Winter Storm #3: Enough, Already!!

[gansky1]

The gas forced-air we have is able to keep up with the cold temps, no shortages of power or gas to go around. I've actually never seen that happen - is that common elsewhere? Nebraska is served entirely by publicly owned utilities - electric, gas, water, etc. so our utility rates are lower than the national averages and seem to be pretty reliable, subject to the natural forces on electrical grids, etc. that occur everywhere. Is that Socialism? Rates are naturally determined by demand so if the cold trends continue, reserves of Natural Gas may need to be replenished at current market rates rather than the negotiated rates at the beginning of the season but gas prices have fallen a bit in the last year so the impact will likely not be noticed if that does happen.

I take a lot of steps to winterize the house, the 3M window sealing plastic is awesome and I've used it for over 20 years now since it was introduced. It really stops drafts and heat-loss in a noticeable way. I spent some time this year replacing seals at the bottom of existing exterior doors, garage doors and a few worn seals on the windows I don't put plastic on. I bought a natural gas heater for the garage and plan on installing it out there tomorrow - much cheaper than electric space-heating for that space and by having a gas line in the garage, I'll be able to have a gas dryer out there now too.

 

[danemodsandy]

Mike:

Rationed gas? Industry shutdowns?

Are you lot sure that Mr. Heath hasn't returned from the dead and brought back the Three-Day Week?

;-)

 

[mielabor]

Peak shaver

Yesterday the LNG peak shaver was put in operation. This was done in a live radio broadcast.

Dutch homes and offices are almost exclusively heated with natural gas and the national gas supplier keeps several large tanks with liquified gas standby for use when demand is exceptionally high.

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www.gasunie.nl

 

[hoover1100]

It's certainly cold here

Most snow I've ever seen, and this is the view from my Grandad's bedroom window.

Never seen anything like it!

Matt

 

[toggleswitch2]

Thanks for the input, fellas.

Here in the NYC area, larger users of natural gas, such as apartment buildings, MUST switch over to fuel-oil when the outdoor temperature reaches 20*F or below (-6*C) to help ensure an adequate supply of natual gas for smaller residential users.

This is accomplished by an automatic device that is tied to landline telephone service and a modem. The gas utility (Brooklyn Union Gas and/or now called National Grid)sends out a signal and a duel-fuel burner head makes the swtich automatically and "trasnparently" [I done know what ConEd (Consolidated Edison) does in what is their gas territory.]

This is a typical steam-generating heating boiler [one-pipe steam system] used in apartment buidlings with 20 to 100+ units, constructed from say 1920 +/- to present. Domestic hot water for the taps is generated by a tankless coil within this boiler. One can see the inlet and outlet pipes near the top-front of the boiler.

This particular unit does NOT burn gas, (it is by Carlin). The only difference in a gas-burning dual-fuel unit would be a bigger nozzle/head and a 4 inch (102mm) gas-supply pipe. Most often, the industry standard appears to be burner heads by Industrial Combustion, Inc. The make of the boiler and the burner-head differ.

Commercial & Industrial Burners | Industrial Combustion

Industrial Combustion is a leading manufacturer of burners designed for commercial, industrial, and institutional applications.

www.ind-comb.com

 

[toggleswitch2]

Here is the fuel-oil supply storage ("reservoir") tank.

It holds circa 5,000 +/- U.S. gallons (being 18,900+/- litres).

 

[toggleswitch2]

There are sometimes natural shortages here that translate to reduced gas-main pressure, despite these measures large residetial and comemrical users msut comply with.

I have never heard of a "no gas" situation.

(Except when one takes "Beano" orally, of course)

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www.beanogas.com

 

[toggleswitch2]

This building has about 60+/- units.

Here is a different boiler with an Industrial Combustion, Inc.
burner head. It is a "Federal" brand unit by A.L. Eastmond, Inc.

It uses natural gas for ignition of the fuel-oil, as evidenced by a 3/4" gas-pipe connecion, but I don't see the 4" gas main for the gas-burning.

Most larger buildings DO NOT use natural gas as it is more expensive than "dirtier" fuels such as #2, #4 and #6-grade fuel-oil.

 

[toggleswitch2]

In Manhattan one can buy steam directly from the utility. It is mostly much larger useers that do this. Of benefit epsecially to large idusstrial/commercial retai users, is using steam for (absorbtion) air-condtioning to avoid the use of very expensive electricty in summer.

Using the waste steam used to generate electricty is indeed "green".

Too bad garbage is not burned to make elecricty and steam, that would be REALLY green!

We now return to our regualarly scheduled progammme...

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www.coned.com

 

[mielabor]

So what is done with the garbage then in NYC? In Amsterdam all trams and metro trains have stickers saying that they are travelling with green electricity (produced by burning waste).

 

[toggleswitch2]

We send it to (the state of) New Jersey....

Ducks and runs.

I don' know anymore. There was a landfill in a section of the city (Staten Island), there was "burial-at-sea" decades ago and now I think we buy the right to bury it in some southern state(not being funny here).

 

[petek]

Yay we got our first real taste of some snow overnight about 6 inches and I got to try my "new" old toro snoblower from the Restore last summer. It works well but it's not as good as the newer model I have with a regular chute. This one has a "vane" type apparatus on the front and it doesn't throw the snow very far left or right like the other one does.. But it's still far easier than a shovel

 

[jamiel]

Pete, we went over to Windsor in November and got a snow sleigh shovel from Canadian Tire...and last night I used it. About 5 inches in Detroit...They apparently call them Yooper Scoopers and there's a company up in the UP that makes them.

 

[petek]

Seeing as you're that close you should come by one of these days, barely an hour.

 

[rolls_rapide]

"Beano"

I thought you meant this:

 

[rolls_rapide]

Coldest place in the UK

From the BBC News:

"Friday saw the UK's coldest day so far when the mercury plunged to -22.3C (-8.1F) in the Highland village of Altnaharra."

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news.bbc.co.uk

 

[mayguy]

I woke up to -17˚ this morning.

As one of the poster asked if we had trouble with our furnace keeping up. No, as long the dealer has done a Manual-J (Load calc) on the home to meet the home's demand. Example, my home it needs a 54k btu at -20˚. My furnace is two stage, and it's 60k furnace and it keeps up just fine.. When we reach the design temp, I don't use the t-stat set back. I just put it on hold and leave it there since the furnce will not be able to recover from a 8˚ set back.

All my life, I have not seen lost of gas on a high demand.

 

[DADoES]

This morning's low @ my house was 16°F, assuming I didn't miss the lowest reading. My heat pump kept up fine. I raised the setpoint from 67°F to 69°F when the ambient was 22°F and it recovered the difference in about 40 mins, without using the auxiliary (which is locked-out until ambient is below 20°F). The weather is dry which makes a difference in reducing defrost cycles. Very light or no wind also makes a difference in the needed capacity. I even shut off one of the auxiliary breakers so only half of it runs if defrost does trigger.

16°F doesn't compare to what others have reported ... but is very low for here.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Here is a boiler in NYC that acutally does use both #2-grade fuel-oil and natural gas.......

There is very little visible difference exept the large gas-main piped into the burner-head and the two large solenoid control valves and some pressure-regualtor in the line (Gas train/trane)....Not visible here.

There is a also a small 3/4" pipe that convey gas to a standing-pilot igntion system and the gas flame that begins igntion of the fuel-oil.

 

[toggleswitch2]

dual-fuel burner head.

Large and small black-iron pipes that convey natural gas can be seen to the left. The alrge one can also be seen entering the combustion compartment (just behind the transformer box).