Whats your back up when you lose power

[Fish On]

So whats everybody got for back up power? I'm thinking of a gas generator outside and then hard wiring it into my panel to do it right.
But hate the fact there so loud and big bucks to have sitting around. But when you need it then thats great.

I have a Castile is there any battery powered back up for this?

 

[jtakeman]

My primary back up is a good old no electric required, Smoke bellowing wood stove.

I do have a small 2kw generator but that is for the fish tank and TV-satilite dish. Fridge and freeze. Some lights. Not all at the same time. Right now I have to run the extention cords.

One day I will get the whole house propane backup generator. Auto start with proper wired auto switch.

 

[smalltown]

Fish on the only back up I have right now is an old coleman portable geberator that I bought used during the ice storm (1997 I think) after having no power for 11 days as I remember it was great to get the boiler going and take a hot shower. I have my eye on a Generac 8kw standby generator for $2k at Home Depot that comes with the transfer switch as part of the package. When financing permits I am going to install one myself. I will still do some investigating for other units, but the Generac is in the lead so far. I think for me a standby gen. is the way to go.

 

[New Hampshire Jim]

I have a 5500 watt generac generator that helped keep us warm and toasty during last winters Ice storm that had us without power for 2 days. We didn't have the pellet stove then but even If I did I would of swiched over to the Oil boiler
With the generator we did run the stove(gas) refrigerator freezer well pump boiler tv and 5 or 7 lights
The battery to run a stove will only give you a couple of hours of run time depending on the amount of battery and $$$ you want to spend and this will bring the price up to about what a generator costs

 

[Excell]

I have lived here for 40 years and the power has never been off for more than 2 hr. The only thing I have is a propane heater .It might keep the pipes from freezing
but it is going to get cold .

 

[kbjelka]

Post below...

 

[MCPO]

If I have to use the generator I`m simply gonna hit the transfer switch and keep the oil furnace going. I`m gonna need it for hot water anyway plus refridge and some lights. It`s kinda senseless for me to run both running during a power outage since pellets are only supplemental.

 

[kbjelka]

Ever since I moved from wood to pellets I have been concerned about winter power outages. I think you can live without most things in an outage but heat is a must. Borrowed a buddies Honda EU2000i during an outage this fall and with two extension cords we were running the stove and watching TV as the generator quietly purred outside the garage below my two sleeping toddlers. My wife was sold which gave me the green light to spend the $$$. Bought a six gallon extended run tank which is good for about 72 hours at full draw. I keep 4 five gallon gerry cans filled all the time so I’m not too worried about weathering a long outage. Would have liked a standby generator or at least a larger whole house unit but I opted for a simple turn key solution. Big $$$ generator + Transfer Switch + Electrician = Never Happens in my budget. The Honda was a quick and reliable solution for under a grand.

 

[Fish On]

Ever since I moved from wood to pellets I have been concerned about winter power outages. I think you can live without most things in an outage but heat is a must. Borrowed a buddies Honda EU2000i during an outage this fall and with two extension cords we were running the stove and watching TV as the generator quietly purred outside the garage below my two sleeping toddlers. My wife was sold which gave me the green light to spend the $$$. Bought a six gallon extended run tank which is good for about 72 hours at full draw. I keep 4 five gallon gerry cans filled all the time so I’m not too worried about weathering a long outage. Would have liked a standby generator or at least a larger whole house unit but I opted for a simple turn key solution. Big $$$ generator + Transfer Switch + Electrician = Never Happens in my budget. The honda was a quick and reliable solution for under a grand.

Is that can from a boat! that's a great idea. You mind telling what you paid for that Honda, and how loud is it?

 

[kbjelka]

Ever since I moved from wood to pellets I have been concerned about winter power outages. I think you can live without most things in an outage but heat is a must. Borrowed a buddies Honda EU2000i during an outage this fall and with two extension cords we were running the stove and watching TV as the generator quietly purred outside the garage below my two sleeping toddlers. My wife was sold which gave me the green light to spend the $$$. Bought a six gallon extended run tank which is good for about 72 hours at full draw. I keep 4 five gallon gerry cans filled all the time so I’m not too worried about weathering a long outage. Would have liked a standby generator or at least a larger whole house unit but I opted for a simple turn key solution. Big $$$ generator + Transfer Switch + Electrician = Never Happens in my budget. The honda was a quick and reliable solution for under a grand.

