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| Hydroelectric Generators at Hoover Dam (ca 2006) photograph by Jon Sullivan |
As people living in a developed world, we take power for granted. We need light; we flip a switch. Our clothes need washed; we fill an empty basket with clothes, add some washing powder, and push a button. We need to preserve some leftovers for tomorrow or food for next week; we put it in the freezer or refrigerator and forget about the food until we need it.
Take away that power away and things stop.
No gasoline or diesel fuel from the gas station pumps, no climate control at work or home, no continuous positive airway pressure machines, no sewage treatment, no water, and this list goes on.
What is a family to do?
First, look at your threat analysis. How long would you be without power, if one of those threats happened? One day, two weeks, three months, or forever?
I ask you to check your threat analysis for a reason; you could easily spend $10,000 for a solar powered system that doesn't do anything to give you power in an emergency. Yep, ten grand and you and your family have no power in an emergency.
So, let us look at some equipment, in order, from a short-term to a long-term power outage.
Short-Term Emergency Power (A few hours to a week and maybe just a little longer)
A gasoline generator that you buy from one of the big-box home improvement stores or local hardware and equipment stores will easily fill this time frame. All you need to figure is how large of a generator you need, some extension cords, engine oil and gasoline for the generator.
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U.S. Airman moves a generator during an emergency response training exercise
by
TSgt Michael Crane, United States Air Force
Using this idea, you plug in the appliances as they need power. Plug in the freezer; run it for an hour. Unplug the freezer then plug in the refrigerator for an hour. Need to do a load of wash; unplug the refrigerator and plug in the washer. You get the idea.
There are safety issues though.
A running generator will give off carbon monoxide. This is the number one killer of families using a generator, during an event. Every year, people put the generator in their garage, to protect the generator from thieves, and they die from the generator's exhaust fumes.
Another safety issue, the electrical extension cords must be the correct size. A too small cord will overheat and possibly start a fire.
Do Not, Don’t, Never plug a generator directly into a house outlet this is called Back Feeding. Back Feeding can kill an electrical worker attempting to restore power.
Lastly, operate the generator on a level, firm, and dry surface or area.
An upgrade to this idea is to have an electrician install a transfer switch in your home. A transfer switch manually or automatically transfers the power source to run selected appliances. It will cost about as much as a medium-sized generator.
Now, you have to remember that you will need fuel for your generator. The longer the emergency, you are preparing for, the more fuel you will need.
Almost all of a generator's fuel usage is figured at half-load. That means, if the generator is rated at 10,000 watts, the fuel usage is calculated with the generator running a 5,000 watt load. Yeah, I know it is misrepresenting and misleading, but now you know.
Medium-Term Emergency (A month or two)
For a medium-term event, you will need to buy a better generator and store lots of fuel. I can tell you; you will want a transfer switch. Just think, a month or two of plugging in and unplugging your appliances without a transfer switch.
Different Types of Fuels
Since you are preparing for more than a few weeks, you might want to investigate generators that use another fuel other than gasoline. Generators can be found that run using diesel, vegetable oil, propane, or natural gas.
The natural gas powered generators can be permanently hooked up to the underground gas lines found in most cities. This allows you to never have to worry about fuel storage because the gas lines are pressurized by the gas company. The gas lines will have pressure as long as the lines and the gas company are intact.
Sorry folks planning to survive an earthquake. Those underground gas lines might break in an earthquake, so you shouldn't depend on a natural gas-line fed generator for power.
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Two 500-Gallon Propane Tanks
But, you might be able to use a natural gas or propane generator hooked up to a 100, 250, 500 gallon or larger tank. You know, the tanks that you see sitting next to houses in the rural areas of the country.
Rotating Your Fuel
Natural gas and propane will last as long as the tank it is stored in. Gasoline and diesel will need to be rotated. There are a couple methods for rotating your fuel. The first method is to empty one fuel container then replace that fuel. The new fuel is treated with fuel stabilizer then placed in the back of all your other fuel, just like rotating your food storage. In other words, the old stuff is always used first. Another method is to just use all your fuel at one time. This method only works, if you have a small amount of fuel storage.
Long-Term Emergency (months to years)
Before I begin, the premier source for long-term power production information is Home Power magazine. I cannot say enough about this magazine and their staff. They have walked the walk and can talk the talk, and they have done it for over 20 years! Plus, they have numerous readers that share their power production experiences.
With that said, for long-term events, you are going to have to become a power company. Albeit, a small power company, but a power company nevertheless.
