What would you rather have?

[tibber]

Low shot Tom, you know times are hard right now. Hell, I had to let the maids go last week and I also had to shut down the pool heater. Yes Tom I know, being indoors it may stay warm for awhile but I can't stand for a cold swim you know.... :nono:

If we keep going down this path I may have to switch to DirecTV.



This post is joke, you know sarcasm at it's best........
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Oops, I missed the closing, size 1, white caveat and already sent a note to our contacts to see if we can get you on the next DIRECTV field trials...

Thankfully, Jason, you have a great family (seriously) and can handle this crisis. Maybe we'll get the pool heater turned back on soon.

Cheers,
Tom

[tcusta00]

Wood burning furnaces have transitioned to being outside now. Or I could just say you can buy one that resides on the exterior of your home. Growing up my Aunt's home had both a wood burning furnace and a natural gas unit, you could toggle between them with a damper. When they used the wood furnace, the house was always hot. I remember helping stock the walls and walls of chopped wood in the garage.

That being said they still use electricity for the blowers.

I'm referring to wood stoves though. Like this: http://www.regency-fire.com/Wood/Stoves/F3100/

[Jason Nipp]

Jason, a "huge mansion" like yours, surely has backup generators for even the servants quarters... (I know, bad tie into the taxes thread.)

Low shot Tom, you know times are hard right now. Hell, I had to let the maids go last week and I also had to shut down the pool heater. Yes Tom I know, being indoors it may stay warm for awhile but I can't stand for a cold swim you know.... :nono:

If we keep going down this path I may have to switch to DirecTV.



This post is joke, you know sarcasm at it's best........
.
.
.

[Jason Nipp]

That's interesting... insurance rates go up when you have a wood-burning stove? I was considering putting a wood stove in my basement when we finish it but now that you mention that I may reconsider and put in gas.

I wonder if the policy is the same for fireplaces... we have one and light a fire almost every day for a little extra cost savings in the winter. I don't recall being asked about it when we applied for homeowners insurance.

Wood burning furnaces have transitioned to being outside now. Or I could just say you can buy one that resides on the exterior of your home. Growing up my Aunt's home had both a wood burning furnace and a natural gas unit, you could toggle between them with a damper. When they used the wood furnace, the house was always hot. I remember helping stock the walls and walls of chopped wood in the garage.

That being said they still use electricity for the blowers.

[David MacLeod]

fireplaces are generally no raise in insurance, wood stoves used as a primary/secondary heat source do raise them.
I'd take a blizzard, but I'm used to it. generator is fueled and ready to start. power companies hire outside people when lines go down in winter, they have to. when its below 0 with no heat you die.

[Miami1683]

Red, how exactly do you prepare for the power going out heat wise? Fireplaces actually draft heat out, if your lucky enough to have a fireplace, and most all space heaters require power to operate. And even if you can afford to buy a portable power generator, they are sold out before you can safely find your way into the city to buy one.

Not everyone is a city slicker.... and not everyone has the money for the preparing equipment.

Ok Jason,

I get what you are saying about blizzards. Now how would I prepare. i would buy a generator and fuel for it all year. Serious! 5 gallons a week for 30 weeks. Should be good to go then. I also know what it is like to not have power for days. How about 8 weeks after the last major hurricane hit us. Both are bad situations. I hope to never have to deal with that again. For you I hope you don't have to do that again either. Simply put there is no good thing that is going to come out of that nasty weather

[tibber]

All depends on the latest state of insurance. 15 years ago, don't even think about it. Lots of insurance companies paid out a bunch for fires.

[tcusta00]

Jason, a "huge mansion" like yours, surely has backup generators for even the servants quarters... (I know, bad tie into the taxes thread.)

I looked into wood burning stoves more than once, and the insurance costs were way too high.

Cheers,
Tom

That's interesting... insurance rates go up when you have a wood-burning stove? I was considering putting a wood stove in my basement when we finish it but now that you mention that I may reconsider and put in gas.

I wonder if the policy is the same for fireplaces... we have one and light a fire almost every day for a little extra cost savings in the winter. I don't recall being asked about it when we applied for homeowner's insurance.

[tibber]

Red, how exactly do you prepare for the power going out heat wise? Fireplaces actually draft heat out, if your lucky enough to have a fireplace, and most all space heaters require power to operate. And even if you can afford to buy a portable power generator, they are sold out before you can safely find your way into the city to buy one.

Not everyone is a city slicker.... and not everyone has the money for the preparing equipment.

Jason, a "huge mansion" like yours, surely has backup generators for even the servants quarters... (I know, bad tie into the taxes thread.)

I looked into wood burning stoves more than once, and the insurance costs were way too high.

Cheers,
Tom

[tibber]

Of the list, blizzards seem to have the least amount of devastation power. Earthquakes might be short, but they can ruin a lot of stuff in 90 seconds. (Including reversing rivers.) Thankfully, in the US that kind of destruction is rare.

Hurricanes come more often, have lots more warning, but ask Richard King how to move two buildings out of the way. Storm shutters don't stop everything.

Tornadoes are the worst of hurricanes and earthquakes: quick, lots of power, no warning.

Blizzards do require some prep, cuz being without a home in most hurricane land means you can travel to somewhere warm and dry. Being without power in a blizzard often means very cold and hopefully dry.

Thankfully whole house generators are much more available and economical. $4k will give a good chunk of protection and $5k will even cover all my DVRs.

Cheers,
Tom

[SMOKE]

I'll take the snow..
few days off..
never had any property dammage...
Have generator just in case..

[MicroBeta]

I think I'd like the blizzard.

I live in New England and we usually have a weeks warning that something is coming and several days on how severe it will be.

Here is SE CT the infrastructure is strong enough that I could wait out the the storm and everything is back to normal relatively quickly.

I think it has a lot to do with where I live. If I were in say Maine or the Dakota's, I probably would prefer something other than a blizzard.

Here in southern NE, I'd definitly go with the blizzard.

Mike

[Jason Nipp]

I was born in a snow storm like that and this sounds like a not preparing issue more thne its te blizzards fault :grin: I was on a bus going to school one day along time ago and instead of going up the hill I was sliding back down it was fun!!1

Red, how exactly do you prepare for the power going out heat wise? Fireplaces actually draft heat out, if your lucky enough to have a fireplace, and most all space heaters require power to operate. And even if you can afford to buy a portable power generator, they are sold out before you can safely find your way into the city to buy one.

Not everyone is a city slicker.... and not everyone has the money for the preparing equipment.

[66stang351]

I grew up in Oregon where hurrcianes, blizzards and earthquakes are all once in a liftime events...and as for the blizzard and hurricane they were taken care of about ten years before I was born so I'll be getting up there before everybody who saw the last ones are gone. We had the little earthquake when I was in highschool so I'm good to go.

[Jason Nipp]

*sigh*