Our .gov is planning to shift our power grid from 110 volts to 220 volts. Transition has started by banning the import of anything 110v. Dual voltage (110/220 v ) are allowed for 5 years after which only 220v stuff is allowed.

Newly built homes are 220v only but older homes like mine have 110v. These will be gradually rewired and fixed to new voltage.

Right now, I am sub-categorizing the expected problems and making several plan B's. One of them is the timing that they will visit my house or our area. If they shut power down in July/August, we are toast (literally) and the problem is beyond ETS advice, but I am hoping for some luck (maybe I can be blessed by visits in Nov-February).

Anyway. I am here asking for advice about those few days (hopefully few days) when they shut down the power and work on rewiring . Hopefully they will only take 2-3 days , but it may turn to 1-2 weeks with some fireworks in between (yikes!) I hope none of the A/C units or such bigger stuff burn in the process but it may happen.

When I think about folks prepping for power outages on ETS and similar forums, most of them are dealing with SEASONAL or recurring outages. A generator, for example, is justufied in their case, but not in my case where it is a one-time event.

Some of the sub-categories I am preparing for are :

Water : Planning for bigger water tanks both at the ground level and top of the house ( our houses are multi-story concrete buildings).

Light : planning for tons of candles, an many dozens of light sticks (Cyalume tubes)

Heat/cold : If it is summer, I am writing my will , LOL ... If it is winter/spring, we have some non-electric heating options.


So...
Question here is about one event power outage in a city setup
location is Middle East , very hot in summer , pleasant in winter, rain is minimal

What are preps you can think of ????

Thanks

Hire in a generator for a week or two.

some hurricane inspired comments...

If you don't take Izzy up on his offer, the Honda EU2000i inverter generator has a pretty good reputation ... will probably run a small window air conditioner, and refrigerator or microwave on a rotating basis .... if not

battery powered fans indoor and mister sprayers outdoor for cooling if you have water and pressure

5 or 7 day coolers for your perishable food... solid frozen gallon jugs for ice

lawn hose or trash bag in sunlight for hot water... pump garden sprayer or sprinkler can for shower so you can mix to proper temp

cook outside on propane or charcoal

I prefer a Dietz kerosene lantern over candles...

battery powered digital small screen TV...with a 12v adapter and extra 12v car battery

Thanks Ian and Izzy

If I hire a generator, I will not be able to hook it to the house wiring 'cause it is opened up and under maintenance. So, it means a using generator with a cable running through the kitchen and living room for a few lights and maybe an AC unit.

Good you mentioned the truck mounted generator.
I do hope they think of that , but I still worry it won't handle the load of multiple AC units per house. Not everyone will accept to "camp" in one room for a few days until it is over.

Another option is to rent a furnished flat for a few days or a few weeks. I have seen some folks do that when their homes have a serious problem. It will be sort of a "bug out" to another part of town where the work has finisehd or not started yet.

I am going to definitely consider that as a plan B or C.

However, if I stay home, are there any more preps that can smooth the ride in addition to or instead of a generator ?

Thanks Les

We have already shifted the cooking to outside kitchen using gas. ( Inside kitchen uses electric)

Never mind that we are in an oil producing country, kersone is not available anywhere. OK, we can find it if we look hard enough , but not like in every store. Candles are more widely available ( scented or non-scented) and our homes are made of concrete not wood, so the danger of fire is minimal.

Buying ice is also a good option. I have to find ice suppliers around town.

The Mist and water-air cooler are good options for low energy cooling . They were on my mind, but I was not sure about buying such a unit for those few days and then if I would really get some power to run then. You gave me the idea ( your word : pressure ) to use one of the water tanks that I am re-purposing anyway, to sit on the roof and supply the little water needed for the cooling mist in the ground floor.

Thanks

Where are you located? Just wondering.

Here in the US power is sent to our homes as 230 volts, three phase. Our outlets are typically 115 volts, except for ones powering stoves, ovens, laundry rooms, etc. 115v is what you get when you connect only one phase to an outlet. So usually half of a homes 115 outlets are connected to one phase, and the other half are connected to the other phase. The 230 volt outlets use both phases.

I can't imagine our government, or any government for that matter, mandating a change in the power delivered at standard home outlets. You would have to buy all new appliances and electronic devices! Some of our devices allow either 115v or 230v (typically via a switch that you have to set), but the majority of devices do not have this dual voltage capability. It would be a madhouse for the government to force everybody to change. I dare say the government might be overthrown if they attempted something like that!

I am located in Saudi Arabia

Actually , most of the country is 220v. It is only the part where I live that has been 110v, and now they want to standardize the whole power grid. That is good IMO, but will be a rough ride for a few days/weeks.



This is exactly what we have in our area.

Appliance change may be a problem but not a big one. I am planning to buy a few step down 220/110v transformers for the refrigerator and freezer to use for the rest of their operational life. Most other appliances are automatic 220/110v ( like TV , laptop ... etc. ) or can be manually switched to 220v ( like washing machine ).

So, appliances can still be used for a few years after the change, it is the hickups and expected problems during the change that I am more worried about.

Off course it is not very easy and smooth , and will still cost me money to change lights and ceiling fans ..etc. but then again, shifting to 220v and standardizing with the rest of the country is going to save us a bit of money too.

Ah, I see. I can understand a switch like that if they're trying to get the country standardized. Changing all your light bulbs could be a major headache, but it might be a good push to convert all your lighting to more efficient flourescent or LED if you haven't already done that.

Would a handful of adapter plugs - like tourists use when going to foreign countries - help any? Not for the big heavy power appliances or built-in lighting, but for little things. I know those were of use for my daughter when she too her 115v US devices over to 230v Australia for college study abroad.

Adapter plugs are handy for gadgets that can take a wide range of voltages, such as anything from 100 to 240 volt. Most mobile or PC charger can, and some other gadgets that actually really run on something like 12v DC, and where the wall plug really goes to a power supply that converts 110v ac to 12v dc. That converter might as well accept 100-240volt so you can sell it anywhere in the world.

Most other 110v electronic equipment will blow up or be a substantial fire hazard if you hook it up to 220v.