[Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators

[Bill Frantz]

On 7/26/14 at 10:52 AM, KX3 at ColdRocksHotBrooms.com (Lynn W. 
Taylor, WB6UUT) wrote:

>My gasoline generators were a constant maintenance hassle 
>because the AC power was so reliable that they were very rarely 
>used, and I was constantly cleaning varnish out of the fuel system.

Our generator dates to the great northeast ice storm of 2008. 
That is the first and last time it was used "for real". Since 
then it has had its oil changed once a year after running it for 
1/2 hour. We run it until the gas tank is dry and have had no 
problems with starting or running.

Fuel for the generator is kept in 5 gallon gerry cans and cycled 
through our vehicles regularly.

The house was built in 1793, so can be used without electricity. 
During the ice storm we had one room just above freezing and one 
below -- walk in refrigerator and freezer.  Two wood stoves and 
5 fireplaces cover the heating and cooking needs. Candles and 
oil lamps provide light, and we can go to bed earlier than 
usual. :-)

The XYL likes indoor plumbing, which requires running the well 
pump. The oil burner also helps keep the house more livable for 
less work than the two wood stoves.

During the 5 days we were without power after the ice storm, the 
well pump and the furnace were the two loads we "had" to run. We 
also ran some lights, a coffee grinder etc. The local gas 
stations were open, making filling the gerry cans easy.

We are still trying to nail down our real needs to prepare for 
the next extended outage. In addition to ice storms, hurricanes 
happen, and tornados have taken out the power lines from a major 
generating station leaving Huntsville AL without power for 
several days. (My XYL arrived in Huntsville with an inverter and 
was very popular because she could help people charge cell phone 
batteries from autos.)

73 Bill AE6JV

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