# BIG storms again in the mid west june 2021



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

BIG storms again in the mid west june 2021
wow the town got hit with lightning here last night and the last week!

been out on service calls doing repairs the last couple of days.

on your systems:
make sure to do a whole house surge protection!
mine kicked in 6 times in the last batch of storms!
as well as the ups units....
power jerking on and off...
wow hot rough night for sure!


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Glad there's no climate change.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

lol!
now just hot and storms all spring to winter!
mother earth... she is going to be a bad girl in 2021 for sure!
she was a spoiled child in 2020!
throwing tantrums etc..
LOL!


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## LaSwamp (Mar 16, 2021)

exmar said:


> Glad there's no climate change.


Last year was rough in Hurricane Alley. It's predicted to be another one this year. Good thing we have generators as a hobby.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

LaSwamp said:


> Last year was rough in Hurricane Alley. It's predicted to be another one this year. Good thing we have generators as a hobby.


The whole generator hobby thing has definitely paid off for me. In the past 4 years I’ve had 2 three day outages, 2 daylong outages and a handful of 5-6 hour outages. Either early in the morning disrupting getting ready for work, or early evening through dinner time. My setup makes for a quick easy startup and switch over, my early bird wife handles the morning outages.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

that is one of the key issues on our back up plans!
have test runs and training for the other half or the older kids.

step by step for total novice.
write down and type up (old school) or do the written instructions on the computer then select a *BOLD*
Type and save... and then print off a few copies. take a couple of them and have them plastic laminated at the office supply place of choice. just a few bucks on that!
post a copy by the interlock and one near the generator storage place.

you might be in a total shock panic to get power back up if the storms are severe!
trust me on that one!
lol!

that is one of the best tips i can give on emergency generator operation.

and if you have a gen set that is automatic have the phone number for the service guys on a tag right by the gen sets operation panel.
we laminate our biz cards for these, and even offer plastic magnetic cards for the fridge or tool box.


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## speedy2019 (Jan 29, 2019)

Yeah, if I ever get a other-half I'll be showing her how to use the genny, even though we dont have many powercuts.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Kind of scary, I'm in SE Ohio and we've used the AC more this year than last year and it's June 27? The next six days have 40-60% rain with temp's in the high 80's-90's. Being retired cutting grass used to be an OK thing to do. Now it's a race to get 3 acres mowed between rains. Humidity sorta reminds me of Vietnam.


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## speedy2019 (Jan 29, 2019)

exmar said:


> Kind of scary, I'm in SE Ohio and we've used the AC more this year than last year and it's June 27? The next six days have 40-60% rain with temp's in the high 80's-90's. Being retired cutting grass used to be an OK thing to do. Now it's a race to get 3 acres mowed between rains. Humidity sorta reminds me of Vietnam.


Do genny handle hot weather ok as Im guessing they might get overheated in 80-90 temps, no? And the loss of gas(petrol) due to vaporization?


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Speedy, yet another reason to size your portable to run at 50% power. And run only 10-12 hours per day to keep frig, freezers, etc. happy. Vaporization? Haven't seen that in a small engine since the old Wisconsin engines we used to have on bailers and combines many years ago. Maybe someone from out west in the desert will chime in.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Was just reading that there's an Air Conditioner shortage, naturally it's blamed on COVID disruption of supply chains. This whole situation has just reinforced me getting a second back up generator as usage is going to very high and wonder if the utilities can keep up. We can sweat, but don't want to lose refrigerated items and having internet and lights with a few fans makes life better.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

for HOT temps yea a portable air con unit is handy for when on gen...
cool the room you are in thing.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

I have a free standing portable just in case. When I moved from my last house I left 3 window ACs I probably should have took one.

