4 ms·

I did the same for my house, the other thing is to install mesh screens around all the air vents. Don't know what to do about the deck though. Could put a sprin

I did the same for my house, the other thing is to install mesh screens around all the air vents. Don't know what to do about the deck though. Could put a sprinkler on it but I'm sure they'd cut power if it came down to it.

jahewson 3y ago
Sprinkler does not require power - just water pressure.
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  And that water pressure is usually provided by an electric pump. Purely gravity fed fresh water supplies aren't as common as you might think.
  - runjake 3y ago
    And that electric pump is often backed by a generator at the pump site. At least in the US. Many US jurisdictions mandate a generator and at the federal level they are “highly encouraged.”
    - notatoad 3y ago
      which works as long as the pump site isn't actually in the fire, or the diesel supplies aren't removed to reduce fuel sources in the evacuation zone.
      - runjake 3y ago
        This is why engineers build plenty of defensible space around water and power plants. At least in the western US. It sounds like they may do it differently where you live.
  - antman 3y ago
    You could maintain pressure for last moment without electricity if water passes through pressure (bladder) tank before going to irrigation
jahewson 3y ago
Sprinkler does not require power - just water pressure.
mgiampapa 3y ago
Here in Hawaii (the big island) the grid is so remarkably unreliable compared to the mainland that many folks are simply off grid. On top of that, electricity is so expensive that we are at the forefront of home solar + storage deployment because the ROI is so high.
Scoundreller 3y ago
my thought would be a metal roll-out screen over top (and down)
cyberax 3y ago
A car battery will power a sprinkler pump for a day easily. If you install something like Powerwall, you can power it approximately forever.
- defrost 3y ago
  Just as if you install a large capacity farm tank of gasoline or propane you can power a generator approximately forever*. Both the Powerwall and large tanks of flammables have their risks in bushfires. If I recall correctly the current crop of Tesla Powerwalls require cooling to stay safe? https://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/18720/tesla-s-megapack-batteries-aren-t-a-fire-hazard-but-lithium-sure-is https://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/18720/tesla-s-... * for some limited value of 'forever'.
  - cyberax 3y ago
    > Just as if you install a large capacity farm tank of gasoline or propane you can power a generator approximately forever*. I used to live in a house that had groundwater seepage issues. As a result, it needed a sump pump to keep the basement dry during heavy rains, which naturally coincide with power outages. So the sump pump had a standby battery pack, just two car batteries in parallel. It could work on them for about 4 days. I checked, and sprinkler pumps need even less power to run. > Both the Powerwall and large tanks of flammables have their risks in bushfires. Not really. A tank of diesel (gasoline is not suitable for long-term storage) has a huge thermal mass. A mere bush fire shouldn't be able to ignite it. It might damage fuel lines and the generator, though. I'm not sure about propane. > If I recall correctly the current crop of Tesla Powerwalls require cooling to stay safe? Powerwall is OK until +60C, above that temperature it just shuts down.
    - defrost 3y ago
      Australian bushfires get prety hot - much as Californian bushfires do thanks to similar oil heavy trees. LPG tanks (propane in the US) get hot, increase pressure, and outgas through the pressure relief valve - causing a flamethrower effect and why valves etc should face away from buildings https://www.kleenheat.com.au/blog/product-safety/bushfire-season-preparation https://www.kleenheat.com.au/blog/product-safety/bushfire-se... You're correct that diesal tank are more common thanks to longer storage life etc. but large farms will often have unleaded petrol tanks if there's enough activity to warrent not having to drive a 50km (or more) to a service station to refuel. The real question I have about Powerwalls (lithium and other future designs) is at what tempreture do they ignite and become part of the problem in a big way (although obviously the question of when they shutdown and no longer provie power is also relevant). I'm in Western Australia, in rural parts that are largely self sufficient - emergency questions are always coming up wrt what does and doesn't work.
sliken 3y ago
A few 50 gallon drums, a battery, and a pump seems like cheap insurance if you are in a fire prone area. I wouldn't count on electricity or water pressure during a major fire.
- YeGoblynQueenne 3y ago
  And if the fire does make it to your house the 50 gallon drums will ensure nothing is left standing. I like it!
  - sliken 3y ago
    Er, what? Fail to see how keeping a local source of water will help ensure your house is gone if the fire gets to it.
    - pritambaral 3y ago
      Your parent probably interpreted the 50 gallon drums as gasoline containers.
      - YeGoblynQueenne 3y ago
        Oh, indeed. I thought that was the fuel to power a generator? Sorry, I didn't understand what the OP meant and I should have asked for clarifications. My bad.
- beachy 3y ago
  A battery that can drive a decent water pump for any length of time is going to be big, not so much cheap. And you also need metal pipes and sprinklers unless they're buried, or they'll melt in the heat. And those "few 50 gallon drums" won't last for long - 200 gallons will be gone in less than one hour, and that's with just one sprinkler. You'll likely want multiple. Source: live in the bush and speccing out exactly this.
  - sliken 3y ago

jahewson 3y ago

Sprinkler does not require power - just water pressure.