Is that can from a boat! that's a great idea. You mind telling what you paid for that Honda, and how loud is it?

It's really quiet, unbelievably quiet. It is all boat hardware but I bought the setup from an outfit up in Minnosota. They manufacture the cap and package the rest. They use the EU2000i's a lot up there for ice fishhing and cabins. I paid $899 shipped to the door from www.mayberrys.com. If you are interested you might also want to check http://www.wisesales.com for pricing.

 

[Xena]

Lived in this house 47 years. Power has only gone out
a handful of times for an hour or less during that time
and it was during the non-heating season so we used
oil lamps for light when needed.
In any event, I have this and a heavy gauge extension cord
just in case.
http://salestores.com/colema10.html

 

[ChandlerR]

I use the 5500 watt genny in my motorhome going into my house through a transfer switch. I have 75 gallons of fuel on board and at a quart an hour, it gives me plenty of time for the power to come back on. Last year I ran it for 10 days straight (just shut down to check oil) during our ice storm. The generator is rated to run continuously and has never skipped a beat. It's an Onan Marquis Gold. For those of you with campers that have generators, they are easily set up to feed the house. An electrician can set you up with a panel in the camper fed off the on board transfer switch. A dedicated cord plugs into that and goes to a plug on the side of the house that is connected to the house's transfer switch. The generators are made to run long term, especially the diesel generators. (I have 600 hours on mine) The best part is that they are almost silent.

Chandler

 

[jamesdjs]

I have a 4kw generator that I connect to my electrical panel.
Runs most of the house except the electric hot water heater.
It was a god send last year during the ice storm and 10 days without power

 

[kast]

Blankets, or the Mother-in-laws house! Note to self get a generator

 

[tinkabranc]

Have the stoves on a UPS for the short term blinks in the power which is common
for us during winter storms.

We have a 10K portable gas generator for long term outtages and hardwired
transfer switch lets us pick and choose which circuits we want to run.

EDIT: Got it before the stoves mainly to keep the deep freezer running along
with the furnace if needed.

 

[tonyd]

8K Gardian whole house. $!900 Installed it myself . Very easy. Comes with the transfer switch also. Wife complained it was the biggest waste of money until the last snow storm we had. We were stranded in the house when the power went out. Everyone looked at me, the generator fired up, the computer came back on, the tv came back on, the stove kept burning. Then I was the smartest man on earth. I don't think she knew what the thingie did.

 

[eric_s]

I have my pellet stove on a UPS, but also just picked up a 5500W generator. I have two small kids and figured it was worth the couple hundred as an insurance policy. Should run everything we need.

 

[katwillny]

I use a Husky 5000 Watt Generator.

 

[rowerwet]

we loose power about once a month, heavy rain, and snow storms can keep it of for a while, my gen is great, I do the extension cord trick including a male plug coming off the oil beast wiring( I keep a female plug on it for safety during normal use). this was a lifesaver during last winters ice storm. $450 was what antifreeze was gonna cost for my OPB, so I bought a gen instead. the subaru engine is quite (about like a neighbor mowing across the street) and the 4 gal tank runs over 12 hrs on my normal load. (OPB, furnace cirulator, fridge, deep freeze, hot water heater)

 

[imacman]

Check my signature below. Had it since 2004.

 

[mrepasky02]

this is my heat when no power.. gotta love it

 

[BrotherBart]

this is my heat when no power.. gotta love it

I hope the chimney is cleaner than the glass.

 

[peirhead]

I have a UPS on the pellet stove mainly to protect it and help out with the little one minute power bumps. I am working on a solution to run my oil boiler off my Prius...check out
(broken link removed to http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/priups.html)


I have the 1Kw Xantrex inverter, just gotta get around to wiring it up to the 12V battery..then I hope I can can run my boiler from it. The Prius will charge it's 12V battery from the Traction battery and the engine will start periodically to recharge the traction battery!!

 

[tchdngrnby]

Wood, generator if needed.. no worries here in Western Wa.

 

[gripper93]

I have a battery backup on the stove for short outages. I use a couple of small generators for the fridge, tv, freezer, lights. I have two propane wall mounts that generate enough heat to keep the house warm with 2 100lb tanks full of propane. Then if all else fells we move into the garage where the woodburner is. o yes I also have a couple of kerosene heaters. I am always looking for more ways. LOL