Rolling Electricity Blackouts in Oklahoma, Arkansa... - Page 5

Marp · ‎03-09-2010

@Sooner wrote:
@geezerette wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@ValuSkr wrote:
Do most homes there heat with electricity?

The cold and wintry weather you've experienced is really something. I hope it's over soon.
@ValuSkr NO, mostly gas but a lot of gas heating systems won't work without electricity to keep the pilot light working only when needed.

AND they are talking about gas blackouts as well.

It's in a multi-state area, so I was wondering if other states are experiencing this.
@ValuSkr
@Sooner

Many rural areas, and even some in smaller towns, do heat with electricity. Natural gas isn't available. I have an all-electric home.

We have heat pumps, which basically are both heat and a/c. But they don't work like a conventional gas furnace. They're intended for moderately cold weather and a lot of the south has them. They aren't intended for teens or below zero temps (with several feet of snow thrown in), especially for extended periods.

Mostly it's been the smaller electric coops in the outlying areas with power outages. But even the large electric company has been requesting people conserve power--i.e. not wash/dry clothes, not use dishwashers, etc. They've also suggested lowering thermostats at night, which is tricky since our temps are so low right now.
@geezerette Yes I feel for you! Our first house had a heat pump and it was impossible to keep warm in cold weather. I think they are better than that one was 35 years ago, but not perfect even now.

OGE is doing rolling blackouts in a lot of Oklahoma now. Some out an hour or two, some 4 or more. And I guess Texas is even worse. I just "bathed" in cold water. So you keep as warm as you can! I'm praying for all of us.

@Sooner, @geezerette -- Are y'all aware that there are dual fuel heat pumps? That is what I have. When it is too cold for the heat pump to work effectively the gas furnace takes over.

Absolutely no help at the moment but something to keep in mind for future reference.

The eyes through which you see others may be the same as how they see you.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Marp Yes, I know heat pumps have improved in 35 years, but frankly now I wouldn't consider one. Where I live there isn't much reason to.

Anonymous032819 · ‎03-29-2019

Another thing to keep in mind is that ice can build up on electrical lines and cause them to break from the weight of the ice.

Also, ice can build up on tree branches causing them to snap, and falling branches can also take out power lines.

And a broken power line can take time to repair.

I think that a lot of people are discovering their "fail proof" power/heat source(s) are indeed failing.

The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@luvmyteddy4 wrote:
Close to KC in Kansas we had rolling blackout this morning that lasted an hour and a half.
I have been going out to start the truck and its barely turned over each time.
Yesterday I reach for the passenger side door handle and it was frozen. I yanked it and the whole door handle and plate came off out of the socket. I was so mad.
Now I can't use the door at all but at least I can drive and get in that way. I'm not sure if it can be fixed. I shoved the whole think back in the hole for now. Stupid stupid stupid me.

@luvmyteddy4 In my 20's I lived in Ketchum Idaho altitude 5000 ft. It would get down to 40 below zero often in the winter....you learned how to live with it. The average cars are not made to function at 40 below zero.

I plugged my car in at night with a special heater placed under the car made to keep the oil warm.

You never lock your car doors or close your doors all the way in 40 below weather. On really cold mornings in my little Volkswagen bug, I would literally have to drive with my car door ajar because the door was froze, and with my head stuck out the driver window to see because my windshield was so ice covered I could not see out of it.

in the parking lots at the store, you never shut off your car...you leave running while you shop.... other wise the oil would thicken up and your car would not start.....

of course this was in the 1970's and in a small mountain town where people trusted people 😄

morganjen · ‎03-13-2010

I ran across this article and it's got a lot of good advice:

https://weather.com/safety/winter/news/2020-03-02-what-to-do-if-your-power-and-heat-go-out-in-the-wi...

