CB Sites <cbsit...@gmail.com> wrote: It's interesting Jed, there is a 12V car battery in the back of the car > that is charged from the Li batteries, which is charged from the engine. > The 12V is used for the car electronics. I did see a youtube video of a > guy that used a 2000W 12V inverter for emergency power to his house. He > claimed it was better than most gas generators. So the same sort of > story. I've not tried it. >
If you lived in Atlanta, you would try it. We have extended power failures several times a year. They often last for hours; long enough that you are supposed to throw away everything in the refrigerator. My 2 kW inverter cost me about $100 and it has paid for itself with refrigerator food costs alone. As I said though, I wish I could be sure it will go up to 2 kW without blowing the Prius fuse, making the car undrivable. The tow would cost me more than all the money I have saved! Clearly, the car was not designed for this. A Prius mechanic told me, "I guess it should work . . ." I used to have a gasoline powered generator with a lot more umph. I find that 1.8 kW is enough with modern equipment. Refrigerators and lights use far less power than they used to. For heat, I have a little propane stove meant for indoor use on the dining room table. For Korean bbq. It must produce several kilowatts of heat. I see you are not supposed to use them indoors but we do: https://www.amazon.com/Butane-Stove-Fuel-Canister-Catridge/dp/B083ZNCM52/ref=asc_df_B083ZNCM52/ Not dead yet. Although at 6:30 am on Sunday our carbon monoxide alarm went off and it turned out to be a real alarm, so we might be dead were it not for 21st century technology. It did not work at all the way I expected. I shut down the furnace immediately, and opened doors and windows. Yet the gadget would still beep once or twice hours later, every 10 or 20 minutes. The guy from the HVAC company came and confirmed it was a CO with a hand held meter.
