Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's cool, I was just teasin'.

    Hey we just got power back - 2 nights with no electricity!

    We lost power around 6pm Wed, the house got down to about 59 degrees. Thursday night it was 49 degrees, so we sent the kids to friends' houses for sleepovers, but we roughed it out with the dog last night. This morning? 45 degrees!

    Finally got power back this morning around 9am. I took a shower at a neighbor's house!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    You have electric heat? Or does your heat use an electric fan/pump to work?

    -mike
    Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,637
    That's interesting...

    With an early morning temperature of 25F outside, my unheated, insulated garage is at 50F... I just assume that was because of my superior insulation, etc.... but, if your house got down to 45F, then my garage is probably warm because of heat leaking into it from the house...

    Now, I'm bummed.... lol

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited January 2011
    We have gas heat, but it's a forced air system that requires electric power.

    I have a fire place, but we also have a big plasma above it.

    I was able to boil water on the gas stove, lighting it with a match, but you can't heat the house with that, either (fumes).

    If I had to I would have moved the TV, but I'm thinking about just getting a small generator that could run a heater and the fridge.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    edited January 2011
    You might want more than that. What about your water heater, so that you can take warm showers. Also, what about the pipes? You don't want them to freeze.

    Our generator is 6600 watt Yamaha, which is hooked into the house. It does our furnace (which does the hot water as well), well pump, fridge, sump pump, a couple of kitchen outlets and a few lights on the first floor. It doesn't do the AC, stove or microwave. Having been through a few fairly long power outages, I wouldn't want anything less.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Believe it or not, we still had hot water 2 days later.

    Of course we did not spend a lot of time in the house, so we used much less, but the hot water remained hot throughout.

    I showered at a neighbor's place before I realized that.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    edited January 2011
    A small generator is fine for stuff like camping, and is certainly better than nothing, but I bet before long you will wish you had something more powerful for house duty.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    A "small" generator probably won't power the fridge and the heat. My guess is that the heat is a 220 circuit and the fridge startup amperage is likely a decent amount. So make sure you check into it beforehand.

    -mike
    Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Which is why I have a 6600 watt generator, so those items are taken care off.

    Bob
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    edited January 2011
    Bob, I agree that your 6.6 kW is about the smallest one should go with a home backup generator. I have yet to install one for mine (though I *really* should!), but I have my eyes on a 12kW diesel (cost about $6000) as a full house backup (would be able to operate the house as normal during central outages).

    For AJ's area, something like this would be a good bet for a whole-house if LNG or LPG is already servicing (as a side note, I am not recommending this particular unit):

    http://www.amazon.com/Generac-5871-Air-Cooled-Automatic-Generator/dp/B003IT76C0/- - ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=286168&s=garden
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Bob, I was referring to Juice, who said he was gonna get a "small" one. My guess is he thought that he might be able to get one of the honda off-the shelf models.

    -mike
    Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    And that is good advice indeed. I'll have to check how many watts each appliance I want to run would take.

    We've only lost power twice, so I want to balance our needs with the cost of an installed system like that natural gas one in the link (and yes, we have natural gas lines). I bet that would be $4 grand installed, though.
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Let's see, you'll want to run your plasma tv and a blue ray player that goes with it. Oh, and the 1000watt surround sound system. And a microwave for the popcorn. I'd say 3000 watts ought to be plenty! ;)

    I was thinking along the same lines, and the Honda generator guys suggested at minimum the 2000watt portable (I told him I might want it reasonably portable). It will run a few lights and a heater and a refrigerator. Although if it's cold you probably don't need to continuously run the frige!

    tom
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Well, installed a rollbar and frame rails (stiffen the chasis) over the weekend. So far I've changed out all the fluids for synthetics and have removed the spare tire, excess electronics, replaced the wimpy horn with some Hella Supertones (MUCH louder!!!) and have a Flyin' Miata stage 2 suspension kit and SS brake lines waiting to be installed. Also planning on replacing the brake pads and perhaps the drivers seat with a racing seat.

    Oh, and still looking for a light set of wheels and tires. Haven't decided how big of tires to run. I guess you can stuff 9" wheels under those tiny fenders!

    I've been following the Inside Line buildup of a '97 Miata for some inspiration as well. Although I can't figure out where they're going with that car. It's not a track only car but they've bolted on a hardtop and are running wide 225 RS-3s for street use???

    Anyway, thinking about getting a hardtop as well, but I think a lot of the joy of driving the Miata is gone if you can't put the top down!

    tom
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Believe it or not, we still had hot water 2 days later.

    Probably because your water heater is gas fed and has a standing pilot - no electricity needed.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    A small generator is fine for stuff like camping...

    That my dear sir would not qualify as camping!!

