what to do when powers out!

[OOOst16]

My power is not out. But I was just wandering as to what to do if it does. Say there is a natural desaster....yet your home survives....(along with your cham)....but you don't have a gennerator. What do you do....or what's best to do?....until you can get a generator for those ....oh so preciouse lights. And if you couldn't leave your home to get a generator.

 

[Chase]

My power is not out. But I was just wandering as to what to do if it does. Say there is a natural desaster....yet your home survives....(along with your cham)....but you don't have a gennerator. What do you do....or what's best to do?....until you can get a generator for those ....oh so preciouse lights. And if you couldn't leave your home to get a generator.

Why not put them outside for natural sunlight?

 

[boj3434]

I would at the least cover the cage completely with blankets soon after the power goes out to hold in the heat that was there. You could always find something smaller to put him in with a paper towel and use warmers, that you can buy almost any where, and put both the chameleon and the warmer in a box with some insulation like paper. You really need to just find somewhere with electricity like friends or family.

 

[kpritch17]

I think as long as the weather is warm enough, taking them outside would be the best bet as long as they are monitored. If you can't take them outside, though, the biggest issue would be keeping them warm..not having UVB for a day or two wouldn't be a big problem. Hopefully you could go get a generator by then.

 

[serenitystarlite]

My power went out at 1am this morning and came back on at 1pm. We had almost 2 feet of snow. There wasn't much I could do other than hope the temps didn't drop below 60 degrees, which thankfully they didn't. Lights came back on, I cranked up the heat to warm it up, fed the kids, and everyone seems fine. They just slept until the lights came on.

I meant to pick up some heat packs for a situation like this, but hadn't had a chance to look for any.

 

[meganm85]

My power went out at 1am this morning and came back on at 1pm. We had almost 2 feet of snow. There wasn't much I could do other than hope the temps didn't drop below 60 degrees, which thankfully they didn't. Lights came back on, I cranked up the heat to warm it up, fed the kids, and everyone seems fine. They just slept until the lights came on.

I meant to pick up some heat packs for a situation like this, but hadn't had a chance to look for any.

you got hit hard too?...i live near Harrisburg...i often wonder what i would do if that happened.....

 

[laurie]

Make sure you keep some heat packs on hand along with some cheap Styrofoam coolers. Just see that you have a way to keep the chameleons separated while in the coolers. It will be dark so the chameleons will sleep. With enough heat packs you can handle a power outage for a couple days.

 

[serenitystarlite]

Yeah, we're in a state of emergency. Roads are closed and we even have a water conservation order in effect because the power is out at the water treatment plant. I'm hoping the power doesn't go out again. The snow stopped, so it should be ok now.

 

[pssh]

Well, since you have a veiled, as long as your temps stay above 45 you can just put him in a dark container until you can get a heat pack. Once you do, wrap it in several layer of newspaper and put it in a larger container and put the smaller one in there. This is assuming it's winter. He'll just fall asleep through the stressful time until you can get to somewhere with electricity.

It probably wouldn't be good for long term containing, but it'd work for a while (like shipping kind of, except less movement.)

In the summer you just put him in a smaller cage outside.

 

[PardalisGirl]

How many chams?

Depends on outside temperature and how many chams you have. If you have a few chams and it is freezing in your house you can use the heat packs used for reptile shipping. I would keep them on hand anyway. They are good for winter trips to the vet. Or cover the cage and put a couple of heat packs in the cage.

If you have a lot of chameleons, live in a place that can freeze and the power goes out a lot (all apply to me) you should consider a generator. The cost of a big generator and the process of getting it hard wired into a new separate panel would be a fraction of the cost of losing just a very small part of my collection.

I've got chameleon, gecko and iguana cages in five different rooms and on separate circuit breakers. The generator can't handle the entire house (especially a furnace) so I had a new separate panel put in that takes selected breakers from the main panels for use when the generator is on. When the power goes off I flip the two regular panels off and switch on the generator panel. The house does not get heated but all the cages do and I can use space heaters to keep humans and cats warm.

