Re: No wonder it's so quiet here today!! OT

A what? I use a digital controller. I am not sure I know what a UPS stands for. :)

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Tink" :

]I've decided to get a UPS for my kiln. Does anyone else out there use one?

we've got UPSs for all of our computer systems.

best advise, get the LARGEST one you can afford. if nothing else, it will keep the power on longer.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

Ohhhhh universal power switch? I think my hubby has suggested this. Is that what you mean, Tink?

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Kandice Seeber" :

]A what? I use a digital controller. I am not sure I know what a UPS stands ]for. :)

Uninterruptable Power Supply.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

LOL - I think that's what he meant. :) Is it expensive?

Unless you're prepared to spend a whole lot of money, most UPS's will only buy you a half hour or so .... they're designed to give you time to shut stuff down in an orderly fashion, not to keep you up and running forever. Of course, if you spend enough, you can get something that will keep power coming for 24 hours or more.

Elise

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "EL" :

]Unless you're prepared to spend a whole lot of money, most UPS's will only ]buy you a half hour or so .... they're designed to give you time to shut ]stuff down in an orderly fashion, not to keep you up and running forever. ]Of course, if you spend enough, you can get something that will keep power ]coming for 24 hours or more.

a LOT of people here have portable generators - because the power goes off in the winter so often.

and yes, most UPSs are only designed to allow safe power-down.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

Yeah... Maybe a UPS and a generator would be the way to go. At least with a UPS, that would give me time to swaddle the kiln in insulating material to keep it from cooling down too quickly.

A friend who lives out in the bush here, powers up a couple car batteries and hooks them together to gets more power. Then keeps a couple more on hand that he rotates.

Tina

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :

]Power cells. I want power cells. Then you wouldn't have to be on the power ]grid at all.

if you got to CNN and click on the link that "explains" power grids, you will see that Texas has one all by its lonesome. weird, that.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

Carol, somehow I had never seen your work before. I just peeked in through the link in your sig and your work is GORGEOUS! I particularly like aquarium.

Shelby

Carol >>but have two kilns full of stressed/dead beads..

Dr. Sooz) wrote Reminds me of the 1989 earthquake in the Bay Area.

Thinking back on that (the '89 quake) Sooz, I have to say power outs don't seem quite so bad......

Hugs! Faith

(Dr. Sooz) wrote {{{{{{{{{{{hugging Faith}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} Thanks Sooz! I'm feeling much comforted! Faith

(Dr. Sooz) wrote {{{{{{{{{{{hugging Faith}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} Thanks Sooz! I'm feeling much comforted! Faith

(Dr. Sooz) wrote Or margaritas!

Why yes, yes indeed Baroness! Fab idea! :-) Faith

Sometimes you can! :-) But Kandice it 100 % right, it depends on a variety of variables, ranging from the COE of the glass you're working with, design of beads, actual temp of the the kiln at the moment the power goes, & how long it stays out to name a few....

In my case I had a dynamic number (read: enough to be really bothered when lost!) of sculptual beads in the kilns & as the fates seemed to be feeling especially 'prank-ish' the kiln temp had dipped well below acceptable margins for holding (I was finishing carefully situating a mermaid bead) JUST as the power flickerd, the studio vent fans gasped, and the power went out for a substancial (and seeminly endless)period of time....

So the fate of the beads was sealed... (have I mentioned POUT!) lol!

But it's a good question/suggestion & can work in some circumstances Deirde!

Faith

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@netscape.net (Quest Glass Studio) :

]"EL" wrote Unless you're prepared to spend a whole lot of money, most ]UPS's will only buy you a half hour or so .... they're designed to ]give you time to shut stuff down in an orderly fashion, not to keep ]you up and running forever. ] ] ]That's just what I encountered Elise - and for ramping kilns, ]as you noted, just too short a timeline to run an anneal cycle... ]But fab for computers etc!

but . . . it would give you time to get the generator kicked in!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

"Tink" wrote Maybe a UPS and a generator would be the way to go.

That's the way I'm inclined to go Tink (generator(s)) - but the next few thoughts that came to my mind as I pondered were...

Can I ~ and will I~ commit to:

*Running the the gen(s) at prescribed maint. intervals (to ensure reliable operation) when they are called upon. *Keep sufficient amts of gas (and renew/keep it fresh) all the months/years that the power works flawlessly inbetween significant outages.... *keep the power cords (extensions) ready and at hand at a moments notice for 'flicker flicker darkness'! - need immediate hook up..

I also did a quick cost run many years back & was surprised at the total cost (even then) of gens, heavy duty extension cords, gas cans, supply of gas, oil etc. Some items not horriby costly but overall I was a bit taken back at the investment vs use ratio (anticipated) as thank gawd the power seldom goes out often or for long). Tho losing a significant amt of work is not inexpensive either! so So I'm still kicking it around myself ....

Kind of like carrying an unbrella - when you NEED it, it's priceless! When you don't, it's the most useless item in the world....

I'll be interested to know what you decide....

Faith