To supply power for the long-term, you and your family are going to have to conserve power. The reason: The less power you use; the less power you will have to generate, and the less money you will spend buying stored fuel, fuel storage containers, and power generating equipment.
There are multiple ways of producing power for the long-term. They are solar, wind, hydro, and methane. Why solar, wind, hydro, and methane and not the ‘fossil’ fuels such as diesel, gasoline, kerosene, and propane? The first four are ‘renewable.’ To a certain extent, you and your family can produce power for decades using solar, wind, hydro, and methane that’s not true for the last four. Unless, of course, your family is lucky enough to own an oil well and the equipment to crack the oil into kerosene, gasoline, or diesel.
Wood
O.K., I almost forgot the first renewable fuel, wood. You and your family can use wood to heat your home and cook with it. Of course, you will need certain items.
Woodstoves
There are three, broad, types of woodstoves, one you can heat a room with or your home, one you can cook your food with, and lastly one that does both, usually poorly.
Before I begin, stay away from antique woodstoves. Yes, they are nostalgic looking, but older woodstoves can be dangerous. The metal that the antique stove is made of can crack, spilling hot embers. The older stove can have large gaps between its parts, allowing hot embers to escape, and the antique woodstove, if you are using it for heating, will have an unprotected outside. Lastly, older woodstoves are not as efficient as newer woodstoves.
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Modern Woodstove with Fireplace Tools and Metal Ash Bucket
The newer home heating woodstoves, the last 20 to 30 years, are safer than the antique stoves. The newer stoves have a thin metal cover with an air gap between the stove and the metal cover. The outer metal cover never gets hot enough to instantly burn your skin. It’s hot but not instant second and third degree burn hot.
The newer woodstoves will also have a small electric fan that moves the air around the home heating woodstove. The small fan spreads the heat away from the stove, increasing the size of the room the stove can heat.
Needless to say, the thin metal outside cover, if it’s on the top too, will keep you from using the woodstove as a cookstove. Why? The top never gets hot enough to cook with. Now, the top of the stove may get warm enough to keep food warm, but not hot enough to cook with.
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Wood Cookstove with various pots and pans
by
Grey3k from Wikimedia
There are numerous modern manufactured wood cookstove; they range in style from the classic to the modern-looking. All of them are designed to cook your family’s food; including baking, frying, and some will even broil. Plus, some models will heat water for your family.
Which one to purchase?
That will depend on your price range and your family’s needs. Of course, I have provided some links at the “Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead” blog to help you make that decision.
Tools
You will need tools to harvest wood, or pay someone with those tools to harvest it for you. These tools are an axe and a saw. Of course, you can speed up your wood harvesting by purchasing a chain saw.
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Chain Saw in Carrying Case with Spare Chains, Bar and Chain Oil, and Two-Stroke Engine Oil
If you decide to purchase a chainsaw, you will need to buy a replacement chain, a chain sharpener, spare parts (spare bar, sparkplug, more spare chains, and … anything else in your budget) chain oil, and a small gas can to mix gasoline and the two-stroke oil.
If you’re going to use an axe and saw, the inexpensive method, you are going to do some work, very hard work.
Solar Power
As you can see, using wood is probably one of the best ways to cook food and keep you family warm, but what about providing lighting for you and your family?
Solar powered lighting, of course.
Solar powered lighting can be as simple as solar powered landscape lights that you can buy at most home improvement stores, such a Lowe’s, Home Depot, Menard’s, and many others. You can also purchase specially designed solar lights, such as the SN2 BoGo Light, SunNight’s Mini BoGo Solar-Powered LED Flashlight, and the GravityLight, made for developing countries.
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| A 300-watt photovoltaic system, developed by the Office of Naval Research, used by Marines in the field by John F. Williams, U.S. Navy Photo |
If you want to run a couple of lights at the same time with the same system, you can build a ‘solar generator.’ The solar generator is basically a small solar panel hooked to a battery. During the day, the solar panel charges the battery. At night, the batteries power a few 12-volt lights.
By now, you are probably wondering where that $10,000 solar power system, that provides absolutely no power during an event, comes into play. It doesn’t because the expensive system is a grid-tied system.
Grid-tied systems are connected to the normal power grid. Almost always, to save money, a grid-tied system isn’t connected to batteries. The solar power system powers the regular electrical grid. So, if the power goes out, you would lose power too.
If you are planning to build and use an expensive solar power system during an event, you want the system to charge batteries. Usually, the batteries cost as much as the solar panels and other equipment. Of course, designing and building a large solar powered system is beyond the scope of this book, so you will need to find a local solar system designer.