    I camped with my son's scout troop this weekend for Klondike derby. Nice weekend - low of 19 degrees outside and about 25 in my tent.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    My guess is that the heat is a 220 circuit

    You'd be suprised. Hot air furnaces run on 110V - nothing more than a circuit board, a fan motor and an igniter. Might pull 9-12 amps depending on size. I presume in the mid Atlantic, it's pretty small.
  • saedavesaedave Member Posts: 694
    You'd be suprised. Hot air furnaces run on 110V - nothing more than a circuit board, a fan motor and an igniter. Might pull 9-12 amps depending on size. I presume in the mid Atlantic, it's pretty small.

    The other surprise is the need for a surprisingly large generator rating to operate motors. Before purchasing a generator set, carefully consider each manufacturer's charts for motor loads. Few of those rated less than 5kW continuous duty will be satisfactory.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    But if one really wanted to run the furnace @ 110V and 12 amps, you're looking at 1320 watts. Couldn't a 5000 watt unit handle it?

    But then again, most of us don't have the expertise to properly connect a generator to a furnace anyway on an ad hoc basic. But the little engineer buried deep in my soul thinks some sort of switch with both 110 from the panel and a hardwired cord to connect to a generator would work.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    If you just want to have it available and do not need it set up on an automatic basis, you can simply wire a cord from a breaker on your panel (the electricity would simply be incoming instead of outgoing) to the plug on your generator. Keep the breaker in the off position unless you need to use it. In that event, you would simply:

    1. Start your generator.
    2. Switch your main breaker (200A, typically) off.
    3. Turn off all house circuits.
    4. Turn on the generator circuit.
    5. Turn on house circuits you want the generator to operate (one by one, so as to avoid overloading the generator).

    It is certainly more complicated than the automatic switching process that a hardwired backup generator employs, but it will get the job done and keep your critical systems operational.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    But if one really wanted to run the furnace 110V and 12 amps, you're looking at 1320 watts. Couldn't a 5000 watt unit handle it?

    Also you have to check the Startup Amperage requirements. Often times a motor will peak quite high on startup whereas for just running it doesn't draw as much.

    If you have a 220v circuit you burn less electric for a given power need. So by running big motors or AC units on 110 instead of 220 you are cheating yourself on your elect bill.

    -mike
    Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
  • saedavesaedave Member Posts: 694
    It is certainly more complicated than the automatic switching process that a hardwired backup generator employs, but it will get the job done and keep your critical systems operational.

    And illegal in many jurisdictions. Improperly isolated generators can kill power company employees as well as unsuspecting neighbors. Done carefully your method works, but it is far safer to use manual transfer switches designed for the purpose; the cost for a few critical heating and lighting circuits is not significant if you are competent to install the equipment yourself.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    If you have a 220v circuit you burn less electric for a given power need. So by running big motors or AC units on 110 instead of 220 you are cheating yourself on your elect bill.

    That is true but I do know that running a 110V device (like my furnace) on 220V doesn't really work!!

    :shades:

    My AC units run on 220V - those I wouldn't worry about having on a generator.

    In reality, we lose power a couple of times a year for 30 minutes or so. We never seem to lose it in the winter.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Just the essentials - TV, HD receiver, and the fridge for beer. LOL
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sounds like fun, tom.

    I did the fluids early on, too. How was the condition of the stuff you drained out?

    I also replaced the horn and added a strut tower brace and a front lower brace between the frame rails.

    Make sure the wheels are light - you don't want to go Plus Two or Plus Three and end up increasing unsprung weight by 50%.

    I'm a little jealous, to be honest. I never really turned mine in to a project car. Beyond the stuff above, I did the brakes, replaced the top, and swapped out the MSSS stereo when all the lights burned out. But it was all stuff I was fixing, not performance upgrades.

    Have fun with it. It's an easy car to work on, no? Did you find the fuel filter yet?
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    That's certainly true, Dave. Step #2 is not one to be skipped!

    I had my house wired through the service panel to a generator for a few months before my electric service was installed (took the electric company a while to run the poles and get the meter box in place), so I had it run this way on a temporary basis. The generator ended up deciding to stop generating power about two weeks before the electric was in (but that little 5kW Coleman gave me seven months), so when I installed the 200A service, I removed the generator line.

    Eventually I will put a 12kW backup generator (diesel) into service, but will have it set up as an automatic backup. Since I do all of my own work, it shouldn't add much to the cost of the install.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bob and I went to Philly yesterday to see this car in person, and let me just say, I was not disappointed!

    She's a real beauty up close.

