I've spent this morning preparing for The Global Warming Southern Blizzard of 2014.
I also started my 2 gensets and got some extra fuel for them.
My first generator was not "bought" per se but I traded some work for it. A man I knew needed some pumps built. I proposed that he buy the genset as a business expense and apply it to his taxes and pay me with said genny.
My father in law scoffed and called me foolish. Two years later we moved out into "the country" across the road from my in-laws. The next year we had a snow storm, 12" fell in our county. Our power was out from about noon on Monday until sometime Fri morning. I kept the house warm with kerosene and with my genset had enough power for the whole house, excluding the heat pump.
My mother in law would come over and stay with us all day, we had TV, internet, could cook etc. My father in law, stayed home, cooked on a coleman stove that I gave him fuel for and watched TV on a little battery powered B&W portable tv.
We've never NEEDED the genny since then but I'm pretty sure it paid for itself that 1 week.
Here's hoping everybody's power stays on and we see each other on the other side of this mess.
I like that heater. Our generator has saved our bacon on several occasions. Once, when two hurricanes brushed through our area my generator ran for two solid weeks. I changed the oil twice during at period. It is hardwired to our house and runs seven circuits, all but our five ton a/c unit and hot water unit. When needed they're worth their weight in gold.
ReplyDeleteThat kerosene heater is exactly the one I have in my shop. Great piece of gear, greedy guzzler of kerosene though.
ReplyDeleteMy generator is a diesel. It's battery started but in the dead of winter I still have to put some ether to it if it won't crank. I like the diesel because the fuel lasts a long time, with additives, and in a pinch the truck and generator can run off the same fuel I keep in my above ground tanks.