...of snow it takes to make one potful of water and while I did not count, it seemed like at least 6 to 8. I wound up getting two Homer Buckets worth, about 3/4 or a bit more full, to use in the toilets when the need arises for a good strong flush. I've been getting the snow on my small patio but I kind of think there is enough for maybe one more and doubtful for two. So, that will mean getting the rest from the parking lot depending on how long our water at the apartment complex is shut off. A pipe burst and that was it for our ready supply of H2O. I had about16-18 gallon jugs full of the wet stuff for whatever emergency use it becomes needed but that supply has dwindled down by about 6 gallons already. I also have 11 cases of bottled water for drinking (edited to add: and lots of booze)!
So far not too bad. If the power goes out though we are screwed. I do not have a portable heater (kerosene or propane) nor do I have a generator with an electric heater. In the event of a power failure, I'd have to heat up the car, grab the tortoises and the mongrel Skye and hit the road headed toward my son's house. I really do not want to drive in this crap; the authorities here seem to have been totally unprepared for a snowfall like this and the ice that accompanied it so I have no clue as to the road conditions. I imagine though that they are hazardous. I suppose if very bad, I could make for the nearest motel with power and sneak in the critters. Maybe many folks would go to see if portable heaters were still available at Home Depot or Lowe's but the thought of burning kerosene or another combustible fuel inside my apartment does not appeal to what little good sense remains within my little gray cells and I know little to nothing about generators.
This post was edited/updated a bit on 02/19/2021
Stay warm and covid free.
GB
2 comments:
How much water you'll get is totally based on how wet the snow is. I do the same thing up here in Alaska when the power goes out (which isn't that uncommon and it's out for days at a time). No power, no well pump. Our snow is seriously light and dry though; I can clear the drive with a leaf blower. A 5 gallon bucket packed pretty tight yields about 1/2 a gallon. That same bucket at my mom's place in upstate NY would get about 3 gallons. The permanent solution for my place is a 12 volt RV water pump with a pressure switch plumbed in parallel with the well pump. Open 2 valves, turn the power to the pump on & all's good. I also have a dual fuel (butane & propane) camp stove and a couple years supply of firewood. I recommend a 2 bottle Mr Heater propane heater as your backup heat source. It'll run on a couple 1 lb bottles or there's a supplied barbeque bottle hose so it'll run off one of those too. Small enough to move around, big enough to heat a decent sized room.
For the info on the mr. Heater how I will have to check those out. As for the snow here in Texas, at least in Northeast Texas oh, it was pretty dry snow. I shoveled it away with a kitchen mop, the kind with a sponge at the end. Today would be another story since the temperature went up to about 36 and a lot of it melted and what remains is very heavy with water.
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