Northern Kentucky's Ice Storm (getting prepared)

[joebryant]

After that ice storm that everyone in northern Kentucky went through for two weeks this month (February, 2009), I decided to be prepared for the worst. Even if I never use this, it will have been worth having just for the peace of mind. Not having to endure the loss of heat, cooking facilities, and lights, plus having busted water pipes and all sorts of other possible damages is well worth the cost of the generator plus the cost of a power transfer switch box's being attached to my meter box by a licensed electrician.
GENERATOR (BUYING ONE FOR MY HOME)

To calculate the number of watts my home would need, I used Briggs and Stratton’s Wattage Reference guide:
http://consolidatedelectric.coop/pdf/wattage_worksheet1.pdf
From this I determined the following:
Watts for Needed Highest surge
Light bulbs and misc. 2000
Freezer 500
Refrigerator 800 1600
Furnace fan 800

Microwave 1000
Coffee maker 1500 1500 (Use only one of these four at a time.)
Stove (one burner) 1500
Dishwasher (hot dry) 1500

Computer and misc. 1000
TV and DVD 600

TOTAL 7,200 + 1600 = 8,800 SURGE WATTS


After much research I decided on the following generator ($999.00 from Tractor Supply)

BRIGGS & STRATTON Elite 6200 - 11HP, 6200 Watt OHV Intek engine ( 30242 )



Here’s why:
If you need portable generators to provide the ultimate in performance and comfort, then Briggs & Stratton is on your side! The Elite 6200 line is powered by a cutting-edge 11-horsepower Briggs OHV Intek motor, good for 6,200 continuous and an impressive 8,750 surge watts of appliance-running muscle during an emergency. Quick-access fuel gauge tells you at a glance where your tank stands. Expect these portable generators to yield 13 hours or more of operation at ½ load with standard long-run time fuel cell. Electric start comes complete with battery and cables. These gasoline portable generators also include full circuit-breaker protection, U.S.D.A.-approved spark arrestor, and weather-safe control panel to shield your outlets from water and debris.

· Electric-start system complete with battery
· Weather-safe control panel protects outlets in severe conditions
· 10-inch rubber tires on pneumatic “free-rolling” rims
· SuperSilencer muffler ideal for residential needs
· Patented PowerSurge alternator gives these portable generators motor-starting force
· Automatic voltage regulator guards against undesired surges


· ENGINE: Cutting-edge 11 hp Briggs & Stratton OHV Intek engine
· CONTINUOUS WATTS: 6,200
· SURGE WATTS: 8,750
· RUN TIME(1/2 load): 13 hours
· FUEL TYPE: Pump gas
· FUEL-TANK CAPACITY: 7.0 gallons
· NUMBER OF OUTLETS: 5
· Four 20 amp 120 volt straight-blade circuit-breaker protected AC outlets (NEMA 5-20R)
· One 30 amp 120/240 volt twist-lock circuit-breaker protected AC outlet (NEMA L14-30R)
· Standard low-oil shut-down
· OHV engine configuration extends life while lowering emissions
· Electric start with easy-motion recoil backup
· Battery & cables included in purchase price
· Weather-safe control panel with full circuit-breaker protection
· Outlet-panel weather protection keeps outlets dry & debris-free
· Standard 2-wheel dolly & collapsible handle kit sports silver pneumatic rims
· Pneumatic rims & 10-inch rubber all-weather tires guaranteed to handle any surface
· Pneumatic wheels built to be free-rolling for easy transport
· Collapsible handles for mega-smooth storage
· Cherry-red rectangular-tubed frame with flat-black fuel cell & trim, silver-grey steel rims
· Tough paint finish resists abrasions & climate
· CARB/EPA-approved clean-combustion powerplant
· Patented Dura-Bore cast-iron cylinder sleeve for improved wear & life span
· Briggs exclusive SuperSilencer muffler, designed for use with Intek engine, offers ultra-quiet operation
· Engine & muffler combination makes these portable generators perfect for residential emergency needs
· U.S.D.A.-sanctioned spark arrestor for added safety
· Quick-access fuel gauge gives you accurate reading at a glance
· Briggs PowerSurge alternator provides optimum surge power without affecting engine life
· Automatic voltage regulation shields your home appliances from damaging power surges
· Standard long-run time fuel cell good for 13 plus hours @ ½ load
· 32.5in.L x 18.5in.W x 24in.H
· 198 lbs. dry weight

 

[maplesky7]

Nice plan.


I've got a boiler so frozen pipes are NOT fun at all. I'd like to have the piece of mind and get me one of those babies too.


me,
g

 

[maplesky7]

under the heating/cooling list...is the water pump--is that like for a boiler? all i saw is furnace fan. wonder what a boiler takes to run...actually, I thought they told me mine was under 3,000? for the gas meter.

and don't you have a hot water heater?

just wondering.

me,
g

 

[hoosier]

We have had a generator for about ten years. That and the woodstove we put in right after a power outage have been great investments - we haven't lost power for more than a couple of hours since!

We used it at the new barn before we got electricity connected.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Maplesky7, it's talking about a well's "water pump". If your boiler furnace is gas or oil, then its fan is the only thing electric; my furnace is gas. Yes, I have a hot water heater, but it's a gas one.

If you open the URL above, you will see that an Electric Water Heater -
40 Gallon takes 4000 watts. That's a lot, and if it were mine I'd heat my water on the stove burner and delay showers; otherwise, you have to get a MUCH more expensive to buy and/or operate.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
You wouldn't have to worry about your incubator either.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
I sure wish I had a woodstove. I have two useless fireplaces, a large two-sided-see-through downstairs and one upstairs. We have never built a fire in the one upstairs and haven't built a fire in the one downstairs for more than 25 years. We were losing more heat up the chimney than the fireplace was putting out. We have a LOT of firewood though, just nothing to burn it in. I need to look more into getting a woodstove for emergencies; what if I couldn't buy gas for the generator. TSC has some really good prices on them.

 

[mtnhomechick]

That storm hit us here in AR real hard too. We had no power, phone or way to town for 3 days. After 3 days we managed to slide into town for supplies ( standing in lines for hours )and we had a phone after 5 days. But no power for 16 days.

It was so cold in our house that my canned vegetables popped.

Many of our friends back in Wisconsin thought it was just in KY.

Our yard looks like a war zone still.

I would add a kerosene heater to that list just in case you want to use wattage for something else.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Just remember to keep that thing well maintained. Todays gasoline
goes bad quickly. Even Stabil won't help since it needs a larger
and preferably sealed tank of gas to work.

Run it at least once a month and run it completely out of fuel so no
varnish can build up or no gas can evaporate in the tank or carb.

As a generator technician one of my first questions is "what type of
fuel does it use?". If they say gasoline I say "I'm sorry, can't help ya".
All the new carbs use plastic parts. You can't even clean them.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Don, thanks for that advice. I'm going to copy/paste your message to the bottom of my MS-Word document right now before I forget.