Good tips for bad weather
By Bill Husted found at ajc.com
| Friday, October 5, 2007, 11:58 AM The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just a couple weeks ago it was so hot and humid it felt like I had to swim
through the air. Now, the morning chill tells me winter isn’t far away.
I don’t want to seem negative about a nice change in temperatures, but all
that means trouble. Winter brings ice and downed power lines. I can’t think of
a winter passing in recent years without a power outage or two. At best, power
will be out for a few hours; at worst it can be out for several days.
There are things you can do to make the inevitable power outages more
bearable. For starters, you need a flashlight and batteries. How’s that for
impressive, high-tech advice? But don’t give up on me. We’ll go beyond the
basics now.
Pick up at least two flurorescent camping lanterns. Get the kind with two
light tubes. Mine uses eight batteries and puts out almost as much light as a
table lamp. That wide swath of light lets you read, do repairs or cook.
While we are talking about light, here are some things not to do: Don’t use
a gas- or oil-powered light, and stay away from candles. It’s better to be in
the dark than to burn your house down.
A UPS excuse
A UPS is an uninterruptible power supply - basically a gadget that contains a
battery and the circuitry for converting the DC battery power to the AC
household current your plug-in devices use.
The onset of winter is a good excuse to buy one because it supplies power to
your computer, monitor, modem and other devices in case the power goes out.
We’re talking about minutes of power, not hours. But that’s enough time for
you to shut down the computer properly, or even to send a quick e-mail.
Now let’s go beyond the basics. Think of all the things you could do with
an alternate source of household current when the power is out.
You could keep your cordless telephones running. Many households only have
cordless phones (a bad idea; keep a regular wired phone that will work in a
power outage). But with an extra UPS charged and ready to go, you could run
cordless phones for a couple of days. A charged UPS will also work fine for
charging up the batteries on your laptop, or furnishing power to a small radio.
And while a UPS won’t keep a desktop computer going for long, it can power
a DSL or cable modem and a router for a day or two. That means, with a laptop
computer, you could send out e-mails or even check the Web during an outage.
Keeping in touch
During any kind of weather emergency, communication with the outside world
can literally save a life. Most people have cellphones today (and you can keep
them charged with that UPS I mentioned). Telephones often work even when the
electrical lines are down.
You’ll also want to be able to check the news for information about street
closings and weather warnings. So make sure you own a battery-powered radio.
It’ll run for days on a set of batteries and, if nothing else, will furnish
some old-fashioned entertainment. Those who want to get fancy can also find
battery-powered televisions.
A weather radio is also a good idea. You’ll get weather warnings and
information directly from the National Weather Service. Many of them are able to
switch automatically from AC current to battery power.
Many of you have gasoline-powered generators that can furnish power. That’s
fine. But please consult an electrician so that he can create an isolation
circuit. That way, there is no danger of the power from the generator leaving
your house. When the power company is working on a downed line, the electricity
from your generator can be an unpleasant or even fatal surprise.
The deluxe approach to generator power is one that automatically kicks in
when your power is out. These natural gas powered generators can be very
expensive. A friend has one that handles his entire house; he paid $10,000 for
that peace of mind.
At my house and with my budget, it’s batteries, a fireplace and heavy
sweaters. But we will have light, radio and Internet service.
related: Weather Insurance Allianz,
Europe’s biggest insurance group, plans to exploit interest in environmental
issues among the financial community with a division to produce climate-related
products for its bank and insurance businesses.
