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So...our power went out and

 we honestly don't know where to go next.


Our power was out for over 24 hours.  Luckily our house held the heat pretty well and we did not lose any food or other things.   It did however present us with some challenges and got me thinking that with winter coming, we are going to need some sort of back up power supply.

One of the biggest problems that we have with our home is that it's all electric.  We do have some long term goals to help correct that issue.   Everything from solar panels to switching out the electric range for a propane range and getting a tank for it. 


It looks like for now though we are going to have to go with a generator, and if we are going to go with a generator we have to ask ourselves what we want from it.

The biggest issue that I have honestly is that I know literally nothing about them!!!

I have never used one and wouldn't even know that to ask or where to begin.

Here are my questions/concerns: 
  •  We have to have the following running come colder weather (and it's getting below freezing tonight). The pellet stove and fridge are musts as the wife takes meds that have to be kept cold. They are on two different levels of the house which shouldn't matter? (we live in a split level home, so the pellet stove is in the lowest level, the fridge on the main level and our bedrooms are up a small flight of stairs).   I would like to keep the freezer on as well but if the door stays shut and we have ice packs in it, it should last some time.
  • How difficult is it to hook up a generator? I have zero experience with them so idiot proof is the goal. 
  • Is a dual fuel a better option than single fuel? Is one more efficient than the other? 
  • Is something like the Generac whole house generator worth the cost? I can afford it but don't want to break the bank or take on another payment. HOWEVER if it makes overall sense than I will do that. Or is a Honda generator just make more sense overall? I'm only on 2 acres of property so I don't see it getting much use as a back up power supply. 
  • How reliable is it?   I have to work from home and I need to be able to run my computer as well as other things for least 8 hours of uninterrupted time. 
  • Is there any thing that I'm missing?


This is the funny thing about being the "City Mouse" in the country.   I honestly don't know these things and that's one of the reasons this blog exists.   For if I help one person avoid the mistakes that I"ve made or if one person learns something than I know I've done my job.

Hopefully it's entertaining as well.

 So..if you know something gentle reader, please let me know.   

There are a few things I learned during the past 24 hours about myself, but that's for a another time, and another post.   For now, this is my biggest concern.

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Location: Stoneboro, PA 16153, USA

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