loadshedding

[marko35s]

I think it is time to start looking for a gas powered fridge/ freezer.

Any suggestions?

Try any of the camping supply stores, Outdoor Warehouse etc.

The capacity on them isn't big but they do a job.

[marko35s]

Its like having to travel for work. Fun the first few times and then you realize how it disrupts your life. We are shedded every second night from 6 to 8:30, so we braai at least every second evening. Winter time will be interesting to say the least. At present I am not starting the gennie up, but may in future.

That's the thing right there, sooner or later it will start to grind you down.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

That's the thing right there, sooner or later it will start to grind you down.

We're off between 14h00 & 16h30 today at the office. Really disruptive, given that most of our work is online based (email client, websites etc) and the tethering options for me aren't that great (could only get Edge the other day). 

[marko35s]

We're off between 14h00 & 16h30 today at the office. Really disruptive, given that most of our work is online based (email client, websites etc) and the tethering options for me aren't that great (could only get Edge the other day). 

Basically we check (at home this is) what time we are due to lose power each day and make sure everything is charged etc and then hope for the best.

Luckily with us having a fair amount of camping gear we are covered as far as light goes, one particularly good solar lamp has proved very useful.

But yeah it's still a pest.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Basically we check (at home this is) what time we are due to lose power each day and make sure everything is charged etc and then hope for the best.

Luckily with us having a fair amount of camping gear we are covered as far as light goes, one particularly good solar lamp has proved very useful.

But yeah it's still a pest.

yeah. We're fully charged, but that doesn't help when there's no generator in place. 

 

We're putting something in over the next few months so that if it goes off we still have our connections and phone lines. Power itself is fine, and we're a fairly well lit office so light isn't an issue. Just the connectivity... 

[marko35s]

yeah. We're fully charged, but that doesn't help when there's no generator in place. 

 

We're putting something in over the next few months so that if it goes off we still have our connections and phone lines. Power itself is fine, and we're a fairly well lit office so light isn't an issue. Just the connectivity... 

Check out the connection on a few pay as you go sim cards and load up on the one that works best.

Not ideal but at least you are online.

[DIPSLICK]

guys i know its expensive but surely by now the only conclusion can be generator time, its not going to get better, so you go gas stove,gas geyzer, 12v lights, battery packs over time add all that up time and effort you could have had generators loooong ago and it will be cheaper

 

BOYS ITS TIME ITS NOT GETTING BETTER GO BUY A PROPER GENERATOR

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Check out the connection on a few pay as you go sim cards and load up on the one that works best.

Not ideal but at least you are online.

contract is coming to an end shortly, so the playing around with different providers is going to start. 

[Kranswurm]

I find it hard to stomach that we still export electricity during these times.

I'm quite happy from a Tuesday till a Thursday

[DIPSLICK]

I find it hard to stomach that we still export electricity during these times.

according to the governmunt we dont   , they say we actually buy in from moz

[GLuvsMtb]

I have noticed that in some cases load shedding actually cause an increase in consumption. Last week our office was load shedded at 12:00pm and I left to go work at home. The next day I got to work to a freezing office as the air conditioners ran from when the power came on till the next morning. 

 

I have also heard that people that had their geysers on timers etc no longer set their timers. Imagine if your geyser runs from 16:00 to 18:00 so that you have hot water when you get home, and your area was load shedded. 

[GLuvsMtb]

I work near the airport. We never get loadshed.

I foresee a spike in demand for space in areas less affected by load shedding in future and buildings that have generators as backup. 

 

On the plus side, my filing is about up to date and so are my colleagues'.

 

We have adopted a more flexible schedule at work whereby if we are set to loadshed, we time it with our lunch breaks or go home earlier and work in the time or work from home.

 

My Financial Manager has the challenge that we are area 6 and she lives in area 7, so she always has load shedding right after the office had load shedding, so going home to work does help her much.

[Cyclewizz]

Slowly but surely starting to irritate the crap out of me ..... After yesterday's shedding our Neotel router has lost its configuration, struggled for an hour to get my son's extraview going again and it looks like my pool timer is toast. My brother's geyser has stopped working he's here to have a shower .....

 

The problem is the spikes.

Last week the power went off and then it can on for a few seconds and then off again and then on again and off again.

These on and off cause spikes which blows geysers, electronic devices.