    We all think the roof line will be changed a bit for production, for more rear headroom, but I'm hopefully this will be the first WRX intro that isn't controversial.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    I'm really looking forward to seeing this one. I may just have to consider one when my Subaru Bucks are nearing expiration.... :blush:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    edited February 2011
    Yup, it's been fun. But a lot more work than I expected! Just changing the fluids was ridiculous because whoever changed them before me must have torqued the bolts to 1000 lbs! :mad:

    The tranny fluid was black but the diff wasn't bad, a light brown. Replaced them both with Redline synthetic. Tranny's a bit smoother shifting now. (Also replaced both shift boots while I was at it)

    My car came with the front strut tower brace and some underbody cross bracing as well as the larger sport brakes, which is nice.

    I agree with the wheels, I'm actually going -1 on the sizing to go lighter than the 16s I have now.

    It's much easier to deal with than my SVX was because it's so small and there's a lot of room to work on stuff.

    Supposedly the fuel filter was already done but I'm tempted to change it anyway.

    I'll have to post a pic when I get it cleaned up and we get some sunshine!

    tom
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Did you change the shifter turret oil? You have to use a turkey baster to remove the old fluid, then top it off. It's under that shift boot you mentioned.

    No wonder the shifter is buttery smooth, it is literally dipped in gear oil all the time.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I would love to eventually get a standby natural gas unit, would figure 10kW-ish should suffice for furnace/microwave/sump-pump/refrigerators/typical-lighting. But in a pinch, a 3000 or 4000 Watt unit should get bare essentials like a refrigerator and sump pump running. It can always be used for camping etc later.

    -Brian
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Yup- definitely replaced that. Except I used a leftover syringe that I didn't end up using at work. :)

    There's an amazing amount of oil in there!

    tom
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    I must admit I was pretty darn impressed when I read about this shift linkage oil bath. Made me want to go right out and drive one with the top down.

    And it's been -20 lately..

    I've heard wonderful things about their shift quality. Now I know one of the reasons why.
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    We're in the middle of the 'blizzard' right now .. it's snowing and blowing ... all schools in town are canceled for tomorrow already .. and that's unusual to get a cancellation at all and especially the night before ... so staying in .. watching tv .. enjoying the peace and quiet ...

    my daughter and her boys are at her b/f's house and staying there instead of getting out .. they'll play videogames, etc. and enjoy it ...

    everyone stay safe and warm!

    (had to laugh this afternoon .. one of the teachers told our computer lab/IT guy at school to 'be safe' on the way home .. he said he would because he "had condoms in his car" ... )
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Some storm, no doubt! SE Wisconsin got hit too, we have 3' drifts against the house, there is a 4' drift in my front and back yards. Roads are closed and it's still snowing here right now (lake effect)!

    -Brian
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    So far just rain; we were expecting an ice storm, so I'm thankful for that. I'm sure it will help melt the snow we already have.

    Bob
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    We bought our first generator (Generac 4000xl) back in 1999, thanks in part to the whole Y2K issue. I'd always wanted one, but prior to that my wife prudently reminded me that in the grand scheme of financial priorities, this item ranked below the cut line. But throw in a little bit of uncertainty as Y2K approached helped to raise a basic gen set higher on the list.

    I hooked it up to the service panel in our detached garage, backfeeding it to the house. At the time it wasn't illegal, but I admit that it is a potentially dangerous method, and requires strict 'engineering control'. If you forgot to throw the main breaker, you could potentially backfeed the stepdown transformer on the pole, and energize the lines. In reality, attempting to feed power to your neighbors would probably kill your generator, but it could still present a lethal hazard to line workers.

    4kw is the bare minimum you can get away with, and even this required careful monitoring of the breaker panel. 1hp 220v water pumps require the full output. Motors typically need about 3x the rated current to start effortlessly. Forget about full electric heat appliances like stoves & water heaters.

    At the new house we did it right and installed a Generac 16kw LPG standby unit like the one Wess provided the link to. 16kw will drive up to a 5 ton AC unit, and pretty much everything else you might have. The unit ran around $2.6k, electrician around $1.2k, and an LP tank installed & filled around $1.1k for a total of around $5k

    As great as it is to have, the voltage regulation and probably the shape of the AC sine wave output is not up to utility standards, and some of the motors (like the washing machine) don't like it. If they are running, I can see fluctuations in the TV and sometimes the lights. APC standby UPS units also don't like the quality of the power, and sometimes are depleted even with the software settings at their most liberal. The other issue is placement near the house. The kits all come with short prewired main lines from the generator to the exterior wall mount box. When the winds are right, I get propane exhaust fumes entering the house. It doesn't even register on the CO monitors (I have several), but it gives me a headache after a day of operation.

