On Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:25:38 -0400, Metspitzer
wrote:

On Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:11:24 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
Metspitzer wrote:

My sister lives in an area where the power goes out frequently. She
has asked me more than once to "just" come out and add a plug for her
so she can use a generator to keep her food from going bad. This is
never going to happen. Not so much because I would not do it for her,
it is more because after the first season or two of no maintenance on
her generator, it would not crank anyway. I know this from listening
to the kids complain about the four wheelers not working or the
lawnmower is "broke"

If I were to set her up with a generator, I think I would add a lock
out switch to her existing panel. This way, she could use anything in
her house. The only bad thing about doing this would be if she could
not use self control and try to overload the circuit. Having the
breaker trip a few times might give her the message.

When the power goes off, just turn the breakers off to the bedrooms
and huddle in the den with TV and gas heat.

A dirt-cheap, no-brain, zero-maintenance refrigerator backup plan for
power outages is a few bags of ice in the freezer. Stick them in the
fridge when the power is out and you've got an icebox that will last for
days.

I have suggested that to her. Use a cooler for sandwich meat/milk
and leave the door to the fridge shut.

She lives in Alabama so it doesn't get really cold, but suggested that
she try to put a couple of those cooler ice packs outside and see if
they refreeze. (winter time outages, of course)

If she has a source for Dry Ice when the power goes out, it will last
for days. I use it when traveling with seafood. Never lost any from
spoilage or had any thaw out. Caution handling it as it will burn you.