even coffee and/or microwave if we are careful with what else is running. And it will recharge the 12v, of course. All this is subject to gas availability of course. 

For summer outages (where heat loss in tanks doesn't reach critical levels), I run the generator for brief periods during the day to keep the battery topped up, and run the battery overnight to spare the neighbors (who would likely all have their windows open). For winter outages, heavier reliance on the generator, obviously. 

[Matt B]

I'd have to say most places I've lived will loose main line power from time to time. It's inevitable.  We have rolled with it the best we can from place to place.  In an earthquake prone place now, which comes with it's own set of challenges.   @Pepere  I was in coastal North Carolina in 1998, a place that doesn't get snow and ice....until it did. ... It was wild fun,  but I was young and overcoming challenges was a fun thing to do with friends...When all else fails, ones car works great for rechargeing batteries, plug everything in and crank it up.  ... AC or Heat depending on the situation. 

[Cory]

On 12/21/2023 at 1:22 AM, Pepere said:

Yes, but, do you have the ability to keep that battery air pump running for 5 days?  if it is a lithium ion battery air pump, how are you going to recharge it when it runs out?

My son and daughter in law are going to wake up to the start of their 4th day without grid electricity in a few hours.

I lived through the ice storm of 1998 which in my local area was much worse than this storm.  Not as bad. For Central Maine Power as a whole as it was not as widespread, but locally much worse.  We had portable generators, but on day two of the storm, there were only 3 gas stations in town that still had electricity on that could pump gas.  A generator that burns 5 gallons of gas a day becomes useless once you run out of gas and can not replenish.  
 

All grocery stores were reopened with battery lighting and calculators at the check out by order of the governor…   Cash only….   I walked through the store… the frozen food and refrigerated cases were all empty and the dumpsters were overflowing with spoiled items.  
 

There was not a single can on the shelf of ready to eat food as it was all sold out, no bottled water, not a battery to be had…. Crackers and cereal stripped bare.  No candles…   It was a post apocalyptic shopping scene…

Thankfully this event pales in comparison locally.  No problem buying gas, and stores open and well supplied.   So many more people own generators now than in 1998….

 

having an 18 hour battery back up air pump is great, especially if it is attached to a well cycled sponge filter or ugf…But, how do you recharge it if the power stays out longer?

I've been through 5 days of electricity out in the last few years. For me it was easy. Usb air pumps recharge in the car. You can also have any battery back ups. From $5 ones, to $1000 ones. I also own solar usb chargers that cost like $30, use them when I'm in peru. Set that outside during the day, recharge any battery bank or air pump.

Have a laptop laying around? It charges an air pump from it's battery. Have someone in the neighborhood who has a generator? Charge your devices there. I know our neighborhood, invites others to charge, use hot water for showers etc.

 

for $30, you can get this rechargable battery, with solar recharging and a built in light. It'll run your air pump for over 7 days plus plus the 18 on the air pump originally without even recharging it via sunlight. Heck I've even got flashlights and other household stuff that will charge other stuff through usb. https://www.amazon.com/Power-Bank-Solar-Charger-42800mAh-Portable-Built-Flashlight/dp/B0C4JTVBBH/ref=sr_1_4?crid=36VD7PL1EQJWZ&keywords=battery%2Bbank&qid=1703189628&sprefix=battery%2Bbank%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-4&th=1

I think as homeowners people should have some battery back up in their lives. Whether it's for camping, traveling at the airport, a long baseball game etc. As a pet owner, it makes even more sense.  A system like a basic jackery portable power station for $220 will get most families through a power outage with tons of phone charging, air pump charging, recharging flashlights etc. You can charge it in the car or with solar panels while using it. You can use it to run a heated blanket, you can use it to run medical devices etc.

[Pepere]

Great info @Cory.

there are many ways to peel a potato…. Thinking about it ahead of time helps when faced with it especially if one acts on what they thought through.

Don’t wait until the crises hits to go buy what you need. The shelves empty quickly once the crises hits…

One of the reasons I like running ugf in my tank in addition to the canister filter is for beneficial bacteria redundancy.   In a significant outage I would likely take the canister filter out of service and give it a deep clean and restart after the event if I hadnt got to the tanks soon enough after an outage to transfer media into the tank. The beneficial bacteria on the gravel would be more resilient…

I have commercial property I need to keep warm in a winter outage so I have a few generators… And after surviving the Ice Storm of 98 and having waited in line for gas at one of the three stations that still could pump it, I buy 50 gallons of gas each fall and add stabilizer and cache them at a few different locations.  I use up that gas between mowing the lawns and blowing snow over the course of a year…. That Ice Storm was a paradigm shift for me in terms of preparedness.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Pepere

[Odd Duck]

Excellent topic!  After the Snowpocalypse / Snowmageddon here in Texas in February of 2021, I’ve been working slowly on getting better prepped.  I was incredibly lucky because I evidently share grid with the nearby fire station and never lost power.  But it was my warning.

There were people in the more rural outskirts that were out of power for up to 3 WEEKS!  In freezing temps in an area that was and still is EXTREMELY ill prepared for such extended cold.  People’s tanks froze solid and seams split inside their houses!  Even if tanks didn’t freeze solid, many lost every single fish and plant.  There were people in shelters because their area was without power for days.

