Why do you NOT have a generator?

[Anonymous]

I'm wondering this, reading all of your responses in the snowstorm prepping topic. You can get a portable, gasoline generator for about $500 at Costco that, at the very least, can power the refrigerator, some lights, electronics, and a space heater or two.

If you spend around $1500 (for everything) you can have a large portable generator and an electrician install an outlet and switch to plug it directly into your breaker panel. This becomes (almost) a whole-house generator.

For $5,000, you can have a natural gas or diesel one that activates and switches over automatically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering this, reading all of your responses in the snowstorm prepping topic. You can get a portable, gasoline generator for about $500 at Costco that, at the very least, can power the refrigerator, some lights, electronics, and a space heater or two.

If you spend around $1500 (for everything) you can have a large portable generator and an electrician install an outlet and switch to plug it directly into your breaker panel. This becomes (almost) a whole-house generator.

For $5,000, you can have a natural gas or diesel one that activates and switches over automatically.

Because I don't have the $500 right now. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

Never needed one. Power has never, ever gone out in my house (don't have Pepco, thank god). And they're pricey and don't work well.

[Anonymous]

I rent a townhouse. So, against noise and HOA codes, and can't install a permanent one.

[Anonymous]

Wow, OP. You live in a fairytale. Not everyone can afford to spend $500.

[Anonymous]

Because our row house is NOT in the suburbs. It is a short walk from an urban metro station. We RARELY lose power.

[Anonymous]

15k for a whole house. We rarely lose power where I am. If we do, I can go to a hotel or wait it out. I also don't prep by filling my fridge. In swows like this, simply use the outdoors as your fridge!

[Anonymous]

Why bother? I can fly my private helicopter to the islands to escape the cold in case of a snow storm

[Anonymous]

And my husband built a portable charger using a car battery.

I'm sure some foreign idiot will try and drive and hit something, taking put power

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, OP. You live in a fairytale. Not everyone can afford to spend $500.

Let them eat cake.

[Anonymous]

1) Portable generators can't be run outside in the rain or in severe weather. Yet they produce so much carbon monoxide that if you even run it in a garage with the exterior doors open you could DIE. I don't think they're worth the risk.

2) Installed ones are expensive and my power doesn't go out enough for me to think it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

Last year we looked into getting a natural gas one - we discovered that the DC gas lines do not have enough pressure to run a generator. We were not and are still not crazy about getting a regular gas generator - maybe this new storm will make us reconsider.

[Anonymous]

You soun naive. There are people in the other threads who can barely afford to get groceries in preparation for this storm and you're asking about generators? For the working poor, that type of stuff doesn't even flash on the radar.


-another working poor lady

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, OP. You live in a fairytale. Not everyone can afford to spend $500.

Oh, please. This is ridiculous. Anyway, consider the question directed at those who say that you should have a hotel room booked in advance of any snow storm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because our row house is NOT in the suburbs. It is a short walk from an urban metro station. We RARELY lose power.

+1! Also, gasoline is dangerous and emits VOCs, so it's not the best choice in an interior row house, which can get ambient heat from neighbors anyway.