Methane
Lastly, methane is a renewable source for power. Using a modified propane generator, you and your family can produce electricity. You can also use methane directly to cook food and heat your home.
Within the last few decades, methane has been investigated by hobbyists; these folks have built ‘stills’ from scratch to produce methane. These homemade stills are usually a couple of 55-gallon drums that most families could build with access to 55-gallon barrels or drums.
Of course, depending on how much green material and manure you and your family can produce from animals, such as pigs, horses, and cattle will determine how much methane you can produce and also the size of the methane digester.
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Household Methane Digester (Biogas Plant)
By
Fmarree from Wikimedia
For families with animals and a larger budget, a dedicated biogas plant could be built. These methane digesters are made using concrete and brick. An inlet, allowing animal manure to be added, and an outhouse for your family ‘feed’ the digester. The digester, a domed, underground pit, keeps the digester warm, so the microorganisms can convert the animal manure and your family’s poop into bio-solids and methane.
The methane is drawn off from the top of the dome, and the bio-solids are removed from a holding tank. The solids are used as fertilizer for the garden.
To use the methane, it will need to be compressed. The only way, that I know how for your family to compress methane is in a large plastic bag. To do this, the methane flows into the plastic bag, as the methane is produced. Once the bag expands large enough, the bag is sealed with a twist and the bag is squeezed by a large elastic band.
Needless to say, methane is flammable, so be sure to do your research, practice, and be safe.
Appendix A: Common Mistakes
The first common mistake is failing to reduce your expectations. Let me explain, most preppers that look at providing emergency power for their families think they need to provide the same amount of power; their family uses during good times. They think their family needs to be able to heat their home with an electric furnace, wash and dry clothes, take a hot shower using an electric water heater, and watch or play their favorite electronic pastime, at the same time.
It isn’t going to happen unless you plan to spend a fortune on your alternative power system.
The next common mistake is similar; it is failing to use substitute forms of energy, such as using a woodstove instead of an electric furnace to heat your home, using battery-powered lanterns for lighting, or using the manual (human-powered) version of critical items such as manual can opener.
The next few mistakes deal specifically with generators.
First, folks buy an inexpensive generator expecting it to last for many years. They usually don’t.
Another common mistake, with generators, is failing to store enough fuel. If the generator doesn’t have fuel, if won’t run. The same goes for oil and oil filters, too. Oh, don’t forget spare parts, such as spark plugs, pull cords, and fuel filters
The last common mistake is failing to practice using your generator and failing to exercise the generator. Yes, you and your family need to the practice powering the refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner, and any other equipment, so you know if it will work. Plus, the stores will still be open, so you will be able to easily purchase any needed supplies during your family’s practice sessions.
Appendix B: Other Information
Standardizing on Battery Size
A few chapters ago, I mentioned only buying radios and other electronics that use "AA" or "D" size batteries. I say this for a few reasons. The first, you can walk into any store in the United States and buy AA or D size batteries. Next, you save money if you buy things in bulk, in most cases. (Check prices to be sure) Lastly, you can switch out batteries to power more important equipment.
Protecting a Generator from Thieves
The easiest method of protecting your generator from thieves is to have a piece of chain, a place to chain the generator to, and a good lock. It is also a good idea to place the generator in a location that you can easily see it. If you need to leave, turn off the generator and lock it up in your garage. (Make Sure the Generator Has Cooled Down and is OFF)
Definitely, make sure you can see your generator. I read an article about a gang of thieves; they would take old, beat-up lawn mowers, start them up, and then replace your generator with the ratty mower.
A more expensive option is to get a dedicated concrete pad poured for the generator and then build an enclosure for it. The generators in these enclosures usually have a much better muffler installed. Another method is to follow the United States military method of concealing a generator.
The military digs a hole a little bit bigger than the size of the generator and a little deeper than the height of the generator. A pallet is placed in the bottom of the hole and the generator is placed on top of the pallet. Sand bags are then used to build a small wall all the way around the hole, about two feet high. A piece of camouflage netting is placed over the finished enclosure. This method will greatly silence a portable generator, additionally; it is a pain to refill the generator. Plus, the military has lots of heavily armed people guarding their stuff.
Appendix C: Emergency Lighting
Providing lighting for your family is very important; without artificial lighting, your day starts and ends when the sun rises and sets. In the developing world, adding a simple solar powered system powering a single 75-watt light bulb allows a family’s children to study their homework after helping in the fields, lighting a family store after dark, or powering a medical clinics refrigerator.
