DIYbanter - View Single Post - 2.2 million without power, in the northeast

Pete C.

Han wrote:

wrote in :

"Stormin Mormon" writes:

I'm glad some folks shared. That's neighborly. During my
year 2003 power cut, one neighbor ran space heaters off a
generator.
I told him that was ineffective use of power.
Offered to wire his furnace, but he refused. You were kind
to offer, and your neighbor was wise to accept.

I never had access to a generator before but after a few hours
it occurred to me that a space heater was the wrong way to go.

My guess is that the pump on a hot water system takes a lot
less power than a space heater.

But, but , but ...
A generator would be fine, if the price wasn't so high. Moreover, those
gas generators are very noisy, require maintenance and a supply of fairly
fresh (and flammable) gasoline. A propane or NG generator would be
better on some of those aspects, but cost more.

Generator: $500-$1,000 depending on requirements, sales, etc.

Easily covered by the savings from a single frozen pipe or lost fridge
and freezer full of food incident.

So I bought a propane-fired space heater for ~$125 with a long line and a
filter for the propane. We should be able to withstand a 1-2 day absence
of heat with the 2 propane tanks we have. Moreover, propane refilling is
within a 5 min drive from my house, and doesn't require a power source
(maybe "their" register does, but maybe they'll let me just pay).

Every propane filling operation I've seen requires power. They pump the
liquid propane from the big tank to the small tank.