I thought it may be of some use to the newbies to the forum if we posted what actions we would take, and by what date we wanted them accomplished by. For example; By Oct. 15th finish splitting wood. Does anyone else think we should start a thread devoted to final prep? Time IS running out.

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), July 31, 1999

Answers

Sorry about the double post!

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), July 31, 1999.

A thread might be good. However, time is so short and could be shorter than what we expect, that the time is NOW! If I were just starting to prepare, I would take my money out of the bank, sell all my stocks and go clean out WalMart. In Florida its "tax free" week on clothing. This is to give the people with kids a break in buying school clothes. But all of us get that break. So I will get into WalMart this week and load up on more jean shorts and tee shirts, socks and underware and maybe somemore cheap tennis shoes from China. I have also decided to move my Oct date for acquiring last minute things like mayonaise and margarine, up to August. Fortunately, I can afford to be wrong and buy some more at the end of the year, if possible. It seems like info on break downs, surveys, etc is now coming in so fast and furious and it will only get worse. Its true that most people will not know or care. But there will be enuff that are waiting in the wings for a sure sign to get off their butts, that things could get in short supply in short time. Here in Florida we have yet to see out first hurricane even though this is supposed to be a very bad year. However, that doesn't mean we couldn't have 4 of them lined up coming in by next week. August and Sept and Oct are the worst months. A few hurricanes will also get people to prepare. Just my thoughts on the system.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), July 31, 1999.

Personally I am feeling GREAT pressure to address water SOON to NOW. I have put it off because I am in the mountains surrounded by creeks and lakes and figured I would just wait until near the end of the year and fill some containers.. or maybe even put up the above ground pool (tell the neighbors I have joined the Polar Bear Club) and fill it as a back up reservour (or ice skating rink if it gets cold enough). The water coming out of the tap is the best you could ever want, so I have been complacent.

But... little things like the L.A. sewage spill have alerted me to the POSSIBILITY that water problems (esp. the posibility of water contaminated with chemicals or ?? flowing through the taps) could occur well before 1/1/2000 as systems are tested.

Some past incident - was it the ice storm? - showed that city officials might delay warning about water problems for fear that everyone would fill up their bathtubs and containers - which could cause water shortages serious enough to keep fires from being fought.

Not sure how likely any of that is in my rural area, but I know that the local officials are sticking to a don't-worry-be-happy line, so I can't be assured that necessary remediation has been properly addressed.

Anyway... WATER.. gotta have it. Wish I knew how to build a cistern.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), July 31, 1999.

flameaway... ARE THERE any newbies? I get the feeling that anyone who was not convinced months ago that there is a problem has been convinced by the lack of news, and by the GI's tendency to have given up on convincing DGI's, that it is:

1.all hype

2.solved

3.bump in the road

Newbies seem to be in as short supply as pollys with data.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), July 31, 1999.

Linda;

If there are not any newbies now, there will be many in a short time. The clock is ticking, it can not be stopped.

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), July 31, 1999.

Maybe all newbies and DGI's/pollys are on vacation? ;-) It's summer after all.

Linda, I'm in the exact same situation as you regarding water. I've also been procrastinating with that one (most important) item because I too have my retreat on a mountain with springs, and the region is surrounded with lakes. Time for me to pull out the old threads on water, I remember they were very thorough with great tips.

-- Chris (%$^&^@pond.com), July 31, 1999.

We have a large lake on the property and I keep thinking, if anything happens, we will get our water from there. As time goes by, I feel the need to store water also. One thing I have been putting off because I am hoping I am wrong on this Y2k thing is getting my wood stove working.

I still need an ash pan and stove pipe. The first pipe I need will use an oval shape to connect to the stove. I have been unable to find such a pipe. Would appreciate anyone knowing where or how to get one of these to email me.

-- Linda A. (adahi@muhlon.com), July 31, 1999.

Linda A. try these folks:

Discount Stove

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), July 31, 1999.

