Thinking of buying a generator

C

catboogie

New member
wow, thanks guys! you've given me a good place to start investigating. DB, you are near and dear to my heart mentioning the solar idea - unfortunately that is not possible at the moment. maybe when/if we remodel in a few years we can work that in?

i know how loud these suckers can be. our neighbors have one that kicks on automatically when the power goes out. (it must be a really nice one b/c it runs pretty much constantly).

we are not members of costco, but our good friends are, so i might check there. do you guys have any idea how much it might cost to get a refillable one that would run the fridge, vest, nebs, and oxygen if i was on that? maybe a fan?? and is it a lot of trouble to store fuel? i mean, can i just store some under the house or would that be a fire risk?
 
C

catboogie

New member
wow, thanks guys! you've given me a good place to start investigating. DB, you are near and dear to my heart mentioning the solar idea - unfortunately that is not possible at the moment. maybe when/if we remodel in a few years we can work that in?

i know how loud these suckers can be. our neighbors have one that kicks on automatically when the power goes out. (it must be a really nice one b/c it runs pretty much constantly).

we are not members of costco, but our good friends are, so i might check there. do you guys have any idea how much it might cost to get a refillable one that would run the fridge, vest, nebs, and oxygen if i was on that? maybe a fan?? and is it a lot of trouble to store fuel? i mean, can i just store some under the house or would that be a fire risk?
 
C

catboogie

New member
wow, thanks guys! you've given me a good place to start investigating. DB, you are near and dear to my heart mentioning the solar idea - unfortunately that is not possible at the moment. maybe when/if we remodel in a few years we can work that in?

i know how loud these suckers can be. our neighbors have one that kicks on automatically when the power goes out. (it must be a really nice one b/c it runs pretty much constantly).

we are not members of costco, but our good friends are, so i might check there. do you guys have any idea how much it might cost to get a refillable one that would run the fridge, vest, nebs, and oxygen if i was on that? maybe a fan?? and is it a lot of trouble to store fuel? i mean, can i just store some under the house or would that be a fire risk?
 
C

catboogie

New member
wow, thanks guys! you've given me a good place to start investigating. DB, you are near and dear to my heart mentioning the solar idea - unfortunately that is not possible at the moment. maybe when/if we remodel in a few years we can work that in?

i know how loud these suckers can be. our neighbors have one that kicks on automatically when the power goes out. (it must be a really nice one b/c it runs pretty much constantly).

we are not members of costco, but our good friends are, so i might check there. do you guys have any idea how much it might cost to get a refillable one that would run the fridge, vest, nebs, and oxygen if i was on that? maybe a fan?? and is it a lot of trouble to store fuel? i mean, can i just store some under the house or would that be a fire risk?
 
C

catboogie

New member
wow, thanks guys! you've given me a good place to start investigating. DB, you are near and dear to my heart mentioning the solar idea - unfortunately that is not possible at the moment. maybe when/if we remodel in a few years we can work that in?
<br />
<br />i know how loud these suckers can be. our neighbors have one that kicks on automatically when the power goes out. (it must be a really nice one b/c it runs pretty much constantly).
<br />
<br />we are not members of costco, but our good friends are, so i might check there. do you guys have any idea how much it might cost to get a refillable one that would run the fridge, vest, nebs, and oxygen if i was on that? maybe a fan?? and is it a lot of trouble to store fuel? i mean, can i just store some under the house or would that be a fire risk?
<br />
<br />
 
D

dbtoo

New member
I had a 3 cyl. diesel engine for backup power to my solar array when I had my off grid cabin. Sounds like what your neighbor probably has - really really noisey and man did that stink! I had a 4 panel array with a tracker system, 6 12v batteries and a modified sine-wave inverter. It could pretty much run the house on sunny days. I had also added a wind turbine, but I really didn't get my money's worth out of that. Thought it would be good for nights, since it was windy out where we were.

I'd say a 5000 to 6500 watt should be sufficient for your medical need. You want to price a propane powered one, instead of gas. Then you can have an extra tank around. gas or worse, diesel, fuels can gel and loose potency when stored over time (there are stabalizers you can add, but it's still a pain.) The propane is same that you use in a gas grill. I always have 1 full tank and 1 in use (for my grill.) In an emergency you can get a full one from any home depot or corner 7-11 now. There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. Those few items should be no problem for a decent genny. I don't know what they are pulling, but it's not to hard to find a web based calculator and punch in the numbers. You gotta watch the fridges, though. They may claim to use low amps, BUT the startup amps for the motor is about 3-4 times the running amps. I had to give up trying to use one off grid, I just couldn't get enough power for it to run.

