Sunday, December 29, 2013

Baby Advice - Post 1

I write this to provide advice to D2, who will soon be having his first baby.  Since I was there a year ago, I share my thoughts.  People will disagree with some and agree with others; these are just my thoughts.

  • Deciding what to buy
Be careful what you purchase - people want to give you all sorts of gifts.  They won't give you enough to live, but certainly enough to start.  Some safe bets are clothing and burp cloths - you can never have too many.  Hold off on toys and other equipment to see what people will get you.

People tend to purchase cheaper gifts.  Blankets, clothing, diapers, etc.  Most people won't provide strollers, cribs, etc. unless they have loads of money and feel comfortable with you very personally.  But you never know - sometimes you get surprised.  Cheap doesn't imply chintzy; these are items you need and will want.  They are also the most neutral.

  • Brand Loyalty and Compatibility

Pick a brand, any brand, it really doesn't matter which.  There are several good brands; it's more important you pick one you like for each class of items.  For example, we picked Avent baby bottles based on the milk pump we chose, then told everyone who asked.  So all our bottles are Avent bottles, our milk pump is Avent brand, our bottle caps, etc.  The only non-Avent milk item is the storage bags for frozen milk - those are Lanisoh, and that's because you pour it into a bottle before feeding baby.  We use Graco for baby seat and stroller, and honestly we picked it because John gave us a Graco seat.  Seats, strollers, car seat bases, etc. should all be one brand.  [JaNae says pumps are free if you give birth in a hospital - you'll have to ask her about that.]

  • New vs. Used
Buy second hand - lots and lots.  Except diapers.  Used diapers are worth the crap they're filled with.  There are just so many people willing to spend buckets of money for new, brand name, items, and the market for used clothes seems so small, the clothes resell for $0.10-$1.00 each, but initially cost from $5-$25 each.  And since baby grows so fast, they're often only worn a few times.  Especially the newborn clothes.  Very good condition.   [Christina says never buy a used pump - health concerns.]

Garage sales seem to have better prices, often 10 for $1 kinda things, but they are real hit or miss.  You might hit 10 garage sales and find no clothes.  We've done real well finding toys there.

Craigslist allows you to search real well and with pictures, you can see what you're getting before you go.  But you typically pay a bit more.

Consignment sales are great, but the price moves up.  Quality is usually better, the variety is great, and the prices more predictable.




Saturday, November 9, 2013

Power supplies in an emergency - part 2

When choosing emergency power arrangements, first we must decide what we need power for.  How much power we need determines the size of the generator.  If you only need to power a fridge, some lights and fans, then power needs are low.  When you start adding the microwave, the stove, the laundry, the air conditioner, amperage grows pretty quick.

As I think about it, there are several levels of emergency power preparation.
Level 1 - Primitive
Battery power supply for flashlights, phones, radios, etc.
Camping supplies for emergency cooking.

Level 2 - Basic
We all have a generator which already creates electricity - our vehicles.  Simple inverters can be purchased for $20-$50 and generate power from the cigarette lighter outlet.  These inverters will typically have 1 or 2 outlets, and provide 1-10 amps of power. This is enough power for some lights, phone chargers, TV, laptops, etc.  Many basic inverters will also have USB outlets.  A fridge will not work on this circuit - most full size fridges require a dedicated 15 amp circuit.

Level 3 - Car Battery Power
In the $100 range, we find inverters that connect directly to a car battery terminal.  These can carry more power because they use a larger gauge wire than the cigarette lighter (the larger the wire, the larger the load it can safely carry).  At this point you start getting 15-20 amps of power.  In a pinch, you can run a fridge or other single appliance.  This will save your food, but will run little else at the same time.

A few things to bear in mind when using your vehicle.
- Your vehicle is designed to convert stored energy (fuel) into motion energy.  They are not particularly efficient at creating electrical energy.
- Since it has a battery, you can run the engine periodically to charge the battery rather than running the engine full time.
- When using the battery only, there is a risk of running the charge so low the car won't start.  I don't have enough experience to know how long the battery lasts or how to determine if the charge is running low.  Also, the charge is drawn down based on the imposed load.  Larger loads drain the battery faster.

Levels 4-6 - Generator
Up to this point, we've kept our cost down and used mostly equipment we already have and will use periodically.  Purchasing a generator is when we cross the line into true "emergency preparation".  There are several levels of generator size and connection to the house, depending on budget and plans.  It can be done incrementally.  Due to their cost, when purchasing a generator, it's important to have a long term goal set.  These goals include final total amperage loads, fuel source, portability/permanence.

Generators are designed to convert stored energy into electricity and consequently are much more efficient than using our vehicles.

Since the generator creates exhaust, they typically must be operated outdoors.  In emergencies, generators are a high theft item.  Heavy chains, locks, etc. will be required to protect your investment.

Part of what makes a generator useful is the ability to power your entire home.  This is also what makes them dangerous.  Depending on your particular skills, this means either personal research or professional consultation.  In short, when there is a power outage, there exists the possibility that a generator plugged into a home could backfeed power into the utility grid and kill a utility employee working to restore power.  Any plan to a generator plugged into the house systems needs to include provisions for isolating the house from the utility grid.  In theory, turning off the main breaker accomplishes this.  Do your own research or consult an electrician on this.

