A Contest...

[Oldman]

Well it has been awhile since we did a contest.

Ok I just had installed roll up storm shutters. Some of them are very big and heavy due to their size. The problem was how to power them as I did not want any holes in my walls or electrical lines showing on the outside of the house.

So the question is: How did I power these shutters?

Good Luck!
Olds

EDIT: Forgot the prize is a 48 pack of pucks your choice from Chez... I pay.

We have a winner.... see below.

[icerat4]

Solar. ;)

[jimguy]

man power

[BigSmoker]

Thinking ;D.

[Oldman]

Too funny ... but NOPE!

[robs]

Very carefuly? Send me 1 puck.

[robs]

Seriously - batteries.

[Habanero Smoker]

After thinking about this overnight, I still don't have any ideas.

After thinking about it some more, my guess would be some type of crank system. The three possibilities I can come up with is 1) manual hand crank; 2) crank system that is operated by an electric or battery powered drill; of 3) a crank system using Emergency Wind-up Dynamo technology.

[winemakers]

hmm, storm shutters, how about windmill! :P

How about manpower.  eg: Manual labor.  don't use them often, seems like a reliable, safe, environmentally safe solution.


mld

[West Coast Kansan]

I have never been to FLA to see these but in some parts of France I have spent time a lot of high end houses use these for privacy / security at night. They are heavy on a large window.

OK, My head tells me you went with the manual cranks since there is usually time to prepare for a major storm. HOWEVER, from your past posts your pretty clever guy - - you would have a portable generator so you have that as a back up as well - if electricity was lost (like you would expect in a storm).

Storms=Low pressure, automatic initiated closure triggered by a sustained / rapid drop in barametric pressure as detected by a microprocessor controlled barametric pressure reading device.  The baro likely has a hot film anamometer as a secondary detector for wind speed?  ??? YOUR MAKING ME CRAZY HERE! Please just tell me its a crank  ???

[agent provocateur]

you got ed leedskalnin living in your basement...

[Oyènkwara]

old's

My first guess would have been Solar as well....

however how about a spring mechanism?

Tom

[manxman]

Some sort of sash/cantilever weight assisted mechanism?

Don't worry Olds, if I did by some fluke get it right I will nominate a winner....... cost of shipping across the pond would give you palpitations!! ;)

Won't hold my breath though!! :-[

[Oldman]

Ok we have two winners....
Hab:

Hab: 2) crank system that is operated by an electric or battery powered drill

Hab as soon as Chez gets back I will have him send to you a 48 pack.
Congrats Hab~~!

Seriously - batteries.

rob you were close with your answer, and after re-reading my question I feel I did not word it correctly so I will have chez send to you a pack of 48 also. Congrats.

All in all when doing a retro this idea IMO is the best.  If this was new construction then I would have gone with electric motors on each window. Believe me lowering them with a hand crank is a piece of cake. It's the cranking those big ones back up by hand that is the problem. In fact the main window in the front of the house Susan cannot hand crank it up at all.... but she is a whiz with that drill...  ;D Not to mention but that drill is a lot cheaper than the thousands we would have had to pay for the motors and wiring. Given that we might only use them once or twice per year this was the way to go.

This is the type we got:


Now on the doors and the skylights we have clear corrugated panels. This allows light in and allows you to see out. Our exit door is the side door of the garage which is double walled steel, or we can use the main garage door. 
Olds

[gpsmoker]

(sigh).....was gonna say squirrel power...but....well....too late... (sigh)    ;D ;D ;D

Greg