MomtoCandJ Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 We currently have a small one, but we plan on getting a whole house one when we build. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Yes,we have one as do most of my neighbors. We have a well and need electricity in order to have water. A couple of hours without water I can handle, but the electricity has been out on multiple occasions for days at a time. Not having water to shower or flush for that extended period of time is no fun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 No, but people I knew that got them tend to do so as a hurricane precaution. I think they were mainly using it to supply power to fridge. They are loud. I don't know if I could sleep in a house with one. The neighbor's was loud enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) No. We talked seriously about it after Sandy and meant to get one, but we just never did. Our water supply does not depend on electric (here at the house level, anyway), our gas stove and oven are ancient and don't need electricity to start, and our area is generally pretty stable (or maybe higher priority on the grid) than others around us seem to be, so it hasn't been a priority. We have small outages because I think the transformer nearest us is questionable (neighbor dude says the power company is finally addressing this year) but nothing too significant over the 14 years we've lived here. After Sandy, we got power back after four days, which was pretty quick for the region. We had friends coming over to get warm and wash clothes. My poor parents, on the other hand, were out for nearly two weeks and have regular, extended outages whenever there's a big storm for minor flooding. They've had a generator for years. So no, we haven't been too worried about it. It's still bouncing around in our heads though. If there was another Sandy-type storm predicted for our area, we might go get one ahead of that. Edited January 7, 2017 by ILiveInFlipFlops 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Yes, we do. A big one. It powers basic lights, heat, fridge, electronic light of gas stove and vent fan, but not the washer or dryer. Like I'm doing laundry in that situation anyway. We got it after the year the power was out for 8 days. We ran our gas fireplaces for 3 days and then got the heck out of here and went where they had power. The bill for that month (usually $300) was $1,200. So we bought a generator. My dh found it on CraigsList; it was very low cost, but it took half an army to haul it home. We also got our electrician out to re-wire the panel so we can turn off power to the grid ( very important for the lives of linemen! ) and switch power to the generator. Last year, our neighbors plugged a space heater into our generator so they were helped out a bit, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 We do and I love it because of the well. Being without water is by far the worst part of losing power. Our generator powers the well, the fridge, and several outlets. We have a wood stove so heat isn't a problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 (edited) For all those with generators, remember to stock up on spark plugs--they foul quickly! Good tip! Here are a couple more: 1) Always use ethanol-free gasoline in your generator. Ethanol is a very strong solvent AND it fouls your spark plugs quickly. If you don't know where to find ethanol-free gasoline, go to this web site. Unfortunately, ethanol-free gasoline is not available everywhere. 2) Add Sea Foam to your fuel gasoline to help keep it from going stale. Sea Foam is available at most auto parts stores and at places like Wal-Mart. 3) Run your generator every couple of months. There are several reasons for this: a) It moves the fuel out of the carburator to keep it from gumming up, b) It helps keep the magnets magnetized, which are needed to provide spark to the plugs, c) It helps to keep the spark plugs from fouling, and d) It recharges the generator's battery, if it has one. (It's really best to recharge the battery from a high-quality trickle charger occasionally.) 4) Replace (or use) all the fuel at least once a year. 5) Make sure to NEVER run in the garage. You need an extension cord long enough to ensure that your generator is not putting exhaust into the garage. (Unfortunately, extension cords for larger generators are expensive!) 6) Ensure that you cannot backfeed electricity to the grid. Many people feed generator power in through a dryer plug. If you do this and forget to turn off your main breaker before firing up your generator, you will be trying to energize the entire grid. This will likely overload your generator, but, more importantly, it will put dangerous high voltages out onto the grid while linemen are out there working. (The transformer that steps down the voltage coming to your house steps it UP when power flows the other direction.) It is best to have a transfer switch or a breaker panel with two interlocked mains that prevents this from ever happening. Not to self: Self, you need to do some of the items above! Edited January 8, 2017 by RegGuheert 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Yes, 2 actually. 1 for houseand one for power tools/welder. But we're off grid so it's all solar + generator - it runs my washing machine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 My neighbor has a whole-house generator attached to her home's gas line. She may never even notice that the power is out because it just comes on automatically. When we had an outage for several days one year, we took our devices over to her place to charge. This is what we have. If the power goes out, everything clicks back on in a few seconds. We then try to figure out if it was just a power surge or if the generator kicked on (if it is dark out, we look to see if other houses have lights or not). I love having it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 I know this is an old thread but we had the power go out for 3 days in early July and another storm just came through and we lost power again. This time should be only a few hours to a day as it isn't as wide spread. Our generator is chugging along nicely once again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Yes, we have one that will run the barns and one for the house. It's come in handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Ones that would power the entire house were quite expensive. We have one that is gas powered and we keep several gallons on hand. It will run the refrigerator, well pump, and electronics for the propane boiler in winter (the big freezer is in the garage/barn so it will stay cold in the winter on its own. In the summer, we would need to run it but would not be running the boiler so should still be okay. Plus we do have a few solar panels tied to a battery system that will provide some electricity as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Yes, we have a whole house generator. Our power rarely goes out, but when it does, it's nice to never have to worry about it. We have it serviced/maintained once a year and that's it. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Yes, we have a whole house generator. Our power rarely goes out, but when it does, it's nice to never have to worry about it. We have it serviced/maintained once a year and that's it. :) We have a whole house generator as well. I love never having to worry about the power going out. It is so worth it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyLiberty5013 Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 We live off grid, so a generator is essential to our power system. Our electrical needs are modest compared to folks in town. Our generator boosts our batteries when solar gain is nonexistent. For winter power outages you need to look at your household usage. What runs on electricity? If the power goes out, what can you live without? Maybe you want to convert your hot water to a on-demand propane hot water system. We have a propane refrigerator. Woodstove for heat? You best bet would be to get a propane generator hook-up to run your house in the event of a power outage. If you cannot afford a propane generator hook-up, then get the biggest generator you can afford. Have the forethought to buy gas, lots of gas, before a storm, and limit your generator usage since it is a direct draw of energy with no storage. Invest in candles. What type and how many batteries do you use for your PV system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Yes. We have two but use to have three. Before moving to Ohio we lived in Florida. Hurricanes and other storms would knock out our power for up to two weeks. It got old - and hot. Now, if we lose power it's up and running within minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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