Power outages

[Axxe55]

Might wanna do some reading up on pipe and plumbing. That "thin wall" PVC is most likely CPVC and there is a reason it was developed. Standard SCH40 PVC and the PVC cement associated with it can not withstand the heat encountered in typical home/business environment. This is especially true when plumbing is located in the attic like so many homes in Texas have. Regardless of pipe location water coming from the water heater is sufficient to cause joint failure over time. Additionally in any area with a building code does not and will not recognize sch.40 PVC pipe as suitable pipe material.

Doug, I'm well aware of what CPVC pipe is, and I have none at all in my house, Every water line in my house is copper. And there are no water lines that run through the attic of any sort. The PVC pipes I'm referring to are the piping coming from the water meter to the house. My brother trenched and laid the PVC piping back in the mid 1990's when he moved in his trailer house here on the property. When we built our house back in 2005, I trenched and laid PVC pipes to the house, tying into the existing piping my brother put in years before. I used the thin-walled PVC as well, because it was cheaper, and I had almost three hundred feet of piping to run from the existing pipes, to the house. As of now, from the water meter to the house, is over 1400 feet of PVC pipes!

The water line I will be replacing, is from the water meter to the house, and I plan on doing a diagonal run from the meter to the house. Which will knock off almost three hundred feet of piping. Still have to buy over 1100 feet to make that run.

Not my first plumbing job. I may not be a master plumber, or electrician, but I'm smart enough to get the job done and done right.

 

[Axxe55]

I came from MD where the frost line is 36",so I buried the line 24 to 36". The 17* low was on one of those single digit nights with a 6 hour outage. Yesterday and the night before we had a 14 hour outage,but the outside temps only went down to about 27*, and the water shed only went down to 38*. The house went down to 56* over the same period. Thank God that when we had it built I had it insulated for northern climes. The payback is just a few years with the savings on AC.

I am so glad that I opted to get the upgraded insulation when they built the house! It ain't bikini warm in the house, but it's comfortable in sweatshirt. Staying right about 59 to 62 degrees in the main part of the house, where the ceiling peaks at almost 14 feet! That's a lot of open area to heat.

I plan on burying the new water line at least 18" deep from the meter to the house. The only reason we are out of water is because of the water company shutting it down.

 

[Dougw1515]

Not my first plumbing job. I may not be a master plumber, or electrician, but I'm smart enough to get the job done and done right.

I see. With your comment in mind I see you plan on doing a job you've already done once - again. Must be gonna do it double RIGHT huh? LOLOLOL....

 

[smittyb]

 

[Axxe55]

I see. With your comment in mind I see you plan on doing a job you've already done once - again. Must be gonna do it double RIGHT huh? LOLOLOL....

Doug, maybe you should learn to read what people are writing before you post your silly comments. Reading comprehensions may not be your strongest resource.

Read it again. My brother laid the piping in the mid 1990's. We built our house in 2005. The old pipes, the joints are failing and where we are having water leaks at. Those pipes are almost thirty years old now.

 

[oldag]

Doug, maybe you should learn to read what people are writing before you post your silly comments. Reading comprehensions may not be your strongest resource.

Read it again. My brother laid the piping in the mid 1990's. We built our house in 2005. The old pipes, the joints are failing and where we are having water leaks at. Those pipes are almost thirty years old now.

My pipes are much older than that, maybe why the don't work as well as they used to...

 

[Dougw1515]

Doug, maybe you should learn to read what people are writing before you post your silly comments. Reading comprehensions may not be your strongest resource.

Read it again. My brother laid the piping in the mid 1990's. We built our house in 2005. The old pipes, the joints are failing and where we are having water leaks at. Those pipes are almost thirty years old now.

Welllll.... I think you should replace them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Axxe55]

Welllll.... I think you should replace them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodbye Doug.

 

[popper]

Many coal plants, some are shutting down, most have high MW output, bout the same as the 2 nuke plants. 12 low output hydro plants, 30 solar low output, 6 biomass very low, >100 wind med output. BUT only 20% max available from wind & solar in BEST WEATHER! Plus we were evidently selling gas to mexico instead of piping it north. Yes, wind and solar work but the acreage needed is huge for a SUPPLEMENTAL energy supply. Texas is now getting legislation for elec. storage facilities, gov funded. WRONG!! Like the DFW/Houston rail - BAD choice.

 

[macguyverguy81]

Most of the county is lit up by now- atleast on the NE side anyways.


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[no2gates]

My power is STILL out. Has been since 9:04am MONDAY !!!!
Have a generator, but it's not big enough to heat the house. No hot water, no heat. Using electric blankets.
Went out to get gasoline for the generator, drove over 12 miles to finally find a station that had gas, and when I did, they only had premium left.

 

[pronstar]

Folks are rightly up in arms...supposedly Highland Park and Preston Hollow (wealthy parts of Dallas) have had continuous power, no interruptions.

While “not wealthy” parts of the metroplex got hit the worst.


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[no2gates]

Seriously need to fix the folks that caused this.

 

[pronstar]

AERIAL PHOTOS: Downtown Austin Office Buildings, Parking Garages Stay Lit Up While Citizens Shiver in the Rolling Blackouts

pjmedia.com

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[thescoutranch]

Rolling blackouts my ass. We have been without power since Monday 0300. Nearby neighborhoods have had power continuously.
we are between Hutto and Georgetown.

 

[avvidclif]

The head of Ercot lives in Michigan. 1/3 of the board doesn't live in Texas. How do you get on the board. You have to be nominated by a board member, no other way. See any problems??

 

[busykngt]

As I said in a different thread, prison time is called for. I suppose, jail time wouldn't be needed provided the guillotines are broken out!

 

[striker55]

Yesterday was the first day of continuous power, those rolling blackouts sucked never knew when it would come. They wanted you to conserve energy by turning off what you didn't need. BS every charger got plugged in, heat was turned up, cook some food and take a shower.

 

[Frank59]

Yesterday was the first day of continuous power, those rolling blackouts sucked never knew when it would come. They wanted you to conserve energy by turning off what you didn't need. BS every charger got plugged in, heat was turned up, cook some food and take a shower.

Took a nice cold shower after the power came back on and was able to heat my home. After about an hour of recovery from the shock of the intense cold water I felt as good as a baby with a freshly changed diaper and a powdered ass.

 

[glenbo]

We went 64 hours without grid-supplied power. Thankfully we have a generator that powered our natural gas-fired furnace or we would have died in the 12 to 18 degree range lows we had for over 24 hours, below 30 for 2 days, and we were in the area least affected. We are one block from Galveston Bay and all that water helps mitigate temperature changes. I can't imagine what thousands of other folks have been through, or how many have died from the incompetence of ercot.