I bet the new fancy and pricy inverter window units are readily available.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

yup the new inverter window air con units are nice!

i hear they are working on portable inverter air con units as well.
pm if you need links.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Just ordered a second generator, just a Firman PO3501, 3500/4550W. Don't think this means anything as Hurricane season is approaching, but was looking at it on three different sites shopping a couple of days ago, tonight sold out everywhere but WalMart whose selling partner is Firman direct. When I put in AC kept a couple of small window units which are in the barn, JIC.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

cool
yea spare parts are always a good plan as well.
start rope, spark plugs, filters, oil. cords, outlets.
hoses if you run extended run or LP and NG conversion.

and a tool kit for just the gen operation!

rain most of the day here...
not sure if it is too much too late for the crops here in the mid west...
so far a bit of floods in low land areas...
still pretty dry when you dig down.
slow misty rain most of the day today.

glad to have ac and dehumidifiers!
hard to breath 90% humidity!
lol!
almost feels cold inside from working out in it all day!

stay safe out there!


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## LaSwamp (Mar 16, 2021)

exmar said:


> Just ordered a second generator, just a Firman PO3501, 3500/4550W. Don't think this means anything as Hurricane season is approaching, but was looking at it on three different sites shopping a couple of days ago, tonight sold out everywhere but WalMart whose selling partner is Firman direct. When I put in AC kept a couple of small window units which are in the barn, JIC.


I have the P03602, which is almost an identical model. I got mine back in 2018 when there was very little info about Firman but it was getting good buzz. It's been a nice generator. It seems well built and I still hear mostly good things about them. I'm going to use mine as a backup should we get a nasty hurricane season.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

I was just out erranding and listened to NPR. There was a segment on "keepers or hoarders" or something, anyway folks who think bad things are coming and stockpile food, etc. to get through it. Historically, this group was older, conservative, white, in rural areas, had lived through the cold war and their parents had lived through the great depression. No more, now they're everyone and everywhere. A big segment of this group are buying generators, fuel, etc. as they have no faith in utilities quickly recovering from a disaster anymore. I guess we're in the happening demographic?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

snort!
lol!
snort!
i guess having survived part 1 of the current stuff.
glad to be in the hip crowd!
the good news is if you get a chance to spread the news on basic ready ness..
it is a seed!
and folks will remember you!
so try not to wear the A frame sign... but do get the word out to have a plan!
even if it is a small basic plan.
and expand on it every time you get a chance.
just like a savings plan, pretty soon you have a REAL plan!

plan your system, buy parts a bit at a time. build when you have enough parts to get one phase of the operation done.
pretty soon it is all in place!


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## JJ Ranch (Apr 23, 2021)

Out here in ranch land we are self reliant to a great extent - we are at the end of a long supply chain which failed us this past winter with ice-apoclypse. We have 3,000 gallons of potable water stored, months of food stored and food on the hoof. I try to keep spares for everything even remotely important. My neighbor on my north side (from the left coast) wakes up in a new world every day, ice-apoclypse was catastrophic for them.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

lol
a rude awakening for the left coast for sure!
same here for the folks moving in....
they do not have a clue hot hot or how cold Iowa gets!
super steamy here today...
surprised we did not have brutal storms here...

lightning last weekend did a number on things here in town!
doing rewire on 3 sites.
and new whole house surge units.
i did one this eve.
parts for the furnace just arrived for tomorrow so they can have back the hvac for air con.


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## Airstreamer67 (Oct 3, 2020)

Iowagold, are the whole-house surge protectors effective? How much do they cost? I assume they must be replaced when they are hit, ie, they sacrifice themselves in order to protect the home's electric system and appliances?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

it depends on the hit!
rare direct hits can blow the side off the house.

that steam thing is cool to see for sure.
and every thing is a total loss if it is a direct hit.

most of the hits are way down the power line.
and can be 20 miles or more away!!
the last BIG storm we had.. it tripped out 4 breakers to save the items.
kinda cool!
the surge units we like do have "state" indicator led's on the front to let you know they are ok.
and we use those as well to see that we have power as well!

if they are flickering.
trip out the main fast and switch over to gen for power..
frying crossed lines is a big thing in wind storms..
and these devices sure help to protect your items!

pm me if you need links!


