Southern Friends

ewbldavis · 02-18-2021, 01:39 PM

Those of us up north are used to this type of weather...

How are our southern friends holding up? I know a bunch are from Texas and the like. Hang in there - sun will be back soon enough!!

gearhead · 02-18-2021, 04:48 PM

If we can get to Saturday we'll be OK.

**sourdough** · 02-18-2021, 05:02 PM

Thanks Eddy. I'm not in TX but I'm talking daily to folks that are. It's cold but not unmanageable unless you lose power for long periods, then most folks aren't prepared for that. It's a boondoggle messup that is hopefully rectified before the next go round. Thanks for asking.

Old Mustanger · 02-18-2021, 08:44 PM

Personally DW and I are fine but our household grew by 4 people + a dog and cat because the DD's house had been without power for about 36 hours so they came over to get warm and stay until the power turned on. Yesterday the power must have come on for just long enough to melt a frozen pipe in their attic and when they went over in the afternoon to check on the house there was water running out the front door and down the side of the house (and of course the power was out again). So they will be staying with us for awhile.

wiredgeorge · 02-18-2021, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Thanks Eddy. I'm not in TX but I'm talking daily to folks that are. It's cold but not unmanageable unless you lose power for long periods, then most folks aren't prepared for that. It's a boondoggle messup that is hopefully rectified before the next go round. Thanks for asking.

Gov. Abbott just called for an investigation of those responsible for emergency readiness in Texas. The group has some acronym for a name ERXXX or something. They announced a couple days before the beginning of our weather crisis Texas was all set and ready. Perhaps we were not and those responsible for maintaining the weather proofing of power stations, limiting the reliance on energy sources that can't be relied on in adverse weather and not maintaining power plants that are fueled by nuke and petro using green sources (unreliable in bad weather) should be held to task and responsible people put in charge who are accountable to the people of this state. Starting to spin into politics and I apologize and we likely need to move to tomorrow when the 6" plus inches of snow will likely melt in the mid 40s temps. We were without power, heat (except for burning stinky cedar in the fireplace) and water for three days (well needs electricity). We survived and doing fine as we are self reliant.

ewbldavis · 02-19-2021, 04:20 AM

I saw video yesterday of frozen pipes. I pray not too many have to deal with that. Tough enough without water pouring down on everything...

Wired I get it. We are supposed to trust our officials to be prepared for such events...and seems like no one ever is. Even here, if our power is out doesn't matter how much you are used to the weather, no power = no heat/water, so you're screwed.

notanlines · 02-19-2021, 04:39 AM

In reality one doesn't have to travel to the deep south to find screwballs in charge with little common sense. Memphis Light Gas and Robbery (MLGW) has a small problem with water pressure so the Memphis Int'l Airport has cancelled every single flight today. Not enough water pressure in the terminal building. I'll bet some of the idiots in charge of this may have worked in New Orleans or in Texas energy over the years. Will heads roll for putting thousands of air passenger's plans on hold? I'm sure, the same way officials were punished after Katrina.

**JRTJH** · 02-19-2021, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

In reality one doesn't have to travel to the deep south to find screwballs in charge with little common sense. Memphis Light Gas and Robbery (MLGW) has a small problem with water pressure so the Memphis Int'l Airport has cancelled every single flight today. Not enough water pressure in the terminal building. I'll bet some of the idiots in charge of this may have worked in New Orleans or in Texas energy over the years. Will heads roll for putting thousands of air passenger's plans on hold? I'm sure, the same way officials were punished after Katrina.

Do you mean: Pick one sacrificial lamb, pay him an outrageous severance package with guaranteed "under the table employment assistance" and blame everything on that lamb ??? Fire him, the problem goes away, taxpayers foot the bill and he "shows up as corporate adviser" on some consultant firm that advises the same entity as soon as "the heat dies down".....

