On Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:12:26 -0500, wrote:

"Stormin Mormon" writes:

I do have a gasoline generator, which helped me through the
four day cut, in 2003. Consider your needs. And consider if
natural gas is dependable, in your area. Might want propane,
or diesel unit.

The only time natural gas fails, there's usually just a big
crater left behind. Unless you're using LP, natural gas is
way at the top of the reliability list.

Consider the personal aspects.

Do you want to stand out like a lighthouse in a dark harbor?
Do you want your neighbors to demand to run power cords to
thier houses, and you can be Angst Power and Light?

You know what? Most people get a good feeling from helping other
people. I thought you did too.

In this last storm I was on both the receiving and giving end.
I think we all came out ahead.
I would get a generator and a manual transfer panel. Oh, I did. The
reason was that I didn't trust the automatic transfer and generator
setups that were affordable by me. My neighbor has an automatic setup
powered by a Kohler engine (usually considered a good brand) that only
worked the first season it was installed. It probably turned on less
than 8 times that first year. Then something in the ignition system
failed and it could only try to start. Her quoted repair price was
around $1800 from a couple businesses that install and maintain these
types of systems. $1800 seems steep to me to replace a 7hp motor.
Stormin Mormon implied from his comments above that standing out
in the neighborhood would be a bad thing. That's surprising coming
from someone who identifies himself as a Christian. My neighbors are
welcome to use my freezer if theirs isn't working. And they can come
over and use the shower if they need to. And if they need to sleep and
eat here a while that's OK too.
Eric