Candles
Of course, for preppers on a budget, candles are an inexpensive source for artificial lighting; however, there is danger to using candles, Fire!
To safely use a candle for emergency lighting:
* Candles should be placed in a sturdy nonflammable candle holder that won’t tip over.
* Candles must be kept clear of flammable items like drapes, curtains, or blinds,
You and your family can do this by placing the candle holder in a sink, on a large metal tray (cookie sheet or pizza pan), in a deep basin filled with water away from cluttered areas.
Let’s talk about some nevers
* Never leave a burning candle unattended.
* Never use a candle where medical oxygen is being used.
* Never leave candles burning while you and your family sleep
Lastly, candles must be watched very carefully, by an adult or responsible teenager.
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Modified Aluminum Can with votive candle
To increase the amount of light provided by a candle, you can set it in front of a mirror or a shiny piece of metal to ‘throw’ more light in the room. An aluminum soda can is great for converting into a reflective candle holder.
To convert a soda can into a candle holder, first, cut out the can’s top using a can opener. Cutting the top out allows heat from the candle to escape, preventing you from burning yourself. Next, using a sharp knife, and being very couscous, cut a flap in the can’s side then bend the flap outward. Place the candle inside the modified can and light. Voilà, you have an inexpensive emergency light.
By the way, you can heat a small container of water or food for a hot drink or small snack with a candle, during a cold day. You can also use the same set up to provide heat, if you’re stranded in your car.
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Three Store Bought Candle Holders
If you have the money, you can purchase ready-made candle holders from such places as Pier One Imports, the China-Marts, or other home decorating stores. Heck, if you want, your family could make candle holders like the ones you find in the store. Just copy the design and use tin sheet cut to the proper size then assemble using rivets.
To determine how many candles you will need to store for your preps, take one of your candles, light with a match and record the number of hours it takes the candle to burn down. Next, divide the number of hours you want light by how long the candle burns to get the minimum number of candles you will need for your preparations.
Imported Candles
Almost lastly, there are concerns about imported candles. It seems the imported candles have lead in their wicks. As the candle burns, it releases lead into the air. As you probably know, lead is bad for you and your family. Some folks don’t seem to be concerned about this because the amount of lead is very small. Your choice.
Lastly, you are storing matches to light your family’s candles, right?
Lanterns
Another classic method of providing light for your family is lanterns. The same safety rules apply for these lanterns. The oil lanterns range in quality and price from inexpensive tin-plated lanterns from the china-marts to expensive, and probably the best, Aladdin brand lanterns. Of course, you will need to store kerosene or other fuel oil to be able to use these oil lanterns during a disaster.
Another similar lantern is the white-gas or unleaded fuel lantern. In the past, these lanterns were exclusively marketed by Coleman; there are other brands, now-a-days. For folks living in Europe, Petromax makes a quality liquid fuel lantern.
Both Coleman and, I believe, Petromax will burn multiple types of fuel. The Coleman “Dual-Fuel” lanterns will burn white-gas and unleaded fuel, so you can use your stored fuel to provide light for you and your family. Remember to store extra gasoline.
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Dietz Oil Lantern (Left) and Petromax Lantern (Right)
by
Bige1977 and Rabensteiner from Wikimedia
There are also propane lanterns. If you have been camping or seen someone’s camping equipment, you have probably seen a propane lantern. These lanterns use a small one-pound propane cylinder to fuel the lantern. You can also use 20-pound propane tanks with hoses and other specialty (fittings) attachments to provide fuel for these propane lanterns.
Needless to say, you will need spare parts, if you’re planning for a longer-term event. Depending on the type of lantern you will be using, your family will need such spare parts as wicks, mantles, glass globes, pressure valves, fill caps, and anything else you decide to store for spare parts.
Lastly, you will need matches to light some of these lanterns.
Flashlights
Most families have one or two flashlights for emergencies. They range in price from a couple of dollars for an inexpensive plastic flashlight to a few hundred dollars for an aluminum tactical flashlight. Of course, you will want more than one flashlight and batteries for your family.
Headlamps, a flashlight you wear on your head, are great for when you need to use both heads for setting up camp or making repairs in the dark. They have one small problem; headlamps usually use AAA or CR123 batteries as a power source.
Shake Lights
Another recent innovation is ‘shake lights;’ they use a magnet and a copper coil to charge a capacitor. These shake lights are great if you need a flashlight to sit unused for many months without having to remember to replace the batteries. In my opinion, they are awesome, but the amount of light would be considered ‘dim’ when compared to regular flashlights using batteries.
