How to convert a gas generator to a propane generator

Picture this:

There's no power.  Gas stations have no way for their gas pumps to work. There you sit at home with your expensive gas-powered generator, and all you have is the small amount of gas in your gas can which was meant for mowing your lawn.  Now what are you going to do?

Here is a great article on how you can buy a kit for around $180 which will make your gasoline-powered generator so it is able to use either natural gas or propane.  What a great idea!

(If you buy this, make sure you install it BEFORE a disaster.  It sounds like it will take some time, and you sure don't want to be doing this installation while everyone is suffering and your freezer is thawing.)

http://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-preparedness/the-multi-fuel-generator-dont-depend-on-just-gas_07162012

Remembering the Ice Storm of December 2002

It is such beautiful weather outside today, that I am sure that most of you are not thinking about winter weather.  But you should know that one of the banes of our existence here in North Carolina are ICE STORMS.  

I just found an old family letter I had written shortly after the big ice storm that hit North Carolina in December 2002.  One of these could happen to us this winter, and I wanted you to read my first hand account.  Maybe it will help you gather some supplies for the future.

Here are some excerpts:

I spent lots of time the first few days of the week (December 2002) getting ready for the big nativity scene event which was to happen Friday night at the Cary church building. On Monday the news started saying there was a chance of an ice storm coming on Wednesday, so I moved up my preparations.  I hoped the ice storm would be melted off by Friday morning. 

Wednesday afternoon the kids were let out of school one hour early, and the sleet and snow and freezing rain started and went on all evening. It wasn't bad at all, because the streets were warm enough that the snow didn't stick. The streets were wet all night. But the problem was with the air temperature. Trees got coated with ice and were breaking everywhere. All night it sounded like gunshots and big explosions as trees hit the ground. About midnight our power went off. 

(NOTE:  This was a very strange ice storm, in that no one was trapped at home by icy roads.  The roads were fine and we could all drive around.  But there was NO POWER because all the trees had fallen onto the power lines all over the state.)


(2.2 million people were without power.)

Thursday morning we woke up, and the sidewalks and streets were still passable. But we had no phone and no power. All my radios in the house ran on electricity, so I sat in the car a couple of times a day to listen to the radio news, and they said over 1 million people were without power from CP&L in North Carolina and 1.2 million people were without power with Duke Power. It was worse than Hurricane Fran, because with Fran, it took them 9 days to get all the power back on, but with this ice storm, they knew people could freeze to death if they didn't get the power on quickly. 

The high on Thursday was 34 degrees. We still had no phone or power. We had our fireplace on, and our kerosene heater. We cooked frozen dinners from the freezer on top of the kerosene heater, and then my husband cooked supper in the garage on the campstove (he left the garage door open for ventilation). I drove over to Tiffin’s, and her phone worked, so I called Marta A. (who was the chairman over the whole big nativity event) and she said she had so many trees down she couldn't get out of her long driveway. She was going to have to wait for her husband to get home on a plane, and he would drive home, and park by the road and walk to their house. She planned to walk out and use that car in the morning. She and I didn't know if the church building had power or if it would get power. 

Thursday night we turned off the kerosene heater and let the fire in the fireplace die down, and went to bed with massive amounts of blankets and sleeping bags, and slept just fine. 

Friday morning, I had set the kitchen timer to wake me up at 6 am, and checked to see if the phone worked. It didn't. So I checked it again at 7 am, and the phone was still dead. I had no idea if the church had power, but since I was in charge of the nativities I had to know. My husband drove to church and found that it had no power. When I heard that, I knew we wouldn't have the nativity event, but I couldn't phone anyone, I had to let them figure it out on their own. Later in the day I found out that Marta had driven to the church later, found out there was no power, and had put up signs on the doors saying the nativity was cancelled. 

It is too bad that the weather ruined our event, because we had articles in the Apex News, The Cary News, and the News and Observer, inviting the public to attend. But I'm glad it was cancelled, because if we had gone ahead with it, no one would have come anyway, people were so busy trying to get the trees out of their yards and figuring out how to survive without power. Most people, (me included) forgot all about it after Friday morning, and just went on with survival. 

We spent all day Friday trying to stay warm and cook food in unfamiliar ways. My husband had to go to work and was gone all day. The kids were bored without any TV or computer. Thankfully, our gas water heater worked great and I took a shower in the frigid bathroom. The roads were fine, so I took my kids to a few stores just for a break. The heater in the van decided to break, so we couldn't even get warm in there. 

