Community Chat

[Plaid Pants2]

Brown outs is when the lights dim, but not go out, and are operating at less than full power.

Yes, California is still in a drought. One or two storms isn't going to eliminate that. We have four years of drought to over come.

People still have to be mindful not to wasteful of water.

[foundinlv]

This is from the P G & E home page where you can sign up for alerts.   I do not see anything else about impending doom.  Since half my family lives there, I phoned customer service at P G & E and they said they have not issued any blackout or brownout warnings period.  This thread is premature.  There are no El Nino links pertaining to this on their website. 

[Noel7]

---

@momtochloe wrote:

---

@Noel7 wrote:

 

PGE has issued a warning that we're in for blackouts and brownouts this El Nino season.

I'm trying to prepare, getting a lot of LED lanterns, including two hand crank lanterns that will also charge phones.  I already have a hand crank radio.

I also have a lot of flameless candles on hand to strew around the house.

Checked DH's stash of batteries, he is more than ready.

Old land line phones will still work, I bought one about 10 years ago, with a cord, and keep in in a drawer.

What are other people doing? 

---

HI @Noel7 I just want to double check something with you about your landline.

When I switched from Comcast to ATT they said I had a landline but when I lost power (which happens frequently here) even when I plugged my corded phone in it didn't work.  That's how I found out that I really didn't have a landline even though they said I did.

Also, you mentioned a stretch where you were unable to take a shower.  I always have a supply of baby wipes/personal cleaning cloths on hand just in case . . .

---

Hi @momtochloe

Yes, we had no showers because we had no hot water.  ITA about the cleaning cloths, which should never be flushed as they remind us, lol.

I don't understand what happened with your phone, but so far ours still work.  The kind with the twisty cord from headphone to the body of the phone.

[DiAnne]

@Noel7

Thanks.  I now live in the PNW and we had a very warm (but wet) winter last year and parts of the state have a water shortage because of lack of snow pack.  They are predicting another warm wet winter for us (they are always wet!). 

[Noel7]

---

Lucky charm wrote:

I've never heard of brown outs.  Are you still in a drought and have to ration shower water and toilet flushing?

We have a portable generator at each house, even for renters, for just in case.  They've never been used, but are good for peice of mind.  We do have to 'start' them periodically.

Fortunately, we can still shower if the power is out, and flush the toilet, I couldn't even imagine that....!  We still get hot water, too, thankfully. 

I guess because we have natural gas?  Is that an option for you?  We just bought a house that was all electric.  DH is having the gas co. install a 'lateral'  this month. 

Hope the weather isn't as bad as they are predicting.  Be safe!

---

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

@Lucky Charm

Let's see if I get all this, lol.  The shower issue is because we run out of hot water.  I'd have to ask DH about the exact cause.  We can always flush... thank goodness

Brownouts are where we don't completely lose power, but all of a sudden, the lights will dim to where it looks brown.  Supposedly the power company does it to save power.  Usually it segues into power off in my experience.

[Plaid Pants2]

I have a simple phone for use if the power goes out. Meaning, it's just a phone, not a phone system, phone + answering machine in one unit. And the phone has the curly cord that goes from the base to the handset.

It has worked for me every time that the power has gone out.

[RainCityWoman]

Sorry to hear of the possibiity of blackouts, but at least its cause will be weather related and not due to a deliberate plot by an unscrupulous company like Enron. We are having wind and lots of rains storms in Washington. Usually when that happens we have blackouts. Actually, we already started having them in early September.

[RainCityWoman]

---

@DiAnne wrote:

@Noel7

Thanks.  I now live in the PNW and we had a very warm (but wet) winter last year and parts of the state have a water shortage because of lack of snow pack.  They are predicting another warm wet winter for us (they are always wet!). 

---

Well, if today is any indication, it couldn't be wetter, and it's in the 50's in Seattle. Tomorrow is forecast for almost 60....and rain.

[Noel7]

THANKS for the suggestion, HG, I will, it has been a couple of years since I last plugged it in.

@GingerPeach