Hurricane Sandy

[CougTek]

Not that is especially powerful, but its size sets it apart from the norm. Here's a comparison between Sandy's size and the largest cyclone ever recorded (1979's Typhoon Tip) :

Tip


Sandy


...Sorry for the missing pictures. I can't figure out how to include pictures I've uploaded in this post. You should still be able to see the picture as attachments.

 

[LunarMist]

You can see where Sandy is going.
Maybe it affects the Bozo?

 

[CougTek]

Bozo's in New Jersey?

 

[LunarMist]

Bozo's in New Jersey?

Pennsylvania, IIRC.

 

[Handruin]

I left New Jersey this afternoon and they were closing down public transit later in the evening and asking people to move inland. The people waiting for trains to the airport were insane. We needed to take a train out of NYC to where we parked our car in NJ. Family living in that NJ area said they don't typically shut down public transit unless they feel something is serious. In MA we are supposed to see less of it and the state has still declared a state of emergency. Most schools are closed and a lot of businesses are also closing. I'll be impressed if we don't lose power tomorrow. The report is a mix of rain/snow/hail/etc all in one storm.

 

[mubs]

I hope it fizzles out and doesn't cause much of a problem. It's not as big as Tip, but they're predicting it'll be strong.

 

[ddrueding]

Yeah, and we just had a couple tiny earthquakes today (max 4.2). And people don't like living in CA because of the risk of quakes? That looks like an absolute nightmare; and it will probably last longer than 30 seconds.

 

[Bozo]

The eye of the storm is supposed to pass right over us here in Pa. My concern is having no electric. We have a well and no electric means no water. I filled 5 gallen buckets with water so we can flush the toilets. We have some bottled water to drink. The rain gutters and downspouts have been cleaned. We have a gas stove, kerosene lamps, and candles.
As long as the wind doesn't topple any trees we should be fine. We have been through this kind of mess before, especially in the winter with snow storms.

And no electric means no SF.

 

[CougTek]

It will certainly beat whatever damages Irene did last year.

 

[Mercutio]

I strongly suspect it's being overplayed in the way that all weather that impacts New York City is overplayed. I realize it doesn't take all that much to do damage in so densely populated an area, but New Yorkers are whiny little bitches about weather and I've known people who have slept through category 1 Hurricanes.

 

[mubs]

This one is supposed to have combined with two other ones, hence the panic. It is said that global warming will lead to these kinds of monster hurricanes - all types of extreme events. Many have said we are almost at the point of no return, but you don't see any seriousness anywhere about doing something meaningful.

 

[LunarMist]

Humans build cities along coastlines and near rivers, lakes etc. where is the fresh water supply, so naturally they are not a lot of optional places to live easily.

 

[Mercutio]

At the end of the day, we're not going to do anything about it, because the problem is so large and requires us to work outside political boundaries and plan for the long term. It's not going to happen, and humanity is going to suffer for it.

 

[LunarMist]

I strongly suspect it's being overplayed in the way that all weather that impacts New York City is overplayed. I realize it doesn't take all that much to do damage in so densely populated an area, but New Yorkers are whiny little bitches about weather and I've known people who have slept through category 1 Hurricanes.

Sure you can sleep in bed at home. However, going on the road to get to work is a bad idea depending on the situation. The decision makers need to be on the conservative side in case the natural disaster turns out to be worse than expected.

Where I work everying depends on the local government. If they are closed or allow unscheduled leave then we follow that policy. It works well because you can receive automated alerts, etc.
I prefer to be in the office, but I can work from home for the most part. I realize that is not the case for many people.

 

[CougTek]

Where I work everying depends on the local government.

I never realized that you worked in North Korea.

 

[LunarMist]

I never realized that you worked in North Korea.

No, I don't. I should have stated specifically that the corporate closing and leave policy follows that of the local government. The policy is consistent and uniform, if nothing else.
I cannot discuss relationships between the the company I work for and any branches of government. Some of them are public, but I'm not involved in that area.

 

[Handruin]

Curious if anyone with more battery/electrical background than I have can answer a question for me. If I have a combo sump pump (AC & battery) and need a replacement battery, will a 12V deep cycle marine battery do the trick? The manufacturer's battery is out of stock everywhere and I can't see a reason why their lead acid battery would be significantly different than a deep cycle battery. They say not to use a deep cycle battery on their page, but in a jam, I'm guessing it should work, no?

 

[Howell]

Stay safe you guys.

 

[LunarMist]

Hey, the board ate my post. I think the battery will be alright if it is of the right capacity (at least as large and can support the current drain) and of course has the same number of cells (volts). They probably want to sell you their own batteries.