There were whole sections of town that had power, so lots of people were out shopping, but as it started to get dark I decided to go home because I didn't want to be in that cold van. 

We had lots of different foods to choose from, but just for fun Friday evening I decided to try out a cooking method I had read about in Civil War books, where the soldiers would wrap bread dough around their ramrods and cook the dough over the fire. We tried it with biscuit dough wrapped on a stick we used for marshmallows, but it kept falling off. So I covered the fireplace shovel with foil and put a thin biscuit on it and held it in the fire to bake. That was a very slow way to get some supper, so when my husband came home he cooked a big pot of hamburger helper on the campstove with the hamburger that was thawing in the freezer. 

I went out to the car Friday 9 pm, and heard on the radio that 292,000 in the Triangle were still without power. It was 26 degrees. I came back in the house, and at 10 minutes after 9, the power came back on. We were so happy! 

I learned a few things in those 45 hours. 1) I was thankful to have a fireplace, firewood, a kerosene heater, and two cans of kerosene. 2) I wish I had a working radio inside the house. 3) I will buy a cell phone charger for the car. My electric charger did me no good. 4) I will buy an inverter, which can power your fridge or other electric appliance or gadget from the car battery. 5) And most important, always keep my husband around to help out in a power outage.

Amy

Frigid weather!

On an exceptionally cold day like today, we get reminded of how much we rely on indoor heating.  It was absolutely bitter outside yesterday and today!

Just think about it.....what if we had a disaster which caused our power to be out, and we had to live in such frigid temperatures all day and all night?

Do you have enough heavy blankets, sleeping bags, and emergency methods of heating your house?

Okay, now think about clothing for yourself and your kids.  If you had no heat, you would still need to be moving around and accomplishing things (like cooking, changing diapers, etc.).  You can't stay under blankets all day.  Do you have warm clothing for all parts of everybody's body?   Picture each person head to toe.  Do you have each of these things, in the correct sizes for every member of your family?

Warm hat
muffler
warm gloves or mittens
work gloves
warm shirt
warm jacket or sweatshirt
waterproof poncho
heavy coat
insulated pants, ski pants, or long johns and pants
heavy socks
boots, snowboots, or sturdy shoes, for walking in adverse conditions

I am continually reminded that we are supposed to have one year's supply of food, clothing, and if possible, fuel.  So I like to stock up on winter clothing for every size, every time I see something good at a thrift store.  I don't want my little grandchildren to be cold!

Preparing for an Ice Storm

A survey of the Durham NC Second Ward after the ice storm of December 2002 revealed what preparation the people said they missed most:

Cleaning the house before the storm

Catching up on laundry and sheets before the storm

Having dishes washed before the storm

Having batteries for their battery-powered equipment

For those on well-water, who lost water as well as power, having more disposables such as paper plates.

Glad it isn't us

About 143,000 people in Connecticut are still without power 6 days after a big snowstorm, according to  the New York Times, Nov. 5, 2011:

"Russell Hunter, who owns Pfau’s Hardware in West Hartford, Connecticut, said that after a bizarre fall snowstorm knocked out power to nearly one million people in his state and millions more throughout the Northeast last weekend, his store was cleaned out of all storm-related supplies. They went at about five times the normal rate of sale, with everything from batteries to oil lamps to gas grills flying out the door as fast as he could order them.

But despite the windfall profits, even Mr. Hunter is running out of patience for the chill and the darkness because he has no power in his own house.
“At home, it’s getting sort of old,” Mr. Hunter said on Saturday. “And cold! People are really angry that it should take this long.” He was also a victim of his own sales success.
“I took home two bundles of firewood,” he said of his own preparations, but later in the week he “wanted two more, and we didn’t have them.”


Note from Amy:
When I read stories like this, I try to picture what I could do to prepare so it doesn't happen to me.  We need to plan ahead and buy those things that will keep us warm and fed and protected from the elements in case OUR area has a big power outage in the winter time. 

And notice what items sold the fastest during the crisis (Batteries, Oil Lamps, Gas Grills, Firewood).  Those things will be gone quickly here, as well.  So you need to buy them NOW, before everyone else is trying to buy them and you are out of luck.

What if we had a big power outage?

The big snowstorm that broke all the trees and power lines in the Northeast is causing a lot of suffering.  How would you like to be without power from Saturday to Wednesday?




