[Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators

[Fred Smith]

Our last major ice storm left us without electricity for 17 days and we used
$370 in gasoline for the generator being used concretively. Most gas
stations were without power for the first week.

Fred/N0AZZ

-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bill
Frantz
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2014 5:07 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz        | Re: Hardware Management Modes: | Periwinkle
(408)356-8506      | If there's a mode, there's a   | 16345 
Englewood Ave
www.pwpconsult.com | failure mode. - Jerry Leichter | Los Gatos, CA 95032

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