Power failure + generator battery failure + insulin pump failure = fun?

Sort of a mini-SHTF around our house last night.

Melen and I were at fencing and stopped at the store so we were coming home late. The lovely Mrs_B calls my cell phone just before 9m and informs me the power is out. OK. Not much I can do from 12 miles away other than say we'll be home soon.

Then she informs me the generator won't start. Hmmm. Did you open the N.G. feeder valve? Yup. Did you turn the key to start it? Yup. OK. Not much I can do from 11.5 miles away other than say we'll be home soon.

So we arrive home and I get inside to play with the generator. Yup, the valve is turned correctly. Yup, turn the key and nothing happens. Obviously the battery has died. Great. Well at least its not 9 Below Zero or 100 above and humid. So I reset the choke (when starting a Natural Gas generator it is best NOT to "pull the choke" to start it up when using the back up pull starter.

Pull once. Nothing.
Pull twice. Nothing.
Pull 3 times. Nothing.
Pull 4 times. Nothing.
Pull 5 times. Nothing.
Pull 6 times. Nothing.
. . .
Pull a dozen times or more. Not much happening.

Lovely wife senses that I am now getting tired. Not sure what tipped her off? Heavy breathing. Sweating. Staggering around like I'm having a heart attack. Or maybe it was the inability to swear loudly. She offers to pull the cord. FINE. TRY IT.

Pull once. Nothing.
Pull twice. Nothing.
Pull 3 times. Nothing.
Pull 4 times. Nothing.

So, because things are a bit cramped in the garage area where the generator is located (largely because her car is parked too damn close ) I unhitch the garage door from the electric opener, manually raise it and drive her car out of the garage.

Now there is plenty of room to pull the cord on the generator. I start again. Getting full pulls on the cord I am sensing some life and it wants to start. A couple more pulls and it fires up!



So I walk over to the electrical panel and flip the "cutover" switch. The house lights up and we have power again. Great all is good. Then I look outside. I notice lights on that are not on my generator circuit. That can't be. Those lights should not be on. The outside should be dark.

Sometime during that 30 second walk between me starting that generator and flipping the cutover switch the utility company restored power

OK. I undo everything, put the car back in the garage, etc etc etc. About 10 minutes after sitting down Melen informs me her insulin pump has now failed. Huh? Did you change the battery? Yup. Is mom on the phone with them yet? Yup. OK not much I can do at this point. I do break out the syringes and supplies.

Needless to say, not a good night in the old homestead. We are expecting an emergency delivery today of a new pump. Amazingly they can get a call at 10 or 11 pm at night and get you a new pump by noon the next day. I dunno how, or what it costs (warranty covers that service) but this happened once before. They got us a pump in less than 12 hours. I suspect we'll have a new pump by noon today.

Me, I'll be getting a new battery for the generator today.

no fun.
aren't you glad it's not Monday any more?
good to hear about the quick response on the pump, though.
needles suck.

I'll second that it's great that they can get a new pump that quickly.

I do have to ask... Why didn't you just put jumper cables from Mrs. Bob's car to the generator?

bczoom said:

I'll second that it's great that they can get a new pump that quickly.

I do have to ask... Why didn't you just put jumper cables from Mrs. Bob's car to the generator?

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I had not thought of that one! Good idea! But then again... that woulda cut into the "quality time" that Bob spent with his wifey and the workout he got...

bczoom said:

I do have to ask... Why didn't you just put jumper cables from Mrs. Bob's car to the generator?

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Mrs_Bob's car has jumper terminals in the trunk area, not in the engine area. I dunno why. But in any case, her car had to be moved. I thought about pulling mine into her spot after I got her's moved but since it fired up quickly after I had room to make full pulls on the string it wasn't an issue.

Tell the truth Bob, Either you didn't think about it and are going DOHP!!! or you didn't know how to hook them up.

jwstewar said:

Tell the truth Bob, Either you didn't think about it and are going DOHP!!! or you didn't know how to hook them up.

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I'm surprised he didn't just shoot the generator on the spot !

jwstewar said:

Tell the truth Bob, Either you didn't think about it and are going DOHP!!! or you didn't know how to hook them up.

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Seriously, we had to jump start another teacher's car one day. There is a special connection in the back cargo area of her SUV for jump starting. I actually have a self-contained portable jump starter. My daughter used the light function and left it on so that was dead too. Trust me, I did think about it!!!

While I don't have a whole house generator I still run mine at least every 30 days to keep fresh gas in the carb. I have a 220 twist-loc plug wired into the panel with enough lead to go outside the basement door to generator. It will power everything except the hot tub and central air. If I run it regularly it fires on 2 or 3 pulls.

Bob,
My son's pump went out last week. You're right, they can get a call at 10 PM and by noon the next day you have a new one. Great service.

I am relieved to know that all is OK now. Our electricity board also sends electricity in lumps and every now and again forgets to send us a lump. Isn't life in the 'sticks' great?!!!!

Yup, she has her new pump. It was delivered before 10:30 this morning. I don't know how the heck they get them delivered so fast.

As for the power failure, that seems to be following me wherever I go. I pulled into the bank today, handed over a deposit ticket and the lights went out! They said it takes up to an hour for the computers to come back on line after a power failure. The teller knows me so she just handed me some cash, said she'd process the deposit later and leave the receipt for me with my business papers when I come back later in the week.

Odd thing is there was no storm last night. No storm today when I went to the bank. Not even a sprinkle of rain.

How they get you a pump so quick is that thye have parts banks set-up around the country. Spare pumps sitting at Fed-ex in most major cities or near th emajor hubs for UPS and Fed Ex. We use one for spar parts all the time. Cheaper than stocking spares at a hundred locations. A board faisl and we buy a palne ticket for the spare. Run down to the terminal and meet the plane.

Bob, just a suggestion. I wonder if a float charger like HF sells would help keep the gen. batt charged up.
Mike

mla2ofus said:

Bob, just a suggestion. I wonder if a float charger like HF sells would help keep the gen. batt charged up.
Mike

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That is EXACTLY what I use!!!

I think the battery just died a natural death, it was probably 4 or 5 years old.