"New Jersey's largest electric and gas utility, PSE&G, warned customers to prepare for "potentially lengthy outages" and advised power might not be fully restored until Wednesday. More than 612,000 lost electricity in the state, including Gov. Chris Christie."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/30/power-outages-from-east-coast-snowstorm-near-3-million/#ixzz1cMjNxyOF


In cold weather, you need an alternate form of heat.  We have a Big Buddy propane heater, which runs off of little 1 lb.  propane cans, and I also purchased a long hose so I can attach it to a big 20 lb. propane tank.  


You should also have enough warm clothing and warm blankets or sleeping bags to allow you to sleep without heat.  Remember to get all the pieces for each person:  hat, gloves, heavy leggings, coat, boots.  I have been finding all that stuff at Goodwill.


Goodwill sells its heavy coats or ski pants for between $8 and $28, I have purchased some really good ones.  Their boots are $4.50 a pair.  The gloves, mittens, and hats are about $1.37 each.


It is a wonderful feeling to know that we have enough warm clothing for our family, and we could survive in the cold.

Getting ready for Winter Power Outages

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/garden/for-winters-storms-a-stay-bag-the-pragmatist.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=general&src=me

This article from the New York Times tells about the preparations you need to make for power outages in the winter.  There are some good ideas here, especially the recommendations on the Big Buddy propane heaters (I have one of those myself.)  And using lawn solar lights as indoor lighting when there is no power. (I own 25 of those too.)

(Thanks for telling me about this, Kim B.)

If we have another ice storm someday

I read this on another blog, the man was from South Carolina, and has just been through 10 days of being snowed and iced in.  Here are his comments:

"Our first mistake - not shoveling right away while the snow was fresh and newly fallen, or even while it was falling. This was a mistake because the very first day, the snow was very light, almost pellet-like, and easily brushed away with a broom or any form of shovel, no machinery needed. However, we let it sit a day, in which it partially thawed, and then froze overnight in subfreezing temperatures into a solid mass that did not thaw for ten days. Had we shoveled, swept, and dug out the very first day, we would have had clean walkways, accessible vehicles, a clear driveway and sidewalk. Instead, we experienced the inaccessibility of two of our vehicles, and treacherous injury-inviting conditions everywhere we walked. "

He also talked about his second mistake:  not positioning his vehicles pre-storm.  He said the battery in one of his vehicles was dead after two days of being iced in, and because he hadn't faced it toward another vehicle, he couldn't reach it to jumpstart the battery.  He also wished he had parked some of his cars at the end of his driveway close to the street.  He had a long driveway and they were all near the house.  


When we first moved to this area (Cary, NC)  in 1988, during the first ice storm we were here, I thought it was interesting that everyone moved their cars to the end of their driveways facing the street, or if they had a steep driveway, parked them ON the street, before the snow came.  It is a good idea to do that.  


There probably won't be any snowplows coming down your neighborhood street (not enough snowplows) so your car will be more easily accessible when the snow and ice start thawing.

Ice Storm Predicted

There is an ice storm predicted in our area, but we don’t know how bad it will be.

Here is a picture I took in 2002, the last time we had a really bad ice storm.  As you can see, the ice coated the trees and made them bend over or break, and the falling branches and trees broke the power lines so the power went out.  It was strange that the streets weren't slick during that storm, so we could drive all over, even though there was no power.  Our phone was out too, even though it was a landline with a cord.  

That was a huge ice storm, so the power was out for millions of people from Tennessee and North Carolina, so the power companies had a very bad time getting all the lines fixed.  

Another ice storm here (sometime in the early 1990‘s) coated everything with a thick layer of ice, you couldn't even go out your front door without falling down.

I am hoping this one will be minor compared to those.

Charge your cell phones, cameras, laptops, and ipods.  Put gas in your cars, in case the gas stations are without power.  Get out your flashlights and lanterns and heavy sleeping bags or blankets.

Practice lighting your gas log or fireplace.

Preparing for an Ice Storm

(Photo I took in Cary, NC in 2001 or 2002, I can't remember.)

We have lived here for almost 23 years, and have gone through several big ice storms and snowstorms. Even a few inches of snow is bad here, because there are no snow plows to clean off the roads, so after even a relatively small snowstorm the roads all turn to ice.

When a winter storm warning is announced, make sure you do all your laundry and have lots of foods that don't have to be cooked. You probably won't have any power for a few days, so you will also need a source of heat.

Don't worry about the food in your fridge and freezer, it won't thaw out with the temperature so low.

Once Wayne was out of town and I tried to cook homemade biscuits laid on top of the fireplace shovel, holding it above the fire. My arm got so tired and so hot from the fire that we ate them half raw.

