Community Chat

[Group 5 minus 1]

We had no electricity from March 9 (11 AM) til March 10( 8 PM). We do have a Generac and it was ok. We had power. The best thing is we could flush our toilets.

[itsmagic]

I hate when our electricity goes out for an extended period of time.  We don't have a generator.  I remember when we used to live out in the country, our electricity went out for a couple days. To flush our toilets I took a bucket of water from the above ground pool and poured it in the toilet!

[Bri36]

Maybe I'm missing something - but if your electric is out, why can't you flush your toilet?

[Group 5 minus 1]

Because we have a well and a pump. Many people will flush by setting aside many buckets of water. With our generator we are ok. It is a whole house one that comes on when the power goes off. We are frugal with how we use it but we are still ok.

[flickerbulb]

@Bri36

She probably gets her water supply from a well. You need an electric pump to make the water come into the house.

[Bri36]

Thank you.

I have no experience with a well.  I had no idea they use electricity.

[dex]

@Bri36 I didn't know that about well toilets either...every time you flush costs ya.

[proudlyfromNJ]

We have our well water holding tank in the garage. When that gets low the pump comes on to bring water from the well. Not each time the water is used. No water bills. 

Our street has about 17 houses. The town never put water here so all of us have a well. One block away has town water.

[MalteseMomma]

If a you (anyone) lives in a highrise or something like that, toilets require elec. to flush

[Allegheny]

If you have a well and your electric goes out, its not just flushing the toilet you must be mindful of.  Our house does have a  water holding tank (50 gallons I think), but we must be careful not to totally drain the tank because the electric pump from the well to the house does not come on to refill it.  So no showers, laundry, etc.

I grew up with spring and well water systems.  It was a rude awakening for DH when we married and he moved here from the city.  

Back when transitioning from 1999 to 2000 there were a lot of concern about the possible failure of the computerized power grid.   I was considering installing a hand pump onto our well so I could get water out of it manually.  I remember prepping then, stocking canned goods and water, gasing up the vehicles, having substantial cash available, lamp oil, a supply of wood for our woodburner, batteries, a hand crank radio and so on.