Got into an interesting discussion on what matters in communication.
Nuance gets missed a lot when people tell half-truths. For instance, an astonishing amount of folks say they want gas as their heating system because of power outages.
Most gas-fired systems still need electricity to operate. Which, anyone who has lived with one during a power outage, already knows.
That half-truth is that a gas-fired system can more easily be supplied with emergency power. But most people don't have that.
So does the point even deserve to be made?
Truly, I think it doesn't.
The loss of any primary system becomes an emergency in extreme cold. And you'd be better-off to prepare for that.
A gas-fired heating system is not preparation for that. It makes one consideration easier, sure. But first and foremost people need to make that consideration - which most don't.
And there are plenty of backup options. I, for one, would rather have some propane on-hand for a portable heater when shit hits fan.
@peregrine Yeah, they're fantastic. I've seen people run very large heat pumps off a portable generator. You just hear the generators gradually get taxed more as the heat pump spins up.
Of course, in extreme cold, the heat pump can't produce a whole lotta heat on its own - and sizing the generator to run the heat strips, while possible, means you're buying a gnarly one. But even just a heat pump by itself will probably keep you well above freezing.
@TechConnectify and lets be real, in these kind dangerous scenarios, usually the local gov opens up warming centers for helping people stay safe and warm, while highly paid people work overtime to get it back within 1-3days at worst.
We live in a society, after all.
@peregrine If I were absolutely committed to resilience, I'd probably get a 100-gallon propane tank, use it to power a generator, and run a line to a through-wall propane heater for the days a heat pump might not be enough.
And that's really what gets me, here - there are so, so, soooooo many ways to do this with even more resiliency than relying on the gas grid to be there and working.
Technology Connections
Jason
ChemicalTribe