For lights, I'd go with some of the new battery LED ones. There pretty cheap now-a-days. You can get some of the hand crank flashlights, which I keep a bunch around. They even have radio's in them. If you do solar, there are credits available from the states and fed. gov. It's also feasible that you could even get the cost of a solar system (and possibly even the generator) written off as medically necessary, but check with a tax guy before you jump in. Unfortunately, solar is not cheap yet!

Also, check with your power company and tell them your situation. They may have some type of rental program or purchase program to provide stuff to you.
 
D

dbtoo

New member
I had a 3 cyl. diesel engine for backup power to my solar array when I had my off grid cabin. Sounds like what your neighbor probably has - really really noisey and man did that stink! I had a 4 panel array with a tracker system, 6 12v batteries and a modified sine-wave inverter. It could pretty much run the house on sunny days. I had also added a wind turbine, but I really didn't get my money's worth out of that. Thought it would be good for nights, since it was windy out where we were.

I'd say a 5000 to 6500 watt should be sufficient for your medical need. You want to price a propane powered one, instead of gas. Then you can have an extra tank around. gas or worse, diesel, fuels can gel and loose potency when stored over time (there are stabalizers you can add, but it's still a pain.) The propane is same that you use in a gas grill. I always have 1 full tank and 1 in use (for my grill.) In an emergency you can get a full one from any home depot or corner 7-11 now. There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. Those few items should be no problem for a decent genny. I don't know what they are pulling, but it's not to hard to find a web based calculator and punch in the numbers. You gotta watch the fridges, though. They may claim to use low amps, BUT the startup amps for the motor is about 3-4 times the running amps. I had to give up trying to use one off grid, I just couldn't get enough power for it to run.

For lights, I'd go with some of the new battery LED ones. There pretty cheap now-a-days. You can get some of the hand crank flashlights, which I keep a bunch around. They even have radio's in them. If you do solar, there are credits available from the states and fed. gov. It's also feasible that you could even get the cost of a solar system (and possibly even the generator) written off as medically necessary, but check with a tax guy before you jump in. Unfortunately, solar is not cheap yet!

Also, check with your power company and tell them your situation. They may have some type of rental program or purchase program to provide stuff to you.
 
D

dbtoo

New member
I had a 3 cyl. diesel engine for backup power to my solar array when I had my off grid cabin. Sounds like what your neighbor probably has - really really noisey and man did that stink! I had a 4 panel array with a tracker system, 6 12v batteries and a modified sine-wave inverter. It could pretty much run the house on sunny days. I had also added a wind turbine, but I really didn't get my money's worth out of that. Thought it would be good for nights, since it was windy out where we were.

I'd say a 5000 to 6500 watt should be sufficient for your medical need. You want to price a propane powered one, instead of gas. Then you can have an extra tank around. gas or worse, diesel, fuels can gel and loose potency when stored over time (there are stabalizers you can add, but it's still a pain.) The propane is same that you use in a gas grill. I always have 1 full tank and 1 in use (for my grill.) In an emergency you can get a full one from any home depot or corner 7-11 now. There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. Those few items should be no problem for a decent genny. I don't know what they are pulling, but it's not to hard to find a web based calculator and punch in the numbers. You gotta watch the fridges, though. They may claim to use low amps, BUT the startup amps for the motor is about 3-4 times the running amps. I had to give up trying to use one off grid, I just couldn't get enough power for it to run.

For lights, I'd go with some of the new battery LED ones. There pretty cheap now-a-days. You can get some of the hand crank flashlights, which I keep a bunch around. They even have radio's in them. If you do solar, there are credits available from the states and fed. gov. It's also feasible that you could even get the cost of a solar system (and possibly even the generator) written off as medically necessary, but check with a tax guy before you jump in. Unfortunately, solar is not cheap yet!

Also, check with your power company and tell them your situation. They may have some type of rental program or purchase program to provide stuff to you.
 
D

dbtoo

New member
I had a 3 cyl. diesel engine for backup power to my solar array when I had my off grid cabin. Sounds like what your neighbor probably has - really really noisey and man did that stink! I had a 4 panel array with a tracker system, 6 12v batteries and a modified sine-wave inverter. It could pretty much run the house on sunny days. I had also added a wind turbine, but I really didn't get my money's worth out of that. Thought it would be good for nights, since it was windy out where we were.

