Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

[U_Stormcrow]

Yeah, I can imagine.

3 1/2" of rain. Ick. Is it going to wreck your driveway (again)? Stay safe!

Just walked the top of the driveway. Not too bad. Maybe two hours with the tractor.

Unfortunately, my Jenny won't push as much power as I hoped. We have refrigeration, a TV, internet and either a coffee maker or a microwave, but not both.

I need to build a transfer station and buy a bigger generator.

 

[Sally PB]

Unfortunately, my Jenny won't push as much power as I hoped. We have refrigeration, a TV, internet and either a coffee maker or a microwave, but not both.

Will it run your well pump?

For us, that was the first concern. The wood stove will provide heat, though not to the entire house, and there is the worry of pipes freezing for a prolonged, very cold spell.

Have to have the pump, the fridge, and the freezer. Everything else is convenience and comfort. Though hubby getting grumpy without TV -- critical during football season -- and the (electric) stove for cooking makes it a gloomy day here. We don't have a microwave.

But man, you really hear the generator labor when we use the stove. We may look into getting another, bigger one. They've come a long way since we got one in 1999. No, we didn't do it because of Y2K. It was because of power outages lasting 4-5 days out here.

We've thought about a whole house Generac that would run off propane. Last August we had a 5 day outage. A neighbor has a Generac and said he went through a LOT of propane. That gives me pause. That stuff ain't cheap. We used about $40 in gas for the Jenny, all told; he said he thought he probably used $60-80 a DAY in propane.

The electric company rebated us $35 on our next bill.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

No, it won't. It was originally purchased to run power tools while I was building, and to support the refrigerator during a brief outage. Generates 25a or so at 120v. The well pump is a 30a 240v circuit on its own.

I need to install an interlock at my 125a remote panel and a genny hookup there, then place at least an 8000w generator there. Probably bigger. And partly enclose the thing, including the well pump, the gen, and the panel. Then I can run both the well and the RV from a single generator, while also placing the RV and the Gen a good distance apart.

Figure $100 in parts and wires, $1,000 in generator, and the cost of the structure, whatever I decide.

Gas gennies are more efficient than propane anyways. A typical dual fuel rated 7500w gas is likely rated only 6000w propane, maybe 6250...

 

[NanaK]

And yes, we are getting ugly weather right now.

Oh yes.
We are getting it now. Wind. Rain. yuck!
Hope you got power back quickly. Hope we don't loose ours.

 

[Sally PB]

Be safe, everyone!

We are probably going to luck out on the worst of what's going through our area. If the rain/snow line moves a few miles north or south, that could change.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Power was down about 10 hours here. Ran thru almost all the fuel I had for the gas genny.

 

[Sally PB]

Power was down about 10 hours here. Ran thru almost all the fuel I had for the gas genny.

Power back on now, I hope?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Power back on now, I hope?

Yeah, we were down for about 10 hours, power is back on and stable, I'm back at work. Going down to the 20s next week - for us, that's very cold. Damage wasn't bad, a couple broken sticks.

 

[Sally PB]

Yeah, we were down for about 10 hours, power is back on and stable, I'm back at work. Going down to the 20s next week - for us, that's very cold. Damage wasn't bad, a couple broken sticks.

Glad to hear it.

We call those broken sticks "volunteer firewood." Mother Nature gives us some every year. We got quite a few last August.

20 degrees... is your garlic protected???

 

[NanaK]

No damage, just limbs down. Never lost power.

FIL has a huge oak on his wood working shop. There is also a large freezer full of food in there. He said shop is probably a total loss. Insured but still a pain. Lots of tool, saws etc.