Things are getting serious

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10 years 10 months ago - 10 years 10 months ago #34175 by Siscowet
Things are getting serious was created by Siscowet
I don't know if any of you have been following it, but one of the better arguments for being prepared is unfolding in the upper Midwest. Last summer I bought propane to fill my tank for $1.09/gallon. This week the price is pushing $5/gallon. The price to fill a 500 gallon to 80% (standard procedure). Went from $420 to almost $2,000 Why? Bad planning and bad weather. The corn crop was a record in the Midwest this year, but a wet fall meant it had to be dried before it was brought to market. Grain driers use a massive amount of propane. On top of that, the main pipeline for propane transport into the upper Midwest from Canada was down for repairs between the end of October and December 20. Plus, a warm winter was anticipated, so propane futures were sold to overseas customers, leaving US stocks very low. Now add a winter that started in October, and in Duluth is currently at the third coldest on record, as well as large amounts of snow, and you have the situation starting to reach crisis proportions. I am glad that 8 years ago I made the decision to go dual fuel; in my case a propane system, with a wood boiler heat exchanger hooked up to it. I am also glad I listened to my gut instinct and ordered an extra semi of wood. I am going to run out of my cut wood in about a month, but I have ten more cords up the hill.
The point is this: You don't have to be a doomsday prepper, but understand it is not a bad idea to be ready for disruptions in the supply network, and have a back up plan. It is now compounded by a natural gas pipeline explosion in Canada that is affecting natural gas delivery to Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. Barring breakdowns, I will be OK but I am starting to worry about my neighbors. And tonight, it is forecast to be -13 F. Tomorrow night; -18 F.
Even in the modern world, we are just a few distribution network break downs from potential disaster.
Last edit: 10 years 10 months ago by Siscowet.
The following user(s) said Thank You: MrMarty51, jtallen83

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10 years 10 months ago #34190 by MrMarty51
Replied by MrMarty51 on topic Things are getting serious
Be very prepared, as there is a number of volcanoes on line to go offt at any time.
HEYHEYHEY, sort of puts a full reversal to al gores global warming. :whip: :sharkey:

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10 years 10 months ago #34193 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Things are getting serious
Sisco, Global Warming will fix this problem.

We are lucky. Last year I used one tank (250 gal) of propane. This year I used same amount in only 6 months (due to factors we know about) so I had to winter up about a month ago. Price was higher than last year but not out of bounds, i will not need propane till next winter and hopefully by then it will have settled down. If you get in a bind, holler me and my 455 Rancher chain saw will be there...it was 80 degrees yesterday, wife was out laying on the deck suntanning...

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10 years 10 months ago #34196 by MrMarty51
Replied by MrMarty51 on topic Things are getting serious
Here in town, We are on natural gas, it is imported from North Dakota.
Last year there was so much N.G. that there was no room to store any more so they were burning it off at the well heads.
Too bad they could`nt bottle that stuff for You guys.

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10 years 10 months ago #34197 by Libertarian623
Replied by Libertarian623 on topic Things are getting serious
About 5 years ago a neighbor cut down his cheery tree in his back yard (had a tree service do it)I asked the guys to just throw it over the fence into my yard. I cut it and split and stacked it in the back corner with a tarp over it. Since then the wife has asked me to get rid of it a hundred times, from time to time I use a stick for smoking venison. Well on new years eve the furnace gave up the ghost ( I woke up at 5 am to find the temp in the house down to about 58 degrees) outside was bellow zero. By about 6 am the wife came into the living room and asked why I had a fire in the fireplace (we have a 1950's ranch with a fireplace that dominates the center of the house 4'x10'footprint). By noon the temp in the house was 70 degrees. And there it remained until the furnace was replaced about 8 days later seems a lot of folks had furnace troubles over the holidays cold snap. Anyways I have about a 1/2 a face cord left in the pile. I told the wife I would be replenishing the pile in the spring, she said "what for we have a brand new furnace" I replied "I don't think our neighbors all do". Tout jour prest

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10 years 10 months ago #34199 by 10-76
Replied by 10-76 on topic Things are getting serious
WI government meetings today, as LP suppliers will probably be filing for bankruptcy protections. Be interesting to see if consumers with contracts are protected in time.

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10 years 10 months ago #34200 by Siscowet
Replied by Siscowet on topic Things are getting serious

OleCowboy wrote: Sisco, Global Warming will fix this problem.

We are lucky. Last year I used one tank (250 gal) of propane. This year I used same amount in only 6 months (due to factors we know about) so I had to winter up about a month ago. Price was higher than last year but not out of bounds, i will not need propane till next winter and hopefully by then it will have settled down. If you get in a bind, holler me and my 455 Rancher chain saw will be there...it was 80 degrees yesterday, wife was out laying on the deck suntanning...

80 degrees! Thanks for the offer, I got it covered. Plus I wouldn't want to be responsible for the look on a Texan's face when you would have to walk through 3 feet of standing snow to get to the woodpile. Gonna have a friend with an earth bucket dig me a path. I will post a pick later of the pile.

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10 years 10 months ago #34201 by Siscowet
Replied by Siscowet on topic Things are getting serious

10-76 wrote: WI government meetings today, as LP suppliers will probably be filing for bankruptcy protections. Be interesting to see if consumers with contracts are protected in time.

I think my supplier might be one. Some suppliers are only selling 200 gallons at a time to make sure supplies last.

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10 years 10 months ago #34202 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Things are getting serious

Siscowet wrote:

OleCowboy wrote: Sisco, Global Warming will fix this problem.

We are lucky. Last year I used one tank (250 gal) of propane. This year I used same amount in only 6 months (due to factors we know about) so I had to winter up about a month ago. Price was higher than last year but not out of bounds, i will not need propane till next winter and hopefully by then it will have settled down. If you get in a bind, holler me and my 455 Rancher chain saw will be there...it was 80 degrees yesterday, wife was out laying on the deck suntanning...

80 degrees! Thanks for the offer, I got it covered. Plus I wouldn't want to be responsible for the look on a Texan's face when you would have to walk through 3 feet of standing snow to get to the woodpile. Gonna have a friend with an earth bucket dig me a path. I will post a pick later of the pile.

Should I bring my John Deere too? :twothumbs:

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10 years 10 months ago #34208 by MrMarty51
Replied by MrMarty51 on topic Things are getting serious

Libertarian623 wrote: About 5 years ago a neighbor cut down his cheery tree in his back yard (had a tree service do it)I asked the guys to just throw it over the fence into my yard. I cut it and split and stacked it in the back corner with a tarp over it. Since then the wife has asked me to get rid of it a hundred times, from time to time I use a stick for smoking venison. Well on new years eve the furnace gave up the ghost ( I woke up at 5 am to find the temp in the house down to about 58 degrees) outside was bellow zero. By about 6 am the wife came into the living room and asked why I had a fire in the fireplace (we have a 1950's ranch with a fireplace that dominates the center of the house 4'x10'footprint). By noon the temp in the house was 70 degrees. And there it remained until the furnace was replaced about 8 days later seems a lot of folks had furnace troubles over the holidays cold snap. Anyways I have about a 1/2 a face cord left in the pile. I told the wife I would be replenishing the pile in the spring, she said "what for we have a brand new furnace" I replied "I don't think our neighbors all do". Tout jour prest

Always ready indeeedeee

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