Lovin my generator today.

[dickfoster]

The power went out around 9PM last night and the generator has been running ever since. It sure is nice having one than not. The only reason I'm on today is because the generator is doing it's thing. I have it so automated now that the wife didn't even know the power had gone out last night. All the critical stuff is working as usual and as usual PG&E can't tell you squat about when to expect it to be back on. They can tell you lots of stuff you don't want to know but can't or won't disseminate any relevant information. Gotta go the propane truck is here topping me up.

 

[TripleR]

We've had several outages since installation of our whole house unit and it's been worth every cent.

 

[Old Guy in Tenn]

Neighbors across the street have one of those whole-house generators which comes on automatically when the utility power goes out. They are retired and are gone for a week at a time in their camper. When we lose power they are usually gone, and we all chuckle that the only house with lights on is the empty one.

We have a small generator for the fridge, freezer and a light or 2. The rest is fluff.

 

[Shaneard]

Gotta go the propane truck is here topping me up.

Stay and chat, they don't need you to help. hahahahahahahaha

 

[ultrarunner]

Your area is heavily forested and power outages are all too common.

When my friends moved to the area in 1985 they soon found they needed a generator and bought one.

 

[dickfoster]

Neighbors across the street have one of those whole-house generators which comes on automatically when the utility power goes out. They are retired and are gone for a week at a time in their camper. When we lose power they are usually gone, and we all chuckle that the only house with lights on is the empty one.

We have a small generator for the fridge, freezer and a light or 2. The rest is fluff.

What no Internet, no TV, no microwave, how is life possible? LOL Also no power=no heat as both gas furnaces will not run without the fans and no water if you live with a well. I even run the furnace fans to circulate the heat from the wood burning stove. That way my small wood stove heats the entire house.
If I were to leave for any period, I'd simply switch the automatic function off. It's a single rocker switch so isn't any more complicated than that. Switch auto back on when we return home. I guess some folks don't want their plumbing etc. to freeze up if they are gone so many leave the generator set to come on.

 

[dickfoster]

Stay and chat, they don't need you to help. hahahahahahahaha

I like to pay them right away. That way they'll come when I need them.
]

 

[dickfoster]

Your area is heavily forested and power outages are all too common.

When my friends moved to the area in 1985 they soon found they needed a generator and bought one.

Actually it's been pretty good for the last couple of years. Just after I got the mess the previous owner made of the generator install squared away the power quit going out. Murphy is always on the job. It's so widespread from the storm this time I guess it's getting to everybody. There is widespread flooding at lower elevations. Power is supposed to be back on at 5PM. Notes for anyone planning to live in California DO NOT live on a hillside, DO NOT live along a creek or river. If the fires don't get ya, the mudslides or floods probably will.

 

[dickfoster]

Oh goody the power if back on and the generator ran a few minutes to cool off then it shut itself down just like it's supposedtooutta without even dropping my Internet connection. PG&E will likely call soon to tell me the power has been restored. LOL As if we don't already know.

 

[bigdeano]

Power was out all day yesterday. Came back on in the middle of the night. Would have gotten pretty cold without my 10kw generator. The little Isuzu diesel just hums away without a complaint.

 

[coobie]

We've had several outages since installation of our whole house unit and it's been worth every cent.

+1....

 

[dragoneggs]

Wouldn't mind a whole house genny but that really is a luxury here. We lose power a half dozen times a year and usually less than 24hrs. In any case I have a Honda 3Kw portable gas gen and a mechanical interlock on our service panel. Still a bit of a manual job choosing which breakers you want on but I have smartened up and have a checklist/instructions for the wifey (if I am out of town) and keep a battery tender on the Honda so it is a simple electric key start. Keep a couple 5gal cans of fuel that I also use for mower and small engines around the place. Not a big investment and I can take it with me.