I'd say a 5000 to 6500 watt should be sufficient for your medical need. You want to price a propane powered one, instead of gas. Then you can have an extra tank around. gas or worse, diesel, fuels can gel and loose potency when stored over time (there are stabalizers you can add, but it's still a pain.) The propane is same that you use in a gas grill. I always have 1 full tank and 1 in use (for my grill.) In an emergency you can get a full one from any home depot or corner 7-11 now. There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. Those few items should be no problem for a decent genny. I don't know what they are pulling, but it's not to hard to find a web based calculator and punch in the numbers. You gotta watch the fridges, though. They may claim to use low amps, BUT the startup amps for the motor is about 3-4 times the running amps. I had to give up trying to use one off grid, I just couldn't get enough power for it to run.

For lights, I'd go with some of the new battery LED ones. There pretty cheap now-a-days. You can get some of the hand crank flashlights, which I keep a bunch around. They even have radio's in them. If you do solar, there are credits available from the states and fed. gov. It's also feasible that you could even get the cost of a solar system (and possibly even the generator) written off as medically necessary, but check with a tax guy before you jump in. Unfortunately, solar is not cheap yet!

Also, check with your power company and tell them your situation. They may have some type of rental program or purchase program to provide stuff to you.
 
D

dbtoo

New member
I had a 3 cyl. diesel engine for backup power to my solar array when I had my off grid cabin. Sounds like what your neighbor probably has - really really noisey and man did that stink! I had a 4 panel array with a tracker system, 6 12v batteries and a modified sine-wave inverter. It could pretty much run the house on sunny days. I had also added a wind turbine, but I really didn't get my money's worth out of that. Thought it would be good for nights, since it was windy out where we were.
<br />
<br />I'd say a 5000 to 6500 watt should be sufficient for your medical need. You want to price a propane powered one, instead of gas. Then you can have an extra tank around. gas or worse, diesel, fuels can gel and loose potency when stored over time (there are stabalizers you can add, but it's still a pain.) The propane is same that you use in a gas grill. I always have 1 full tank and 1 in use (for my grill.) In an emergency you can get a full one from any home depot or corner 7-11 now. There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. Those few items should be no problem for a decent genny. I don't know what they are pulling, but it's not to hard to find a web based calculator and punch in the numbers. You gotta watch the fridges, though. They may claim to use low amps, BUT the startup amps for the motor is about 3-4 times the running amps. I had to give up trying to use one off grid, I just couldn't get enough power for it to run.
<br />
<br />For lights, I'd go with some of the new battery LED ones. There pretty cheap now-a-days. You can get some of the hand crank flashlights, which I keep a bunch around. They even have radio's in them. If you do solar, there are credits available from the states and fed. gov. It's also feasible that you could even get the cost of a solar system (and possibly even the generator) written off as medically necessary, but check with a tax guy before you jump in. Unfortunately, solar is not cheap yet!
<br />
<br />Also, check with your power company and tell them your situation. They may have some type of rental program or purchase program to provide stuff to you.
 
L

Landy

New member
As a side note, you <i>should</i> be able to write off the expense of your generator as long as the sole/main reason you buy it is for medical equipment back-up. You may want to check with your accountant on this, though.
If you buy one large enough to support the whole house & not just your medical devices, then it may not be deductible?
I'm glad you brought this up--I've thought of doing the same thing.
 
L

Landy

New member
As a side note, you <i>should</i> be able to write off the expense of your generator as long as the sole/main reason you buy it is for medical equipment back-up. You may want to check with your accountant on this, though.
If you buy one large enough to support the whole house & not just your medical devices, then it may not be deductible?
I'm glad you brought this up--I've thought of doing the same thing.
 
L

Landy

New member
As a side note, you <i>should</i> be able to write off the expense of your generator as long as the sole/main reason you buy it is for medical equipment back-up. You may want to check with your accountant on this, though.
If you buy one large enough to support the whole house & not just your medical devices, then it may not be deductible?
I'm glad you brought this up--I've thought of doing the same thing.
 
L

Landy

New member
As a side note, you <i>should</i> be able to write off the expense of your generator as long as the sole/main reason you buy it is for medical equipment back-up. You may want to check with your accountant on this, though.
If you buy one large enough to support the whole house & not just your medical devices, then it may not be deductible?
I'm glad you brought this up--I've thought of doing the same thing.
 
L

Landy

New member
As a side note, you <i>should</i> be able to write off the expense of your generator as long as the sole/main reason you buy it is for medical equipment back-up. You may want to check with your accountant on this, though.
<br />If you buy one large enough to support the whole house & not just your medical devices, then it may not be deductible?
<br />I'm glad you brought this up--I've thought of doing the same thing.
 
