Hurricane a' comin'

Shawn

Shawn

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So. I'm going to buy a generator tomorrow. How many others have them? If I don't wind up needing it, I'm happy to loan it. Let's all get in touch so we can make it thru if this hurricane knocks out power. Last major storm that came thru atlanta I was without power for four days... Gonna be picking up this one as my setup is only running around 350W. https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-B...gital-Inverter-Generator-RYI2300BTA/300347426
 
I'm in middle GA, but I have a small portable generac that is awesome. Good call on getting one before you need it!

How are you planning on using it? I assume just plugging some pumps directly in, correct?
 
Wow; 4 days! Is that normal around here?

Which other of the veterans with have or don’t have generators?
 
ActiveAngel said:
Wow; 4 days! Is that normal around here?

Which other of the veterans with have or don’t have generators?
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No. It isn’t. I live in midtown and there was a power station nearby that was knocked out. That is far from the normal. But if that power station goes down again I wanna be ready.
 
dapperjman said:
I'm in middle GA, but I have a small portable generac that is awesome. Good call on getting one before you need it!

How are you planning on using it? I assume just plugging some pumps directly in, correct?
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I would plug the Apex into it. I might need to buy a chiller too...
 
I'm ready, but certainly hope it is not needed. Rather than upgrading tanks this year, I bought a generator first and am saving the tank upgrade for next year. There is a transfer switch on the breaker and an outlet on the outside that the generator plugs into and provides power for the whole house; probably not all at once, but I can pick and choose any of the switches for the rooms I need.

I have neighbors in close proximity, so to muffle the sound, I built a shed for it.

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ActiveAngel said:
Wow; 4 days! Is that normal around here?
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In my experience, no more than a day or two at most and usually only a few hours or less, but it is certainly possible (just not the norm). The rare ice or snow storm seems to cripple the city the longest.
 
The_Harris_co said:
Ugh this makes me want to go buy some kind of back up power. Maybe a cheap generator or something just in case.
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The most important thing is to have a plan. At a minimum, get a battery powered air pump like the Penn Plax Silent Air B11 (maybe multiple depending on the size of your tank). Even with a generator, I have one in each tank in case the power goes out when I'm not home.

For cooling, store some frozen bottles of rodi water in your freezer, and for heating, warm blankets will help.
 
Just from a safety and efficiency standpoint, make sure you have a way to isolate your home if you have a generator. Improperly connected generators can push power back out to the street and to your neighbors' homes. When utility workers come to restore power, they can be electrocuted because downed lines that are de-energized from the source can be energized by a home generator.
 
ActiveAngel said:
Wow; 4 days! Is that normal around here?

Which other of the veterans with have or don’t have generators?
Click to expand...
In the 27yrs I've lived here I've only gone through 4 multi-day outages and the last one was around 10yrs ago when a transformer died that serves my house. Took about a day and a half, in the middle of a heatwave. The other big ones were an ice storm in 2001, a tornado in 97' and hurricane Opal in 95'. So they are pretty unusual but me thinks we're a bit over due.

I have a Westinghouse generator a little smaller than the one Casey has and I put in a transfer switch as well. It allows me to power about half the house, with heat, but no AC. I wanted to put in a whole home system like Leo in the new house but unfortunately the new subdivision is all electric. I haven't decided if I want to put in a propane tank solely for a generator yet. I will at the very least be putting in another transfer switch to run the current generator though.

I don't know anything about Ryobi Inverters or how reliable they are long term. For those in apartments or looking to just power their aquariums I'd take a hard look at one of these.
 
I need to correct myself on one thing. I have an interlock switch, not a transfer switch. A transfer switch ties into specific circuits (usually limited to 6-10 pre-decided circuits), where as an interlock switch is just a metal slider to toggle the power from the electric company to generator power, preventing any back feed when power is restored. I went with the interlock switch because it was a lot cheaper and doesn't limit you to just a few circuits.
 
AquariumSchmo said:
I need to correct myself on one thing. I have an interlock switch, not a transfer switch. A transfer switch ties into specific circuits (usually limited to 6-10 pre-decided circuits), where as an interlock switch is just a metal slider to toggle the power from the electric company to generator power, preventing any back feed when power is restored. I went with the interlock switch because it was a lot cheaper and doesn't limit you to just a few circuits.
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The reason I went with a transfer switch is because the generator I have can't power the whole house and I wanted something idiot proof when I'm not around. If the wife or neighbors need to start it up I didn't want a chance that the generator could get overloaded. I could easily see someone watching the house forget to flip the right breakers and an AC unit kick on.
 
I know I need to get one, My neighbor has one for his whole house and a small honda one. He used to have tanks so whenever the power goes out he runs the honda over to my house without even asking first. Thank god for good neighbors. Now what to do if he or his kids aren't home...:rolleyes:
 
Northwest Georgia Mountain girl here. For years I did not worry about it as we had a child with a trach and on oxygen, so were on a priority list for the electric to be fixed pronto. Now my dad lives next door and has several portable generators and I also have battery pumps for short outages. If in winter we run a wood stove so I guess I could keep heating a small amount of water and slowly pouring it in the tank to keep it warmer?
 
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