Comparison Home Stand By Generators

[Sodo]

The time it takes to deal with extension cords (during an outage) is less than the time it takes to type some of these detailed posts I see here on TBN. It appears that readiness for power outage is kind of like a hobby for some. To see how far you can take it.

If you're able-bodied, you don't NEED all that power, all that convenience, all that cost. It probably takes 10x 20x the money to get from 80% to 100%. But it can be fun if you have extra cash, what the heck is cash for anyway? We live in a rich society, the social security check is for HOBBIES for lots of folks (who still b**ch about the country, probably louder than the rest!). Standby power system can't cost as much as a Corvette or a Hummer or a 4WD Dually F-350 and there sure are a lot of those sold.

And there are many different situations people live in. I wouldn't have that much "value" in a power system just sitting there, just in case. You have to worry about it, maintain it, etc. But that's me. I waste my money on motorsports, old trucks, and an excavator.:laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Wow, we've gone from informative to downright silly. If you hang up clothes on the shower rod around here, they'll still be wet in the morning.

As I said earlier, not everyone's situation is the same, and what might be a convenience for you is a necessity for me....but the way you're posting, if you don't need it, nobody else does either.

We don't have a wood burner, or any other source of heat, so if the power goes out, the house is cold...and easily cold enough to burst pipes in bad weather. We also get 100*+F weather in the summer on a regular basis....yeah, you go ahead and open your windows when it's that hot out, and sweat your butt off all night long...that'll teach the rest of us.

Maybe your wife can manage lugging gas cans and generators if you're not there, but mine can't....she simply isn't strong enough (and has a bad shoulder). If I'm away, it's often a situation where I simply can't return, no matter what, and there isn't anybody around to help her. If I die, I doubt she'll stay here because it would be too much for her to manage at this point.

The good thing was, it didn't cost all that much money ($7500) to get a standby generator set up that she doesn't have to worry about any of that. It keeps us comfortable, ensures she can work from home no matter what, and takes care of things if we're out of town and the power goes out for any length of time....pretty easy decision, but I guess we're not cheap.

For some people, having the few bucks in their pocket is worth less than the security and convenience a good system provides.

Your points are well taken, and I apologize for the rather harsh comments if you were offended. However, I did say that some folks do need it for valid reasons, and some folks want it for comfort and convenience, and I have no issues with either of those.

It just amazes me that people will spend $5K, $10K, $15K, etc... for the ability to live their lives without interruption of convenience, and when you ask them how much it actually costs to operate their generator, they reply with "who cares?" Well, I care. I can't fathom not caring about how much something costs. I'd like to know how much fuel that darn thing consumes, which fuel is the most economical, is it affordable, do I have the funds to do such a project? etc.... and then determine if its really necessary for us or just a convenience for us and can we afford that necessity or convenience, or if we should put the money to better use elsewhere.

Fortunately, a few folks have given some real numbers from their personal experience and I appreciate that.

 

[astrohip]

Are any of you guys with the automatic whole house systems running into trouble with permits?

Every area is different. In Houston, stand-by generators are permitted. It's not a big deal, and most of it is common sense. But it requires that a plumber hook up the gas, an electrician the wiring, that the local power transmission company disconnect/connect the meter, etc. It's one thing to screw it up and burn down your house in the country. In the city, where houses are spitting distance from each other, there is a certain comfort in knowing I don't have a rogue installation 6 feet from the side of my house.

It seems from reading the posts that a lot of you have all electric or heavily electric homes?

I have as much on natgas as possible--dryer, heat, stove. And STILL use a bunch of elec. Two a/c, pool, two refrs, and on and on. If you have a 3,000 sqft house in a tropical environment, you WILL use a bunch of elec.

If its hot, we open the windows. If its cold, we throw another log on the woodburner.

And I'm glad that works for you. But along the Gulf Coast, you can't just throw the windows open. Houses built in the last 30-40 years were designed for ac, not breezes. I grew up in a house with windows that created cross-breezes, and an attic fan (remember those? they were great). Now, it's ac or you are very uncomfortable. And we have little need for heat, but when we do, we turn it on. A woodburner would be just as much a waste for us as a generator seems to be for you.

When a hurricane cuts elec to 400,000 homes in Houston, there are no hotel rooms, no groc stores, no gas stations, no nothing. We either evacuate or stay home and whine. Or let our generator do the work and life the high life!

Sure it's a waste of money. But there ain't no wallets in coffins.

YMMV.

 

[GManBart]

If you're able-bodied, you don't NEED all that power, all that convenience, all that cost.

But that's me. I waste my money on motorsports, old trucks, and an excavator.:laughing:

If you're able-bodied, you don't NEED an excavator, you can just use a shovel and wheelbarrow, right? The excavator is probably 2000X more cost, so why waste all that money?

My wife is a very fit, athletic runner, but she's a very small person who has a history of shoulder problems...having her haul 35lb gas cans during an outage (with me away) would be ridiculous when we can afford a standby NG system. Is that a convenience? Maybe, but then so is her keeping her job which requires essentially uninterrupted power, phone, and computer service.

We spent over twice as much money on replacing flooring when we remodeled the house after buying it, and I know which one is more practical, and functional, so it's all about perspective.

This topic always winds up with this type of debate/discussion because it depends on individual circumstances too much for any of us to make blanket statements on who needs what.

 

[K man]

If you're able-bodied, you don't NEED an excavator, you can just use a shovel and wheelbarrow, right? The excavator is probably 2000X more cost, so why waste all that money?

That is a great answer :thumbsup:

 

[Toyboy]

It's all about choices, each of us has made one. Non of us should criticize or try to push our type of lifestyle on others. If everyone thought the same it would be a very boring life. You do what works for you, whether it be large or small. End of story

 

[K man]

Toyboy has spoken

 

[Sodo]

If you're able-bodied, you don't NEED an excavator, you can just use a shovel and wheelbarrow, right? The excavator is probably 2000X more cost, so why waste all that money? That is a great answer :thumbsup:

I don't think it's a waste of money, my excavator can be easily sold for about the same amt that I paid. With it I do tasks that nobody would consider with a shovel and a wheelbarrow. But along the line of "do I NEED it?",,,,,,No, the jobs, like land cleanup, ATV trails, don't NEED to be done. It's a HOBBY! :thumbsup:

K-man you should probably focus on my motorcycles which depreciate, and don't do anything useful. But if the road washes out I can still get to the store to buy fabric softener sheets for the dryer! :laughing:

Yep there is so much wealth "wasted" in this rich country pointing a finger at someone else gets silly quick. Almost everybody is wasting their wealth one way or another. But no sense in being the richest guy in the cemetery.

 

[K man]

But if the road washes out I can still get to the store to buy fabric softener sheets for the dryer!
You sure can but it will take forever to get there on your Excavator :laughing:

 

[GManBart]

I don't think it's a waste of money, my excavator can be easily sold for about the same amt that I paid. With it I do tasks that nobody would consider with a shovel and a wheelbarrow. But along the line of "do I NEED it?",,,,,,No, the jobs, like land cleanup, ATV trails, don't NEED to be done. It's a HOBBY! :thumbsup:

I don't really think it's a waste either...heck, I'd like to have one too, and just bought a backhoe, so I can't really point fingers at anybody.

Along the lines of selling equipment to recoup costs, I think a standby generator adds value to a home, especially in rural ares which tend to have service restored last during major outages. At the very least, it can help curb appeal when people compare similar houses. That isn't easy to put a hard number on, but should count for something. Our home was wired with an outside outlet for a portable generator, and I considered it a plus...just one thing I didn't have to do right away. We didn't go with that solution, but it was still a plus for the house.