Linda, try sitting on a round pipe, it will turn oval instantly!

-- freddie (freddie@thefreeloader.com), July 31, 1999.

Linda A.

Oval to round stove pipe connectors are available at Cumberland General Store.

http://www.cumberlandgeneral.com

But their on line site does not give enough detailed information. The one that the have is "22 3/8 inches around at the oval end, and 7 5/8 diameter on the round end". Stock no 6803, $$8.15. They also have many other stovepipe items, at prices less that half those at stove store near me.

But you have to buy the catalog. five dollars second class (slow) mail or seven dollars for proority mail

-- dave (wootendave@hotmail.com), July 31, 1999.

freddie is right. The guy who installed my woodstove has made his living installing them for decades. He sits on the pipes to make them oval.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), July 31, 1999.

We put in a Vermont Castings stove last winter. The stove store sold us the wrong oval transition pipe twice. We tried to make it work, but if it's too small, all you can do is crimp the stove pipe (it goes inside the transition piece) & then smoke will leak out. Third time the stove guy reordered one that would fit from the factory. I remember him saying that there could be a real problem with getting stove pipe due to the increased demand. Don't put this off.

-- mostly lurking (mostly lurking @ podunk.texas), July 31, 1999.

If you have just discovered Y2K and have a strong instinct that you should relocate, once you have found the area... make your move. It may be more practical to do a long-term rental and adopt a wait-and- see attitude, once you are enmeshed in the new locale and (hopefully) in the new community.

It is the single best Y2K prep you can make if you live in an area frought with Y2K hazzards (high population, great dependency on the infrastructure, reliance on many layers of municipal services, etc.,etc)

Then, get that garden started, and make your plane for water storage and purification.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), July 31, 1999.

Linda and Linda A. Why do you want to store water, if there are creeks and streams all around? Are they going to dry up on Jan 1? The water is already stored for you in the lakes and streams. All you have to do is purify it.

Linda, and all the other folks who are having a problem with a round to oval stove connection: Is this a joke? Nearly all wood cook stoves and some wood heaters have oval connectors. They do it to save space on the stove tops. As far as I know there are no adaptors. If someone tells you that you need an adaptor, tell them to take a hike. The oval connectors on your wood stove/heater will have the same circumference as the round pipe; sitting on it would probably work, but you can normally just squeeze it with your hands as you slip it into place.

As far as the folks who say they want to have firewood split by this fall, I recommend doing your splitting a lot earlier. The wood should be as dry as you can get it (it will burn cleaner, hotter and will produce less creosote in your flue) Splitting the wood early helps it dry out faster. I like to let the wood dry for AT LEAST as year before burning it. Obviously, it's too late for that now, if you haven't already done so, but get it done sooner than later.

JOJ, who has been heating with wood for 24 years.

-- jumpoffjoe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), August 01, 1999.

Come one, Sarah, don't you think they'd be better off stockpiling food (which they can buy now), rather than starting a garden first (which will take a lot of work and time to produce)???

JOJ

-- jumpoffjoe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), August 01, 1999.

Yeegads, yet another thought: the MALE end of the stovepipes should go DOWN! That way, the creosote which will be generated, especially if you are burning the wrong species of wood, or wood which has not been well enough seasoned, will run back into the stove, rather than down the outside of the flue.

I'm referring to the flue which is inside the house. The metalbestos or whatever which is going thru the attic and above the roof will depend on the type: follow manufacturer's suggestion.

If smoke leaks out thru the joints in the flue pipe, there is either a design defect in your system or a creosote buildup in the flue. Perhaps the stovepipe terminates too close to the roof, etc. If it is a big problem, and you (or a chimney cleaner or other expert) have not been able to correct the problem by adding more pipe, properly sizing the pipe to the stove or heater, or cleaning the pipe, there are products designed to seal the joints. I can't recommend any, because I've never known anyone who had to use them.

JOJ

-- jumpoffjoe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), August 01, 1999.