[Cathan]

Time for the east coast folks to check their sump pumps, battery back-ups, generators, gutters, etc. Betcha we have at least one report of a flooded theater by the time Irene passes. But here's hoping the best.


And of course last week I was thinking I really should install a back-up battery and sump pump but now I don't think I'll get to doing it in time. Ordered a small generator through Amazon instead.

 

[vzphoneman]

my back up plan .... living 250 miles from coast! Good luck to you...I hope you get to ride it out safe and sound.

 

[BIGmouthinDC]

HD sold out of Generators early this afternoon. I wonder how many will be returned on Monday. Hopefully 100%

 

[ack_bk]

I lived in Florida for about 14 years, and I feel for you guys. Hopefully we will get a miracle and this hurricane will either weaken before it hits land or will head out to sea (which seems unlikely).


Earthquakes and now hurricanes. Crazy week for our East Coast brethren,

 

[Roshy]

Lets hope everyone will be OK this weekend. And more importantly, no AV equipment gets ruined

 

[gareth_alien]

Yes, I'm all set. We've not had a hurricane since 1987.

I may go to the beach then play some golf. Badly.

 

[BIGmouthinDC]

Just read an article that said that NYC south of canal street may flood. There is a high lunar tide coinciding with the arrival of the storm.

 

[carboranadum]

I think that I read the same article, Biggy! This could be a really nasty storm. I have a mountain range between me and the coast, so I'm hoping that will be enough. I'm also planning for the electricity to go out, but we'll see. Here's the latest from the National Hurricane Center: "Irene is a hurricane that poses an extraordinary threat and is one that no one has yet experienced in North Carolina to the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast and New England. This includes Norfolk, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, and Boston. This hurricane has the potential to produce flooding rains, high winds, downed trees (on houses, cars, power lines) and widespread power outages. Significant impacts along the immediate coast include high waves, surge and beach erosion."


I really want a generator, though...


Hope all of you remain safe and property remains undamaged.


Well, all but you Tom. Some damage at your place may be construed as "work", so here's hoping it's the good kind.

I jest...hope Tom's place remains undamaged too.

 

[tlogan6797]

Well, I DO need to clean up. I've accumulated a lot of scraps...maybe a flood will wash it all away.

 

[BIGmouthinDC]

I just dug out my hand operated bildge pump. I'm going to loosen the cover to my sump pumb today so that I'm ready to spring into manual mode if necessary. From past experience the sump well fills up really slowly doing intense rain, snow melt. I think I can stay ahead of the problem if I loose power and the battery dies on the back up. Another strategy is I have 3 vehicles. I can cycle those batteries to the basement while I charge the others. I see Harbor Freight had a on-line "tent sale" today with an $89 generator.


Wouldn't that be handy for the sump.

 

[mgkdragn]

as a guy that's had to manually bail sump pits near my HT (2 pits) .. for 3 days, I know what it's like .. I should get over my cheapskate self and buy at least a small generator ..


Is it just me or has this been a crazy weather year .. ??

 

[oman321]



Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC /forum/post/20870263


I just dug out my hand operated bildge pump. I'm going to loosen the cover to my sump pumb today so that I'm ready to spring into manual mode if necessary. From past experience the sump well fills up really slowly doing intense rain, snow melt. I think I can stay ahead of the problem if I loose power and the battery dies on the back up. Another strategy is I have 3 vehicles. I can cycle those batteries to the basement while I charge the others. I see Harbor Freight had a on-line "tent sale" today with an $89 generator.


Wouldn't that be handy for the sump.

Darn!!! There is one about 15 minutes away from me. Unfortunately they sold out 2 days ago.


Worst case scenario, I back up my Honda Pilot to the bulkhead and connect my sump pump to it's 110v outlet in the center console

now that's one big arse generator...

 

[BIGmouthinDC]

If there was an under $750 generator on the shelf right now there would be a riot in the store trying to claim it.


Just now I bumped into 4 dudes at Costco battery aisle all looking for D batteries. Found a pile at Sam's Club two miles away. These are extras for my LED flashlight so I can see the sump pit. Drivers are starting to get a little crazy on the roads right now near the stores so be careful.

