Questions for the Early Days

Maxthedm

I'm doing a project with some friends but we need some information about a few things before we start.

I assume electricity / water / gas will run out eventually due to them being unmanned and unmaintained, but how long before they stop running, particularly in the Dublin area if it makes a difference? I know it depends on how the electricity is generated (coal/peat plants wouldn't last long but hydroelectric and wind farms would last longer) but I'm not aware of the makeup of the Irish grid. Also, with some places, particularly hospitals that have a backup generator, can they last for hours or days?

I'm also curious about the internet and telephone communications as well. Is there a point when the networks get jammed with everyone trying to contact everyone else and again, how long will they last when the workers have left?

Any help would be much appreciated

phill106

Maxthedm wrote: »

I'm doing a project with some friends but we need some information about a few things before we start.

I assume electricity / water / gas will run out eventually due to them being unmanned and unmaintained, but how long before they stop running, particularly in the Dublin area if it makes a difference? I know it depends on how the electricity is generated (coal/peat plants wouldn't last long but hydroelectric and wind farms would last longer) but I'm not aware of the makeup of the Irish grid. Also, with some places, particularly hospitals that have a backup generator, can they last for hours or days?

I'm also curious about the internet and telephone communications as well. Is there a point when the networks get jammed with everyone trying to contact everyone else and again, how long will they last when the workers have left?

Any help would be much appreciated

I would think they would last days at most. We will all be scavenging the solar panels from the rich neighbours down the road :P
Generators would run forever (well if serviced, they are basically engines, if they are fueled). Would think if running 24/7 they would need to be refuelled...daily depending on size of storage tank and draw on the generator.
Regarding networks being jammes, think of new years eve multiply that by a million. Texts coming in hours later on a normal new years, id say will just crash. Whether the network works or not long term would not matter as the electricity generating it would be gone in days.

Grizzly 45

Power...about 24 hours max before the whole grid system cascades into a nationwide shutdown.Dont expect anything dramatic.The system is there and is supposed to do this as a saftey feature so that nothing major and catastrophic happens.However getting it restarted,unless you are a heavy duty electrical engineer is going to be fun.Especially as we depend alot on the inter connector from the UK/NI.

Gas,
About the same, before the power to run the pumps and refining plants goes out..and if not shut down properly on a national will be a major hazard with gas leaks fires and explosions all over the cities.
Water,
possibly a week or so depending on where you are and in what type of house ,apartment etc,and how full the storage tanks are in the building.
It will gravity feed,but once the tanks are empty....Anyone know how to sink a well??:pac:

Simply put once the power goes on that scale.You might as well start counting the hours the rest of the services we take for granted will be gone for ever or the forseeable future.Say max 48 hours:(

Internet and phones.. INOP within hours ..Gone within a week..System overload,power outages or damage in critical areas with no repair crews to re boot or re programme.You will proably get signals still in areas,as most of the relay stations have standby gennies with a fuel supply for short term power outages.They are not designed for massive outages of weeks or months.
So you might have a signal,and your phone might ring,but if it isnt connection because somwhere the 0 in the computor code reads 1 in a computor console somwhere in an office full of Z's.Your phone will be as useful as a flag to a chicken!

Hospital gennies and other places that have such.
Again they will last as long as you have fuel to power them ,or can ration it to power whatever vital functions you need.Hospitals that would be life support,incubators,life saving surgery.But eventually that will run out too.Usually appx 2weeks supply on bare usage.After that ...God help the Docs who are going to be making some tough decisions on triage,as to who lives and dies.:eek:

Best progarmme I've seen on this is the history channel, World without Man.Gives a pretty good prognosis on how long everything will last or stand ,if we all disappered.

Rick Deckard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thkLKWQyg_s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5wP6m0d0xc

Mahatma coat

most home/portable Generators can run for 48 hours non stop, after that point they start to fatigue and need to be rested cooled down and serviced, so if your plan relys on Generators you will need more than one, Satelite Internet is the way to go, as long as there are other people to connect to you will have a line of communication. Sinking wells is a bitch of a job, how many peple here could Run a Drill rig???? otherwise it involves digging and digging and digging and prayin that you are diggin in the right spot :eek: however water divination is a real thing that some people can do, I can - but my brother cant, this will make it slightly easier, I cant stress enough the nescessity to Get all the required information ahrad of time, print out documents on Transesterification for diesel, the how to of servicing small engines, the ins and outs basic electronics, and a Decent guide to the Growing seasons in whatever region yoa are in, by this stage most people should not only have their tinned food and basic survival kit ready but should also have a decent sized Folder of useful resoursces printed out and stored safely. hell even in the unlikely event that the apocalypse dosent come it would be handy to know how to service a small motor or to repair a genreator;)

bassey

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Especially as we depend alot on the inter connector from the UK/NI.

No we don't. Basically I'd give it about 48 hours until the grid shuts down once everyone in the ESB fecks off to put their Z day plans into operation and thats being optimisitic!

Grizzly 45

Mahatma coat wrote: »

most home/portable Generators can run for 48 hours non stop, after that point they start to fatigue and need to be rested cooled down and serviced,

Nope..You need a diesel genny;) Cost twice as much as a petrol model,but will last three times as long,if not your lifetime.There are true stories of old Lister diesel gennys running for 45 years non stop in the Aussie sheep stations,and all they needed was a supply of diesel.I could well belive it,if you ever saw one of these things,all of five working parts.
Sadly not made anymore.:(However our Chinese friends make exellent cheap models which will power your abode very well.

Satelite Internet is the way to go, as long as there are other people to connect to you will have a line of communication.

Hmmmmm,not be too sure on that..doesnt it still require ground stations,uplink stations etc,or has that become fully automated and out of US Govt control or am I thinking of GPS?

Sinking wells is a bitch of a job, how many peple here could Run a Drill rig????

otherwise it involves digging and digging and digging and prayin that you are diggin in the right spot :eek: however water divination is a real thing that some people can do, I can - but my brother cant, this will make it slightly easier,

Never met anyone who actually does this!How do you do this??
Is it a feeling for water.... or????Just fasinated by this whole thing.

I cant stress enough the nescessity to Get all the required information ahrad of time, print out documents on Transesterification for diesel, the how to of servicing small engines, the ins and outs basic electronics, and a Decent guide to the Growing seasons in whatever region yoa are in, by this stage most people should not only have their tinned food and basic survival kit ready but should also have a decent sized Folder of useful resoursces printed out and stored safely. hell even in the unlikely event that the apocalypse dosent come it would be handy to know how to service a small motor or to repair a genreator;)

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Not to mind ,get out and practise some of these skills,As Mahatma said it is a handy skill set to have with more likely things like bad weather[plenty of that last two years],save a few bob and be healthy,start a small garden,make another few bob sorting out the neighbours lawnmowers and strimmers,practise with your weapon of choice too.No point in waving it around when the first Zs come in and you have no clue as to what it will do.

Mahatma coat

I had a Lister on my farm in Australia, would have to agree with them being bulletproof, however most people will have cheapo Chinese jobbies that wont last that long.

I had satelite interweb on the Farm too, it was simply a case of point it at the right bit of the sky and it worked.

Water Divination is a kind of a 'vibe' thingy, the pointers move by themselves As far as I can tell, only they dont move for everyone. tis odd, theres no more knack to it than being able to roll your tongue.