 

[tcreeley]

Christmas day power was out for 5 hours, 11 am to 4 pm. 3 days later it was out from 11pm , all the next day and came on at 3am.
We ran the generator from Lowes I bought a couple of years ago. We get outages summer and winter - branches, trees from wind damage and ice storms.
5500 watts, pull start. Two pulls at most. I set up my house panel so that it does one side with what I need. It is in my woodshop that I have a 100 amp service line out to. I flip the main breaker off in the house. Walk to my shop, start it and flip on my flip breaker to the house. I can shut off my 100 amp line to the shop from inside my house and check if I have services restored. When it is, I head out to the shop and shut off the generator, flip the line breaker and head back in.

Generators are great - running water, horse trough heater, lights, internet/phone, refrigerator , freezer, etc. .
Saved me a number of times heading out to work - grabbing that shower.

I set it up myself, like most things I do.

 

[Clint S]

Christmas day power was out for 5 hours, 11 am to 4 pm. 3 days later it was out from 11pm , all the next day and came on at 3am.
We ran the generator from Lowes I bought a couple of years ago. We get outages summer and winter - branches, trees from wind damage and ice storms.
5500 watts, pull start. Two pulls at most. I set up my house panel so that it does one side with what I need. It is in my woodshop that I have a 100 amp service line out to. I flip the main breaker off in the house. Walk to my shop, start it and flip on my flip breaker to the house. I can shut off my 100 amp line to the shop from inside my house and check if I have services restored. When it is, I head out to the shop and shut off the generator, flip the line breaker and head back in.

Generators are great - running water, horse trough heater, lights, internet/phone, refrigerator , freezer, etc. .
Saved me a number of times heading out to work - grabbing that shower.

I set it up myself, like most things I do.

Breakers can a do fail and can feed power wen thrown. Dad was a lineman for 40 years. Ask him how he knows.........
Be careful.
His partner was badly hurt by just this scenario, a faulty main in a house was backfeeding through the transformer and he was hit with several thousand volts.
I run a single throw disconnect, dad pulls his meter.

 

[KubotainNH]

I have a 3800w inverter generator and 6 pole transfer switch. It is setup so that the wife or kids can hook it up if I'm not home, 5 mins for me to do. It gets too cold here not to have something for heat. This thread reminds me that it's time to exercise it. In 2015 we lost power on Thanksgiving day. The generator allowed us to have warm food. The micro and whatever else we used maxed it out but the food was still yummy. It's a good thing my wife cooks the turkey the day before.

 

[dragoneggs]

Generators are great - running water, horse trough heater, lights, internet/phone, refrigerator , freezer, etc. .

Running water is one thing I don't have when sucking on the generator. Just not enough start up power for the well pump. :thumbdown: But I can't justify a bigger gen just for that. I do kinda like a little 'roughing' it... makes me appreciate conservation. Our well head and small storage tank is located a good 50ft higher and 150ft up the hill so we do get some gravity feed to stock up for a bit. :thumbsup:

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Gotta go the propane truck is here topping me up.

I'm glad "I'm" not the one getting THAT bill! Making your own power isn't cheap!

SR

 

[Industrial Toys]

Did someone say ISUZU? I'm just working on such a genset. Backup for my backup for my backup for my backup! Sweet (slow) running jap motor.

Weather here, utter crap, but the power has not flickered.

 

[ultrarunner]

Breakers can a do fail and can feed power wen thrown. Dad was a lineman for 40 years. Ask him how he knows.........
Be careful.
His partner was badly hurt by just this scenario, a faulty main in a house was backfeeding through the transformer and he was hit with several thousand volts.
I run a single throw disconnect, dad pulls his meter.

Pulling the meter we be 100% effective but here it is also considered tampering and comes with a hefty fine...

Plus most of the meters around here a locked... either need a tool or key to remove the ring...

 

[bigdeano]

Did someone say ISUZU? I'm just working on such a genset. Backup for my backup for my backup for my backup! Sweet (slow) running jap motor.

Weather here, utter crap, but the power has not flickered.

I made it with an engine from a 1983 Isuzu I Mark and a 10kw belt drive generator. It worked out real well, nice little engine. Not very common though nowadays.