Wonder if the insurance companies will play ball and pay out for these damages.

 

We were only off yesterday afternoon for about 2 hours (over the weekend).

[V12man]

guys i know its expensive but surely by now the only conclusion can be generator time, its not going to get better, so you go gas stove,gas geyzer, 12v lights, battery packs over time add all that up time and effort you could have had generators loooong ago and it will be cheaper

 

BOYS ITS TIME ITS NOT GETTING BETTER GO BUY A PROPER GENERATOR

my 2c... actually it's free.... and worth what you pay for it

 

Step A - size your requirement - you better measure what you actually use, when you are only using what you must have in an outage - to give an example - my house needs a 60kva gen to run full tilt, including all the underfloor heating running at the same time (startup). Clearly that is ridiculous for a backup gen, and I can run everything I absolutely must have for a 3 hour outage on a 2.5kva gen (a few lights, plugs, alarm and computers) - but as soon as it moves beyond about 8 hours, then I need more - the question is - just how much more for a 1 - 5 day outage... and what happens if it's in mid winter (I have small kids) - I don't actually know the answer to this yet.

 

I have found a couple of inexpensive measurement tools

 

theowl.co.za have devices for singel and 3 phase setups

 

http://www.sustainable.co.za/efergy-e2-wireless-electricity-monitor-three-phase-energy-efficiency.html

http://www.sustainable.co.za/efergy-e2-wireless-electricity-monitor-single-phase-electricity-monitors.html

 

Only once you know what your usage is, can you size an appropriate generator.

 

Step B - plan and build your permanent infrastructure installation - so at a bare minimum, a manual transfer switch, and cabling from an external plug point where you gen will be to your main board - don't forget a compliance certificate from the sparky that does the install.

 

Step C - find a gen that meets your needs.... this might be harder to do than it sounds given everyone is in the same boat. Things to take into consideration I think are: 1 - Noise and 2 weatherproofing if it's going to be outside (probably adviseable)

 

Step D - Hang it together...

[GLuvsMtb]

my 2c... actually it's free.... and worth what you pay for it

 

Step A - size your requirement - you better measure what you actually use, when you are only using what you must have in an outage - to give an example - my house needs a 60kva gen to run full tilt, including all the underfloor heating running at the same time (startup). Clearly that is ridiculous for a backup gen, and I can run everything I absolutely must have for a 3 hour outage on a 2.5kva gen (a few lights, plugs, alarm and computers) - but as soon as it moves beyond about 8 hours, then I need more - the question is - just how much more for a 1 - 5 day outage... and what happens if it's in mid winter (I have small kids) - I don't actually know the answer to this yet.

 

I have found a couple of inexpensive measurement tools

 

theowl.co.za have devices for singel and 3 phase setups

 

http://www.sustainable.co.za/efergy-e2-wireless-electricity-monitor-three-phase-energy-efficiency.html

http://www.sustainable.co.za/efergy-e2-wireless-electricity-monitor-single-phase-electricity-monitors.html

 

Only once you know what your usage is, can you size an appropriate generator.

 

Step B - plan and build your permanent infrastructure installation - so at a bare minimum, a manual transfer switch, and cabling from an external plug point where you gen will be to your main board - don't forget a compliance certificate from the sparky that does the install.

 

Step C - find a gen that meets your needs.... this might be harder to do than it sounds given everyone is in the same boat. Things to take into consideration I think are: 1 - Noise and 2 weatherproofing if it's going to be outside (probably adviseable)

 

Step D - Hang it together...

I found gas to be a relatively cheap and very efficient way to heat up our house. I plan to get a second gas heater for this winter as my home office is one floor up from the lounge, so then I would not have to lug the heater up and down the stairs. 

[V12man]

I found gas to be a relatively cheap and very efficient way to heat up our house. I plan to get a second gas heater for this winter as my home office is one floor up from the lounge, so then I would not have to lug the heater up and

Gas is good for heating - I have a gas fireplace and a mobile heater - just don't really fancy have one in a bedroom with an over active 4y/o with absolutely NO fear (make that no common sense)

 

Guess one of these days I am going to bite the bullet and do the town gas installation too - runs right past my front gate, but I have 2 48kg cylinders currently, and I think I use 1 about every 2 or 3 years - so hardly worthwhile.