Check your preps. Don't wait \ stacker news ~DIY

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1032 sats \ 19 comments \ @kepford 13h DIY

Last night we had a power outage. We don't have them very often. When we do they are usually less than an hour. This one was only three hours but it happened at 10pm.

I had a feeling it was gonna be a long one and I didn't want our food in the fridge to spoil so I pulled out the generator and fired it up. Ran the cables to our to fridge/freezer combos and went to bed.

Well, that's the short version. I have a reminder to test the generator periodically. I haven't done it in a year. Well, I learned my lesson. The battery was dead so I had to pull start it. And it would not start. After about 20 minutes I got it running.

Guys... things happen when you aren't ready. It isn't hard to test this thing once a month but I got lazy and complacant. Don't be like me. Be prepared.

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260 sats \ 4 replies \ @DarthCoin 13h

Also be prepared to "eat" everything you have in the fridge 😂😂😂

217 sats \ 2 replies \ @optimism 13h

172 sats \ 0 replies \ @DarthCoin 13h

LOL you were fast !

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @BlokchainB 10h

Hahahaga this looks familiar!

167 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 13h

Saved all the meats.

One of my freezers is dead. Even with my work last night. It just didn't like being offline. It's old.

61 sats \ 1 reply \ @ChickenLady 9h

https://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/radically-responsible

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 8h

Yep, love Jack's work.

202 sats \ 7 replies \ @justin_shocknet 12h

Last night we had a power outage. We don't have them very often. When we do they are usually less than an hour.

That's your weakest link, no forced hardening 🤣

I added a 30amp whole home solar battery to compliment the generator after our last 5 day outage, we're usually good for at least a few multi-day events every year... With a deep well drawing a lot of watts we can't get by with 15 amp kits. Also really sucks when it's sub zero wind chills and the generator needs fuel in the middle of the night.

Just installed a running cover for the generator as well, been a few times the storm itself precluded running it. Oil change / battery check is a fall ritual.

67 sats \ 2 replies \ @kepford OP 12h

Well... maybe its the weakest link. Maybe not. I have enough fuel to run this thing for 20 days. There are no solutions, only trade-offs. Home batteries or whole house generator means less sats to my savings. Solar battery backups are in my future for sure. If I lived in a different place I would have a whole house generator in addition to this little guy.

The reality is, the generator did its job. I was able to get it going. Just not as quickly as I wanted. Its duel fuel and I think the issue was the gas in the carb. It started right up on propane. It also is running like a champ now. These engines are not meant to sit.

I can think of a few things that are weaker links that i can fix. But the likelihood of them happening is smaller. I still have a long way to go though. You never are really 100% prepared for anything. Building skills is the real important thing people neglect. And, you don't have to master everything. Just get competent in a handful of things and have friends/family that can fill in the gaps.

That's my approach at least. I like the saying, Jack of all trades, master of some. Jack Spirko says that.

81 sats \ 1 reply \ @justin_shocknet 11h

I mean the forced hardening itself, no better prep than living where the weather messes you up regularly lol

I've otherwise accepted that it's going to be madmax by day 10 of major grid down event

Just making sure you have 10 days of heat and water is a tall order.

34 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 8h

Yep

17 sats \ 3 replies \ @BlokchainB 10h

I been thinking about installing a battery system for my home

85 sats \ 2 replies \ @justin_shocknet 10h

Yea depending what appliances you have they've gotten pretty cheap, its really only my well that necessitated a big unit

I went with the Anker Solix, and got some portable panels with it

34 sats \ 1 reply \ @BlokchainB 10h

What’s the horse power of your pump? You running a single phase water pump?

77 sats \ 0 replies \ @justin_shocknet 10h

All I know is that its on an 30 amp circuit and the surge is over ~3000w, so the path of least resistance was just to get a generator port and interlock. That would also power the boiler which is hard wired to the panel.

The Anker was the first battery setup I saw at a reasonable price with a 30 amp output, and with that I hook into the whole house with the same port we use for the generator.

I also like that I can charge it back up with a regular 15 amp wall plug from the vehicles, with a little harbor freight inverter. Nice plan C should the generator shit the bed or we run out of fuel for it in an extended event and weather is incompatible with the solar panels.

40 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 11h

I learned my lesson during Hurricane Sandy. 2 am trips to a gas station 10 miles away to fill up the car and gas cans for the generator.

36 sats \ 0 replies \ @DrBrader99 13h

Putting ‘test generator’ on my monthly to-do list now.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @d680ecaa8e 5h

It could both possible, it could be time to learn lesson and new concept.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 12h

I like to have "preps" that are practical. By that I mean things that actually happen or have happen get priority. Unlike the dumb prep porn that is out there you probably shouldn't start with preparing for nuclear winter. Power outages happen. Start there.

That said, my generator is small, quiet, and has enough juice to power the critical stuff I have. It would be nice to have a whole house generator or batteries but those things cost a lot of sats. Maybe someday I will have one of those options.

For now I have a good portable generator that I can use when we travel, camp, or just need portable power. When you are thinking about things to prepare for multiple use items are awesome.