Emergency heat plan.

I was wondering what sort of emergency heat plans people use in case the power goes out. I live in NY so it gets pretty cold. I have a back up plan for the power going out when we are home, but not really one for if the power goes out and we are not home. I have been looking around at certain options, but I want to know what sort of equipment/plans people on this forum have.

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Originally Posted by SKO

I was wondering what sort of emergency heat plans people use in case the power goes out. I live in NY so it gets pretty cold. I have a back up plan for the power going out when we are home, but not really one for if the power goes out and we are not home. I have been looking around at certain options, but I want to know what sort of equipment/plans people on this forum have.

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Some people use heat packs I believe.

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Depends on the number of animals you have

I have a generator and a buddy heater http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F232...s=buddy+heater but I also have a room entirely dedicated to my collection.

I've started to think about this too, I only got my first herp last month so never really worried about my fish tanks. Now that I'm (almost) nearing the end of having everything dialed in temp wise after some trial and error. Wondering about a power outage. Like you I live in a cold climate, last year we had an ice storm that took out power to some people for over a week. Where I lived at the time was only 12hrs but I've since moved. I only have 2 snakes and rent a basement apartment so I'm limited on a dedicated room or modifying things.


Has anyone tried using booster packs for your car with the built AC adaptor to run a cage or 2?

I only have one snake and she is in my bedroom. We are renting right now but we plan on buying a house within the next couple of years. I might have to invest in a generator at that time. This is a dumb question but I've never had a generator, but do they kick on automatically when the normal electricity goes out or does it have to be started manually? Like I said my concern is if we are away one night and no one is there to turn it on, that is going to cause some problems. Granted, I watch weather reports and would know if there are big storms coming, but even then every so often random power outages can happen.

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Generator and fireplaces/buddy heaters for me, about the only way for a long term outage while you are away is with an automatic generator setup. Mine is a big portable through a transfer switch, so I have to go outside to start it, and fill it with gas, but I work at home, and usually not gone long. You could run a UPS or deep cycle battery(in a ventilated area), float charger and small inverter to power an UTH, and maybe a small heat bulb if you only needed a couple hours to get home from work or so.

As long as it's not dead of winter, and power isn't off too long you should be fine. Snakes can get cold for hours and rebound with absolutely no issues. In the wild snakes survive freak storms and drops in temps with no issues.

This winter, just before Christmas we had a power outage for three days. No stores were open, we are renting, no generator, no hot water, nothing. We were lucky enough that we had huge ice bags in our freezer at the time to keep our food good and a fire place in the living room.

However, we are also lucky to own a power pack. Usually used to boost a car but works fine in emergency situations as such this one.

A PSA for anyone using a generator: DON'T USE IT INDOORS, AND GET A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR as exhaust fumes can still enter the house from outside.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...d-home-n336756

I have very efficient enclosures they take around 4-5 hours to drop 10ºF, for me this is the first thing short power failures of a few hours are no concern.

The second line is a catalytic heater much like the posted buddy heater, that with a couple of tanks buys some more time. Although carbon monoxide is a concern with them as well!

The third line is a set of heat packs (they too use oxygen so still care must be used) if the power looks to be off longer than 24 hours I transfer all the snakes to snake bags and place them in a ventilated cooler I can then use less energy to heat that small space longer.

I have had a generator and looked at others. No a basic generator is not wired to the home and requires a person to start it. The thing to watch out with generators is the power output many are 'dirty' power and can cause stats to fail open full power. to my knowledge in portable gens Honda and Yamaha are the only 100% safe units.

If you are looking at home back ups generac, is the name I know is stat safe. these units wire into the house and have a transfer switch that when the power fails start the generator and feed power to the house with no input. My work runs them and the power just flickers, that is all. They typically run propane or natural gas, not gasoline, or diesel. They are predictably expensive.

Yeah generac are great i used to install them at my last job, they come on in under a second of power going out so nothing is ever affected by the power loss during the switch over

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

I have had a generator and looked at others. No a basic generator is not wired to the home and requires a person to start it. The thing to watch out with generators is the power output many are 'dirty' power and can cause stats to fail open full power. to my knowledge in portable gens Honda and Yamaha are the only 100% safe units.

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Good point. For an extended outage in cold weather all of my snakes will be moved into bags and bins, and then stacked up in a small room like a bathroom where a space heater could keep them all around 80*F. It's much easier to do that than try to run all of their t-stats, heat tape, RHP's, etc.

Cooling is a bit trickier. While most of my snakes may be uncomfortable at high temps, we do get summer days that can top 100*F and my BRB's really can't go much higher than 88*F ambient without risking neuro damage from what I've read. On those days even the tap water is fairly warm. So I keep water in the refrigerator to refill their bowls during the heat of the day, or give them a light misting if needed.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Good point. For an extended outage in cold weather all of my snakes will be moved into bags and bins, and then stacked up in a small room like a bathroom where a space heater could keep them all around 80*F. It's much easier to do that than try to run all of their t-stats, heat tape, RHP's, etc.

Cooling is a bit trickier. While most of my snakes may be uncomfortable at high temps, we do get summer days that can top 100*F and my BRB's really can't go much higher than 88*F ambient without risking neuro damage from what I've read. On those days even the tap water is fairly warm. So I keep water in the refrigerator to refill their bowls during the heat of the day, or give them a light misting if needed.

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I wish I had a cooling issue but up here I rarely need cooling! I can only wish! We still have 7 feet of snow!

A good thread, this has been helpful. Its and old one but I think it is worth mentioning a few ideas.

For people who only have a tank or three, make a Styrofoam sleeve before the power goes out. It can be easily taped together to help steady the temps. Just ensure there are air holes in the proper places.

Propane powered generators are out there and are small enough to be considered temporary or for camping. The availability of pre-filled 20lb propane tanks via a propane tank certified exchange program I think has made these a great choice. No worries about running old gas or storing it. Most people who can utilize a small generator will have a BBQ as well. Certainly enough in case of emergency.

ALL GENERATORS, WHETHER THEY RUN ON GAS, PROPANE, DIESEL OR NAT GAS HAVE TO RUN OUTSIDE!! RUNNING IT IN A GARAGE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!

A generator that is big enough to run or be wired into the existing house wiring HAS TO HAVE a complete disconnect switch installed. Electric utility workers are killed every year by people who have an improperly installed generator. The electricity runs on the power lines from your home unless a disconnect switch is installed. This switch completely cuts off your home from the power line. Good gen sets will do this automatically but it is better to doublecheck it is working.

As for the styrofoam sleeve, use it in different ambient room temps so you can better predict what Tstat settings to use when the power is working. This way, if you are going to be away from home for a weekend (with critters that don't need daily care) or longer, put the sleeve in place and it adds reassurance. It helps temp stability in the winter or summer.