Brown-outs July 18, 2011

[SWMAP]

High heat might be causing brown-outs in the region. I heard that some people experienced dim lights and no air--conditioning for hours yesterday. Today there is very little power in Dearborn Hts. along Ford Road - but that may be due to a transformer problem.

What are people experiencing? Are thee any warnings out?

[Danny]

People using too many air conditioners will incease demand in the power grid. I'm not sure what DTE energy could do to increase power demand. Here's what you should do for your home:

1. Close all windows wilt white covered curtians. The white light will reflect the sun's heat out prevent your home to become a runaway greenhouse. If your home has a cool basement the cool air will rise and help keep any room cool. Don't use dark curtians, because it will absorb the sun's heat making your home an instant sauna.

2. Make sure your air conditioner units are maintainenced. Keep your AC secured from theft.

3. To reduce your high electric bills go out some place cool. Like cooling centers, libraries, even movie theaters.

This LA NINA type heat wave will not be over soon until early September.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

Another reason for Energy efficiency and why the government advocates CFLs.

[Scottathew]

I live in a neighborhood where most of the AC units are on interruptible circuits.

I wonder if lower-income neighborhoods that are more likely to have window AC units that are not on interruptible circuits are more susceptible to brown outs.

As to History's comment about CFLs, we love them in my house. They use 75% less energy. And some people like myself see the ~60 second warm-up time as a positive feature that lets your eyes adjust to light.

[Funaho]

I haven't had issues with brownouts lately, but ever since the last big storm [[on July 2nd, when me and my entire area were without power for 20 hours) we seem to have intermittent power outages during storms. It was also down for 7 hours about two weeks before that. Both times the reason was listed as "equipment failure", which I'm taking to mean "too cheap to maintain the equipment and now it leaks."

[Scottathew]

Funaho,

I've also noticed that my neighborhood [[Southwest Warren) has been losing power, having blips, and has had several brownouts lately during storms.

This is the first time it's been an issue since I moved in, back in 2006.


For those of you that crave more info, here's the DTE Outage Map [[although I don't know if brown-outs are listed):

http://www.dteenergy.com/map/outage.html

[Bigb23]

For those of you that crave more info, here's the DTE Outage Map [[although I don't know if brown-outs are listed):

http://www.dteenergy.com/map/outage.html

Nice catch on that link. Some years ago, after, after suffering 20-30 black outs per year, I tried to find something online to verify this - nothing.

As I was writing the last sentence - guess what, my power went out! Just goes to show you!

[Funaho]

Thanks for the link. I'm going to keep an eye on that. I just hope this isn't going to become a trend, otherwise it's just another mark in the slowly growing "abandon the mortgage and move out" column. :/ I've already lost an electric dryer and a laser printer to this in the past month. I'm going to try to pick up a few UPSs soon at least for the electronics but I'm trying to avoid spending a lot of money when i don't absolutely have to these days, for obvious reasons.

[Bigb23]

Like I said, I was pulling my hair out trying to get SOME info online from DTE back then, [[three years ago). But all I could find were the minutes and highlights from DTE breakfast luncheons. There was, and is, a dearth of info for the long suffering consumer. My power is still out, and that map is supposed to update every 15 minutes - and I check every so often, but nothing yet. But, at least it's something.

They should have a five year history on outages, available for the power grid you live in.

[Bigb23]

Okay - the map updated, and It's interesting who takes the hit and who doesn't. West of Pontiac really got it. The storm by me lasted less than five minutes with very little wind and lightning, yet the power is still out. It just shows you how very, very fragile the infrastructure is.

[Funaho]

I'm sitting at work in Ypsi still but according to texts from my roomie [[and the fact that my servers haven't rebooted) it looks like my house made it through this one without problems so far, and the storm has almost completely passed over. I'm VERY relieved.

[Goose]

actually, cold/cool air will fall to the basement as its heavier than hot air [[hence the way a "hot air ballon" works).... also the reason why the second level of most homes with AC is hotter than the first level....

and don't get me started on "why" the "government" advocates CFL's......

[Bigb23]

My power has been out for 3 1/2 hours now, and it looks like I'm going to start throwing out food AGAIN.
In the past when I was in a position to buy a half way decent generator, I would be laid off, or the washer quit or the truck needed repair. I'm tired of the wasted food, and will buy the first $200 generator I find. I hear the engines humming all around me in my neighborhood - now it's my turn.


Does anybody have any recommendations for that price range ? Maybe some local big box stores that would always have them on hand?
I bought my first snow blower at Home Depot out of season for $390. Four weeks later at the first sign of snow, it was $590. I want to avoid any type of gouging. So I'll wait a week, and hope we will avoid any more storms.

[Goose]

try harbor freight, although I heard they are loud

http://www.harborfreight.com/engines...enerators.html

[Scottathew]

I'm going to try to pick up a few UPSs soon at least for the electronics but I'm trying to avoid spending a lot of money when i don't absolutely have to these days, for obvious reasons.

There are two different kinds of UPSes.

1 - The kind that gives street power to a device until the power goes out
2 - The kind that ONLY gives "clean" battery power to a device and constantly recharges the battery

The second type I described will offer you maximum protection against under and over volt situations.

The first type is still OK as long as it can detect under\over volt situation and kick over to battery power quickly.

Just be sure to do your research. It's just like anything you can buy, there are cheap ones, and there are good ones. You get what you pay for!

Edit: I over simplified, for a better explanation you can go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninter...e_power_supply

[Bigb23]

Whoo hoo, power back on after 18 hrs and 20 min.

