Man is so ill-equipped to survive on his own that I sometimes think we, alone, offer the best scientific proof against natural selection and evolution. We can't run very fast; our eyesight is, at best, average. Our hearing is abysmal, and our sense of smell is virtually nonexistent. We can't tolerate extremes of heat or cold. Were it not for the intelligent use of fire, the story of Man would have been short and brutal. That remains as true today as it was thousands of years ago; without energy and fuel, we will quickly perish.
In this article, I'll discuss a few options for energy and fuels. It will be up to you to determine what your own needs are, and to prepare accordingly. Before I begin, though, there is one matter I must bring up. In the aftermath of Hurricane Rita, an entire family of five was found dead. They did not drown, nor did their house collapse.
They had operated their generator indoors, and died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
BUY GAS AND SMOKE DETECTORS, AND CHANGE THE BATTERIES TWICE A YEAR. HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER NEARBY. There is no reason to die stupidly.
Wind and Solar Power
The good news: Federal and State governments offer tax incentives worth up to thousands of dollars for installing these systems. Since prices of a complete system can run $50,00 and more, this helps.
The bad news: These systems still aren't economically practical. The problem is the storage batteries, which require a lot of maintenance and still have only a limited life. (Some companies now offer a 15-year guarantee with their batteries, but I wonder how many of them will still be around in eight or ten years, to honor their warranty.)
Still, peace of mind has value, too. If you can afford one of these systems, it is probably worthwhile.
Of course, solar and wind power have been with us since the dawn of mankind, and we can start saving some money with them now, with only a minimal investment. I've used solar and wind power to dry my clothes for half my life; my wife just bought a couple bags of new clothespins, so I suspect we're going to start doing so again.
I've seen a few "solar ovens" advertised. One flimsy-looking contraption sold for under $20, and another slightly more robust looking one sells for almost $300. If you buy one of these tell me how they work. I'm not going to spend my money on them.
There are plans for building solar ovens, both in magazines in the library and on the internet. Most are not very elaborate; try to talk your kids into making one for a school project or something. I've built two of them. The first one I built (from an article in an old Mother Earth News magazine, if I recall correctly), over twenty years ago, was to see if i could make a "solar still" that actually produced distilled water. It did, but not well enough to be of any practical use.
I built another one a few years ago, specifically for cooking food. It worked so-so. Start a pot of beans after breakfast, and by dinner it should be done. Definitely a slow cooker. I have never been able to boil water in one of my contraptions.
Still, I can see the potential in these. If you have to boil water, you can "pre-warm" the water in the oven and save some fuel. The next one I build (whenever I get a "round toit") will be one large enough to bring a washtub of water to clothes washing temperature. That will save quite a bit of fuel.
Gasoline, Diesel, Kerosene
1. Store fuels away from small children.
2. Do not store fuels near your water.
3. Store fuels away from foods and medicines.
I read somewhere that heating oil in the northeast is around $3.50 a gallon now. With 1200 to 1500 gallons needed to heat an average New England home through the winter, that presents a special hardship for the elderly and others on a fixed income. Besides wearing more clothes and turning down the thermostat, it becomes even more imperative for us to check on our neighbors from time to time this winter.
Even with the high cost of fuels these days, most of us will depend on these for at least some of our needs.
Generators
Generators vary so much in both fuel consumption and output that it is impossible to make any recommendations. You will have to do the homework to determine how many watts you need, how often you will need it, and how much fuel you will need to run it.
We have a small 1.5KW generator and 50 gallons of gas, which we rotate regularly. This is enough to keep food in the refrigerator and freezer temporarily, until we can find some other way to preserve it (usually by canning). 1500 watts is enough to run the refrigerator and one coil on the stove for our pressure cooker/canner. Again, your particular needs will certainly be different from ours.
Gas lantern
A gallon of Coleman fuel in a gas lantern will burn for roughly 40 hours. Assuming an average of five hours per day of use, that comes to about 4 gallons for two weeks, or about 100 gallons for a year.
