Power Outages... How Do You Prepare?

[Bethanial]

On taking showers - Daddy talked about a 55-gallon drum (painted black) on the roof of the barn with a water hose coming down with a spigot attached for on/off. Solar gravity-fed rain-water shower before it was cool b/c it was cheap and therefore affordable.

 

[Denim Deb]

On taking showers - Daddy talked about a 55-gallon drum (painted black) on the roof of the barn with a water hose coming down with a spigot attached for on/off. Solar gravity-fed rain-water shower before it was cool b/c it was cheap and therefore affordable.

Yeah, but kinda hard to do if the reason your power is out is because of a snow/ice storm.

 

[freemotion]

How about rigging up a watering can with a pull cord to tip it? It would be a quick shower, but a shower nevertheless. Rig it up in your shower/tub. All you need to do now is get a big watering can and install a screw-eye or hook in the ceiling of the shower.

 

[Bethanial]

On taking showers - Daddy talked about a 55-gallon drum (painted black) on the roof of the barn with a water hose coming down with a spigot attached for on/off. Solar gravity-fed rain-water shower before it was cool b/c it was cheap and therefore affordable.

Yeah, but kinda hard to do if the reason your power is out is because of a snow/ice storm.

Ehhhh - guess that IS an advantage of being in south GA. Snow and ice storms are few and far between....

 

[k0xxx]

On taking showers - Daddy talked about a 55-gallon drum (painted black) on the roof of the barn with a water hose coming down with a spigot attached for on/off. Solar gravity-fed rain-water shower before it was cool b/c it was cheap and therefore affordable.

Yeah, but kinda hard to do if the reason your power is out is because of a snow/ice storm.

Yes, but put that same drum in a box made from windows or shower doors, and on a sunny day you'd need cold water just to not scald yourself even in the winter.

 

[baymule]

Thanks for the welcome, Tanks Hill, I've been hanging out on BYC mostly and a little on BYH. I am just getting aquainted with SS and boy howdy, I LIKE this place. On a simple shower, take a 5 gallon bucket, drill holes in the bottom, hang where you don't care where the water drains. Pour heated water in, soap up QUICK (or have another bucket of warm water) and take your shower. It sure beats a wash rag and a pan of water.

The good thing about hurricanes is we have plenty of warning. I have never lived in snow country and just don't know what I would do with all that white stuff. We had snow 3 times here last winter, but it was gone (melted) by noon. Now THAT'S my kind of snow.

 

[Denim Deb]

 

[WindyHill]

SKR8PN,
can you explain a little more about the 55 gallon barrel and a handpump? I am envisioning a giant soap dispenser! what sort of handpump do you attach to it?

I like this idea because it seems so much simpler than a zillion jugs of water

I just got a once used, food grade, plastic 55 gallon barrel(used for a non-flavored sweetener) and one of these hand pumps. It is really just a siphon type pump.
This is the style of barrel...
https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/emergency_supplies/water_barrel_55_gallons.htm

and this is the pump.
https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/emergency_supplies/water_barrel_siphon_pump.htm



I triple washed and rinsed out the barrel, even though the fellow I got it from had already cleaned it out. Be very careful of where the barrel came from and what it was used for. All of my drums and barrels came from Smuckers or from another flavoring company that used to be near here. The drums from the flavoring company still smell like whatever was in it, so I just use them for watering the garden or for diesel fuel. Pretty neat to have watermelon scented water for the garden!

I like the barrel and pump idea, but where would I keep it? I don't have a basement, and I'm a little concerned about putting something that heavy in the attic. If I put it outside or in my shed it would just freeze. Any ideas?

 

[VickiLynn]

In a closet? Or cover it with a circular piece of wood and a tablecloth to disguise as a table? And I think it might be OK freezing as long as it is not all the way full.

 

[Wifezilla]

See above. Surround it with old windows. That water will be hot all the time