On 22/03/2021 23:22, Boron Elgar wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Mar 2021 21:15:07 +0000, S Viemeister
>> I was in NJ during Superstorm Sandy - we lost power for days. It was
>> cold! The main difference there, was our gas-powered hot water heater.
>> We still used hot water bottles, but could fill them from the tap, and
>> hot showers were still available.
>
> I am a devoted fan of hot water bottles. Nice pair of wool socks, down
> comforter, and a hot water bottle mean the house can be kept cool at
> night.
>
Yes - warm body, cool air. I sleep much better that way.

>> Here, the hot water is provided by the central heating boiler, which
>> requires electricity to run the pump, so, no electricity = no hot water.
>> Hence the giant kettle on the gas cooktop, and no showers, just a bowl
>> of hot water and a washcloth.
>
> Our latest water heater has an electric starter, but since DH is the
> one who chose it and installed it, he easily got it going the last
> time we lost power- thunderstorm did in the electric for most of the
> day.
>
Luckily for us, the NJ water heater doesn't require electricity. The one
here, is a combination central heating and on-demand hot water heater.

>> Fortunately, our last major power outage here (Scotland) lasted less
>> than a day, and the weather was warm. A wildfire on moorland had got out
>> of control, burned thousands of acres, melted the transmission lines,
>> and even damaged the roadway, closing off the main road across the north
>> coast of Scotland.
>
> I have never been that far north. It is on the list of places I want
> to see.
>
Let me know when you do, I can provide travel tips. Also tea, coffee,
and home baking.
We're so far north, that if I walk up the road a bit, I can see Orkney.

>> Ob food: I had booked a grocery delivery for that day, and wondered if
>> it would arrive - it did, and was only a little bit late. The driver had
>> to make a 100 mile detour to get here.
>
> Wow!
>
There aren't many roads up here, and many of them are single track with
passing places.