My friend stepped out of her door after an ice storm and fell on the ice and broke her arm and had to make her way to the hospital in a 4-wheel vehicle. My son and daughter both broke their hands sledding on the same day during a snowstorm, we also had to find 4-wheel drive vehicles to take them to the doctor.

Our electricity was out for only one or two whole days, but during some of the events our phone was out for longer. Other people's electricity was out for up to 3 weeks, depending on where they lived.

Our water supply was fine, I was even able to take a shower because we had a gas water heater, but the bathroom was ice cold.

Panic buying in England, Dec. 3, 2010

Hey, this could happen here too.  Make sure you have food storage and water storage, and keep more than a half a tank of gas in your car at all times---You'll be glad you did.

http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2010/12/03/big-freeze-food-and-fuel-run-out.aspx

"Big Freeze:  Food and Fuel Run Out", Dec. 3, 2010

Food and fuel were running out in some parts of Britain as the big freeze continued to make deliveries impossible.

Supermarkets were battling to keep their shelves stocked with staple foods such as bread and milk and petrol retailers were running low dry on fuel as lorries struggled to complete deliveries in the icy conditions.

The Independent Petrol Retailers Association warned that up to 500 independent petrol retailers in Scotland and the east of England risked running dry by the weekend.

It stated that road tankers have been unable to leave the main terminals from two refineries from the Total SA (TOT) refinery at Lindsey and from the Jet refinery at Killingholme,  both on south Humberside, effectively "cutting the supply chain off at its knees".

Panic-buying was also adding to the problem as consumers stocked up on essentials.

Consumers have also been stocking up on shovels, water bottles and thermals as the big freeze continues to bite.

Marks & Spencer reported a 121% increase in sales of thermal clothing in the past week while Sainsbury's said it had increased its stocks of long-life UHT milk which has seen a 20% rise in demand.

Although the weather is expected to improve slightly over the weekend, further freezing conditions are forecast for next week.

read more: http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2010/12/03/big-freeze-food-and-fuel-run-out.aspx#ixzz17RvGBYyK

New Provident Living Challenge

Provident Living Challenges:
Do one of these by the December evening Relief Society meeting and get a prize!

1) Increase your water storage by at least 10 gallons. This can be purchased water, or tap water stored in empty washed juice bottles or soda pop bottles. (Providentliving.org says chlorinated tap water does not require additional treatment for safe storage.)





2) With your family, make plans for heating your home in the event of an ice storm and power outage. (Will you stay with another family, do you have a non-electric heater, do you have a fireplace or gas log, do you have sleeping bags rated for below 30 degrees?)





Our ward Relief Society President wanted to discontinue the old "Staying Alive with $25", so we are starting something new. We want to encourage our ward members to prepare for any disaster, or any unpleasant situation.

We will be giving at least two challenges per month, and they will not necessarily be easy. Preparedness is important, and you owe it to your family to get some of these things accomplished.

Here are some things to think about:

Water storage is your very first step in preparedness. You can only live without water for a few days, but you can live without food for longer. Water is inexpensive, (almost free if you use tap water.) The challenge for this month is to acquire at least 10 more gallons of water.

You may be complaining, "Why is she asking us to store that much?" Quit whining, that is not very much water.

When I went on the 7-day challenge, I, myself, used 3 gallons per day. On each of those days when I pretended to have no water, I did not take a shower or wash my hair, I did no laundry, and I hardly flushed the toilet. I promise you, you will be thankful for every single drop of water you have stored when a disaster comes.

I believe every one in our ward could save 10 gallons this month AT NO COST if you would save every large plastic container that gets emptied, and instead of throwing it away, wash it out and put water in it and hide it in a closet. IMPORTANT: If you are washing out containers in which to store the water, remember that only food-grade containers can be used for drinking water. But you can also save other heavy duty plastic jugs and containers, such as detergent bottles, and write really big, "Water For Washing Only" on those. Remember that you will need water for washing, and that water can have a little soap residue in it.


Ice storms and power outages are very common in our area. November is a great time to be planning for what you will do. Did you know that if you have no heat, you can set up a tent in your living room and sleep in sleeping bags, and the temperature in the tent will be much higher than in the rest of the house? If you have a gas log or fire place, make plans for how you will isolate that room from the rest of the house, to keep the heat contained. Maybe you can shut some doors. Or if you have an open floor plan, can you nail some blankets around the stairwell so the heat won't go up the stairs?

Good luck! I hope everyone succeeds.