Sandy power outage

[paddy.shadow]

This is a little old, but I thought you guys would appreciate it. When the Frankenstorm Sandy came through I was without power for a few days and it began to get a bit chilly, as my coal fired boiler needs power to run the fan and auger, I needed to solve the problem.
1 re-purposed/salvaged onan 3k generator from a scrap RV + 1 radio flyer wagon + 1, 5 gallon gas can modified with hose barbs for fuel line + 1 red solo cup rain deflector = I fixed it! Power On!
Oh, 1 hour in, the head pipe broke off....solved that with a 2 inch long by half inch od. brass pipe nipple driven into the broken head pipe and exhaust with it running mind you!

 

[joedrum]

oh thats neat ...coal burning and wood burning are and always has been the greenest and less evoirmental issues at all it is pre ready and god provided but we are told it the worst by fools of greed ...who dont want real solutions ...im impressed ...being cold get some swift reaction :cheeky: :builder: :mrgreen:

 

[paddy.shadow]

I live in the very heart of the anthracite coal region, it costs me about $1400.00 a year to heat my home and hot water, 1 ton of anthracite provides the same BTUs as 186 gallons of fuel oil. Hard coal burns very clean as for as green house gasses,and the cinders are re-purposed for winter traction rather than salt.
The franken generator ran for 18 hours constant on a miserly 5 gallons of gas!

 

[AApple]

:clapping: That's usin yer head! Good to know you were able to keep the fire going when you needed it most!

 

[Anonymous]

I live in the very heart of the anthracite coal region, it costs me about $1400.00 a year to heat my home and hot water, 1 ton of anthracite provides the same BTUs as 186 gallons of fuel oil. Hard coal burns very clean as for as green house gasses,and the cinders are re-purposed for winter traction rather than salt.
The franken generator ran for 18 hours constant on a miserly 5 gallons of gas!

WOW .... coal is good for the environment so long as you don't burn it. Where do you think the emissions go? Fuel oil may not be much better but most people are getting away from oil. they are both a LONG way off from Green.

 

[joedrum]

when you consider turning other things into fuel and evoirment impack othat and transport gas line explosions nuculear devastation impacts dangers that are so huge its not measurable ...let alone the terrorist impact to have such desasaters built everywhere there just isnt any comparison ...wind power is great but not in towers design to fail ..it is always less impact on envoirment when things are done by the indivisual as oppose to huge matrix of power loosing grid of abou30% waste in operating it ...as opposed to on spot sthat loose virturaly nothing in comparison...its all in the numbers and simple math as in cost and envoirment impact... :mrgreen:

 

[paddy.shadow]

anthracite coal has very low emissions, not green by any means but far lower co2 than fuel oil

 

[slabghost]

If co2 is such a bad thing why do all living animals exhale it and do not the plants use it to metabolize nutrients and grow to produce oxygen? I think it most arrogant to think man can pollute this world at this time. Purposely or accidentally. One belch from an active volcano (and there are many) puts out more gas and particulates than all of mankind can in a year.

 

[paddy.shadow]

there are lots of other emissions produced before you actually use other forms of energy also, in my case it is mined locally, and is the most affordable way to heat my home and hot water.

 

[Anonymous]

Surprising remarks in this day and age, i think I will back out of this conversation because it can only get bad.

Let me close in saying green coal (hard or soft) is a myth. I agree hard coal gives off less particulates into the air but its the off gases that cause the acid rain. Hard coal and soft coal with scrubbers may reduce the soot on the car in the mornings but they both ruin the environment. BTW CO2 is not the only gas released by burning coal.

Please feel free to email or PM me with your thoughts

 

[paddy.shadow]

My post was not intended to start discourse over available energy and pollutants, merely what can be accomplished with a modicum of ingenuity and some left over stuff.

 

[slabghost]

No troubles here. Glad you had the generator available.

 

[Anonymous]

My post was not intended to start discourse over available energy and pollutants, merely what can be accomplished with a modicum of ingenuity and some left over stuff.

Its all good - glad you got the power on!

 

[dan filipi]

Good going Paddy :clapping:

I have a 5k watt Onan, one from a motorhome I guess.
I've been meaning to bolt it down to a furniture dolly for a rainy day but I like the wagon method more.
It would need one of those big wheel wagons though.
It DID run good, course that was 3 years ago and it's been sitting outside.

 

[Anonymous]

Ive got one of those Generac sets because we used to lose power all the time, sometimes for extended periods. Nice thing is it comes on a minute after the power goes out and turns itself off automatically. Runs on propane (like the house) and has been good investment over the years.