Home Power Generators...For Emergencies...

We have a generator, but we bought ours when we bought our camper, usually when we go somewheres there is a full hook up for the camper. But when we went to Talladega we had to carry the generator.

It sure came in handy though when Hurricane Katrina came through, we didn't have power for about 4 days. So we used the generator then.

My parents have a generator...it's huge! It runs off the propane tank and it gives electricity to the whole 4500 sq feet house. I love it. There's nothing like being able to go in the tanning bed during a winter storm. (I wish spring would get here soon....)

We have a portable one- an old one of my parents. When the power goes out for an extended amount of time in our all electric house, it's wonderful . We don't have too much of a problem where we live now, as the nursing home is one street over (so they are a priority for the power company), but when we lived in the country, we were always one of the last areas to get our power back . I'll ask my DH what kind is his personal favorite- I know he likes Honda engines for things like water power washers .

We don't have a generator, but I know a lot of people who have them. We have it on our list of things to get at some point. It would come in handy, especially during hurricane season.

One unfortunate thing that you always here about is families dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. If you get one make sure you use your generator outside, not even in the garage.... carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless.

Around here, generators are not at all common. Brown-outs and t-storms knock out power in the summer, but snow doesn't really have the same effect and ice storms are highly uncommon aroung here (same with hurricanes and tornados).

So no, no generator. They usually jus have the at hospitals, assisted-living facilities and, oh, animal shelters!!

We don't have one- but i'm going to make Colin get one soon. I lived 3 weeks without power when "Hurricane Elvis" (a really horrendus storm of straight line winds and tornados) hit Memphis a few years back. It was a :censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor: nightmare! If it weren't for all the candles i obsessviely collect we would not have had light eithor I NEVER want to go through that again. We had no power, no way to keep our food preserved, no light, no nothing. We had to grill all of our food outside just to keep it from ruining...and even then when i went to the store to get ice (took 3 hours to get to our grocery store that's only 4-5 minutes away) there was only two ice chests left. There was no ice anywhere.....It took us driving around all over town (and not very fast mind you ) to find some and only then they limited the amount you could get cause everyone neeed it. The lines for gas were hours long....the list goes on. So yeah, when a storm like that hits again the last thing i want to worry about is power and not having a generator- so i'm going to insist Colin gets one soon. It was no fun having no AC in the middle of the summer here in hot humid Memphis. It was scorching hot. To make things even more interisting for me- the storm hit the day after i started floral design school at Shelton- White....the only place that had power in memphis at the time was Andertons Seafood Resturant (a really nice resturant in midtown memphis - they had a generator) so they were kind enough to let us hold classes in their ballroom.....so yeah lol i went to design school in a seafood resturant It was a blast though- it did take forever to get too and from every day though- Memphis drivers don't do well without stoplights All of our flowers had died in the power outtage so we didn't have anything to design with- there was one shop in the entire area that had power and flowers- so they sent us pink carnations to design with the entire time. (This is reason number 28,382 why i HATE carnations ) / So yeah hurricane elvis was interesting and definitely a good reminder how much a generator can come in handy (so do those little battery operator hand held fans when the power goes out in the middle of summer! just be sure to stock up on those batteries )Also one more suggestion- while ya'll are getting your generators- go ahead and go to the red cross's website and other ones like that and print off their list of what you would need to make an emergency kit ....they have instructions to make one for all different circumstances inclucing one for your animals should you need one. And as always- make copies of all important documents and keep them in waterproof paper locked away in a safe that is waterproof/fireproof be sure to keep proof of vaccinations and adoption papers in there too for your animals. We're forever having storms around here and loosing power- having a generator just makes sense down here

my parent have a big 5000 btu huskavera (sp?) generator. They had it professionally wired into the house and it works lovely. to power the deep well pump a few lights, the kitchen stove and the living room TV. not all at the same time but they work a couple at a time orindividually. Since both my parents are disabled I am so happy they have this. In my case if there is a power problem I live on the 6th floor so I pack up the kitties strap them to the dolly and lower them down the 6 flights of stairs along with me and get in the car and off the parents.

We have a generator but we bought it after the 2005 Hurricane season. I have yet to use it and I am afraid of the carbon monoxide.

My HD said he likes Generac generators .

With the carbon monoxide, just don't run it in the basemant or near open doors or windows, etc. Like a BBQ grill . We put ours out in our driveway when we run it .

Originally Posted by babygirl

We have a generator but we bought it after the 2005 Hurricane season. I have yet to use it and I am afraid of the carbon monoxide.

Click to expand...

Just don't use it inside, we used ours after Hurricane Katrina and it was fine, just loud, but you get used to it.

Originally Posted by catsallover

My HD said he likes Generac generators

.

With the carbon monoxide, just don't run it in the basemant or near open doors or windows, etc. Like a BBQ grill

. We put ours out in our driveway when we run it

.

Click to expand...

Yeah, we run ours outside under the carport, we don't let it get to far from our site, when Katrina came the whole city was without power, we were scared someone would try and take it.

Matt has one for work that we have used in the past when there is power outages

I have never even seen one

My parents used to have one when they lived in Northern WI but sold it to one of my cousins when they moved. So this have 6 yrs ago and his cost $1000. You have to make sure whatever powers the generator (gas/propane etc) you have on hand when you need it. I think they plugged in the refrigerator and perhaps the stove-I'll have to ask Dad what brand it was. I know that you can never buy a used one as the demand for them is high. The longest our power has gone out is a few hours maybe 8 at the most.

We bought ours used from a friend that was strapped for cash. I have no idea what brand or anything. Its LOUD!! We use is mostly for when Lee goes racing. Haven't yet had to use it to power anything but its big enough to do the fridge I think.

We have been thinking about getting one as well. I heard that the Honda's are quite quiet.

We bought a generator last year. We had a wind storm that knocked out power for a couple of days. It became an absolute necesity.

I live in an apartment, so I don't have one. When we buy a house we will get one. Two years ago we got hit with a horrible ice storm. The whole community was out of power for almost three weeks. Our apartment was colder than outside, and this was in January. We had to go stay at my mom's house for a couple weeks. There were people that we knew of that had a generator, and thus had heat, light, a working refrigerator, stove, etc. Smart people!