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## JJ Ranch (Apr 23, 2021)

I briefly looked into "whole house" protection and while I have no comment about their effectiveness I did make note they only protect circuits off the panel where the protector is installed. So if there are sub-panels they would need the device installed as well. 

We lived in central Florida for 25 years and lived with lightning every summer. One time we had a strike maybe 100 feet away and it blew out our phone landline and cable TV. It also ruined my company's laptop modem and took out the control board for double ovens. We had a sailboat in a marina (the mast was 53' off the water), our neighbor in an adjacent slip was a 30-something foot power boat and his neighbor was another sailboat. We had a lightning strike and guess who got the damage - the power boat. Wiped out all of his electronics but zero damage to us.

Lightning "protection" is a complex subject as there are so many variables. One tactic is to bleed off any static charge buildup by the use of pointed rods or on commercial towers they use what looks like a frizzy paint brush at the very top.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

I have an Eaton whole house surge protector installed on my main panel. It’s my understanding that it protects everything downstream of it. The feed breaker should be installed in the top position of the bus bars and it serves everything below.

If I’m wrong I’ll be needing 2 more units for my 2 sub panels.


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## JJ Ranch (Apr 23, 2021)

Forgot where I read about only protecting circuits off the panel where the surge protector is installed. Here's a somewhat interesting forum thread on Mike Holt's website, be sure and read the last post in the thread.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

Sounds like if one unit in the main panel is good, then a unit in each panel is better. Might just do that.

My sub panels are QO, the compact QO surge protectors are snap in and pretty cheap. No need for extra breakers though they don’t have as high of a kA rating as the Eaton In my main panel. 









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Buy Schneider Electric QO2175SB QO SurgeBreaker Surge Protective Device Takes 2 Load Center Spaces: Surge Protectors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



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Amazon.com


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## JJ Ranch (Apr 23, 2021)

My panels use the Square D HOM type. The more I think about it I should do "whole" house protection, I have room for two tandem breakers at my meter box, I suppose I could put one in there and then one in the house panel.

Another electrical project is to separate the neutrals and grounds in the main house panel, the original house wiring is probably 20 years old and I don't think it was code then to separate them.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Whole house protection is a very good thing. Making sure you have a good driven ground and solid connections to ground and neutral is also good. It's easy to go nuts on electrical stuff. That's in addition to the code changing often. e.g. Imagine four 12V batteries connected in parallel, now you're going to connect a plus and minus wire, charger, load, whatever. Just pick an end and connect there? "Theoretically," that's wrong, should connect a wire to each end so all the batteries are used equally. Amazing the things you learn when you retire and have time to read. Not sure I agree with that one but interesting to consider.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

JJ Ranch said:


> I briefly looked into "whole house" protection and while I have no comment about their effectiveness I did make note they only protect circuits off the panel where the protector is installed. So if there are sub-panels they would need the device installed as well.
> 
> We lived in central Florida for 25 years and lived with lightning every summer. One time we had a strike maybe 100 feet away and it blew out our phone landline and cable TV. It also ruined my company's laptop modem and took out the control board for double ovens. We had a sailboat in a marina (the mast was 53' off the water), our neighbor in an adjacent slip was a 30-something foot power boat and his neighbor was another sailboat. We had a lightning strike and guess who got the damage - the power boat. Wiped out all of his electronics but zero damage to us.
> 
> Lightning "protection" is a complex subject as there are so many variables. One tactic is to bleed off any static charge buildup by the use of pointed rods or on commercial towers they use what looks like a frizzy paint brush at the very top.


if you run the whole house protection on the main panel the sub panels are protected if they are turned on.
but if you are using sub panels for the generator only connection
then add another whole house protection unit to the sub panel for the gen set.system


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