Solar Superstorm

[MaryN]

O.K., the prospect of this has pricked my ears a bit. How would I run my freezers and propagators! I guess it might have to be a generator. Have any of you got one?

[NorthernRaider]

Solar panels, extra insulation, micro wind turbine, genny etc The absolute simplest way of doing the freezer is to set it to be as cold as possible, wrap more polystyrene foam around it ( but not the heat exchanger on the back) and use a solar panel setup through and inverter to keep it cold during daylight, at night dont open it.

Next step would be solar panels charging batteries during the day then using an inverter to power your freezer

Next step adding micro turbine to the mix

Alternative is to use a back up generator

[Highlander]

I have a generator that can run the whole house, there are two ways to do this, a right way and a wrong way,... both work, its just that one is illegal

You can use a generator and pug it into one of your house sockets, then if the generator is big enough it will run your whole house as if you are on the mains,... THIS IS ILLEGAL,.. the reason being that you are quiet likely to electricute the man fixing the problem in the sub station.

so,.. there are two things you can do,... you can use an adapter with a bank of sockets and have the generator put power to selective items,.. Freezers, kettle etc

Or you can buy a switch that goes next to your mains power meter, that simply goes `power off`.... `Generator on` and visa versa,... and a socket like on a caravan site,...this allows you to run your whole house without risking the life of the guy fixing the power cut

[Scythe13]

Solar storm could very well just pop the mechanism in the freezer. So using a system to charge it might be folly.

Best off working with what you know.


BOOM, solar storm screws all electrics in the home, generator...fried. Solar panels.....fried. Turbine...fried. Batteries....fried (I think, but not 100% sure on the batteries).

First thing you should be eating, the entire contents of your fridge, slowly, but surely. You'll want to empty a whole shelf at a time. Whatever's on that shelf, tough luck, you're eating it. The fridge contents will be the first to go bad. The longer that door is open, the sooner it all goes bad. So, to minimise time with the door open, grab a shelf and pull it out. That'd be the wisest thing to do.

Next up, once your fridge is empty, you're on to your freezer. Same basic process really.

This is why so many people are keen on salting food and stuff like that. It doesn't need to be in a fridge to keep fresh.

As for running propagators, really don't see that being feasible. I'd stick to candles for light and heat, then silverfoil around the propagator to keep in the heat and reflect back as much light as possible. If it works for drug-dealers growing weed, it works for tomatoes.

As much fun as all this sounds, it's the most logical route to go down.

Having back ups, like generators, solar power, a battery banks, etc, are all great. But if a solar flare hits, it could well fry it all.

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The fridge should be empty within a 2 day period. The freezer should be gone by about day 7 of no power.

[NorthernRaider]

(7 February 2013, 18:48)Scythe13 Wrote: Solar storm could very well just pop the mechanism in the freezer. So using a system to charge it might be folly.

Best off working with what you know.


BOOM, solar storm screws all electrics in the home, generator...fried. Solar panels.....fried. Turbine...fried. Batteries....fried (I think, but not 100% sure on the batteries).

No its doesnt, its not an EMP its a huge surge in what is basically static electricty in the atmosphere that overwhelms the generation distribution grids, and EMP would send us back to the stone age but a CME is basically a sudden overload of the system from outerspace as happened in Ontario only 20 years ago. The CME sends charged particles down the poles which creates megawatts of static electricity, this finds the easiest way to earth usually pylons, this trips out all the generation systems and everything goes black. Once the power was restored the electrical equipment in the homes worked again. Roughly and EMP destroys everything but a CME blows all the fuses and circuit breakers in the system.

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And electro magnetic pulse is basically like getting a huge effing great magnet and wiping across the face of the plastic which demagnetises windings, deplarises circuit, causes short circuits which buggers micro processors etc, thats when stuff like Turbines, Gennies, PV panels etc get ruined.

[MaryN]

How on earth do you people know about all this stuff! Stocking up on candles is about my limit!

[bigpaul]

(7 February 2013, 18:58)MaryN Wrote: How on earth do you people know about all this stuff! Stocking up on candles is about my limit!

your getting the idea!keep it simple is my motto!

[NorthernRaider]

(7 February 2013, 18:58)MaryN Wrote: How on earth do you people know about all this stuff! Stocking up on candles is about my limit!

Simple prepping is the best way forward Mary,

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(7 February 2013, 18:55)NorthernRaider Wrote:

(7 February 2013, 18:48)Scythe13 Wrote: Solar storm could very well just pop the mechanism in the freezer. So using a system to charge it might be folly.

Best off working with what you know.


BOOM, solar storm screws all electrics in the home, generator...fried. Solar panels.....fried. Turbine...fried. Batteries....fried (I think, but not 100% sure on the batteries).

No its doesnt, its not an EMP its a huge surge in what is basically static electricty in the atmosphere that overwhelms the generation distribution grids, and EMP would send us back to the stone age but a CME is basically a sudden overload of the system from outerspace as happened in Ontario only 20 years ago. The CME sends charged particles down the poles which creates megawatts of static electricity, this finds the easiest way to earth usually pylons, this trips out all the generation systems and everything goes black. Once the power was restored the electrical equipment in the homes worked again. Roughly and EMP destroys everything but a CME blows all the fuses and circuit breakers in the system.

---

And electro magnetic pulse is basically like getting a huge effing great magnet and wiping across the face of the plastic which demagnetises windings, deplarises circuit, causes short circuits which buggers micro processors etc, thats when stuff like Turbines, Gennies, PV panels etc get ruined.

That should read PLANET not plastic, sorry.

[Barneyboy]

(7 February 2013, 18:58)MaryN Wrote: How on earth do you people know about all this stuff! Stocking up on candles is about my limit!

lots of candles are good

[NorthernRaider]

(7 February 2013, 18:58)MaryN Wrote: How on earth do you people know about all this stuff! Stocking up on candles is about my limit!

If you have kids , cats or dogs you need candle lanterns to put the candles in, you cannot afford the fire risk from naked flames in the house where kids and pets are .