Kerosene (or oil) lamp
This is what our family will use for light. They only put out about the same light as a 50 watt light bulb, about a third of the light a gas lantern will provide, but there is a corresponding savings in fuel. Assuming the same five hours of use per day, you will need about one gallon of kerosene (or Coleman fuel, or scented lamp oil) for two weeks, or about 25 gallons for a year.
Flashlights
They're handy in an emergency, of course, but you don't want to depend on these for continuous use. There are rechargeable flashlights now that operate for a short time by squeezing or shaking.
Batteries vary in life by how old they are (including how long they spent on the shelf in the store), as well as by the temperature. In addition, it depends on what they are used for; batteries in a radio will usually last longer than those used in a flashlight. There are "long life" batteries, but I'm not sure if the extra cost makes them worthwhile; my observations have been that it's about a wash.
Candles
Tallow candles burn longer and brighter than wax candles, but they're getting pretty hard to find. Look in specialty stores or do a search on the internet. A 9" tallow candle, 2" in diameter, will burn for about 45 hours. They may last longer if kept in a refrigerator or freezer.
There is also an "emergency candle," a paraffin-filled bottle with a wick. They are said to have at least a 100-hour burning time. I've not tried one of these.
Camp Stove
A single-burner camp stove using Coleman fuel, in use four hours per day, will use about three gallons of fuel in fourteen fays, or about 50 gallons per year. I would recommend a two-burner stove, which would use about 100 gallons in a year--there are a lot of reasons to heat water.
Emergency "Sterno Can" Substitute
Fold a double-size newspaper page "accordion-style" and force-fit into a tuna can (you can trim some off with a knife if you have to). Pour paraffin wax or beeswax over the paper. Light with a match. This will burn hot and cleanly for one or two hours.
(Note: Firemen may recognize this as a "firebug," a device often used by arsonists, who sometimes use a fuse packed in the middle of the can surrounded by match heads for a delay mechanism. Take a clue from them, and keep a fire extinguisher handy.)
Charcoal
Five or six briquettes in a small hibachi or grill will cook a pot of canned stew and provide some heat. Vent the grill by setting it in the fireplace or by a half-open window.
There are directions for making charcoal available on the internet. Here is one method:
1. Take a metal bucket or can with a lid, and punch holes 1/2" holes all around and on the ends.
2. Put twigs and limbs from fruit trees, nut trees--just about any hardwood--into the can, and cover with the lid.
3. Cook over a hot fire. When the flame in the holes turns a bright yellow-red, remove from the fire and allow to cool.
4. Store in a dry place, in paper bags or cardboard boxes.
Our family is planning on using an average of about 40 pounds of charcoal per week, but we plan on using a lot of it for canning. Without the canning, we would probably use about 25 or thirty pounds a week. Again, only you can determine what your own needs will be. (Helpful hint: A few bags of the "match light" briquettes, available in stores, will help to get charcoal burning and will save quite a bit of charcoal starter fluid.)
Coal
I've never used coal myself. I'm told that about three or four tons of coal is enough for the average family to get through a New England winter.
Coal is best used in a pot-belly or franklin stove. Coal can not safely be used with prebuilt metal or metal-lined fireplaces.
Newspaper Logs
Four newspaper logs will burn cleanly, last about an hour, and give as much heat as a similar-sized stick of wood.
1. Divide a newspaper into sections and fold to half size, about 12" by 15" by 1/2" thick.
2. Fill a wash tub 3/4 full of water and add about 2 tablespoons of detergent. Put the newspaper sections into the tub and allow to soak for about two hours, or until the paper is thoroughly saturated.
3. While still wet, roll the sections onto a 1" wood, metal, or plastic rod (an old broom handle is ideal), squeezing out the excess water and smoothing down the ends.