 

[Cathan]

I actually did order a small generator earlier in the week from Amazon. And of all things to go wrong, this is the first time a Prime overnight order hasn't shipped. I suspect that they had a bunch of people submit orders at the same time and over sold the item. I just canceled the order. Assuming we get through okay (and no reason we shouldn't as DC looks to be only getting 2-3 inches of rain and the ground isn't already saturated) I'm just going to suck it up and buy a bigger unit later in the fall.


The good news is that we just had new gutters installed yesterday after a tree took some of them down a couple of weeks ago. I was sweating bullets trying to make sure that the work got done in time for this weekend. It will be a good test of the gutters and new gutter guards.

 

[ack_bk]

We have had a ton of snow and rain in the Minneapolis region with lots of flooding. I have been considering one of these as a backup for my electric powered sump:

http://www.basepump.com/Basepump.htm


Anyone have any experience with one of these, or heard anything? Seems like it makes a lot of sense.

 

[Cathan]

Yes, a few people on the forums have that sort of unit installed. They aren't cheap and take a bit of work to put in. In my case I would need a fairly long copper run to get to a water line which would require a ton of drywall work. Wish I had learned of this solution before I finished the entire basement. Instead I'm going with a backup sump pump, battery back-up and portable generator. We rarely lose power where we live, but the battery will cover most outages. The generator is extra back-up, but will only work if I'm home for the event.

 

[ack_bk]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Cathan /forum/post/20871429


Yes, a few people on the forums have that sort of unit installed. They aren't cheap and take a bit of work to put in. In my case I would need a fairly long copper run to get to a water line which would require a ton of drywall work. Wish I had learned of this solution before I finished the entire basement. Instead I'm going with a backup sump pump, battery back-up and portable generator. We rarely lose power where we live, but the battery will cover most outages. The generator is extra back-up, but will only work if I'm home for the event.

Yeah, I am lucky that my sump pump is in an unfinished room of the basement and there is very close access to the main water line. I just have been debating about getting one of these. We rarely lose power either, but my sump pump runs a lot during major storms and if we lost power for an extended period of time we would be in trouble, even with a battery backup. The generator is nice to have for sure. Will probably pick one up later this year.

 

[Sands_at_Pier147]

The first time I ever really thought "man, I wish I had a generator right now" was the 12 days we were out of power from Katrina. Our neighbor had one. His house was not nearly as stinky as ours was. Seems I had just loaded up that chest freezer with some good things, too.


The second time I ever really thought I wanted to have had a generator was during some spring storms that rolled through Michigan in June 2007. Out of power for almost 5 days. I loaded up one fridge with all of the perishables, bought an inverter somewhere (Home Depot, maybe?) and ran the fridge every now and then off of the car battery to keep stuff cool.


After that, when Home Depot finally restocked generators, I bought one. Installed a transfer panel, rewired the ten house circuits I wanted to run from the generator, especially the well pump, sump pump, furnace/blower, the master suite, the kitchen). That was four years ago - still have never had to use it.


I hope your property is unaffected by the storm. I've seen my share of hurricanes - I know what they can do. And please stay safe.

 

[Cathan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sands_at_Pier147 After that, when Home Depot finally restocked generators, I bought one. Installed a transfer panel, rewired the ten house circuits I wanted to run from the generator, especially the well pump, sump pump, furnace/blower, the master suite, the kitchen). That was four years ago - still have never had to use it.

The local power company always includes little advertisement slips for hardwired whole house generators. I've been tempted a few times to just suck it up and install one. Keep telling the wife it's best to be prepared in case of a zombie apocalypse. Can't be too safe.


And as it turns out even though Amazon says that the generator wasn't shipping and I canceled the order, it was waiting on the stoop when I got home tonight. We'll see if I get billed or not in the end. It's only a small one, but enough to run the pump and perhaps the cable box and TV.

 

[HeyNow^]

I'll be putting guide wires on the Outhouse tomorrow. I took the Still apart today, so I'm good there. Just kidding... We have a well, so if the power goes out, no water. We will fill the bath tubs up so we can flush the toilets... Like CJ, I'm hoping the mountain to our west will help us.


Thank goodness this house doesn't have sump pumps!