Katrina wasn't the "start of that kind of problem solving" The Levy Board had been doing that since the days of "HPL and his minions"... There's a reason every bridge built in Louisiana during the 30's, 40's and 50's is named "The Huey P. Long Bridge"....

gearhead · 02-20-2021, 10:26 AM

Ahh...HP Long. My Grandpa told me if you were a Long man you could get/keep your government job when he was elected. Grandpa worked as a road crew foreman, when Kingfish was "in". "Share the Wealth" and "A Chicken in Every Pot". As close to socialism as you get.
Anyway..we're good. I just turned the furnace off in the 5th and turned the little electric fan/heater off in the Bigfoot. The batteries in the 5th are showing 12.1 volts so I'm leaving it plugged in until tomorrow to see if comes up a bit.
Spent some time with the son this morning. He let his water run and collected mud in the kitchen faucet. My faucet wrench came in handy.
Gotta go....New Orleans Kitchen Queens is coming on PBS. Johnson Bayou lady is doing turtle soup....

notanlines · 02-20-2021, 02:11 PM

Damn, Brent! Just stab us in the chest....

gearhead · 02-20-2021, 03:54 PM

Yeah for once I escaped with no wounds. Our little town is famous for every time the wind blows the power goes out. We are one of the few municipalities that owns our own electrical system. I think it's us, Livingston, and Jasper. We buy power from Sam Houston Electrical Co-op, they buy from Entergy. We are not in ERCOT. We used to have our own little power plant. I assume they used nat gas from the old South Liberty Oilfield. Our city government eventually worked the power grid to the top of their "to do" list. Apparently they did good. Got a new switch station for redundancy. When the city started icing up I was thinking my Generac was going to kick on and run for days and days. Nope, never started up.
Watched it all on TV.
add...I haven't hooked water up to either RV. I better quit crowing.

gearhead · 02-24-2021, 02:26 AM

I planned to pull the 5th out to the driveway and remove the storage bay petition before I hooked up water to it. I keep my utility trailer backed up partially under the 5th overhang. Moved that, hooked up to the 5th, and it won't move. Truck parking brake is off, WTH. Got out and looked for whatever was holding me up. Finally saw the breakaway cable missing and found it draped over the utility trailer tailgate that I just moved. Dang the emergency brakes have been on, but how long? Maybe that's why my battery voltage was down.
Anyway I hooked water up to it and looked everywhere and never was a leak in 4 hours. Battery voltage came back up after being plugged in 6 hours. So I guess it survived the "big freeze".

**JRTJH** · 02-24-2021, 07:54 AM

Let's hope that when you pulled the utility trailer out of the way is when the breakaway cable got pulled, not when you backed it under the overhang. Once you do get the fifth wheel out to the garage, so you have concrete to crawl on, get on a creeper and go under the trailer to inspect the wiring where it enters the hubs, behind the wheels. Also, carefully inspect the wires attached to the breakaway switch (where the plunger goes). Usually, those wires will show signs of overheating if there's any prolonged activation of the breakaway system.

Hopefully, all of that will be intact and not burned.

I bought a "truck end umbilical connector" and mounted it inside my pinbox. When I disconnect, the breakaway cable and the umbilical get "stored out of the way" inside the pinbox, even before I uncouple the hitch. So far, that's managed to save me from doing exactly what you've had happen. Heck, even a short piece of 2.5" PVC pipe, glued inside the pinbox (or to the trailer bottom wall behind the pinbox) would be a place to store the umbilical and breakaway cable, so they're up, out of the way, during storage.

Camping family · 02-24-2021, 09:43 AM

With all the issues and been reading of the increase in power bills. I would hope and pray someone steps in and does something about the power increase to those in Tx. It’s sad when during a disaster people are taken advantage of. Been ready of some with power bills of over 3,000.

notanlines · 02-24-2021, 10:30 AM

Looking at the other side of the electric bill problem, did all these people not have a choice as to which company to choose? If their bills dropped to $5.00 would companies be asking for money to make up for the difference?
I don’t know what’s fair, but we can’t just write off bad choices by people in every situation.