It’s fairly easy to survive a few hours without power but surviving days or weeks without is completely different.  I have boosted my supply of battery UPS but we also have a couple decent sized generators that would keep us warm or cool and fish tanks running between them.  We do keep enough gas on hand to run them for several days.  The eventual plan is a whole house generator with at least one (and probably 2) 55 gallon drums of fuel at all times.  Even if we never need it.

This may sound extreme when we didn’t even lose power during Snowpocalypse, but better to have and not need, than need and not have.  There are 246 deaths attributed (directly or indirectly) to that storm across 77 counties in Texas with about 2/3 of them from hypothermia.  People and their pets FROZE TO DEATH in TEXAS.  Do at least some basic prepping if you can, even if you can’t afford or are comfortable with a generator.  Know someone that has one, know where a shelter would be set up, know how to wrap your tanks in bubble wrap and have blankets you can wrap over the whole thing, have battery UPS that can at least run your tanks for a few hours, have a camp stove you can run (outdoors only, don’t kill yourself with carbon monoxide) to heat water, etc, etc.

Be safe and be prepared!

[Pepere]

On 12/28/2023 at 9:28 AM, Odd Duck said:

It’s fairly easy to survive a few hours without power but surviving days or weeks without is completely different.

Especially when an area without experience with cold weather gets extended exposure to it.  

[Odd Duck]

On 12/28/2023 at 9:14 AM, Pepere said:

Especially when an area without experience with cold weather gets extended exposure to it.  

Yes, exactly.  Other states had to send snow plows, electrical workers, etc.  Texas practically shuts down from an inch of snow, let alone several inches plus freezing rain, and extended cold like that is practically unheard of.  The grid just can’t handle it and they were very lucky to manage to keep most of the emergency services running as well as they did.  Many of the outlying communities beyond the close in suburbs were even worse than here in the metroplex, some much worse.

[govsfabshop]

We have been plagued with power outages this year, most are in the under 6hr range, but a few over 12.  I have quite a few of the portable power banks and extra air pumps i can run if needed, have recently started changing out to the usb pumps to battery backup to save the power banks for when I really need them on longer outages. Being in a colorado it can get cold. Luckily my downstairs stays fairly warm for quite some time and the fish down there can tolerate cooler temps but my puffer and south american tanks upstairs worry me heat wise. I've thought to test running the heaters off my pickup if i needed to, worse case i've got a ton of grills, smokers and charcoal i could heat water. Also have a nice indoor safe kerosene heater that the room with the tanks is the room i would set it up to help heat the house. I personally think a cool down wont hurt the fish over maybe a day or so, might even help breeding for a little cool down, but obviously i think at the 24 hr mark i'd be trying to find a way to warm things up!

[Miranda Marie]

I'm lucky since we live up in the mountains and use almost exclusively woodstove heat in our home, power or no power. Power outtages from blizzards aren't too uncommon, but they don't generally faze us because we are used to them. We have a generator to recharge things as needed and know how to quickly store up water in the case it is out for days. (As soon as the electricity goes out, run all the water from the pipes into your bath tub and/or any large drink containers before the pressure in the pipes dissipates.)

We've gone a week+ in the past with no power and not had issues, and this year I upgraded to Aquarium Co-Op's dual air pump with battery pack to simplify things. That way in the case of an outage, when we run the generator twice a day to get the fridge cold again, it can be topped up some without the need for messing with external battery packs quite so much.

[Colu]

Just thinking outside of the box could you stick 24-48hr heat packs to the tank to help maintain temperature during power outages 

Edited December 29, 2023 by Colu

[Cory]

On 12/28/2023 at 5:33 PM, Colu said:

Just thinking outside of the box could you stick 24-48hr heat packs to the tank to help maintain temperature during power outages 

Yeah I mentioned this in a video about prep once. They theory being aquariums used to be heated by candles. I think for smaller tanks it could work, the bigger you go, I bet the less feasible it is. I also think taking it below would have the heat rise. 
 

if someone ever finds the time, I’m willing to send heat packs if someone wants to log results. 

[Odd Duck]

On 12/28/2023 at 7:33 PM, Colu said:

Just thinking outside of the box could you stick 24-48hr heat packs to the tank to help maintain temperature during power outages 

Some people did this along with blanket wrapping, floating hot water bottles, etc, during Snowmageddon and were successful.

[Dria]

I had a salt water tank in a 5 day outage. Luckily it wasn't terribly cold and the house was well-insulated. We used blanket wrapping and floating bottles of hot water. We actually had hot water in the tank for a few days after the power went out that we got out via the hose spigot at the bottom. Points in favor of not-tankless I guess. But you could heat water on a grill or a camp stove and accomplish the same thing. There's a neat system called uhhh Jetboil I think that runs on those really small propane tanks that heats a small amount of water really quickly and doesn't have a big footprint for folks who can't have a full size grill for space reasons.

I don't think we lost any fish and it certainly wasn't a mass casualty event. I can't recall if we had a way to run an airstone at the time or not. Likely not. There are tons of power bank options out there now though and depending on how much you spend you can get a lot of juice. We have a unit from anker that could keep one of those little USB pumps running for literal weeks if that's all you used it for.

[Dria]

Oooh, and if your problem is the tank getting too hot, like in a hurricane you can have frozen water bottles in your freezer in advance that you can float the same way for cooling. I used that technique quite a bit before we got central air.