Has anyone here loaned their generator to their neighbor whose power was out only to have yours go back out once you give it away?
Loaning a gen-set That's why you need more than one. Also need to pre-think who you might be willing to share with.
This spring, we had MAJOR flooding and the electric company shut down the power to the area, even though many weren't under water... I have 4 solar (PV) panels on the roof, and in direct sunlight with no air conditioner on, the 4 panels can pretty much run the house. The PV panels were prompted by the 120% increase in electric costs over the past 8 years... It's a 'Net Meter' system that is a grid tie, no batteries. I also have a generator, got it out of an old RV, about 7.5 KW at low RPM so the entire neighborhood doesn't know it's running in the middle of the night. What I did was offer to store milk for baby formula and some other perishables for my neighbors, and to my closest neighbors, I offered a single extension cord around on a time schedule. Enough time to make a fridge or freezer cold again, and enough current to do the same... With a breaker installed to make sure they didn't plug everything in the house in at the same time! I heard a lot of complaining about this or that, but our little block or block and a half here did pretty well for the 6 days the power was off.... Compared to others that REALLY MADE THINGS HARD FOR THEMSELVES! I notice there still aren't many converts in the area... 4 months later, and we still don't see many Compact Florescent bulbs in the light fixtures, No new generators going in, No one adding solar PV or solar Hot Water panels, Ect. ----------------------- I'm used to living in the Fla. Keys, and when you have had a half dozen hurricanes in the same summer, you kind of prepare for things like this... I just never though it was going to be a flood in INDIANA of all places!
How much have you invested in solar panels? I sure could use some help with the electric bill. Anyway, No but I loaded my generator to paw-in-law and got it back with one leg out. It was an easy fix but I didn't know until I needed it. Not his fault other than he didn't say anythng. I just went through 12 days of no electric with hurricane Ike. Had a generator, couple of tv's, phone, u-verse tv (like cable but over the phone line), fridge going. Internet was off a day though, wasn't too happy about that... Most people had gens here or borrowed lines. It was a 5500 with a gas engine. Loud as all hell. Got so used to the noise that it was hard to sleep for a couple of weeks after. Used about 14 five gal cans of gas - 70 gals at 4.59 per gallon = $321 bucks. I had 10 cans which got me through until I could get gas again.
Nope,one thing I don't lend as it too expensive to repair if it breaksdown. People are just sorry if it break under their watch and never want to pony up the cash to fix it as it must of been on the verge of breaking down when I let them borrow it.The last time I lent a tiller the rear guard came back with a huge hole in it.It just seems to me people aren't as careful with borrowed equipment. I NO LONGER LEND stuff out !