**sourdough** · 02-24-2021, 10:54 AM

I don't have any idea what my power bill is or might be since I'm not there to see it. On the other hand I'm not worried about it too much.

The state PUC has oversight of the electrical utilities. There are only so many electrical providers who supply the power grid then all kinds of distribution companies (thanks deregulation) that then get their power from the providers to give to their customers; all over the same electrical lines. I don't know which providers are jacking up the prices but I doubt that will hold. I believe I read that the gov has said that folks won't be responsible for any of those exorbitant bills. I am sure that is because of the utter and complete failure of ERCOT, the state agency that oversees the TX power grid. He has placed the blame on them and asked for their resignations. I believe at last count there were 6 that had resigned; as well they should.

As far as the attempts to gouge the power customers, I hope (and will insist) that the PUC penalize any power company that tried/tries to abuse their customers in that manner....we'll see what impact that has....

At least it appears Gov. Abbott knows how the cookie crumbled on this one and is taking action to rectify it.....I hope.

dutchmensport · 02-24-2021, 12:22 PM

I just DON'T get it. If the power was OFF (the outage), how can you be charged $3,000! That just does not compute. Or, is it because the FEW people that still had power are now forced to make up the prophets losses because of the locations that did not have power?

wiredgeorge · 02-24-2021, 02:18 PM

A friend just talked with Bandera Electric Coop a bit ago and asked about rates and they are the same as prior the storms. I think a lot of these stories about crazy electrical bills may be coming from fake news outlets; ae: the NY Times. Here is an interesting bit on ERCOT. Thing that struck me is that folks on this council are from out of state. Go figger:
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/...es/4572169001/

gearhead · 02-24-2021, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

I just DON'T get it. If the power was OFF (the outage), how can you be charged $3,000! That just does not compute. Or, is it because the FEW people that still had power are now forced to make up the prophets losses because of the locations that did not have power?

We were talking about that recently. I assume there were a few pockets of customers that maybe had power for a day or so longer than some others. A few of those apparently were signed up with these secondary companies.
Those that bought power from the previously unknown companies signed up for what they got. To me they are just billing companies. They do heavy advertising and it seems a con job to me. Not reading the fine print and being gullible got 'em.
I think Gov "Grabbitt", as some call him, has issued a proclamation that those puddin heads are not responsible for their actions.
Now if Harris County (Houston) Judge "EL Commandante" Lina Hidalgo would open the bars as the Governor has recommended we would be almost normal.
https://houston.culturemap.com/news/...beto-o-rourke/
When these politicians get a bit in their mouth there's heck reining them in.

gearhead · 02-24-2021, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Let's hope that when you pulled the utility trailer out of the way is when the breakaway cable got pulled, not when you backed it under the overhang. Once you do get the fifth wheel out to the garage, so you have concrete to crawl on, get on a creeper and go under the trailer to inspect the wiring where it enters the hubs, behind the wheels. Also, carefully inspect the wires attached to the breakaway switch (where the plunger goes). Usually, those wires will show signs of overheating if there's any prolonged activation of the breakaway system.

Hopefully, all of that will be intact and not burned.

I bought a "truck end umbilical connector" and mounted it inside my pinbox. When I disconnect, the breakaway cable and the umbilical get "stored out of the way" inside the pinbox, even before I uncouple the hitch. So far, that's managed to save me from doing exactly what you've had happen. Heck, even a short piece of 2.5" PVC pipe, glued inside the pinbox (or to the trailer bottom wall behind the pinbox) would be a place to store the umbilical and breakaway cable, so they're up, out of the way, during storage.

Thank you! Excellent suggestions.
I think Betty has me on income tax duty tomorrow but the next dry day I'll look at the wiring.
I always put the umbilical cord up in the pinbox and try to put the breakaway cable with it. Apparently missed it this time. Good lesson for me.

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