# In case of an night power outage



## FiaSpice (Jan 16, 2009)

This morning I woke up and realised that my alarm clock wasn't working. I tough it was malfunctioning... untill I got up and tried to swtich the light. It was a power outage. I was scared because I had no idea went it started and when it will end. I was lucky. It was still 23.5C in their cage.

But now it prompt me this concern: we all know what to do in that case when we are awake; cover the cage, put tons of mitten warmer, heat from a generator or just move somewhere temporarily. But what if it all happend when you sleep? What would you do? How can you know it at all. I guess I'm just a bit paranoiac, but I will be devastated (and my ex will kill me) if Litchi was "killed" because of this.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

I always have the cage covered at night to keep in as much heat as possible and keep out any light from people getting up in the night. If I woke up and the power was out I would probably do just what you did, panic and then check the cage as well as hold Quigley until I'm sure he didn't try to hibernate or if he did act accordingly to make him better.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Some people have mentioned that they heat a snuggle safe every night and put in the cage before they go to bed just in case of a power outage while they sleep. That's a good idea, especially if there is a storm or reason that there could be an outage. Of course often it goes out for no reason. 

There are thermometers you can buy that will beep if the temperature gets below or above a certain temperature. I have a couple that do that but lost the directions and have no clue how to set them now. :lol: Canadian Tire sold the ones I have. I think Kalandra uses one that also alerts her phone. 

Chances are, especially at this time of year, a house is not going to cool down enough over a few hours to be a problem but in the middle of winter at minus temperatures with the wind blowing hard, yes it could.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I have a cabin sitter that calls my cell phone and my husband's. It rotates between the two until one of us picks up. It isn't really cheap, but I really like it and it has allowed me to prevent potential problems.

It calls if the temp is too high, too low, the power is out (for a set amount of time) or if the noise level is too high (smoke alarm). I can also call it and listen to the room or check on its settings. I have found it to be very useful. We have had a few times in the winter when it called to report the power was out. I can call it and monitor for when the power comes back on and what the temperature is currently. I have had to go home early from work because the temperature was dropping and the power was still out.

It also beeps, which wakes me at night when any of those settings are tripped. 

It is a great security blanket. The model I have is a sensaphone. But there are other brands out there that are likely to be cheaper now. I found out about it through a greenhouse forum.


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## FiaSpice (Jan 16, 2009)

Nancy said:


> Of course often it goes out for no reason.


That was the case. I still wonder why: no wind, no storm at all.



Nancy said:


> There are thermometers you can buy that will beep if the temperature gets below or above a certain temperature. I have a couple that do that but lost the directions and have no clue how to set them now. :lol: Canadian Tire sold the ones I have. I think Kalandra uses one that also alerts her phone.


That's interesting, I might go and check that at Canadian tire, while I get mitten warmer too before there's no more for the season. I also tought about puting their heat pads on a UPS (Uninterruptible power supply) if that could work (wattage ans stuff). When the power goes out it beeps. If I see one ever on sale, I might get one.


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## hihihishite (Jan 12, 2010)

I was looking into this awhile back too. A few people told me the temperature wouldn't drop that fast in the couple hours I'd be at work. Wow were they wrong! Last week's major storms knocked out the power for 12 hours. I was at the movies when the power went out in my town (not in the theatre) and when I got back the house was freezing at 60 degrees (the original ambient house temperature was 68 and 75 in the cage). Outside was somewhere between 40-50 degrees. It couldn't have been out more than an hour or two. I'm pretty sure my hedgehog was trying to hibernate and it completely freaked me out. Needless to say, I'm back to searching for options. I find it hard to believe more people have not had this problem.

Kalandra: I took a look at the cabin sitter website and it's really confusing. How does it work? Do you have to pay a monthly fee for monitoring services? Does it hook into all of your home systems or do you just plug it into a phone jack? I currently don't own a house so I can't install things.

FiaSpice: I thought about using a UPS too, but they usually only last a few minutes for computer systems (unless you buy the thousand dollar ones). I don't know if it would last more than an hour with a heat setup. My b/f has a fairly powerful one and I'm going to test it out soon. I'll let you know what I discover.


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## FiaSpice (Jan 16, 2009)

hihihi****e said:


> I was looking into this awhile back too. A few people told me the temperature wouldn't drop that fast in the couple hours I'd be at work.


I only ever experienced one power outage with my hedgie (only Litchi back then) in the middle of winter (of course) when I was living at my parent's house. It only lasted a couple hours and the temperature did drop to 19C despite the mitten warmer and the cage covered. I was freaking out because my "old" back up plan was to brink my hedgie at my parent's house if I had a power outage... but I was now living with them so that didn't work.