    But it keeps life going at pretty much a normal pace when the power is down (all too often where we live). Well worth the investment when the outside temps are near zero!
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Noticed my absence? We celebrated our 30th anniversary (with the kids) aboard Royal Caribbean's "Freedom of the Seas" last week!! Port Canaveral - Labadee, Haiti - Ochos Rios, Jamaica - Georgetown, Grand Cayman - Cozumel, Mexico - Port Canaveral.

    We had to dig out on Friday 1/21 to make our flight to Florida. Very glad we gave ourselves a few extra days for contingencies. We went with friends (our Best Man). Our youngest stayed with them in Orlando and went to Disney on Saturday, and I took my older daughter Emily to the Kennedy Space Center. She's a tech nerd (like her dad), so we had a great time. Sunday thru Sunday on the boat, and then a return to this horrible weather!!! I want to go back!!! A week ago Emily and I were on a jet ski dodging serious waves in warm, open ocean.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Early Spring!

    I hope!
  • colin_lcolin_l Member Posts: 591
    Got the blizzard here in Kansas too. "Snownado" is only a slight exaggeration.. 20-40mph wind and I'm not sure about the total accumulation because there are large drifts and bare spots due to the wind. Perhaps 6-8 inches.

    I'm sure it is totally unimpressive to my fellow forum members in Canada and the Northern US, but I've not seen a storm quite like this in Kansas for a long time.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    edited February 2011
    Getting hit here in the NE also. About 8" snow yesterday, with a good 1" of granulated ice on top, and alternating sleet / freezing rain this morning.

    Guess what the first 3 cars in the parking lot were? 4 of us in the lab drive OBW's (2002/2003/2003/2004). 3 of the 4 were here!

    (whine) I want to go back to the Caribbean! (/whine)
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    I have a friend who lives in (Holton) Kansas. She has let me know that this storm was a doozie even for Kansas!

    We had a 'declared state of emergency' last night/today. Even the mall didn't open! (Guess that makes it 'official') ... at any rate, my husband worked last night and didn't have difficulty driving home this morning in my trusty old Subaru! It is parked in the street at the moment ... although we didn't have nearly as much snow with the storm as we've had in others, the wind blew a lot of what was in the yard BACK onto the driveway (remember we had 3 FEET of snow a couple of weeks ago and a lot of that is still hanging around) ... guess we'll have to get out there later and clear at least some of it to get the car to the garage ....
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Early Spring!

    Phil's a lying sack of groundhog poop!!

    I've come to the conclusion that Groundhog Day there in Puxatowney is an excuse for a bunch of guys to drink at 6 AM!!
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Here in Boston, we received about 8 inches yesterday and another 8 or so overnight. I cleared all that up and it's now changed to sleet and freezing rain.

    I'm the only one at the office right now - my FWD Passat with snowtires beat out an A8 and a Tucson.
  • colin_lcolin_l Member Posts: 591
    Good on you for getting snow tires!

    Yesterday at lunchtime I saw one leg of a 4-way intersection completely blocked by three cars stuck in a drift (probably 10-12" deep) because they were relatively low to the ground and apparently didn't have adequate tires.

    That's right, 3 cars. The right, left and left turn lanes all snarled by unmoving autos.

    The offenders were a New Beetle, wearing sporty rims and low-profile tires that probably were summer-only; a new Buick Regal, which I am rather confident has all-season tires and traction control; and a previous-gen Honda Civic, which looked stockish and probably had all-seasons.

    All FWD. Yeehaw!
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    That's not surprising. Drifts, even small ones, are much denser than fallen snow. Once you get deeper than your ground clearance, drifted snow creates a LOT of drag.

    I grew up in Eastern Oregon, where we had weather likely to be similar to yours. We didn't get snow often, but when we did it tended to drift to the extreme. We could pretty much guarantee that if a big storm was on the way (6" or more), all the roads would be drifted shut. Sometimes, the drifts would be so bad that you could not tell there were ever any roads to the community, save for the lines of utility poles that dotted their paths.

    That's one thing I really appreciated about Fairbanks weather when I first arrived: It might be cold, but it is not windy!
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    Welcome Home! Hahah! :P

    Congratulations on your thirty years; I hope to have the honor of participating in a similar celebration a bit further down the road....

    After that kind of reprieve, I bet it is quite a shock to be tossed so carelessly back into reality.

    I don't want to rub anything in here, but we're having fantastic weather right now; perhaps the only place on the northern portion of the continent to be able to make such a boast? :D
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    FWD suck at climbing hills. The steeper you get, the more weight goes on the rear axle, unloading the fronts. Long wheelbase FWD models are particularly bad.

    Groundhog day an excuse for guys to drink at 6am? What better reason is there? :D
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    That just shows your failure to see the possibilities.
    It's actually an excuse to KEEP drinking until 6 am.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    My body is suffering from thermal shock.
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