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DEL.ICIO.USGood tips for bad weather
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just a couple weeks ago it was so hot and humid it felt like I had to swim through the air. Now, the morning chill tells me winter isn’t far away.
I don’t want to seem negative about a nice change in temperatures, but all that means trouble. Winter brings ice and downed power lines. I can’t think of a winter passing in recent years without a power outage or two. At best, power will be out for a few hours; at worst it can be out for several days.
There are things you can do to make the inevitable power outages more bearable. For starters, you need a flashlight and batteries. How’s that for impressive, high-tech advice? But don’t give up on me. We’ll go beyond the basics now.
Pick up at least two flurorescent camping lanterns. Get the kind with two light tubes. Mine uses eight batteries and puts out almost as much light as a table lamp. That wide swath of light lets you read, do repairs or cook.
While we are talking about light, here are some things not to do: Don’t use a gas- or oil-powered light, and stay away from candles. It’s better to be in the dark than to burn your house down.
A UPS excuse
A UPS is an uninterruptible power supply - basically a gadget that contains a battery and the circuitry for converting the DC battery power to the AC household current your plug-in devices use.
The onset of winter is a good excuse to buy one because it supplies power to your computer, monitor, modem and other devices in case the power goes out. We’re talking about minutes of power, not hours. But that’s enough time for you to shut down the computer properly, or even to send a quick e-mail.
Now let’s go beyond the basics. Think of all the things you could do with an alternate source of household current when the power is out.
You could keep your cordless telephones running. Many households only have cordless phones (a bad idea; keep a regular wired phone that will work in a power outage). But with an extra UPS charged and ready to go, you could run cordless phones for a couple of days. A charged UPS will also work fine for charging up the batteries on your laptop, or furnishing power to a small radio.
And while a UPS won’t keep a desktop computer going for long, it can power a DSL or cable modem and a router for a day or two. That means, with a laptop computer, you could send out e-mails or even check the Web during an outage.
Keeping in touch
During any kind of weather emergency, communication with the outside world can literally save a life. Most people have cellphones today (and you can keep them charged with that UPS I mentioned). Telephones often work even when the electrical lines are down.
You’ll also want to be able to check the news for information about street closings and weather warnings. So make sure you own a battery-powered radio. It’ll run for days on a set of batteries and, if nothing else, will furnish some old-fashioned entertainment. Those who want to get fancy can also find battery-powered televisions.
A weather radio is also a good idea. You’ll get weather warnings and information directly from the National Weather Service. Many of them are able to switch automatically from AC current to battery power.
Many of you have gasoline-powered generators that can furnish power. That’s fine. But please consult an electrician so that he can create an isolation circuit. That way, there is no danger of the power from the generator leaving your house. When the power company is working on a downed line, the electricity from your generator can be an unpleasant or even fatal surprise.
The deluxe approach to generator power is one that automatically kicks in when your power is out. These natural gas powered generators can be very expensive. A friend has one that handles his entire house; he paid $10,000 for that peace of mind.
At my house and with my budget, it’s batteries, a fireplace and heavy sweaters. But we will have light, radio and Internet service.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Columns
Comments
By Vic
October 6, 2007 6:51 PM | Link to this
Bill…HELP. I need to simplify my life!! I use Quicken for my checking accounts - QuickBooks Pro for my @ home resale business - and an excel spread sheet for my business expenses. You’ve worked miracles before! Isn’t there one software for all of this? Free, would be the best price. I so appreciate your articles the Sunday AJC’s. Thanks Vicki
By Wendy Lerner
October 7, 2007 7:23 AM | Link to this
QuickBooks will handle all 3 tasks for you. You can set up a separate company for your home expenses using QB. The check register is very similar to the Quicken check register. QB should handle your business expenses with no problem. Your accountant will be delighted at tax time.
I hope this helps.
By Jim Randolph
October 7, 2007 4:28 PM | Link to this
I Run Windows XP,Home Edition, Symantec AV 2007. Automatic updates and full scan on Friday. Email is scanned incoming and outgoing. I also use Spybot frequently. I check all email at Earthlink Web Mail before downloading to my computer. I receive some .wmv attachments with no problems opening or viewing. But when I do a forward, The message is in my sent file and can be viewed, But when I go to web Mail, the message has been quarantined and the attachment deleted because a virus cannot be cleared. The reason given is: Virus detected: Mail policy violation Partial MIME Blocked. The Web Mail is scanned and powered by Symantec. I did a Google search and found one entry that suggests someone has gone into Symantec AV web interface and modified some rules. What is your take? Who should fix, Earthlink or Symantev? I sent a message to Earthlink support but so far no response. The only way I have found to reach Symantec is live chat. Apparently Tech support has gone the way of the Dodo bird… I would appreciate comment on how to fix this problem. I could not find previous comments on this subject in your archives. Thanks, Jim Randolph. jwrandolph@mindspring.com You do good work, Long time reader of your articles everySunday in the AJC.
By Wayne gunn
October 8, 2007 11:52 AM | Link to this
I agree that having a UPS is not a bad idea for when the power glitches during a storm, or just general power maintenance in your neighborhood. However, if you live in the lightning zone which is the Atlanta and Georgia area, don’t think that an $80 UPS will shield your computer from a direct hit by a bolt that has leaped several miles through air to land at your front door. It won’t happen!
By Vanessa
October 9, 2007 11:46 PM | Link to this
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