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Small and Large Version of Shake Lights
Needless to say, the quality shake lights have been counterfeited by unscrupulous companies, so you need to buy from a reputable dealer. I have provided a link to a company that produces a quality shake light at the “Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead” blog.
Solar-Powered Path Lights
Another recent innovation is solar-powered path lights. These lights use a small solar panel, usually imbedded in the top of the light, to charge a rechargeable AA battery. Once it gets dark, the battery powers a small light emitting diode (L.E.D.). These lights have come down in price, in recent years.
The very inexpensive lights use an inexpensive rechargeable battery, so you may want to upgrade the batteries or store some higher quality rechargeable battery for when the originals crap out.
As a side note, if the rechargeable battery is an AA-size battery, you can use regular AA batteries in these lights, as a backup.
Appendix D: Emergency Heating
Like cooking, there are numerous methods of providing heat for your home. Your family can use your home’s fireplace, woodstoves, portable propane heaters in various sizes, or improvised methods.
Like cooking, never use charcoal as a heating fuel in an enclosed space, such as your home, a vehicle, a tent, or cabin. You could easily die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Fireplace
A typical home has either a wood-burning or gas-burning fireplace. Recently built homes, the last twenty years, usually have decorative fireplaces. These decorative fireplaces produce very little heat; however, they may produce just enough heat for a very short emergency.
If you are interested in heating your home, during an event, with these decorative fireplaces, you will need to practice using the fireplace. These practice session will tell ‘If’ your decorative fireplace will provide enough heat on a cold day.
For homes with functional fireplaces, usually wood-burning, will also require practice sessions. These practice sessions will give you an idea of how to use it, how to start a fire, how much wood you will need, and help you identify any additional supplies you will need for the fireplace during an event.
Woodstove
If you plan to use a wood heating stove during an event, you probably need it professionally installed before the event. The professional installer will insure the heater is correctly installed
If you plan to install the wood heating stove yourself, insure you have the correct type of pipe and other materials. Either way, professional or do-it-yourself installation, installing it correctly will make sure your family is safe from a potential fire.
Like any other piece of equipment, you will need to practice using the wood heating stove. This practice will insure; you and your family can safely start a fire, safely use it, and identify any additional supplies or equipment
Lastly, like wood cookstoves, avoid the antique heating stoves for safety and efficiency reasons.
Propane
There are two portable propane heaters that I know about, the “Little Buddy” heater and the “Buddy” heater. The Little Buddy heater uses the disposable one-pound propane cylinder while the Buddy heater will use the one-pound cylinder and the twenty-pound tank. Both will heat a small room during an event.
If you plan to use one of these devices, make sure you follow the manufactures operating and safety instructions.
Kerosene
A kerosene heater uses a liquid fuel, kerosene. These heaters, like the others, can be found at your local Farm and Home store or the national home improvement stores. You will also be able to purchase spare parts, usually the wick and fuel cap from these places. A more extensive source for spare parts, and less expensive, is the internet.
I know of two for kerosene. They are the place where your family bought the heater and the gasoline station. The home improvement store will have kerosene in two to five gallon metal jugs. This is the most expensive and longest lasting. The gasoline station (check around) will be the least expensive, but it won’t last as long.
Why?
It seems, kerosene absorbs moisture from the air, so a blue (kerosene) fuel can will allow moisture to be absorbed by the kerosene.
Improvised Methods
There are many method of providing heat for your family, using improvised methods. I will discuss two methods for you to possibly use during an event.
Campfire
The first method of proving improvised heat, for your family, is to leave your home and build a campfire in the backyard. A campfire with adequate shelter will keep your family warm during an event. There are several methods of building a campfire, but all of them will require a cleared, safe place for the fire and material to burn.
The first way of building a campfire is the teepee. A couple of loosely crumpled wads of paper are placed on the ground. Next, thin twigs are laid on top of the paper, forming a cone or teepee. Next, thicker and thicker material is placed on top of the pile of wood, always forming a teepee or cone.
Once you have the ‘teepee’ built, you are going to pile sticks, wood, and other flammable material about an arm’s length away from the ‘teepee.’ After that, you light the pieces of crumpled paper. As the fire burns, add wood to the fire.
During extreme cold, it is best to build three fires in a large triangle and sit in the middle, between the three fires.
The second way is the log cabin. Like the first method, loosely crumpled paper will be placed on the ground. Next, larger and larger pieces of wood and other flammable are added to the pile forming a square or ‘log cabin.’