It took a major outage years ago for me to buy the generator. We were without power for over a week. And it was below freezing. I had a lot less chameleons then and it was a huge nightmare. I used heat packs, all the fireplaces and blankets to keep reptiles warm. After three days I went to another city and bought a generator. They were totally sold out in my area. I had to drive to another city to buy gas daily though. The stations in my area couldn't pump for days and then couldn't get refilled due to weather.

Anyway, it is good to prepare for that situation. Or for a furnace going out. Ours did that last year during a week of unusually horrible freezing weather. It took a week to get it fixed because of parts. Its good that you are thinking and planning for something that might not happen, but could. You live in an area that can get really bad weather!

 

[sandrachameleon]

My power is not out. But I was just wandering as to what to do if it does. ...

Assuming outdoors is not an option for heat and UVB.

A window will provide sufficient light to see by (doesnt UVB, but they can go without UVB for quite awhile without issues).

If the house gets too cold and you need short term heat, put chameleon into a shoebox (he'll settle down after he's been in the dark for a while) with a towel wrapped:
-old fashioned but still very effective hot water bottle (your hot water tank will stay warm quite a while, or boil water on a BBQ or fire)
-or one of those chemical heat pads such as are used for shipping or keeping hands warm in gloves
-or the salt(i think?) based ones in which you snap a metal disk and the liquid gets hot as it hardens, then you can reuse it after boiling.

Some emergency animal hospitals have generators to keep their buildings warm, and may allow emergency day care, for a fee.

Consider a little UPS to run a small watt lightbulb - just enough to keep him warm in a smaller cage covered with a blanket.

You can buy small human-powered generators - you pedal a bike to create current to run his heat light bulb or an electric blanket (this isnt as far fetched as you might think: http://www.los-gatos.ca.us/davidbu/p...c_blanket.html
or http://www.windstreampower.com/Human..._Generator.php
or http://www.econvergence.net/easy.htm

Consider a gasoline or deisel generator if storms and power outages are common where you live.

Consider living somewhere with an alternate source of heat, such as propane or a wood fireplace, or a gas oven/stove.

Install Solar panels / wind turbines that charge batteries, which can then be used to power a heat bulb or whatever is needed.

 

[OOOst16]

Thanks to all who have responded! I think this was a good thread for people to learn off of!...I've never had eletirc go out durring the winter. And if if it does go outn during the summer. Yogg will be goong strait outside if the weather permits. I'm gona get some heat packs to be prepared!

 

[OOOst16]

Well even when the powers on yoggs going outside a lot during the days I'm not working in the summer. can't wait....he's never been in naural sun....since he was purchsed in september! Poor things been getting the artificial! I wish I lived in florida!

 

[meganm85]

Well even when the powers on yoggs going outside a lot during the days I'm not working in the summer. can't wait....he's never been in naural sun....since he was purchsed in september! Poor things been getting the artificial! I wish I lived in florida!

i wish i lived there too! we just got hit with a ton of snow!

 

[Time420]

Just an idea but I had Saltwater Reef tank few years back. We had power go out for bit when it was winter, i was worried about water temps and had a DC to AC converter for my work truck (run some power tools and my laptop/ps2 on long road trips ) got it for under $100 So..... i figure what the hell it can run a heater and water pump kinda a make shift generator but worked for the 12 or so hrs power was out. Just hooked it up to a battery by my setup. Not sure if this option is for everyone as has to be hooked up to car cig lighter or direct to car battery, and not everyone has a spare car battery laying around lol, but i'm guessing any 12volt battery would work just gonna limit your run time.

 

[summoner12]

My plan is that if I move to a colder place, I will buy a nice sized generator and probably make it possible to run on natural gas and/or propane.

but moving chams to a shoe box and moving the chams to a warmer place will work for a day or even two if you needed. Once in the dark and left alone not shaken) they will calm down.

 

[OOOst16]

Sbaken not stirred!