A

AnD

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. </end quote></div>

Db, do you know where to purchase one of these? We have my parent's old (maybe 15-20 year old, if I am remembering right) Generac (Briggs and Stratton 8 hp engine) and we had to replace or clean out the gas tank (I don't remember which Dad and my dh ended up doing- it's been a while <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"> ) , but you're right- converting it to propane would be great!

I saw on a generator website where the generator should say how many continuous amps it would do, and how many short term (for what db said about the 'fridge's start up amp requirements) amps it could produce, if that helps any.

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. </end quote></div>

That's what we do too- need to blow dry your hair? Unplug the 'fridge for 10 mins., lol. Seems to work <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> .

Oh, and I have heard that Honda and Briggs and Stratton make the best/most reliable small engines (generators, pressure washers, etc.).
 
A

AnD

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. </end quote></div>

Db, do you know where to purchase one of these? We have my parent's old (maybe 15-20 year old, if I am remembering right) Generac (Briggs and Stratton 8 hp engine) and we had to replace or clean out the gas tank (I don't remember which Dad and my dh ended up doing- it's been a while <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"> ) , but you're right- converting it to propane would be great!

I saw on a generator website where the generator should say how many continuous amps it would do, and how many short term (for what db said about the 'fridge's start up amp requirements) amps it could produce, if that helps any.

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. </end quote></div>

That's what we do too- need to blow dry your hair? Unplug the 'fridge for 10 mins., lol. Seems to work <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> .

Oh, and I have heard that Honda and Briggs and Stratton make the best/most reliable small engines (generators, pressure washers, etc.).
 
A

AnD

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. </end quote></div>

Db, do you know where to purchase one of these? We have my parent's old (maybe 15-20 year old, if I am remembering right) Generac (Briggs and Stratton 8 hp engine) and we had to replace or clean out the gas tank (I don't remember which Dad and my dh ended up doing- it's been a while <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"> ) , but you're right- converting it to propane would be great!

I saw on a generator website where the generator should say how many continuous amps it would do, and how many short term (for what db said about the 'fridge's start up amp requirements) amps it could produce, if that helps any.

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. </end quote></div>

That's what we do too- need to blow dry your hair? Unplug the 'fridge for 10 mins., lol. Seems to work <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> .

Oh, and I have heard that Honda and Briggs and Stratton make the best/most reliable small engines (generators, pressure washers, etc.).
 
A

AnD

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. </end quote>

Db, do you know where to purchase one of these? We have my parent's old (maybe 15-20 year old, if I am remembering right) Generac (Briggs and Stratton 8 hp engine) and we had to replace or clean out the gas tank (I don't remember which Dad and my dh ended up doing- it's been a while <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"> ) , but you're right- converting it to propane would be great!

I saw on a generator website where the generator should say how many continuous amps it would do, and how many short term (for what db said about the 'fridge's start up amp requirements) amps it could produce, if that helps any.

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. </end quote>

That's what we do too- need to blow dry your hair? Unplug the 'fridge for 10 mins., lol. Seems to work <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> .

Oh, and I have heard that Honda and Briggs and Stratton make the best/most reliable small engines (generators, pressure washers, etc.).
 
A

AnD

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>There are conversion kits to switch over gas powered to use propane. If you could pick up a used gas powered briggs and straton, you could use a conversion kit. May be a reasonable solution. </end quote>
<br />
<br />Db, do you know where to purchase one of these? We have my parent's old (maybe 15-20 year old, if I am remembering right) Generac (Briggs and Stratton 8 hp engine) and we had to replace or clean out the gas tank (I don't remember which Dad and my dh ended up doing- it's been a while <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"> ) , but you're right- converting it to propane would be great!
<br />
<br />I saw on a generator website where the generator should say how many continuous amps it would do, and how many short term (for what db said about the 'fridge's start up amp requirements) amps it could produce, if that helps any.
<br />
<br /> <div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>You could unplug the fridge while you run your vest. Then plug in the nebulizer. The 02 should be able to stay running the whole time, i would think. </end quote>
<br />
<br />That's what we do too- need to blow dry your hair? Unplug the 'fridge for 10 mins., lol. Seems to work <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> .
<br />
<br />Oh, and I have heard that Honda and Briggs and Stratton make the best/most reliable small engines (generators, pressure washers, etc.).
<br />
 
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