HELP! Extended power outage!

We have an area wide power outage that is estimated to be restored TOMORROW night at midnight and we just had a nasty cold front blow through north Texas. How in the hell can I keep our 2 babies warm in the mean time? I'm going to buy a generator first thing tomorrow but what can I do over night tonight? Please help. We're terrified of letting these guys get so cold. We have no fireplace we can put them in front of either.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Do you have any heat packs like they ship with?

If the corner store is still open, grab a few of those hand warming packs, wrap one or two in a thick towel and press it up against one side of the enclosure (on the outside). If not, insulate well, move them into a smaller room if possible, consider lighting a few candles while you're awake to keep the temperature up. It's certainly not ideal, but you'd be surprised what these guys are capable of handling. Don't take any risks with their safety or your own.

Be calm.
1) pour hot water into water bottles.
2)put water bottles into socks
3) put them into your snake enclosures.

Or
1) pour hot water into water bottles
2) put water bottles into a insulated cooler
3) put your snakes into smaller tubs or snake bags/pillow case
4)put contained snakes into cooler.

The warmth lasts a few hours. Around 5 in my experience before the water has to be changed again.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

My house has dropped to 61 already and we're expecting an overnight low of 26. Power has been off 4 hours already and I'm afraid the house might drop into the 40s overnight. Will a young boa and ball python survive those temps? Our corner store's power is out as well.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by led-zep

Do you have any heat packs like they ship with?

---

Unfortunately, no. My boa was bought from Petco and I bought our pin from a local breeder.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Those temps are not good. If they survive, they will likely get severely ill.
If you have to and don't have access to hot water, put them in a pillowcase and sleep with them under your bed covers.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by satomi325

Those temps are not good. If they survive, they will likely get severely ill.
If you have to and don't have access to hot water, put them in a pillowcase and sleep with them under your bed covers.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

---

I'd be too afraid of rolling over and crushing them. I'm seriously considering getting a hotel room tonight and charging it to the electric company.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

How large are your snakes?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

There isn't a WalMart in maybe another city that still has power? Getting those hand warmers as stated above would be good.

If your power stays out for several days Im about 50 miles south of Houston. I could probably get some supplys and priority ship them to you. Since we are so close they should arrive next day. Anyway I could help let me know.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just 2? Stick them each in a pillow case, put both pillow cases into a vented tub with a lid, put tub under your covers and climb into bed. You won't crush them that way. If you have a significant other or dogs, they can lie on the other side. Also, if you have a BBQ or camp stove that you can use to warm up water you can make a hot water bottle so you all stay warm.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by faulkan

I'd be too afraid of rolling over and crushing them. I'm seriously considering getting a hotel room tonight and charging it to the electric company.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

---

You should probably get a hotel anyways with a low of 26. It'll make the whole thing easier for you and definitely for the snakes.

Thank goodness! Oncor WAY over estimated their restoration time. Our power just came back on over 25 hours ahead of when they said it world.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Great news!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

nows a good time to make plans for the next time. like talking to friends and have a place they can go to next time.

Thank you BP.net family for responding so quickly. I was within 5 minutes of heading out the door to a motel with two 20 gallon tanks.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

I will be buying a generator first thing tomorrow. The ambient temps only dropped to 70-71 in the time the power was out so I'm sure they're fine. She's got the pin in her hands now warming her up and I'm fixing to grasp the boa to do the same. Thanks again guys. Y'all are the greatest.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

grab* not grasp. Stupid autocorrect

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Thank you guys so much for being there for us!

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Lexi doesn't want to let go of my warm hands lol

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by led-zep

There isn't a WalMart in maybe another city that still has power? Getting those hand warmers as stated above would be good.

If your power stays out for several days Im about 50 miles south of Houston. I could probably get some supplys and priority ship them to you. Since we are so close they should arrive next day. Anyway I could help let me know.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Thank you so much for your kind offer. We are less than 2 miles from a Wal-Mart that had also lost power but about 6 miles from one that still had power. If it had gotten too bad, we would have gone to the other one. I would have still stressed though so the motel/hotel was my top choice. There is a Northern Tool less than 5 miles from me and I will be buying a generator in the morning. I'm getting one with enough juice to run my refrigerator and the oil filled heater and heat pads for our babies. Thanks again to you and everyone that was here for us.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by faulkan

Thank you so much for your kind offer. We are less than 2 miles from a Wal-Mart that had also lost power but about 6 miles from one that still had power. If it had gotten too bad, we would have gone to the other one. I would have still stressed though so the motel/hotel was my top choice. There is a Northern Tool less than 5 miles from me and I will be buying a generator in the morning. I'm getting one with enough juice to run my refrigerator and the oil filled heater and heat pads for our babies. Thanks again to you and everyone that was here for us.

---

No problem. Thats what friends are for. Glad everything turned out ok.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by led-zep

No problem. That's what friends are for. Glad everything turned out ok.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

You and this group are amazing! I'm so thankful for each and every one of you.

My fiancee is worried that the short-term 70ish temps might have caused heath issues. This is mostly because I was pinging off the walls. Should we be concerned now that temps are returning to normal? We have been hand-warming both of our babies since power came back on.

