The coming storm

[S.A. Boggs]

Whatever the weather throws I hope to be ready as much as possible. I am taking Ken's advice and going with a dual fuel 9,000 watt portable generator to help our house out. I was hoping for a diesel generator, but way more money then I currently have for this budget item. Monday I am starting construction of a small building to house the generator out of the weather, ventilation in and out. I will construct a system to vent the fumes outside so that I can close the structure in bad weather. Will have an electrician come out and wire it into the box with a cutoff switch for safety. My propane dealer can supply the tank but for this I plan on purchasing one to save "rent" on the tank.
Sam

[bruce]

Always wise to be prepared for come what may! Lots of folks don't even have spare food, etc. Sincerely. bruce.

[Vern Humphrey]

Living in the Ozarks, and subject to ice storms and so on, I long ago learned the basics of survival when the lights go out for a week or more.

[Allen]

Here along the gulf coast our power may be out for weeks too due to hurricanes. The problem with having a generator is they use a lot of fuel when running even the basics in your home. You have to stock up with many many gallons of fuel ahead of an approaching storm when gas/diesel shortages are common. Not many of us have 30-50 containers laying around to put fuel in. In our hurricane country the most advanced systems work off of natural gas which is piped in from the municipalities but they have to be up and running themselves to supply this. Propane is a good alternative but you are limited to a 500 gallon tank. You don't want to have to order propane after a hurricane when your yard is soupy and soft. Those heavyass trucks will mire up quickly.

As far a portable generators go anything is better than nothing and you can run a freezer every 2nd day or so to keep food from spoiling.

[S.A. Boggs]

Got the generator, now need to build a shed for it. 4 years ago we were without power for two weeks save for our generator. I ran it at night as we were at work during the day and it was kept locked up. The instructions state a 20-30 lb tank and I have several 20's as I use it for the grill and my lead melter. Will be doing solar for the lighting/tv on a daily basis, yet still grid connected. To go whole hot would be $20,000 +, something doable but not practical at this time.
Sam

[Mark in Ottawa]

As an old bureaucrat let me make the point that in some locations you may need a building permit, electrical permit etc for your outbuilding.

[S.A. Boggs]

As an old bureaucrat let me make the point that in some locations you may need a building permit, electrical permit etc for your outbuilding.

In my county, unless the building is over 10"x10" for tax purposes or the cost is $2,000.00 or more there is no concern. In Ohio I have qualified for the Home Stead Tax Exemption due to my age and income, so my taxes were lowered a significant bit. If I said how much the NAZIS would call me a liar, so nothing to say there. I have a state certified electrician involved and he will coordinate with the power company on any company paperwork needed. No, I want everything done by the book, to the letter to satisfy anyone concerned. I live in a regressive county where the rules are worse then the state and the fines can be heavy, so I watch what I do to avoid any issue.
Sam