By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
As I sit here, watching the snow quickly pile-up on the back porch table (and dream of tomorrow’s inevitable bowl of snow cream), I’m thankful for the large, unsightly propane tank gracing our side yard.
I wasn’t so thankful earlier this year when our stove decided to suddenly quit heating up. The range top still worked, and we have an air fryer/toaster oven. But Thanksgiving and holiday meals were on the horizon, and my wife eats way too many pizzas for any of those to be long term options.
We had said before that when our stove went out we were going to replace it with a gas range – heating soup and boiling water for coffee on a kerosene heater during a power outage makes it easier to assert such things.
We’d also talked sporadically about putting in some supplemental propane heat – being stuck in a single sealed off bedroom with two bored and hyperactive children bouncing around said kerosene heater does that. What we hadn’t hoped for, or counted on, was needing to do both at once.
No, in our grand scheme we’d add on the propane heat when we had the extra money and time to do the work. Then, later, when we needed to replace or were ready to upgrade the oven, we’d trade out the electric range for a gas powered range and oven.
That, of course, isn’t how it happened. The stove quit working. We made do. We decided to go ahead and replace the electric stove with a gas one. This meant getting someone out to run gas lines. And, if you’re having gas lines run anyway, it’s probably best to go ahead and order your gas heater and decide where you want it installed. (That was our thinking anyway.)
Of course, getting Lowe’s delivery schedule to line up with the schedule for the propane installation was nearly impossible, and we were requiring on Lowe’s to haul off the old stove when they brought the new one. This meant we had several days where we were forced to use tabletop induction burners to heat water for coffee, or fry eggs for breakfast, while we waited.
Inconvenient? Yes.
Worth it? Absolutely.
While we watch this snow pile up, I can rest secure knowing that no matter what happens with the weather, or the power, my family will stay warm. We will be able to put hot food in their stomachs. They’ll be able to enjoy the common areas, in comfort – even if they end up having to do without tablets and electronic devices for a day or two.
We may not need it at all. But I’ve been on the other end of that, and I’ll take having and not needing over the needing and not having any day of the week.
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already made it through the worst of the snow – though if your power is out, you might still be waiting for repairs, and using this newspaper for kindling. But, as our experience this spring points out, it’s never too late or too early to start planning for the worst that winter can throw at us.
After we make it through this snowfall, think about what you needed most and had the least access to. Is it heat? If so, will propane heat work for you? Or are you in a place where it’s hard to get a tank to? If that’s the case, would a wood-burning stove work better for you? Or do you need electricity to keep an oxygen machine running through the night?
If electricity is a priority, is an emergency generator enough to get you through the inclement weather? Or do you want to make your electrical infrastructure upgrade part of a bigger energy efficiency and independence plan, with solar panels and storage batteries part of your budget?
You never know when the need for the things you’ve invested in may arise, but I can promise you’ll never regret making improvements that will keep you, and your family, safe, warm, and secure – no matter what weather Mother Nature throws at us.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