Dalewyn 3y ago
And that water pressure is usually provided by an electric pump. Purely gravity fed fresh water supplies aren't as common as you might think.
- runjake 3y ago
  And that electric pump is often backed by a generator at the pump site. At least in the US. Many US jurisdictions mandate a generator and at the federal level they are “highly encouraged.”
  - notatoad 3y ago
    which works as long as the pump site isn't actually in the fire, or the diesel supplies aren't removed to reduce fuel sources in the evacuation zone.
    - runjake 3y ago
      This is why engineers build plenty of defensible space around water and power plants. At least in the western US. It sounds like they may do it differently where you live.
- antman 3y ago
  You could maintain pressure for last moment without electricity if water passes through pressure (bladder) tank before going to irrigation

jahewson 3y ago

Sprinkler does not require power - just water pressure.

mgiampapa 3y ago

Here in Hawaii (the big island) the grid is so remarkably unreliable compared to the mainland that many folks are simply off grid. On top of that, electricity is so expensive that we are at the forefront of home solar + storage deployment because the ROI is so high.

Scoundreller 3y ago

my thought would be a metal roll-out screen over top (and down)

cyberax 3y ago

A car battery will power a sprinkler pump for a day easily. If you install something like Powerwall, you can power it approximately forever.

defrost 3y ago
Just as if you install a large capacity farm tank of gasoline or propane you can power a generator approximately forever*. Both the Powerwall and large tanks of flammables have their risks in bushfires. If I recall correctly the current crop of Tesla Powerwalls require cooling to stay safe? https://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/18720/tesla-s-megapack-batteries-aren-t-a-fire-hazard-but-lithium-sure-is https://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/18720/tesla-s-... * for some limited value of 'forever'.
- cyberax 3y ago
  > Just as if you install a large capacity farm tank of gasoline or propane you can power a generator approximately forever*. I used to live in a house that had groundwater seepage issues. As a result, it needed a sump pump to keep the basement dry during heavy rains, which naturally coincide with power outages. So the sump pump had a standby battery pack, just two car batteries in parallel. It could work on them for about 4 days. I checked, and sprinkler pumps need even less power to run. > Both the Powerwall and large tanks of flammables have their risks in bushfires. Not really. A tank of diesel (gasoline is not suitable for long-term storage) has a huge thermal mass. A mere bush fire shouldn't be able to ignite it. It might damage fuel lines and the generator, though. I'm not sure about propane. > If I recall correctly the current crop of Tesla Powerwalls require cooling to stay safe? Powerwall is OK until +60C, above that temperature it just shuts down.
  - defrost 3y ago
    Australian bushfires get prety hot - much as Californian bushfires do thanks to similar oil heavy trees. LPG tanks (propane in the US) get hot, increase pressure, and outgas through the pressure relief valve - causing a flamethrower effect and why valves etc should face away from buildings https://www.kleenheat.com.au/blog/product-safety/bushfire-season-preparation https://www.kleenheat.com.au/blog/product-safety/bushfire-se... You're correct that diesal tank are more common thanks to longer storage life etc. but large farms will often have unleaded petrol tanks if there's enough activity to warrent not having to drive a 50km (or more) to a service station to refuel. The real question I have about Powerwalls (lithium and other future designs) is at what tempreture do they ignite and become part of the problem in a big way (although obviously the question of when they shutdown and no longer provie power is also relevant). I'm in Western Australia, in rural parts that are largely self sufficient - emergency questions are always coming up wrt what does and doesn't work.

sliken 3y ago

A few 50 gallon drums, a battery, and a pump seems like cheap insurance if you are in a fire prone area. I wouldn't count on electricity or water pressure during a major fire.

YeGoblynQueenne 3y ago
And if the fire does make it to your house the 50 gallon drums will ensure nothing is left standing. I like it!
- sliken 3y ago
  Er, what? Fail to see how keeping a local source of water will help ensure your house is gone if the fire gets to it.
  - pritambaral 3y ago
    Your parent probably interpreted the 50 gallon drums as gasoline containers.
    - YeGoblynQueenne 3y ago
      Oh, indeed. I thought that was the fuel to power a generator? Sorry, I didn't understand what the OP meant and I should have asked for clarifications. My bad.
beachy 3y ago
A battery that can drive a decent water pump for any length of time is going to be big, not so much cheap. And you also need metal pipes and sprinklers unless they're buried, or they'll melt in the heat. And those "few 50 gallon drums" won't last for long - 200 gallons will be gone in less than one hour, and that's with just one sprinkler. You'll likely want multiple. Source: live in the bush and speccing out exactly this.
- sliken 3y ago