Level 4 - Generator with extension cords
Every generator has multiple outlets.  Generators typically have (2) 110 volt duplex circuits (2 duplex means 4 outlets) and (1) 220 volt circuit.  The simplest way to use a generator is to plug extension cords into the generator.  Use the thickest cords you have - a power cord's ability safely transmit electricity is directly related to thickness of the wires inside the cord.  Using too big a wire has no penalty, whereas too small a wire carries severe risk.  Undersized cords will overheat and melt the insulation protecting the wire.  There is a penalty for long wires too - called voltage drop.  That's a homework assignment you can research on your own.  In short, don't use cords any longer than you need to.

Level 5 - Generator plugged into the house
Using extension cords, you can plug a generator directly into your house and power any outlet in your home - this is called "backfeeding".  This is dangerous and needs caution.  Given the low cost of a transfer switch, this level should be skipped.  I'm not going to dwell on this other than to say it is a dangerous option.  I really only mention this to make sure you don't research and find this option and decide to do it willy-nilly.

Level 6 - Generator with a direct connection to the breaker panel
The final method is the safest method, and once complete, is the simplest method.  A transfer switch is inserted into the breaker portion of the system.  A transfer switch is designed specifically to protect utility employees working on the line and also designed to insert the generator power into the house supply.

When you do this, remember your generator has a limited capacity.  The best way to limit the imposed load is to turn off the breakers.  At a minimum, unplug devices from the outlets.  Air conditioners are probably not an option for most generators.  Air conditioners, stoves, and clothes dryers require 220 power - if you want any of these, make sure you specifically plan for it - not all generators can provide that power.

A neat little guide to figuring out your power needs -
http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/outdoor-living/detailpages/Whistler-Inverter-Lrg.gif

A brief explanation of backfeeding power into the house -
http://www.tcscooters.com/backfeed.htm


Monday, November 4, 2013

Power supplies in an emergency - part 1

The preparatory explanation took much longer than anticipated, so I broke it up into separate posts.

Sunday morning, Christina and I were discussing purchasing an emergency generator as part of our emergency preparation.  Not everyone is as fortunate as mom and dad and able to incorporate back up generators into their house design, and so the rest of us need to plan for how to use our existing house in an emergency.  Fortunately, with a basic understanding of how your house is built, we can incorporate generators into our house.

First, a brief explanation of basic house design.  There is an outside power supply - the utility supply line.  It runs to a meter, then the "main breaker", then to a distribution panel full of smaller "circuit breakers".  
The main breaker serves as a master disconnect - a single place to break the power supply for the entire house.  On household breaker panels, it is typically physically location above the individual breakers and is rated for 100-400 amps.  From this, all your other circuits are powered.

The main breaker supplies (2) sets of 110 volt power.  This technical detail means that all 110 volt devices and outlets are connected on either circuit 1 or circuit 2.  Each circuit has multiple sub-circuits, represented by the various breakers.  If all the breakers are on - then the power can flow from one sub-circuit to another.   Any 220 volt devices (electric stove, dryer, air conditioner) straddles both circuits.
A few items are directly wired to their respective breaker, air conditioners, stoves, and laundry dryers typically are on a "dedicated" circuit, meaning there is only one outlet or device tied to that circuit.  Most outlets and devices are daisy-chained together to make a "circuit".

As a side note - you will notice, if you add up the breaker values of all the smaller breakers, they will total more than the main breaker.  Electric breakers are sized based on theoretical actual usage.  It is not likely any home will run the air conditioner, dryer, fridge, stove, and lights in every outlet at any given moment.  And on the smaller, 20 amp circuits, it is unlikely a homeowner will run enough lights, vacuums, etc. to overload a particular circuit at any given moment.

All circuits are complete circles - there is an "in" and "out" and the daisy-chain always returns the out to the utility supplier at some point - devices become part of that in and out by completing the physical circuit.  Until there is a complete circuit, there is no power in the lines.

Since everything is tied together at the breaker panel, that makes possible using a generator to power your home, i.e., by correctly inputting power into any outlet, all other outlets have access to that power.  There are some limitations which will be explained in later paragraphs.  There is negligible risk to overloading the circuits because a) there is no power in the wires until a device is actually turned on and b) the breakers will trip if the demanded load is too high.

A side note, it is technically safe to hold hot electrical wires, so long as there is no out.  Trouble is, there's virtually always an out somewhere.  The biggest out in the world is "ground" which literally means the dirt you stand on.  Literally.  The three prong outlets - the third prong is ground, a backup in case the out is broken somewhere, and that ground is usually right at the house.

When purchasing generators, the critical value to be concerned with is "amps".  All home devices use 110 (120) volts (devices like the dryer and air conditioner are using 220, but technically they are using two 110 power supplies - that's why they have one wire more than other devices).  Every device consumes a different amp load.  A toaster might use 3 amps, a light might use 0.5 amps, vacuum might use 4 amps, an air conditioner might use 40.  When enough devices are on the same circuit to push the amp load over the designed amount (usually 20 or 30) the breaker.

Generators are often sold in "watts" which is amps times volts.  Therefore, a 3,000 watt generator can produce up to 25 amps.  Once you determine the amp load you want (or your capacity), you can then decide the generator size.  There's no sense in purchasing a 6,000 watt generator, because generally your house doesn't have the capacity to receive 50 amps without modifications (assuming you won't plug other items directly into the generator, and as your home is safely designed and efficient system, I would recommend against that).  If you plan to eventually make the modifications, then you can go ahead and purchase the larger generator.

Wow . . . all that description, and we have not even started talking about the actual emergency preparation.  I suppose that gives me something else to write.  For next time.

dp