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Post by Calamity Creek Gal on Feb 13, 2015 10:40:34 GMT -5
Yes, it is a big money decision on retirement income - but having to start our little generator every 5-6 hours and run it for 2-3 hours is a pain too. It is a pull start and 25 years old. Husband has had two back surgeries and we don't need #3 at 73. And, as you said we'll be more comfy, which means he won't have to move space heaters around.
Weather here seems more ice oriented during the winter now. The outages of 24+ hours (3) have all happened in the past 15 months! And we've been here 18 years.
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Post by BarbK on Feb 13, 2015 13:47:36 GMT -5
Lue, Nothing worse than losing power. Great idea about the whole house generator. Expensive, but I believe well worth it if it happens all the time.
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Post by hazelrunmama on Feb 13, 2015 15:18:47 GMT -5
I agree--huge investment but a long-term pay-off that's worth it! Wish we had one!
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Post by luv2bird on Feb 13, 2015 18:03:19 GMT -5
Yes, it is a big money decision on retirement income - but having to start our little generator every 5-6 hours and run it for 2-3 hours is a pain too. It is a pull start and 25 years old. Husband has had two back surgeries and we don't need #3 at 73. And, as you said we'll be more comfy, which means he won't have to move space heaters around. Weather here seems more ice oriented during the winter now. The outages of 24+ hours (3) have all happened in the past 15 months! And we've been here 18 years.
Depends on what is purchased, a lower priced whole house generator may not be able to run 220 appliances such as a clothes dryer, electric stove or central air conditioner. One can run a microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, lights, clothes washer and furnace.
Are you going to run it with propane or gas line? Don't forget to figure in, if propane, the size of the propane tank for it determines how many days it will provide electricity running on strictly generator power.
Call around, price the propane and tank, sometimes they'll make you a deal.
Wishing you all the very best of luck, l2b
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Post by downylover on Feb 13, 2015 19:41:12 GMT -5
Wow, that's a huge investment Lue. But..... beats the alternative of repeatedly losing what's in the fridge & freezer as well as freezing to death. Yikes, an inch of ice is no fun. I'd rather have a foot of snow than that.
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Post by Calamity Creek Gal on Feb 14, 2015 9:41:51 GMT -5
Thanks, Barbara, HRM and Kim for the comments. I'll let you know the "wonder of it all" when we use it the first time!! Wishing you all the very best of luck, l2b l2b - it sounds like you've looked into this before!! We've done all the things you mentioned before we made the commitment, thanks. The generator is more than able to handle everything and we went with a bigger propane tank. (No gas lines this far out in the country.) The larger tank provides more surface area for the gas to 'ignite' and to be more efficient, etc.
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Post by luv2bird on Feb 14, 2015 14:04:19 GMT -5
Thanks, Barbara, HRM and Kim for the comments. I'll let you know the "wonder of it all" when we use it the first time!! Wishing you all the very best of luck, l2b l2b - it sounds like you've looked into this before!! We've done all the things you mentioned before we made the commitment, thanks. The generator is more than able to handle everything and we went with a bigger propane tank. (No gas lines this far out in the country.) The larger tank provides more surface area for the gas to 'ignite' and to be more efficient, etc.
I have a whole house generator installed, but I do not have the propane tank to run it. I'm still saving for that phase of it.
l2b
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Post by Calamity Creek Gal on Feb 14, 2015 22:51:07 GMT -5
How exciting! We've decided to rent our 500 gallon tank at $10/month. It would take over 20 years of renting to match buying it and we won't be here in 20 years.
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Post by luv2bird on Feb 15, 2015 16:47:09 GMT -5
How exciting! We've decided to rent our 500 gallon tank at $10/month. It would take over 20 years of renting to match buying it and we won't be here in 20 years.
Thant is a very good deal.
l2b
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Post by lyn on Feb 15, 2015 16:52:36 GMT -5
Agreed ! That is a fair price Lue. We cook with propane and pay about the same for our tank rental. In Canada tanks are only certified for ten years then they have to be replaced. Renting is the most practical way to go. Hopefully you won't need to use the generator very often !
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Post by hutchgigi on Feb 17, 2015 12:31:38 GMT -5
We have electric heat here and the gas stove is run on propane two tanks which they switch out. We do heat up the house in the a.m. with oven and burners since no heat elements in the kitchen. It is an open floor plan so the heat travels well we are happy at 60 degrees. if we have no wind and the sun is shining we can get up to 68 . When Finn is here I plug in a fan heater to keep it cozy. His room / laundry room. is toasty and closed off with a new heater element al put in. He slept over sunday night with pj and sleeper on. slept 7 pm to 7 a.m . Our dishwasher is one year old and has been acting up this week. having the pipe freeze and using the hair dryer to free it. Now it seams the heater is not working on the dish washer and it will not drain. OYE , this winter is really pushing us over the edge. Al says pretty soon we will be in an igloo when the snow on the roof meets the snow on the ground. Ok I don't want to shock anyone but it is snowing out. they say 3 inches or so. yesterday the big yellow plow tractor was here. I was worried at how far he pushed the snow into my shrubs and the birds protection. He is hired by the road maintenance of the people who own the land. count day today see what showes up. I have all the window feeders filled and chasing the starlings. the food I put out the window by the rhodadedrum is hard for me to see who is eating so I will count when they sit on the branches.
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