Originally joined board 12-14-2004

freakygirl · ‎07-03-2014

@BirkiLady @you asked me to update you.... power came back on after 22 hours. my relief was cut short minutes later when power was cut again twice more, but for a very short time. it's been on since, so i've been like the tasmanian devil trying to get things done before it goes out again. more bad weather predicted until thursday. i'm trying my best not to complain, but i'm positively freezing to the core. enjoy your 68 degrees! that's right now, that sounds like a heatwave to me! lol!

geezerette · ‎03-16-2010

@Marp wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@geezerette wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@ValuSkr wrote:
Do most homes there heat with electricity?

The cold and wintry weather you've experienced is really something. I hope it's over soon.
@ValuSkr NO, mostly gas but a lot of gas heating systems won't work without electricity to keep the pilot light working only when needed.

AND they are talking about gas blackouts as well.

It's in a multi-state area, so I was wondering if other states are experiencing this.
@ValuSkr
@Sooner

Many rural areas, and even some in smaller towns, do heat with electricity. Natural gas isn't available. I have an all-electric home.

We have heat pumps, which basically are both heat and a/c. But they don't work like a conventional gas furnace. They're intended for moderately cold weather and a lot of the south has them. They aren't intended for teens or below zero temps (with several feet of snow thrown in), especially for extended periods.

Mostly it's been the smaller electric coops in the outlying areas with power outages. But even the large electric company has been requesting people conserve power--i.e. not wash/dry clothes, not use dishwashers, etc. They've also suggested lowering thermostats at night, which is tricky since our temps are so low right now.
@geezerette Yes I feel for you! Our first house had a heat pump and it was impossible to keep warm in cold weather. I think they are better than that one was 35 years ago, but not perfect even now.

OGE is doing rolling blackouts in a lot of Oklahoma now. Some out an hour or two, some 4 or more. And I guess Texas is even worse. I just "bathed" in cold water. So you keep as warm as you can! I'm praying for all of us.
@Sooner, @geezerette -- Are y'all aware that there are dual fuel heat pumps? That is what I have. When it is too cold for the heat pump to work effectively the gas furnace takes over.

Absolutely no help at the moment but something to keep in mind for future reference.

@Marp

Yes, but that would require some sort of gas availability--either natural or propane.

If I had natural gas available, I'd have a regular furnace. Same with propane, which isn't hassle-free either.

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

@geezerette @Sooner @Marp

In the central states if selecting a heat pump, it comes standard with a furnace for the winter months.

My neighbors and I installed new HVAC units the same month: they went with a heat pump which included a furnace and AC unit and I went with furnace/AC unit. Both have the humidifiers on the furnaces. We're retired and live much the same.

My heating and AC bills have been consistently lower than theirs over the past several years since we had them installed by the SAME company.

They have had two or three service calls, but I've forgotten what the problems were. I have had none. When it's time to replace the systems again, they are returning to a regular HVAC system. Of course I will; it has been much more cost efficient!

It has been an interesting comparison of same floor plans and very similar lifestyles and usage of the same period of time. That experience doesn't happen very often.

Money screams; wealth whispers.

Marp · ‎03-09-2010

@BirkiLady, a significant number of homes around here that use the heat pump/furnace configurations as you described have electric heat and learned their winter bills were much higher than expected because of the electric heat.

My furnace is propane and the amount of propane I use since getting the heat pump has reduced about 45% with no big increase in electric usage. Big savings for me.

The eyes through which you see others may be the same as how they see you.

rosiered · ‎02-17-2021

Hope all of our friends up in ARK nad OK are staying as warm and safe as possible.

We are in Texas and it has been horrid. There has been nothing "rolling" about these blackouts in Texas! No gas pumps working; grocery stores are closed, restaurants closed, no power. No we are under a boil water order.

My sister lost power two days ago and it was 42 degrees in her house today...my niece and her two and three year olds have been living with her....they finaly went to a church this morning that opened a warming center, but she is so worried about catching COVID from someone. We live too far apart from each other to be able to get on the roads...or i would bring them all to our house....as long as we have heat. Am just waiting to lose power. She texted me that they were doing a good job spreading people out....but I worry about her.