Advice on a Generator

[seedcorn]

It seemed like power failure happened all the time before I got a generator. Bought a used one on CL only had to use once for a short time. Harbor freight had a very small one for $100 for like tailgating. I bought one just for phone at work, have not used in 2 years still in box.

Buy a surge protector. First surge will take your phone OUT. I took several shop vacs out until I did that. Experience....

 

[baymule]

So you basically don't want to run the whole house, maybe just the refrigerator, freezer, fan and maybe TV? You gotta be real careful that the surges don't blow out your TV. We were without power almost a month after hurricane Ike. The tree that fell on the house naturally chose the end of the house where power tied into the house. So not only was there no power for anyone, but after power came back on, we had to wait our turn for an electrician to come redo the wiring.

We used a generator and ran extension cords to the refrigerator and freezer, also the luxury of a fan. Hurricanes manage to strike in miserably hot weather, so no AC. It used a lot of gas. And there is a certain oil it used, the generator stopped when the oil ran out. So be sure to have a couple of quarts of oil for it. I worked at a garbage company and everyday the boss sent out a driver with every ones gas cans. When there is no power, the gas stations can't pump gas, so the driver would have to go 3 or 4 counties away to find a gas station not affected by the hurricane. At least we were able to keep our food from spoiling.

You can't stockpile gas, it goes bad and who wants a flammable bomb in the garage anyway? If you know a storm is coming, then go buy all you can and fill up all vehicles. It wouldn't hurt to have a lot of gas cans stuck on a garage shelf.

I think our generator was a 5500. It wasn't a big one, but it kept things running.

 

[seedcorn]

Opinion, buy hi octagon gas for generators/inverters. IF you can afford it, buy an inverter.

Put gas stabilizer in gas as well.

 

[Nyboy]

After Sandy generators while selling for 4 x normal price. Buy 3rd day there was a gas shortage,fights and shooting where happening at gas stations.

 

[canesisters]

Of course.. if you had a big yellow gas tank hidden in your backyard.....

 

[seedcorn]

Another thing, buy the heaviest duty extension cord you can buy. Otherwise you lose too much electric. Don't use a cheap one.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Where are you setting up the generator? Its fumes can be dangerous indoors, like in a garage with the door closed. An outdoor type extension cord is probably called for.

 

[Nyboy]

Last year a whole family died, their electric was turned off. They had a generator in their kitchen for power.

 

[thistlebloom]

That's a very good point. My dental hygienist was telling me about her husband who had a very close call. His grandparents lost power in the big wind storm we had and he went to their house to get their generator set up.It was in the garage and he assumed because of the large area he would be fine. He was alone, the grandparents weren't home at the time.

He passed out, he doesn't know for how long, but the DR.'s said probably only a minute or two. He was able to crawl to the door and get outside where he called his wife. She was at work where she doesn't usually take calls, but this time she did and was able to call an ambulance for him. At first she thought he was drunk because he wasn't making any sense to her.
His blood oxygen levels were extremely low and if he had been in there just a bit longer, it would have been fatal.

 

[so lucky]

There is a covered space down stairs outside, that I think would be best for it, with a concrete floor. And couldn't it be hooked up to natural gas? Or is that just for those whole-house installed generators?