I did check on her to make sure she didn't hibernate (he once did so I know she's fragile). I was so relievd when it was back on.



hihihi****e said:


> FiaSpice: I thought about using a UPS too, but they usually only last a few minutes for computer systems (unless you buy the thousand dollar ones). I don't know if it would last more than an hour with a heat setup. My b/f has a fairly powerful one and I'm going to test it out soon. I'll let you know what I discover.


My dad has one and I think it last 30 minutes (I was too stupid to think about that when I got the power outtage). Well I guess it's better than nothing. Anyway, let me know how you test goes


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Its just a box that plugs into the phone jack. No service provided by a company, nothing that permanently installs. I have mine sitting in the hedgehog's room on a bookshelf.

Mine looks like this: http://www.smarthome.com/images/7005big.gif


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

I am thankful that at my mother's our stove is gas, so we can still turn on the stove, as long as we have matches(or a toothpick and a lighter). I can easily heat up some water and I'd have a hot water bottle for the cage. Out at my apartment, I also have a portable gas stove, so the same can be done. On stormy nights, I also heat up a snuggle safe, as a precaution. Same with just any winter night that seems extra cold.

But ya... If it's one of those spontaneous and random power outages, I'd go through the same panic. Luckily, the house is never empty for a very long time, and since I use a space heater to heat my room, I would assume that the cage would stay a bit warmer for longer, than if I were using a CHE and my room was cooler than the cage.

The cabin sitter would be interesting to look into...Now...what they need is to make a thermometer ap for cell phones(I know they have an ap for lights, so maybe they DO have one for thermometers....I'll have to check it out...since I'm looking for a new cell anyways)


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## FiaSpice (Jan 16, 2009)

Immortalia said:


> I am thankful that at my mother's our stove is gas, so we can still turn on the stove, as long as we have matches(or a toothpick and a lighter). I can easily heat up some water and I'd have a hot water bottle for the cage. Out at my apartment, I also have a portable gas stove, so the same can be done. On stormy nights, I also heat up a snuggle safe, as a precaution. Same with just any winter night that seems extra cold.


Isn't that a bit dangerous? I remember, back in the 1998 Icestorm (went some people where like 2-5 weeks without electricity) some people died because they let their gas stove running for heat. Maybe I'm just a paranoiac....


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

I don't mean leave it running...it's an actual cooking stove. I'd never leave something like that running... But just for boiling water is all I need it for. Heh, a few years ago, we lost power here for like 3 days, and we lived off making mr. noodles :lol:


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## FiaSpice (Jan 16, 2009)

Immortalia said:


> I don't mean leave it running...it's an actual cooking stove. I'd never leave something like that running... But just for boiling water is all I need it for. Heh, a few years ago, we lost power here for like 3 days, and we lived off making mr. noodles :lol:


I think I just missunderstood you! I remember back then (in '98) we did frozen pizza on the BBQ (my dad left in on the covered deck) durring the power outtage. Way better than sandwiches!


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## rtc (Sep 5, 2008)

I have an oil heater that will remain warm for a while after a power outage and I have two larger UPS that I use for computer in my apartment that can be redirected to power a spare ceramic heating element that I have. One UPS will keep the element going for about 45 -60 minutes. 

I also have a backup plan to bring my hedgie to a friend's place if the power outage is longer than a few hours.

R.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

During the ice storm of 98 we were out for exactly 12 hours. My parents were out for a week and they stayed with us. Some of our friends that are more rural were out for a month. Of course this was before hedgies. 

We actually bought a gas freestanding stove specifically as an alternate heat source in case the power went out. It looks like an old fashioned wood stove but is gas and turns on with a remote. It will easily keep us all warm and since heat rises if I just all the bedroom doors but the hedgie room, it will keep that room warm but if not, they can move to the living room.


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## hihihishite (Jan 12, 2010)

Kalandra said:


> Its just a box that plugs into the phone jack.


Wow now I feel stupid lol! When I originally looked at it I thought it was this really complicated thing that needed installation and had monthly fees.

I found this one online for $60. It looks like the same thing I think. I'm going to have to get one.
http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Controls ... 47&sr=8-24


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I'm not sure if someone mentioned this, but there are power outage security alarms that will go off if power is lost. There are also freeze/heat alarms that can be set to certain temps that will let you know if it gets too cold/hot (mainly for freezing pipes, I believe).

Hmmm... there are things like hihihi****e linked to and also more basic ones though I can't seem to find any! I could only find the expensive kind, not exactly what I was looking for.

http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManuf ... m/VM500-2/


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