generators

[ticks]

Our neighbors have a generator, so if we ever had a power outage I guess we could go there. We don't really know them that well though.

We have a generator, so we would probably invite ppl over to our house, if needed. I don't think your neighbours would mind if you knocked on there door--at least we wouldn't

The only thing that we have in common with our neighbors is they have chickens and ducks apperently.

 

[Seahound]

We also have a generator. We bought it 2 years ago and have used it once during a storm. It sure is handy to have.

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

We also have a generator. We bought it 2 years ago and have used it once during a storm. It sure is handy to have.

we have generator and have never used it. The reason why is that we come off the main power lines and they are always first to be fixed.

 

[enjoy the ride]

Yeah- that is why I have one. My place is on an road where all the power comes over the hill from a different direction that everyone around me. Also there are lots of big trees and the power lines are actually strung off some of the trees. Power goes out 6-10 times a year and in the winter, it is usually a week or more before power is restored.
I think if I lived in a place where there is reliable power, I would get a small portable generator to run the fridge and nothing more.

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

We have two generators. One smaller one that was purchased to run our small cabin and pump to water the garden. (our garden and cabin are on a different parcel of propery) The second one is larger, we purchased it after going through a tornado. The power was off here for almost two weeks. It will run the freezer, fridge, well pump and probably more although that is all we ever do with it.

 

[Fairacre]

I live in Palm Beach County, Florida, and I would guess that 75% of the homeowners here have a generator as an integral part of their hurricane survival plans.

Personally, I think they're great big whiny fussy babies.

I grew up in Miami, Fl, back in the day when each year we were advised to prepare enough supplies to survive without electricity for 2-3 weeks. I survived Hurricane Andrew there, where many folks were left homeless, others could remain in their homes but had no power for months, and the rest were so grateful to not be in those first two categories that just a few weeks without power seemed like a breeze.

I moved to PB County in time to endure two hurricanes back-to-back one year, and another big one in Oct the year after. After the year we had 2 hurricanes many folks here decided they NEEDed their very own generator. They must have felt so secure the next year that they made no other preparations, just expected to keep those generators running 24/7, powering their entire houses until their power was restored. So don't you know, a few days after that hurricane there were ENORmous lines at the gas stations, shortages, short tempers, etc.

The grooviest thing is to have a "whole house generator" that automatically switches on the instant the power goes out. Folks move here to prime hurricane habitat and expect to live a seamless life. There was one family who called 911 in the middle of a hurricane because they couldn't wait until the storm had passed to start up their generator inside the house and were, naturally, asphixiating from the carbon monixide!

It bothers me that local laws have been passed to force private gas station owners to install generators so they can continue to pump gas even if their power is out. I think that's a big gamble to make a private businessman make, with no guarantee that even if you have gas in storage & a generator to power the pumps your building could be crushed and your pumps blown out to sea.

I'm telling folks here that if they're relying on a generator for their hurricane survival they should also have a good Plan B. There's no way to insure that gas will be available or affordable after a hurricane has passed.

Personally, I find the noise they make far too annoying to justify the convenience they provide. We get along fine with battery-operated fans for sleeping comfort, solar-heated water, keeping perishable foods to a bare minimum, eating cold foods or cooking over fire or on a camp stove. Using flashlights, candles, lanterns, and going to bed when it's dark. It's bearable because we know it's not going to last for always, and we're certainly strong enough to handle it for the few weeks it takes to restore the power. My boys still talk fondly of the time we had after the last hurricane, when we relaxed at home and cooked pancakes over the campfire each morning.

I know things are different in climates where you could die from the cold if the power goes out, or if folks have special health issues that make them more delicate. But unless you have an oil well in your yard and can formulate your own gasoline, I don't see generators as a tool of self-sufficiency, just an item of convenience if you can spare the expense for it.

 

[enjoy the ride]

That's true about running out of fuel- mine runs off my propane tank and as one power failure came at a point the propane was low, after almost two weeks without power, I had to call to see if I could get a propane delivery asap. Luckily for me they could get up the road by then.
I imagine that the regulation re gas stations having a back up generator is so that people who need to escape in an emergency can get fuel for their cars beside for their generators.
I have no water or septic (have a septic pump) without power so survival is little rougher than just convenience for me. If I know a storm is coming or in the winter, I store some water in a small 25 gallon tank just in case but the worse power outage was due to a strong wind no on know was coming.
I am putting in a regular wood stove this year as propane has become too expensive to run for extended outages. I have a pellet stove which is very convenient for most times but of course is not good without electricity.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

I think we are going to invest in a generator soon.

I don't rely on our freezer, though. I try to can everything I can get my hands on, this way all we have to do is pop a top and eat. Thanks be to God for the one that found the way to preserving.

 

[attack-cat]

We live in Ohio also and that wind storm got us. Dh went to WV to get a generator. All the stores were out of them from here to there. And they were flying off the shelves there. We got a 6200 watt John Deere. Its pretty quiet really compared to the lawn mower. It started on the first pull. Our meat in the freezer had already gone - day two was the last day I would have trusted it. Wish we had a generator before the storm hit. Get a generator soon! This winter is supposed to be bad according the Farmers Almanac.

 

[poppycat]

We have a mac-daddy whole house generator that came with our house when we bought it. It has never been used (except for the yellow jackets who built a nest in it last summer, and the chickens who climbed up on it during a rain storm and pooped all over it.)

IMHO it's an expensive item that's maintenance requirements far outweigh it's usefulness. However if you needed it to pump water or something like that it could be more essential.