January, power out for 22 hrs.

December, power out for 3 1/2 days. And so on and so on and so on. Our utilities are 95% underground, so I don't know how that little weather sneeze we had up here affected things.

Now to treat myself to a generator I really shouldn't need. I never put away my big bowl of batteries, candles, and flashlights from last year.

[Hamtragedy]

"I wonder if lower-income neighborhoods that are more likely to have window AC units that are not on interruptible circuits are more susceptible to brown outs."

I can't recall a single time ever living in the city of Detroit or Hamtramck ever losing power or a brown out due to not having enough power to meet the demand. Consider too, that the grid here, even for 2 milliion people, at 60 amp service, is now providing power to less than half that population, many who still have only 60 amp service.

The only recent power outages in my neighborhood in Hamtramck have been from transformers blowing up, for no apparent reason, one by one, two to three minutes apart, in succession, thru the alleys, occasionally melting the rubber insulation off the wires. Makes for a great light show and the occasional garage fire. It took DTE a couple years to figure that one out.

[Bigb23]

[QUOTE=Hamtragedy;

The only recent power outages in my neighborhood in Hamtramck have been from transformers blowing up, for no apparent reason, one by one, two to three minutes apart, in succession, thru the alleys, occasionally melting the rubber insulation off the wires. Makes for a great light show and the occasional garage fire. It took DTE a couple years to figure that one out.[/QUOTE]

According to the DTE people I've talked to, that's from suicidal squirrels, NOT a maintenance issue!

[Vox]

My power has been out for 3 1/2 hours now, and it looks like I'm going to start throwing out food AGAIN.
In the past when I was in a position to buy a half way decent generator, I would be laid off, or the washer quit or the truck needed repair. I'm tired of the wasted food, and will buy the first $200 generator I find. I hear the engines humming all around me in my neighborhood - now it's my turn.


Does anybody have any recommendations for that price range ? Maybe some local big box stores that would always have them on hand?
I bought my first snow blower at Home Depot out of season for $390. Four weeks later at the first sign of snow, it was $590. I want to avoid any type of gouging. So I'll wait a week, and hope we will avoid any more storms.

Looking at that generator for under 200 dollars, I think that, by this chart, it would not even start your refrigerator. At 600W it's really underpowered.

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/p...set=gg_wattage

[Bigb23]

I found one online at Meijer that's 2500 watts 6.5 hp $187.50. They will ship to my local store for free. That's the best deal from all the big box stores. I'm in on that one.

I just plan on the fridge, a lamp, and my laptop maybe. During the winter, food will go out to my porch, and I'll hook up the furnace. Now the only problem is the price of gas over several days.

That chart helps though Vox - Thanks.

[Scottathew]

"I wonder if lower-income neighborhoods that are more likely to have window AC units that are not on interruptible circuits are more susceptible to brown outs."

I can't recall a single time ever living in the city of Detroit or Hamtramck ever losing power or a brown out due to not having enough power to meet the demand. Consider too, that the grid here, even for 2 milliion people, at 60 amp service, is now providing power to less than half that population, many who still have only 60 amp service.

The only recent power outages in my neighborhood in Hamtramck have been from transformers blowing up, for no apparent reason, one by one, two to three minutes apart, in succession, thru the alleys, occasionally melting the rubber insulation off the wires. Makes for a great light show and the occasional garage fire. It took DTE a couple years to figure that one out.

Yeah, Detroit is much smaller now, but electricity consumption per house is still up with the vast array of electronic gizmos we now have.

I just see a localized issue, like the capacity of a substation, being more of an issue in areas that are prone to have less efficient appliances [[due to apathy and the ability to afford them), for example, places like Detroit that have lower-income folks.

It gets hot in the burbs, and efficient AC units on interruptible circuits kick on.

It gets hot in the 'hood, and multiple window units per house kick on [[because a central unit has a large up front cost).


However, I am making some large assumptions on limited information. I don't want to stereotype low income folks as being apathetic to green causes or as not having the intelligence to invest in energy efficiency.

My parents, who live in well off Clawson, are currently experiencing a brown out, which flies in the face of my half-baked theory.

[szla]

Not sure how updated it is. Am back on now, but wasn't when the link was posted.The outage was my whole neighborhood

[Bigb23]

Well, the last outage fried my TV, along with printers, fax machines, and stereos from years past. Thanks DTE !

Oh, and that generator I ordered online Tuesday, takes 72 hours to even start the shipping process. All that just just to save $50. With all the power outages in the midwest, I doubt they would even have product left to ship. That's the last time I order from Meijer online.

[jackie5275]

Well, the last outage fried my TV, along with printers, fax machines, and stereos from years past. Thanks DTE !

Oh, and that generator I ordered online Tuesday, takes 72 hours to even start the shipping process. All that just just to save $50. With all the power outages in the midwest, I doubt they would even have product left to ship. That's the last time I order from Meijer online.

Let us know how it turns out anyway.

[JBMcB]

Well, the last outage fried my TV, along with printers, fax machines, and stereos from years past. Thanks DTE !

You need a good quality power regulator on your electronics to protect them. A $20 surge suppressor from Radio Shack or Best Buy isn't going to cut it.

Look for a power regulator or surge suppressor with brownout protection [[or better yet, a UPS) from APC, Furman, or Panamax. You're going to pay between $60 and $150 for good quality power conditioner. It's a lot compared to $20, but buying a new TV, stereo and computer will cost a lot more.