Show off your backup power thread

[ducatiz]

Was reading Boston's Gun Bible over the weekend while the power was out.  That book is a trip to read, particularly when you are feeling a bit apocalyptic......need to buy more guns, more ammo, and a generator.......

i have a little pos 1000w 2 stroke gen that i've had for about 8 years now.  I used to live in NYC and I needed it for power tools at the parking lot.  I used it during the blackout there -- put it on top of my window unit AC and ran an extension cord to my fridge. 

I've used it for several blackouts around here.  This saturday, when the power went out, I wired it into our main breakers for the furnace fan and fridge.  I did the math and the furnace fan uses 3A and the fridge uses 6.1A.  It grunted and ran like a champ, we had heat, fridge and cooking (gas).  I plugged in one light circuit in the bedrooms and we had light (thanks to using CFLs everywhere). 

I want a bigger generator, but this one cost me $89 at harbor freight.  It's small and as long as I keep putting stabil in it and good gas, it will run forever. 

"ETQ, I LUV U"

$89 bucks? I can't afford not to have one.  We had lights, in the form of propane camp lanterns, and a gas stove and gas hot water, but sure would have been nice to have a little heat.......

yeah, this one is the best for the size because it puts out 1000w nominally and 1200w surge.  other ones do 900/800w and that's a waste.

they go for 100-150 now

just turn off the main breaker and wire it to the panel.  you can do it a number of ways.  i put a male plug off the side of my main box with a switch.  the hot wire goes to one of the main circuit runs and the neutral goes to neutral.  just turn off the main and plug in the extension cord and it energizes half of the whole panel.  I have the furnace blower breaker and fridge breaker on the same run.

as long as you do it right, it's easy as hell.  put the generator anywhere you have space and extension cord to support 10A and you are golden. 

that little gen holds about 1.5 gallons and that goes for about 6-8 hours.  it has a breaker on the generator so if you overload it, it just pops.  reset it and go.

90% of the houses around here have NG furnaces and you just need some juice to run the blower, usually 2-4A max.  Check on the fan itself, might have to open the furnace up to see it or look on the label. 

If you don't like messing with electrics, then don't.  If you don't do it right and the power comes on, you cna blow your house up (well, probably just your fridge, fan and generator)

[angler]

Damn!  Harbor Freight no longer carries them.  They have the same looking one made by Chicago Electric and it is only rated for 800 kw.

Just called both of my local Harbor Freights and they don't have a single gennie in stock.......so much for picking one up before tomorrow.

[ducatiz]

Damn!  Harbor Freight no longer carries them.  They have the same looking one made by Chicago Electric and it is only rated for 800 kw.

Just called both of my local Harbor Freights and they don't have a single gennie in stock.......so much for picking one up before tomorrow.

Northern Tool?  Yeah, it might be hard to find one right now......


Maybe call Sun or United Rental and suck it up for a day or two?

[angler]

I've got power now, but barely.  If so much as a bird lands on the wrong branch, it's lights out.  Northern Tool has them and so does Amazon.  There are no Northern Tool locations up here.

[Monster Dave]

Not the same exactly, but it is backup power never the less:

[ducatiz]

Not the same exactly, but it is backup power never the less:

everything counts.  i have a 1000 size model for my PC and the FIOS router.

my old setup was great, it came from a 450, but the batteries died so i hooked up two deep cycle marine batteries in parallel.  disabled the charging circuit in the APS, and put a smart charger on them.  i unplugged the UPS brain to see how long it would last with that setup and it was still going after a day. 

[ducatiz]

I've got power now, but barely.  If so much as a bird lands on the wrong branch, it's lights out.  Northern Tool has them and so does Amazon.  There are no Northern Tool locations up here.

i meant tractor supply, not northern tool.  sorry.. they ahve a store in leesburg, but they don't have any of the small cheap gens, at least not on their website.

give the store a call and see what they have, i know they had something i don't see on the website.

[He Man]

Runs from 3-10 Yogurts an hour depending on fuel settings

[angler]

i meant tractor supply, not northern tool.  sorry.. they ahve a store in leesburg, but they don't have any of the small cheap gens, at least not on their website.

give the store a call and see what they have, i know they had something i don't see on the website.

I've called everywhere.  No tractor supply near me.  Home Despot has a few, but they are the giant ones.

Hopefully the recently upgraded storm tomorrow won't take my power again.

[cyrus buelton]

My electric is all under ground here.

Lived here for 6 years and never had a power outage.


My parents should have done what you guys did (live in South Bend, IN).

Their power goes out all the make the beast with two backsing time.

I've called everywhere.  No tractor supply near me.  Home Despot has a few, but they are the giant ones.

Hopefully the recently upgraded storm tomorrow won't take my power again.

My Kroger Grocery Store sells generators.........WTF?

[NAKID]

Runs from 3-10 Yogurts an hour depending on fuel settings

Doesn't Ed Begley, Jr. have one of those...

[cyrus buelton]

Reminds me of that ESPN Ad where Lance Armstrong is in the basement peddling his bike to power the ESPN Office Building

[Speedbag]

I've got a crusty old Coleman Vantage 3500 that I got free a few years ago. Just needed a good carb cleaning and fuel tank flush. Largely ignored since (luckily), but always starts on the first or second pull.

I'd post a pic, but that would mean going out to the ten degree garage and digging it out. Sorry.

[Airborne]

I have this one:


but i like this picture better


(came up in the search for the coleman 5000)

[ducpainter]

Doesn't mean you should post it...

3.  Images. 

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