Maintaining Temp and Humidity During Power Outages?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:45 am

I have a question that came to mind today while listening to the radio. PG&E was doing a public service thingy about being prepared for earthquakes. They talked about the survival kit everyone should have and what should be included. They also reminded people to include pet food in their kits, which got me to thinking....Since I live in an earthquake prone area AND I have hermit crabs does anyone have any thoughts about ways to help them make it through a quake? Food and water shouldn't be a problem, since it's easier to mix water in big batches anyway and they do have the commercial crab food which can be saved.The little quakes we get aren't a big deal. I'm thinking about the bigger ones. The one we had in '89 caused us to lose electricity for close to 3 days.I started wondering how I would keep the temperature and humidity in the tanks up without electricity (if we were to lose it).Any ideas on what might work?Just thinking ahead....Kim

avic · Post by **avic** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:17 am

Thanks a good question!I live in a hurricane pron area and we were without power for 10 days after Katrina. Our house got absolutely unbarable and we ended up going to stay with a family member who lived near a hospital and that grid got electricity back first (within 48 hours).we didnt have the Hermits at that time but I worry what i'll do this year becuase it seems ineviatable we will have at least one hurricane that will disrupt power.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:08 am

This probably wont help much, but my hubby has some kind of a generator that plugs into the car battery. We lost power awhile back and the house and crab tanks started getting cold, so he hooked up the generator and plugged the UTHs and crab lights into it to keep them warm during the outage. I know this generator is part of his work but maybe you can buy one at an auto parts store or something....... Also, I dont know how long it would last or how quick it would drain the car battery but just wanted to throw that out there Angela

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:42 am

I don't worry about the tornados, because they come in the summer when it's warm enough for the hermies to be without heat, but I worry about blizzards....TheGreyRonin lost all his hermies in a blizzard-related power outage. I suppose I could try to find a fairly inexpensive generator, but I haven't seen a good one yet.

tnyfootprntz · Post by **tnyfootprntz** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:42 am

We borrowed a generator but I wouldn't let my husband run it for very long because of the gas fumes (and gas scarcity). Even though it was outside, of course, we had all our windows open and could smell fumes. I made him run the longest extension cord he could find so it would be some distance from the house. All for the crabs...who were oblivious that we were w/o power for 2 1/2 wks. They didn't mind the higher temps or humidity.But freezing temps at night after an earthquake, sorry I'm not much help there. I would probably keep some sort of insulated, unbreakable, container handy with maybe some heat packs, like used in shipping, for when the temps get too low. Tuck your crabbies into something where they can burrow down and feel safe, and hope for the best.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:48 pm

When ever my electric goes out i have to stay home. With snakes and hermies i have to. Can't let the snakes freeze so i hold them and put a fire in the woodstove for the hermies.

Nicole · Post by **Nicole** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 3:15 pm

I don't think the hot water heater will work in a power outage. I *think* you'd only have the reserves that would be left in the tank, and after that the water would come out cold. But please somebody correct me if I'm wrong.We have a gas fireplace in our home that we bought last year, and that has been the one thing that kept me from really worrying about the crabs if the power went out. My husband refuses to invest in a generator for the pets. In the hunting sections of stores they do sell heat packs that provide heat up to eight hours once opened. I suppose they could work in a short-term power outage, placed outside the tank.

Crabby Abby · Post by **Crabby Abby** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:00 am

quote:I don't think the hot water heater will work in a power outage. I *think* you'd only have the reserves that would be left in the tank, and after that the water would come out cold. But please somebody correct me if I'm wrong. People who heat their homes and water with gas heat shouldn't be affected by electrical outages. However people who heat their homes and water with home heating oil or though electric baseboard heat would. Immediately after an outage you would have hot water reserves but as time passes, it would eventually cool even when used sparingly.

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 5:05 am

Well, there are those hand warmer heatpacks that might do some good. Easy enough to keep in an emergency pack, if you don't have a generator.

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 10:53 am

My natural gas furnace and water heater do not work during electricity outages. This is because they need the (electric) ventilation fans to work or else the house would be filled with carbon monoxide.