4. Tie the ends and middle with string or metal tie-wraps while drying.
5. Slide the rolls off the rod and stand on end to finish drying.
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Well, there's a few ideas on the subject of energy and fuels. Again, it is imperative you determine your own family's needs, and take action accordingly. As always, your thoughts, ideas, criticisms, and suggestions are welcome.
Onward and upward,
airforce
Posted by: yukon mike Jan 11 2006, 08:00 PM
Nice job airforce!
I would like to add one more to your fuel list and that is simply a cord of wood. It can be used for heat but also as a cooking heat source...
As for coal here are a few sentences from my book about fuels, that if you use coal, and I think it is a viable heat source today and well into our futures, is the following important comments;
7.3 Coal
Is coal a viable replacement for wood fuel?
Maybe, it will depend if you live in a large town/city where you must buy your wood. If wood becomes scarce and the price goes extremely high, coal could be an option. It’s always good to have options.
Coal stoves are quite similar to their wood burning cousins. Most use natural draft and have the same chimney requirements as wood stoves. In the past, many stoves were designed to burn both coal and wood.
Coal stoves usually can burn longer on each fuel load than woodstoves and they provide a more even and controllable heat. Anthracite Coal is most efficient when burned in freestanding stoves. Coal fires are difficult to start, but once alight a fire can last for weeks or even months. For this reason, coal is best suited to those who use their stoves on a full-time basis.
Coal vs. Wood Cost: One ton of coal is about equivalent to a one cord of wood in BTU output. Coal prices range from $100 to $150 per ton.
Maintenance: Coal stoves produce no creosote or tar, and the chimney and smoke pipe will usually only contain a white or brown fine ash coating. It is important to clean the coal stove, smoke pipe and chimney immediately following the burning season as this ash can be quite corrosive when combined with the heat and humidity of the spring/summer.
Coal produces 10 times as much ash per pound as wood does, so a large ash pan is a good feature. Shaking should be done at least twice a day and as many as six times if the stove is being run at high outputs.
How long will they last?A quality coal stove could easily last ten years or more. Coal burns much hotter than wood, so it should be common to replace coal grates and liners as time passes.
Chimney Concerns: Coal burns very efficiently, so the temperature going up the chimney is not as great as it is with wood. However, coal contains sulfur and other compounds which can cause corrosion, especially in stainless steel chimneys. Be sure to select a quality brand of Chimney and confirm that the warranty covers use with coal. Also be sure to clean the chimney every spring (some sweeps pour baking soda down to neutralize the acids), as most corrosion occurs over the humid summer months.
Posted by: airforce Jan 12 2006, 12:18 AM
Thanks, Yukon Mike! Having never used coal myself, my knowledge about it was pretty limited.
Onward and upward,
airforce
Posted by: EastCentralMSMilitia Jan 13 2006, 02:09 AM
I'll second the Detectors and the Fuel Storage parts in particular.
We've had six calls for chimney fires, a few CO calls, and a full blown house fire.
The house fire was because a well intentioned citizen was practicing (poorly) his preparedness.
Six 5 Gallon cans of gasoline stored in the utility room for his vehicle and generator. Good idea, bad practice when the H/W heater is gas and in the same room.
He lost several small propane tanks, three large propane tanks, a shed full of ammo and reloading supplies, another room full of food and freezers of meat, and all the other stuff that was in the pile of ashes that was his house.
We did all we could and extinguished the fire rather quickly. The loss was so much because he had to go 1/4 mile to call 911 in order for us to respond.
Wish we coulda got this guy before the fire. He might have been an asset to at least the mutual aid group. And we might have caught his mistake before it was too late.
I think sometimes we all get busy and overlook the safety aspects of life.
Your post is excellent in that it reminds us to be vigilant in every aspect.
Thanks.
Posted by: Hauss Feb 10 2006, 08:23 PM
If you have time and a place to do it, turn the coal to coke. Coke burns cleaner, as the sulfur and many of the other chemicals cook out of it. Process is simply cook the coal in a upsdie down bucket so there is little or no oxygen. pretty simular to the methods of making charcoal.