Once you have the log cabin built, you will need to gather a large amount of larger pieces of wood. Place this material about an arm’s length away from the ‘log cabin’ then light the fire.
The last way, I will mention is the ‘throw it on there’ way. Using this method, a couple of loosely crumpled wads of paper are placed on the ground. Next, very thin twigs or other flammable material are placed on the paper. Next, like all the other ways of starting a fire, larger and larger pieces of wood are placed on the pile.
Like the other two ways of building a fire, you and your family gather other flammable material then light the fire.
Clay Flower Pots Improvised Heater
Another method of providing emergency heat will require you and your family to purchase a few supplies or use supplies you may already have in your home. The supplies are two to four different sized clay flower pots, metal bread baking pan, a metal pizza pan or large metal tray, a large bolt, two metal washers, and a small pillar candle or several tea-light candles.
Once you have gathered the required items, your family needs to choose a room to heat. The room should be as small as possible, like a bedroom. If you have a larger family or group, you might want to try and heat a master bedroom suite, including the bathroom. Choosing the smallest room possible makes it easier to heat the room and conserves supplies like candles.
Next, you and your family will need to identify a safe place for the improvised heater. A cleared stable table, with all flammable material removed from the table, in the middle of the room is a good location.
After choosing the room to heat, place the large metal tray on the table. The tray provides a nonflammable surface, just in case the improvised clay flower pot heater is knocked over.
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Metal Bread Pan, Sitting on a Metal Tray, Sitting on a Cleared Table
Next, place the metal bread baking pan (meatloaf pan) in the center of the large metal tray or pizza pan. The bread pan is going to provide support for the clay flower pots. Plus, the bread pan will determine the size of the clay pots you will be able to use.
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Small Pillar Candle or Small Tea Light Candles can be used as the Heat Source
Next, place your candle or candles in the middle of the bread baking pan. Be warned: the candle or candles need to be shorter than the bread pan or you won’t be able to move the candle once it’s covered with the clay pots.
After the candle or candles are in place, the candles are lit.
Next, the smallest clay flower pot is placed upside down on the metal bread baking pan. The edge of the bread pan should hold the flower pot. If the clay pot falls into the bread baking pan, that clay flower pot is too small for the improvised heater. A larger flower pot will need to be found.
If you only have smaller clay flower pots, your family will have to improvise metal supports. These metal supports can be large long nails, coat hangers, or metal flatware (knives, forks, or spoons). The metal supports lay on top of the metal bread pan that will support the small clay flower pot.
Either way, the next step will depend on the material you and your family have. If you don’t have a metal washer (used with bolts to bolt things together) you can use aluminum foil to cover the clay pot’s drain hole.
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Small Clay Flower Pot with Metal Washer Sitting on Metal Bread Pan
If you have a metal washer, carefully place the washer on the bottom of the pot. The washer’s hole should be centered over the pot’s drain hole.
Next, place the second and larger pot over the first, smaller clay flower pot.
Lastly, just like the first pot, center the washer over the flower pot’s drain hole and insert the bolt into both of the washer’s holes. The bolt and washers prevent hot air from escaping from the top of the improvised heater. Of course, if you don’t have washers and bolts, you and your family can use aluminum foil to block the pots’ drain holes.
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Larger Clay Pot Covering Smaller Clay Pot
Lastly, check one more time to insure all flammable items have been removed around the improvised clay pot heater.
Using the Improvised Clay Pot Heater
Like any alternative power (heat) source, you and your family will need to reduce your expectations. This improvised heater will only heat a small room, so during an event, you and your family may need to stay in the same room, to keep warm.
You will notice; I only used two clay flower pots for the improvised heater. If you have a larger and longer bread pan, you can add more pots. Just remember, the drain hole will need to be plugged with a metal bolt and washer, aluminum foil plug, other small nonflammable item large enough to cover the hole and small enough to allow a larger pot to cover the plug.
When you and your family use this improvised heater, you will also need to insure a source of fresh air for the burning candle and your family to breath.
Dangers
Once the small pillar candle or multiple tea light candles are lit; the clay pots will quickly get hot enough to melt synthetic cloth like polypropylene, nylon, and many others, even ‘If’ they are mixed with cotton and wool. Of course, the flower pots are clay, so they will never get hot enough to ‘look’ hot.
As I stated earlier, any burning heat source consumes air, so a doorway or window will need to be slightly opened to allow fresh air to enter the room.
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