The only problem with filling the gas cans during a power outage is their pumps run on the electricity that is off. But keep the 2 full and to keep them from going bad, drop a couple tablespoons of rubbing alcohol into the cans and shake them around a little to mix it with the gas. That will keep the gas from going bad. You can buy the name brand stuff like Sta-bil or whatever it is, but it costs a lot more and will not do anything rubbing alcohol won't do. Take a sniff of it and you'll know they are using the same thing... ----- Original Message ----- From: Edward Przybylek To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 8:50 AM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Generator Grounding & Usage
Hi Dale, Thanks for getting back to me. There's no reason the generator shouldn't be grounded. It's just one more wire I need to run each time the generator is fired up. I guess it's just my lazy side showing itself. My brother-in-law expressed concerns about a fridge or freezer having problems when powered by a generator. He said he'd heard of a number of people who damaged appliances as a result of using a generator to power them. Not wishing to ruin any of my appliances, I thought I'd ask the group and see if anyone had some thoughts or opinions about my brother-in-law's concerns. From the posts in response to my questions, it doesn't seem to be an issue and something I won't worry about. I bought the 9000 watt unit because of the number of appliances I run from the generator during a power outage. Typically, the generator powers two refridgerators, a freezer, my furnace, a sump pump and a few other small items. Not knowing the exact output I need to run all these items, I simply went for bigger is always better than not enough with a smaller unit. The generator is a gasoline powered unit. The tank is 6.5 gallons and the manual says this will keep the generator running 10 to 12 hours when under a normal load, whatever that means. I usually keep 2 five gallon containers of gas in my garage. There are a number of gas stations close to my house so refilling them during an outage shouldn't be a problem. Take care, Ed _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dale Leavens Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 12:55 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Generator Grounding & Usage I don't know of any reason why a generator shouldn't be grounded, it is the safe thing to do. Don't know either why a fridge or freezer would have a problem, there is a high demand as the compressor kicks in to start the fridge but with a unit that size and allowing that it would soon pick up I don't see any reason for such a problem. Might trip a breaker I suppose if the generator didn't make up the demand long enough. That is a pretty substantial power plant you have there. Is it diesel? It will use a fair amount of fuel when running, how much do you keep about the place? Just curious. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:DLeavens%40puc.net> net Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: Edward Przybylek To: BlindHandyMan Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 12:23 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Generator Grounding & Usage Hi all, I just replaced a 4000 watt generator with a 9000 watt machine. Many people have told me to ground a generator when it's in use. I never grounded the 4000 watt machine and never had a problem. On the new machine, however, there is a *very* prominent lug for attaching a ground wire. Is this one of those overkill precautions or something I should really use for whatever reason? My brother-in-law, a heating and cooling contractor from upstate New York, also told me it's not a good idea to run freezers and refrigerators on a generator. He claims he's run into a number of situations where people have blown these units as a result of a spike in the generator output. If this is true, then I'm wondering why own a generator? Is there any truth to this? Have any of you ever run into such a problem? As always, any information greatly appreciated. Take care, Ed Przybylek [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