I was thinking I dont know if its been mentioned before or not but those computer battery back ups may not be a bad idea to plug the themostats into.

I dont know how long they would last but they may buy some valuable. Maybe worth looking into.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by led-zep

I was thinking I dont know if its been mentioned before or not but those computer battery back ups may not be a bad idea to plug the themostats into.

I dont know how long they would last but they may buy some valuable. Maybe worth looking into.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

We thought of that but the ones we had our computers were already dying by the time we thought of using them. Great idea though.

It's definitely a scary thing. In the past I've always thrown them into a pillow case and put them under my shirt, and slept on the couch. Kept me from rolling over and squishing them. But now that I have 5 at my house, I really should look into getting a generator before Fall comes into full swing. I've already made one 2am crazed drive to a friend's house 8 miles away just to get electricity.

Does anyone know of any small affordable generators online?

What I hate are white outs where they purposefully turn off the electricity. I understand why they can be necessary, but still.

Is it bad that we base life decisions in our animals? Lol. I was fine with me, my fiancee and her 17 year old son dealing with the cold but I'll be damned if the snakes will suffer.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

on*

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Here's the upside. Our boa was in the blue a few days ago and we knew he'd shed soon. Shortly after the power came back on, my fiancee wet him down and he immediately started shedding. Once he finished, he took dinner with no issues. Our beautiful little pin took her first frozen thawed (hair dryer activated) meal. She'd been eating live only prior to now. This was a wonderful night overall. We're happy, the babies are happy...everyone is happy. Yay!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by catzeye21138

Does anyone know of any small affordable generators online?

---

Generators are typically big/bulky/heavy enough that you want to buy them locally; shipping is a killer. Also make sure you get enough generator - add up the energy requirements for your refrigerator(s) and freezer(s) - especially if you have f/t feeders! - snake heat, backup home heat (you're not running a heat pump/AC off a portable generator), a small cooking appliance if you don't have a BBQ or camp stove, etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by faulkan

My fiancee is worried that the short-term 70ish temps might have caused heath issues. This is mostly because I was pinging off the walls. Should we be concerned now that temps are returning to normal? We have been hand-warming both of our babies since power came back on.

---

70s are OK. Africa's low temps and reptile show temps are often in the 70s. Anything below that is risky.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by satomi325

70s are OK. Africa's low temps and reptile show temps are often in the 70s. Anything below that is risky.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

---

Awesome. Thank you.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

Generators are typically big/bulky/heavy enough that you want to buy them locally; shipping is a killer. Also make sure you get enough generator - add up the energy requirements for your refrigerator(s) and freezer(s) - especially if you have f/t feeders! - snake heat, backup home heat (you're not running a heat pump/AC off a portable generator), a small cooking appliance if you don't have a BBQ or camp stove, etc.

---

Thank you. I'll plan well. I work electronics on F-16s for a living. I'm sure I'll overkill my requirements. Lol.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

I'm looking at one at Northern Tool that's 7250 watts (9000 surge). I'm pretty sure that will do the trick :-)

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Mr Heater portable Buddy and Big Buddy heaters. They can be found at most big stores like Target, Walmart, Lowes etc.... and camping/hunting stores such as Cabelas.

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...87637082_n.jpg

http://www.target.com/p/mr-heater-po...FchxQgodcGoAtg

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Mr-He...ter/745033.uts

**I don't have first hand experience with these but I do plan to pick one up soon. They have low oxygen and tip-over shutoff features and are safe for tents and indoors, so I'm sure they will be great for heating a small reptile room.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by led-zep

Do you have any heat packs like they ship with?

---

Genius idea man. I think now that winters here I will pick a few up, as well as the heat packs for body parts like back and shoulders,the hand ones are good as well. A few different sizes are great to have on hand

If anyone plans on getting heat packs, get the kind used for reptile shipping.

They burn slower, use less oxygen, lasts longer(there are 24-72 hr packs), and run at a safer temp than hand warmers and the like.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Never again will have have issues with a power outage. I just picked this bad boy up today.

[IMG]http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/z...113_221615.jpg[/IMG]

Nice! Sweet man


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by led-zep

Nice! Sweet man

---

Thank you.The next time we have an outage, my neighbors will be pissed X 2. Firstly because of the noise and secondly, because we'll have power and they won't. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by faulkan

Thank you.The next time we have an outage, my neighbors will be pissed X 2. Firstly because of the noise and secondly, because we'll have power and they won't. :D

---

Put a muffler on that bad boy and 1) your neighbors won't get PO'ed at the noise, and 2) they won't show up with a 100' extension cord.

Now that you have it, get lots of gas cans.

force the electric company to pay for it a rent a hotel (five star;))

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

Put a muffler on that bad boy and 1) your neighbors won't get PO'ed at the noise, and 2) they won't show up with a 100' extension cord.

Now that you have it, get lots of gas cans.

---

I looked into mufflers the other day and the best one I can find only drops the sound levels of the exhaust by 6 dB. Even if you could completely silence the exhaust, the motor is still very loud. I'm looking into sound proof sheds.