Generators?

[knucklehead]

Just wondering?

You guys that are up in the ICY parts of the country, with or without electricity right now. Do ya'll have generators, and alternative heat sources? Maybe not at your shops, but at least at your homes? Every year ya'll get the icy limbs, that takes down the power lines, not a matter of if, just a matter of when? It happens down here, once every twenty years or so, but ya'll get it every year.

I think I'd have to have one of those big a$$ generators, and a propane tank, sitting out back. I would probably be commanded to do so.

 

[rjssigns]

I have a generator by default from my racing operation. We take it out of the race trailer and it goes in a corner of the shop for the winter. Runs on diesel so I don't have issues with gas going bad. Only used it once in 20 years for a power outage.
A drunk dude drove through a few back yards until he hit one of those green distribution boxes. Ripped it right off the slab. Power was down for 12 hours.

 

[James Burke]

There's a line about 50 miles north of me where everything has been out since last week and is expected to be out for a few more days. We dodged the bullet this time. See my post in another thread for how we heat our shop.

When the power goes out and we're not in the middle of a rush job, we use that time to sit down with a pen and paper (and kerosene lamp) and do some much-needed short term and long term planning. It's amazing what you can accomplish without all those electronic distractions.


JB

 

[Gino]

At the shop, too much of our equipment is too sensitive to be on line with a generator. We installed a House Generator at our home over two years ago, since electric is always going out where we live. Out in the boonies, you're generally the last to be put back on. Two weeks after we installed it, we needed it for 8 days, then again a year later for 2-1/2 days. We wait to see if the electric will go back on within 24 hours or so. Our water, sewage and just about everything is driven by electric. Electric to turn the well pump on, electric for the ignition in the oil furnace and electric to just make some food. We have a nice fireplace which works for half the house, but the generator is a nice peace of mind for us. Two gallons lasts about 2 to 2-1/2 days of usage, with periodic shut-downs. We have 60 gallons stocked out by the shed. Turn it over in September to keep it fresh.

 

[Locals Find!]

Down here in Florida we have propane generators for the house that kick on whenever the power goes out automatically. A full tank will keep my house going for 3 days with a heavy load. If I cut it down to just essentials like the fridge and a few lamps I can run over a week. The system I have setup only runs the generator to top off my battery bank when the batteries get below 50%.

Nice part is it's quiet running. You could stand right next to it and not even realize it's running.

 

[Billct2]

We have a portable generator for the shop to use when we're doing install where electricity isn't easily available.
When the shops power is down it's the perfect excuse for some break time. Since the shop is on a main road with lots of
businesses and residential units it's usually one of the first to get power back.
At home we heat with wood, if needed I grab the generator from work and can run the fridge and TV.
If I was building new I'd do a back up system (probably propane)

 

[gnatt66]

i have them around (due to racing and camping) a typical 4kw annoying open frame genset if needed and a cheap 2kw inverter for running the fridge and pellet stove etc. we dont usually lose power for more than a few hours.

 

[Mike Paul]

I recently bought this one. After 10 days without electric, heat and water I bit the bullet.
I went with the Interlock kit instead of the transfer switch so I can utilize the full panel playing the breaker game.

This is mainly to keep the heat on and pipes from bursting. If Sandy hit when it was below freezing that storm would have been 100 times worse with the damage done to homes...

 

[FS-Keith]

I simply take the crane to the house which has a miller bobcat. run my 100' cord to my breaker box and backfeed my entire house through a stove type outlet that i have on a dedicated 40amp double pull breaker.

 

[ProWraps]

we have two generators. one coleman/briggs stratton that is 3.5k and LOUD. i mean loud. you can hear it a mile away.

we also have a honda eu2200 that we use on our sport yacht that you cant hear from 20 feet away.

just make sure you consider the noise polution when you decide on your purchase.