Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Storm Outages and Emergency Generators

[Dave Craig (dave.craig]

Paul,

I live in Oklahoma so we have storm related power outages quite frequently
(a couple times each year).  I would say that at least 50% of my
neighborhood has backup generators.  Some have the very nice, permanently
installed whole house, generators.  And some of us have big portable
generators.  Mine is a DEK6500 (6500Watts, 8150 Watts peak).  It's a 220V
generator that I got for around $600 new from Ace hardware several years
ago.  It holds around 7 gallons of gas and this will last around 10 hours.
It will power our entire house in the winter (fridge, freezer, gas furnaces,
lights, Koi pond, TVs, PVRs, computers, and the entire theater).  Basically,
in the winter, we can walk around the house and not really miss anything.  I
do put a piece of scotch tape over the light switches that turn on multiple
lights (like the one in our bathroom that kicks on 10 light bulbs with one
switch).  The only thing this generator cannot do is to power up an AC unit.
So, if the power outage occurs in the summer, we start to get a little bit
warm.  My system is very easy to use.  My procedure is: verify welder plug
breaker is turned off, roll the generator outside, chain it up so it doesn't
run away from home, start it up, plug the generator into my 220 welder plug,
give the generator a minute to warm up, turn off the main breaker to the
house, turn on the welder breaker, and Poof!  The entire house becomes
energized.  My total cost was around $750, that's generator, plugs and
cables.  It's very easy to use and it takes me about 5 minutes to get up and
going.     

Contrasting this, the large permanently installed ones will power an AC unit
and some of them will automatically switch over for you.  So, your operation
could be seamless and almost idiot proof, but they cost way more than my set
up.  

Good luck,

Dave

  

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Bennett [mailto:pbennett [at] macnet.com] 
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 12:52 PM
To: Dave Craig
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: [Ferrari] Storm Outages and Emergency Generators

The recent storms brings probabilities of more bad weather and I'm 
wondering...those who already have emergency power systems, what size 
generator do you have or wish you had.

I know the tradeoffs of basic needs vs gasoline useage and even 
noise.  For a 3 day to 1 week outage, The 
freezers/refrigerator  would need some time as would some lighting 
and even the tv system (computer?).  One kw would possibly do this 
but that seems too minimal .  2.5kw perhaps?

Googled to find gas consumption for 5.5 kw Honda to be 1/2 gal /hour 
at half load, so a large rotating storage lawnmower can or two would 
be part of the emergency plan.  It would be nice to build a new house 
with emergency circuits built in but lacking that, a special premade 
extension cord cut to reach necessary appliances from the outside 
generator location without having to leave doors/windows open.

We rarely loose power (every ten years) but one rare time I ran the 
motor home generator output into the house and was the only one in 
the neighborhood with TV lighting being quite obvious from the 
street, but became acutely aware of the problem of finding and 
running a long cord inside.

What are you doing now or plan for the near future?

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