 

[Stereodude]

Curious if anyone with more battery/electrical background than I have can answer a question for me. If I have a combo sump pump (AC & battery) and need a replacement battery, will a 12V deep cycle marine battery do the trick? The manufacturer's battery is out of stock everywhere and I can't see a reason why their lead acid battery would be significantly different than a deep cycle battery. They say not to use a deep cycle battery on their page, but in a jam, I'm guessing it should work, no?

Might only be over the venting of hydrogen while charging indoors. Are you sure their battery is a 12V lead acid?

 

[Handruin]

I found my answer:

Q. Do you need a Basement Watchdog battery?
A. You can use any deep cycle marine battery, as long as it is not maintenance-free. However, there are several advantages to using a Basement Watchdog battery. The Watchdog battery accommodates the system’s fluid sensor which will sound an alarm when the battery needs water…a very important feature, since a dry battery will not perform. In addition, Basement Watchdog batteries run longer per charge, and last years longer. A typical marine battery will last 2-4 years, while the Watchdog battery will last approximately 5-7 years. Basement Watchdog batteries are shipped dry (without acid) so they stay fresh on the shelf indefinitely, while wet batteries have a short shelf life.

The Emergency battery is designed only for the Emergency sump pump system. It does not have enough energy to run the larger systems very long. The 7.5 hour battery can be used on all three systems. This bigger battery will run the Emergency system 12 hours continuously, since the system contains a smaller pump. It will run the two other systems for 7.5 hours continuously, intermittently for days.

 

[Handruin]

Might only be over the venting of hydrogen while charging indoors. Are you sure their battery is a 12V lead acid?

I'm not sure, no. I know it's lead acid since they ship the battery empty and you have to add the acid, but I can't find the spec on the voltage. I am making an assumption it's 12V.

Edit, I should add the battery is actually outside the house in my bulkhead are. The bulkhead opening is covered by a tarp and not fully enclosed.

 

[Howell]

The things you should look for would be the same things as other battery powered devices: does it supply the right voltage, can it supply enough amperage both startup and continuous. Your device should have some spec requirements in the manual. You should be able to get battery discharge curves from the battery manuf.

 

[Handruin]

The emergency pump motor unit says it is:
12V
6.5 amps

 

[LunarMist]

I'd look for about 80AH in that case. It should not be too different from the previous battery as there may be issues with under/over charging.

 

[Howell]

The batteries should have a particular A-h (amp hour) rating which will help you calculate runtime based on that amperage requirement.

 

[Handruin]

I'd look for about 80AH in that case. It should not be too different from the previous battery as there may be issues with under/over charging.

Am I doing the basic math right in a case where the battery is 80AH and if the motor is 6.5A peak that an estimated ~12 hour run time continuous (assuming everything is perfect, the battery is fully charged and in good health, and the motor performs within spec)?

 

[LunarMist]

Am I doing the basic math right in a case where the battery is 80AH and if the motor is 6.5A peak that an estimated ~12 hour run time continuous (assuming everything is perfect, the battery is fully charged and in good health, and the motor performs within spec)?

Basically, but you should check the discharge curves and then subtract a healthy amount since batteries deteriorate from the conditions used for testing. I'm sure you know that efficiency drops with lower temperatures, higher loads, higher charge cycle counts and less than optimal charging.

 

[Will Rickards]

I'm in Exton PA so close to Bozo.
Still have power, still working.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

Commute home here in upstate NY was slow with heavy rain and winds increasing, if we lose power we still have running water, hot water and stove are LPG driven. Problem at that point would be lack of heat with no juice for the blower motor, we have a kerosene heater that could keep the chill out.

If it gets real bad tomorrow for the drive in I might work from home, provided power is still on.

 

[Bozo]

8PM and we still have power.

 

[LunarMist]

I wonder about JTR. Is he affected?

 

[MaxBurn]

Getting some decent wind gusts in NH but nothing to brag about yet.

 

[Mercutio]

Internet people I know in Baltimore, D.C. and Brooklyn all say it's not anything that exciting.

 

[Handruin]

It wasn't a big deal where I am either. Lots of rain and windy with scattered tree carnage all over the roads. We haven't lost any power yet but I think that's because we missed the majority of it. Friends in various spots of New York City are showing some interesting flooding pictures in their areas.

 

[ddrueding]

Apparently NYC is having some power issues:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAqYZ433TeQ

 

[ddrueding]

One friend in Manhattan had the facade of the building next door collapse, another a mile further north is out getting pizza right now...

 

[mubs]

we have a kerosene heater that could keep the chill out.

Be careful with the amount of carbon monoxide it might put out.

 

[mubs]

We have a little storm here as well; schools closed for the day. Nothing compared to Sandy.

 

[Bozo]

We actually survived the storm without losing power. Just looking out the windows, it looks like the only 'damage' is everything is covered in leaves.