On 7/26/14 at 10:52 AM, [email protected] (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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