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Generator Update and shortcuts

     A few months ago I found myself in a precarious position.  The lights had gone off for a tad more than 24 hours and I panicked.  You see, I work from home and hope to continue to work from home into the foreseeable future and to do that, I need a reliable source of power.  I am planning on NOT ever going to the Cleveland if I can help it.  

    My job is technically in downtown Cleveland, and we moved to Western PA to be closer to family and friends.  My mother, for example, passed shortly after we moved.  I

    So I spent a few days looking for a generator that could not only keep my up and running, but could also help keep the house warm by running our pellet stove and lights.   If you want, you can read more about how I ended up with the generator I did, here.  However long story short, it was important to me that I could keep my work PC on, a few lights, the pellet stove burning and maybe a TV and phone chargers

    I had also set a budget to get everything, including the hook up into the home electrical system at around $1500.   After getting some estimates by various electricians...it occurred to me that I was underestimating this project by roughly $500.

    Because I was going to exceed my budget and we didn't have another "serious blackout" yet, although we have had a few short minor outages of a minute or two.  In fact, according to a few people in the area; that was the first serious blackout in several years.

   The weather had also cooperated for the most part, in that we did not have a huge amount of snowfall yet this season, although we did get nine (9) inches one day, nor did we have drastic changes in temperatures.   Most days it hovers about 35 F (2 C).  

    Snow, cold, ice...all these things can contribute to a blackout in winter.   Or to put it in other words...things got pushed to the back burner as the memory of that blackout faded.  However I finally got around to getting the generator hooked up outside...a little differently then planned but it saved me money and effort and was done by a licensed and certified contractor, so I know it was done right.  The fact that he owed me a favor helped in the overall scheme of things too.

    All told, including buying the parts to put this puppy together, it cost me roughly $250 then what I had originally budgeted.  We also moved the generator to a much more secure sight then originally planned.  I'm calling this a WIN - WIN for me.

    The original plan was to drill a hole through the concrete block and set the generator on a pad.  Then come spring build a little box for it to protect it from the elements and hide the generator from prying eyes.    Now it sits secure in my locked shed and accessible to me when needed all because the shed was hooked up correctly by the previous owner.   Come a blackout, all I need to do is make a short hike and connect some things. 

    Now that being said, it's a little louder than I originally expected.  So far though, I'm happy with it.  Wen Generators are actually pretty easy to put together and operate.   While this next video is simply not the best example, it does provide with an idea of the size of the unit, how easy it was to put together - actually getting out of the box was the roughest part.  You may want to skip a head a bit in the video...I did, but it does give you pretty clear instructions on set up and procedure.


    I'm sure that sometime, somewhere I'm going to have to use this generator for something other than it's intended purpose..and I know that it is probably to much for my needs.  However if I am going to make a go at this rural lifestyle a generator is just one of those things that I need.  

    Its not exactly portable and it's loud...but it will keep my house warm, light and keep my ass working...and that is all I ask of it.

 

     

    

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Location: Stoneboro, PA 16153, USA

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