Author Topic: Power cut (Read 3354 times)

Jaded · « **on:** 27 November, 2021, 12:10:29 pm »

We’ve got fun here, apparently a transformer has blown up. Might not be fixed until tomorrow.

At least we have a gas hob, eveything else is electric. Its going to be cold and dark!

rafletcher · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 November, 2021, 01:05:12 pm »

You might be lucky and get a generator hooked up to the (general) supply as we did, it took 3 weeks for a new transformer to be installed.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 November, 2021, 01:14:06 pm »

Good preparation for the zero carbon economy

Jaded · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 November, 2021, 01:41:19 pm »

Definitely getting chillier indoors! Three o’clock tomorrow morning seems to be the current target for fixing it…

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 November, 2021, 01:59:40 pm »

Phone battery will die soon and you'll be picked off by crows

rogerzilla · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 November, 2021, 02:00:57 pm »

Nah, the chuds will get him first. They come out from Stonehouse in the dark.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 November, 2021, 02:12:51 pm »

They'll come down his chimney and take out his eyes

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 November, 2021, 02:42:03 pm »

As I was saying to my brother this morning, at least having a wood stove is handy for winter power cuts.
Not that we have one any more. $:-\$
Or that helps with the tree taking his phone line down

Polar Bear · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 November, 2021, 03:17:34 pm »

Quote from: Jaded on 27 November, 2021, 01:41:19 pm

Definitely getting chillier indoors! Three o’clock tomorrow morning seems to be the current target for fixing it…

I don't envy you just now in that draughty old barn of yours.

Jaded · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 November, 2021, 05:30:11 pm »

We have cat hot water bottles. Thats about it.

Luckily I have a gig to photograph at 22:00, so I can warm up there…

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #10 on:** 27 November, 2021, 05:57:27 pm »

Norman Jay?

Jaded · « **Reply #11 on:** 27 November, 2021, 06:16:12 pm »

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 November, 2021, 06:43:19 pm »

See you there. (for a bit)

rogerzilla · « **Reply #13 on:** 27 November, 2021, 09:31:05 pm »

An old Viz letter, freely paraphrased:

The other night I was about to crank up the laptop and relax in a gentleman's way, when there was a power cut. No problem, I thought, I'll just put a stick vid on the TV.

Oh dear. I've seen the end of civilisation and it's going to be no picnic, is it?

IanDG · « **Reply #14 on:** 27 November, 2021, 10:39:08 pm »

I survived Stornoway powercuts for 21 years. Multifuel stove for some warmth and camping stoves for food - sorted.

Beardy · « **Reply #15 on:** 27 November, 2021, 11:35:08 pm »

Power cuts are something that are easily mitigated against, but often won’t be unless they are a regular thing. We’ve got torches, candles, camping stoves and a wood burning stove, but other than the wood burning stove, I couldn’t, to a greater or lesser degree, just get these things out and start using them. And it’s a pound to a penny that not everyone’s mobile would be full charged when the power goes off.

Kim · « **Reply #16 on:** 28 November, 2021, 12:03:08 am »

This is why batteries should be kept in the charged state, and it's always worth having a torch or two somewhere you can reasonably grope in the dark. I have a couple reasonably handy for fettling purposes, as I'm in advanced stages of denial over needing reading glasses.

Little USB LED lamps that can be blogged into battery packs are handy for power cuts, as well as camping and hotel rooms with strobe-o-vision lighting.

Jaded · « **Reply #17 on:** 28 November, 2021, 12:58:28 am »

Quote from: Hot Flatus on 27 November, 2021, 06:43:19 pm

See you there. (for a bit)

And yes, good to see you.

The power came back on 15 mins before I left to go to the gig. A full 9 hours in advance of the promised time.

Jaded · « **Reply #18 on:** 28 November, 2021, 01:01:26 am »

Quote from: Kim on 28 November, 2021, 12:03:08 am

This is why batteries should be kept in the charged state, and it's always worth having a torch or two somewhere you can reasonably grope in the dark. I have a couple reasonably handy for fettling purposes, as I'm in advanced stages of denial over needing reading glasses.

Little USB LED lamps that can be blogged into battery packs are handy for power cuts, as well as camping and hotel rooms with strobe-o-vision lighting.

Because of a business need to power time-lapse cameras for a several of days, I have a number of powerbanks...

This is all good, until they get lower, and lower in power. Government advice suggests solar panels to recharge..
Yes, thank you politicians, I have a solar panel.

But it is winter....

matthew · « **Reply #19 on:** 28 November, 2021, 03:09:45 pm »

I remember leaving work one day and while in the carpark there was a loud bang as the transformer on the pole went pop. Fortunately it only powered the office and not the water treatment works, however it also powered the two ex. works cottages. Fortunately, one of the residents worked for SSE so I let him call his control room while I called mine, I needed the oncall operator onsite as our carpark including the transformer were secured and had to remain so.

When I came in the next morning there was a generator parked in the carpark and hooked up to power the three customers, it remained there a couple of days until a new transformer could be installed.

quixoticgeek · « **Reply #20 on:** 28 November, 2021, 05:34:14 pm »

Somewhere I have a cable with two UK plugs on. One on each end. In the event of a power cut, I could isolate the feed into the building (I had an isolation switch installed upstream of the fuse boxes), then plug said cable between my inverter, and the wall, with the inverter connected to a large leisure battery. When people find the cable in the stash, they have many questions, and a look of fear...

J

Kim · « **Reply #21 on:** 28 November, 2021, 08:07:57 pm »

Close relative of the two-UK-plugs-to-32A-Ceeform-socket cable, in that if you see someone else using one, it's best to walk the other way...

L CC · « **Reply #22 on:** 29 November, 2021, 01:44:00 pm »

Quote from: Jaded on 27 November, 2021, 12:10:29 pm

We’ve got fun here, apparently a transformer has blown up. Might not be fixed until tomorrow.

At least we have a gas hob, eveything else is electric. Its going to be cold and dark!

Presumably this is the same power cut that No1Daughter has suffered while house-sitting her dad's place in Kemble.

Cue lots of pictures of daughter & 2 dogs under blankets for the weekend.

She had a cache battery for her phone thanks to the train journey to get there. And everything is electric- oil fired heating doesn't operate without the electric pump..

Jaded · « **Reply #23 on:** 29 November, 2021, 01:55:53 pm »

I think we were quite localised, but there were definitely other outages nearby.

The first long power cut we've had here, in the 20 plus years we have lived here. I grew up with frequent power cuts, ss it is interesting how much more dependent we have become on electricity, and how soft, too!

Polar Bear · « **Reply #24 on:** 29 November, 2021, 01:59:34 pm »

As part of refurbishment we were going to remove one of two good old gas fires downstairs in the Bear-o-drome. Covid put paid to works happening (and still has) which means that we do still have two gas fires just in case the electricity goes off making the central heating useless.

We'll hang on to the fires I think ...