Power Outage?

[ChiTea]

Hopefully, this is an acceptable place to make this post (couldn't really find anywhere else that it would go).

Anyways, my power just went out about 30 minutes ago. Luckily, it came back on after only a minute, but it got me thinking - how can I keep my leo warm during a power outage? I'm in SoCal, so if there's a big earthquake, the power could be out for a while. Has anyone else experienced this before? Is there some sort of battery source I could use to plug in my UTH and heat lamp?

Thanks!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Something to consider for power related emergencies is having a supply of Uni Heat packs on hand. Duration of each ranges from 40-72 hours. Just activate them as needed. Shelf life of a couple years.

 

[Jennifer1]

Something to consider for power related emergencies is having a supply of Uni Heat packs on hand. Duration of each ranges from 40-72 hours. Just activate them as needed. Shelf life of a couple years.

I remembered reading this a couple of weeks ago and now I wished I had paid more attention as we are forecast for an ice storm this weekend, which means the chance of losing power for several hours or longer.

I'm not familiar with Uni-Heat packs. I'm guessing they're some type of packs that produce heat by chemical reaction, but I'm not familiar with anything that lasts for more than a few hours. Is this something specifically for reptiles that would have to be ordered? How exactly would you used them in the event of a power outage (where would you place them)?

I'm guessing this would not be something I could buy locally, so any ideas on how to improvise with something readily available? We do at least have gas logs in the fireplace to keep normal ambient temperatures and a gas water heater for hot water....

 

[ChiTea]

I ordered one online for $5, and it came the other day. It looks like it's made for use when shipping reptiles. It reminds me of those heat warmers you put inside your gloves when going skiing. I figured I'd put it on the warm side of the tank if I needed it.

Maybe a battery powered generator may be available locally?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

The Bean Farm in Issaquah, Washington generally stocks both the 40 hour and 72 hour Uni-Heat packs. That's where I got my current supply.

Reptile shows are also a source.

The hand and foot warmers sold for humans would definitely need to be wrapped in a wash cloth first to moderate the output temps.

 

[Jennifer1]

I could probably find some brand of the hand/foot warmers around here where they sell hunting supplies. May have to make due with that if we lose power this weekend, but I'll order some of the others for the future, just in case. We have been lucky & never lost power for very long, but others in our area have lost it for days in past ice storms.....

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I could probably find some brand of the hand/foot warmers around here where they sell hunting supplies. May have to make due with that if we lose power this weekend, but I'll order some of the others for the future, just in case. We have been lucky & never lost power for very long, but others in our area have lost it for days in past ice storms.....

Best to have a small supply. Maybe they could also be found in a ski shop? The Uni-Heats have a shelf life of several years.

Stay snug,

 

[Jennifer1]

Best to have a small supply. Maybe they could also be found in a ski shop? The Uni-Heats have a shelf life of several years.

Stay snug,

LOL, no ski shops in Kentucky. That is the thing about the southeast, we don't get a lot of snow, and when we do get something it is usually a lovely "wintery mix" of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow. Or the worst case scenario of just freezing rain that coats everything in 1/2" or more of ice. That's when we can have major power outages due to branches breaking and taking out the power lines. Fortunately, that generally happens only once every few years, and so far we have always been one of the lucky ones who didn't lose power at all, or only for a few hours at most.

We have crazy weather here. Yesterday it was in the upper 60's & low 70's, depending on the part of the state, today it's pouring rain & 63, and by the weekend temps will drop to the 20's & 30's.

Back to the heat packs, would you put them under the tank, or inside the tank? Since they heat up so quickly I'm guessing they shouldn't contact the glass.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Ha ha ha...had snow on my brain. :biggrin: 30 F here right now at 9 AM. We might get some snow this week which is very unusual for these parts. The nearby ocean keeps temps pretty moderate year round.

Ice storms are especially treacherous! :-( Nice that you have a gas water heater and fireplace with gas logs. Me too.

Back to the heat packs, would you put them under the tank, or inside the tank? Since they heat up so quickly I'm guessing they shouldn't contact the glass.

Wrap the heat pack(s) in a couple layers of cloth or paper towels to moderate the temps for awhile and place this inside the tank in a corner. Think they would not do much good if placed underneath the tank.

Where is the tank in relation to your gas fireplace?

 

[Jennifer1]

Wrap the heat pack(s) in a couple layers of cloth or paper towels to moderate the temps for awhile and place this inside the tank in a corner. Think they would not do much good if placed underneath the tank.

Where is the tank in relation to your gas fireplace?

That's what I was thinking. He is upstairs in my daughter's room, and the fireplace is downstairs in the family room. We could always bring the tank downstairs if necessary. Though actually, the heat from the gas log does rise & heats the upstairs pretty well when all the bedroom doors are open.