To buy a generator or not?

[riggler]

Okay, possibly big hurricane coming here soon (Pennsylvania, US).

If I am going to get a generator, I need to buy one today while they are still in stock!

BUT, is it really worth it? On average, I will get 13 hours on a 7 gallon tank of gas. So that means I need to store a LOT of gas to keep it running for any significant amount of time. And then I will need to be able to go and get more gas!

Opinions?

Things I would like to run are the refrigerator, sump pump, and water heater.

 

[sodderboy]

And you need to put those items on a switchable subpanel. Factor that into the expenses. How often do you loose juice?  Once in a big storm with no sump pump is too many. I don't because my power is quite stable. The actuarial numbers don't work in favor of it for me.  My neighbor the electrician installed one. Just don't keep the bass(typed on phone, should be gas.  Funny it's like frozen bass or something!) too long. Dump it in your car a couple times per year and refill

 

[PRR]

Sandy won't hit Pennsylvania until Tuesday. And she/he may veer a different way. They 'predict' a turn on Sunday/Monday. They are probably wrong. I would gas the car this weekend. Maybe pick up a hand bailing pump from a boat store (yes, not so many of those in upland Pennsy).

> refrigerator, sump pump, and water heater

Hot water is not high on my list.

All the stuff in your fridge... can't you replace it for same/less than the price of a decent generator? If power went out a lot, it might pay. But very few hurricanes come into PA with high violence. (I know: I lived in NJ for decades and took the near-hit for you a couple times.) By the time the next hurricane comes your way, the genset you buy now will be ruined by sitting idle.

If you do have frequent power-outs: consider Propane. There's no simple legal way to keep days-worth of gasoline at your home (if power is really out, the gas stations will be dead), and today's "gasoline" can gel-up in weeks. There is a guy near you will drop a 200-pound tank of prope and it will keep for a decade or more.

You MUST have a proper cut-over switch which can NOT leak your generator onto the lines in the street where workers are trying to patch things up. For a one-off, you un-plug the vital appliances from house-wire and run them all on extension cords from the generator (which, being outside, means leaving windows open a cord-crack in the cold driving rain). Your water-heater is probably not plug-connected.

 

[JohnRoberts]

The nice thing about hurricanes is you have lots of advance warning. You can already be making extra ice cubes, to keep a few days worth of beer and food in a cooler (I never ran out of cold beer after Katrina, and that was a hurricane). 

A camp stove is handy for making coffee and even cooking simple meals.

it is a nice respite from the WWW for a few days off the grid... When it gets dark, go to sleep.

After a serious hurricane even the cellphone towers go down after a few days without mains power.

I will concede losing power in NE in late Oct is not the same as MS in august,, perhaps use a sleeping bag to keep warm.

JR

 

[adeptusmajor]

A generator takes the fun out of the whole experience. Some batteries and flashlights, candles (be careful), gas for the grill, gas for the car, plenty of alcohol, food, good to go. My wife just reminded me to grind up some coffee beans, last time around I was using a meat tenderizer to grind them for a few days. It didn't turn out perfectly, but at least they were fresh ground. We will be losing power eventually, with the way trees hang over the lines in this neighborhood. It doesn't take much.

I'm on the coast in SE VA. Sandy has been rolling in here since last night, kind of lackluster so far. We're supposed to get the worst of it tonight through tomorrow morning, so we'll see. It's supposed to last through several tide cycles, so flooding is the big worry around here. Plenty of flooding already in the usual spots this morning, especially in Norfolk. I did wake up to find my roof leaking again where I thought I had fixed it, so that's fun.

Anyway... everybody in the path be safe and enjoy the impending camping trip!

 

[JohnRoberts]

A generator takes the fun out of the whole experience. Some batteries and flashlights, candles (be careful), gas for the grill, gas for the car, plenty of alcohol, food, good to go. My wife just reminded me to grind up some coffee beans, last time around I was using a meat tenderizer to grind them for a few days. It didn't turn out perfectly, but at least they were fresh ground. We will be losing power eventually, with the way trees hang over the lines in this neighborhood. It doesn't take much.

Yup.. I have a hand grinder so I can still enjoy fresh coffee with my camp stove.

I'm on the coast in SE VA. Sandy has been rolling in here since last night, kind of lackluster so far. We're supposed to get the worst of it tonight through tomorrow morning, so we'll see. It's supposed to last through several tide cycles, so flooding is the big worry around here. Plenty of flooding already in the usual spots this morning, especially in Norfolk. I did wake up to find my roof leaking again where I thought I had fixed it, so that's fun.

Anyway... everybody in the path be safe and enjoy the impending camping trip!

Yup, Full moon (tomorrow) makes high tide a little higher, so slow moving heavy rain will make the storm surge even worse.

Good Luck. '

JR

 

[riggler]

I went to the local marine supply place this morning and got a 12V bilge pump. 1100 gph. Mounted it to a masonite board (cause it's light). Put it in my crawlspace with exit tube going to our runoff system. Put a 30' lead on it, terminated to cigarette lighter plug. Fused for 7 amps.

Car's got a full tank of gas.

That's all she wrote!

Have fun everybody!

 

[JohnRoberts]

Now that sir is DIY...

Good Luck

JR

 

[sodderboy]

Thats the spirit!  Keep the car away from trees.

Major, I assume you will be hitting the MRE's during the storm?  Beer is a good dillutant for dehydrated chili.  I've used a gas grill in summer winds and it's not pretty.  Move it into the garage and it's time for CO poisoning or blowing-up the car.

Batten-down the hatches.
Mike

 

[sodderboy]

The actuarial numbers shifted quite severely over five days with no power.  Just the no heat and shower issue indefinitely was enough.  I ended up going to MA and got a Honda 5000.  The next 9 days were weird but livable.  The temporary connection is into a jumpered double 30A breaker on my 2 phase panel.  The funny thing is that we had FIOS until the tree crews cut it a week in.

I have all the proper stuff on order- 10 circuit transfer switch, external hubbel box, etc. and will be ready for the next time.  Still hundreds of trees standing. . .
Mike