This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi, all you Floridians, When hurricane Isabel hit here in Virginia, one of the worst problems we = all faced was that we didn't have power. If you think about it, without = power, you can't run wet vacs, sump pumps, fans, dehumidifiers, = refrigerators, etc. You also can't take warm showers (if you're = electric), and food preparation is difficult. I'M NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN, AND MY ADVICE ISN'T STRICTLY WITHIN = CODE, SO TAKE ALL MY ADVICE WITH A HUGE GRAIN OF SALT. CONSULT WITH A = QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN BEFORE DOING ANY OF THIS STUFF. MISTAKES CAN KILL = YOU AND OTHERS, RESULT IN FIRES, RUIN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC = EQUIPMENT, AND OTHERWISE PROVE VERY EMBARRASSING. However, if you're stuck for power without 12 days, the way we were, = then you may want to risk some of this stuff anyway. It worked = beautifully for us. Again, your call, your responsibility, etc., etc., = SO DON'T SUE ME! If you do, here's what I figured out about emergency power, in the event = your power lines go down: (1) Switch off the main breaker. (2) Feed your power directly into the breaker panel via an appropriate = breaker. You'll have three insulated wires and a bare ground wire. = Wire the ground wire to the ground lug, where all the other bare wires = are connected. Be careful not to short it with any other terminals. = Use white for your neutral line. Wire it to the same lug. (You'll see = bare wires and white wires all connected together here.) Use the red = and black wires to go to the two hot terminals of the generator. These = should connect into the two terminals on a double (220V) breaker. Use = the correct amperage of breaker. To calculate the number of amps, = divide the wattage of the generator by 220. Then find the next smaller = breaker. Hint: You can disconnect the hot wires from some other = circuit (e.g. your A/C) and use that breaker for your power feed. (3) Switch off all of your breakers. (4) Connect up the generator, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS, and start it up = according to the recommended starting/connection sequences. (5) Switch on the feed breaker that you just wired. (6) One by one, switch on all of the smaller breakers. If you have more = than one refrigerators/freezers on one circuit, start them up = separately. Either plug them in separately, or put them on different = circuits, so that you start them up with different breakers. Don't run = the major stuff like A/C and electric stove unless you have enough = generator to handle the load. Now, here's how you get hot water from an electric heater, even if you = don't ordinarily have enough generator to run the thing: Disconnect the = white wire from the water heater line, and connect it to the neutral lug = (where all the bare wires and white wires are connected together. Now = switch on the breaker. You'll be running your water heater on 110V, = instead of 220V, which will cut the power draw of the water heater to = 1/4 of its rating. It will be slow to heat, but you'll still have hot = showers. Warning: If you have copper plumbing with lead solder, don't = use the water heater's hot water for cooking. Heat food with your microwave, not an electric stove. Do not use hair dryers or coffee makers! Don't run your computer! The power is a bit rough on it. If you use a TV or radio, use your oldest, most awful one. Don't use = anything you couldn't stand to see fried. You will probably be able to run a window A/C. A small one draws about = 500 - 1000W. For power at night, charge a deep cycle battery during the day. At = night, switch off the generator's power feed breaker and shut down the = generator. Shut off all other breakers. Wire the output of a power = inverter into a single pole (110V) breaker of the appropriate amperage = (no more than the rated continuous power, divided by 110). Plug it into = the breaker panel, and turn it on. Turn on only the breakers you will = need for lighting in the middle of the night. Now test those lights. = If they don't come on, move the inverter's power feed breaker one space = over. Try the lights again. (They should work now.) This circuit will = power only half of your household circuits and of course won't run = anything 220V. It's just for lighting at night -- and television/radio, = if needed. A good battery should hold out just fine throughout the = night, and you won't have to run that noisy generator, wasting all your = gasoline. Your neighbors will appreciate it! In the morning, before = you fire up your generator, don't forget to flip off the inverter's = power feed breaker. Better still, just remove it from the breaker = panel, so that you don't get confused and accidentally flip it on. (I = also like to remove the generator's power feed breaker when it's not in = use.) Don't forget to change the oil in the generator according to the = recommended schedule. Yes, you'll have to do it once or twice during a = long outage. Failure to do this can put you in the same boat as all the = folks in the dark houses. When the power goes back on, shut down and disconnect the generator and = inverter. Change all the wiring back to the way it was. Switch off all = your breakers. Then turn on the main breaker, and switch on the = breakers one by one. When power is restored to your neighborhood, don't be too confident that = it will stay on for very long. A transformer somewhere may blow after = 30 sec or a min or 30 min. In fact the whole mess may go down again = when they connect up power to another neighborhood. Don't run your A/C = or sensitive electronics for a while, until your power is reliable. Hint: You should identify all of your circuits BEFORE your power goes = out. ;-) Oh, also print out this email, because you won't be able to look at it = after the power goes out! I hope all this helps. Of course it's a moot point if you don't have a = generator. My advice: If you don't, you really should. A 5500W one = will be about the right size and will run you about $600. Do all this at your own risk, and don't sue me if it doesn't work!! = Still, I can tell you that our lives were immensely improved for that 12 = days we were without power from Isabel, by virtue of having emergency = power and knowing how to budget it. Very few of our neighbors had this = luxury. Good luck! Fingers crossed for ya'... Peace, Sarah ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/e8/47/08/da/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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