The DC area is less likely to have widespread outages from storms like that because we are accustomed to snow. In fact, we are having less snow lately rather than more.

Also, the power grid and tree canopy are better maintained than in Texas. That said, when our area loses power it generally is one part of it rather than the whole thing.

+1

The DC area is less likely to have widespread outages from storms like that because we are accustomed to snow. In fact, we are having less snow lately rather than more.

Also, the power grid and tree canopy are better maintained than in Texas. That said, when our area loses power it generally is one part of it rather than the whole thing.

Anonymous wrote:You can get a generator to power your whole house for about $20k.

Honestly, just go to a hotel if the power goes out. It's much worse in the summer when it's 100 and humid. Losing power for multiple days is just not that common here.

Not really an option in a wide spread outage.

Anonymous wrote:

You're lucky you moved after the derecho of 2012. Before that, the tree canopy was not well maintained and caused frequent power outages due to branches falling on power lines. The derecho was a warning call, and our utilities were forced to aggressively prune trees close to power lines. Not pretty, but ever since, we have not had ONE power outage in our Montgomery County suburb of DC, when previously we had multiple every year.

So don't worry too much. If you get a generator for storms, PLEASE create a safe placement for it: ventilate correctly (CO poisoning) and keep it dry (electrocution risk).

I’ve wondered why we haven’t had power outages in years, but used to have them frequently. Maybe this is it.

Talk to your neighbors about how frequently your neighborhood loses power, and for how long. I've lived in my house for 17 years and have never lost power for more than 12 hours (and that was when a transformer blew, completely unrelated to weather). For me, a generator would be a total waste of money.

I'm in Arlington, and I saw the county funded trucks trimming branches away from lines expressly to prevent this.

You can get a generator to power your whole house for about $20k.

Honestly, just go to a hotel if the power goes out. It's much worse in the summer when it's 100 and humid. Losing power for multiple days is just not that common here.

Get a kerosene heater, and 5-10 gallons of fuel to store for it. If you start it outside and let it get up to operating temp before you bring it inside, then take it back outside before shutting it off, you’ll eliminate most of the jet-fuel smell associated with them.

We have one for emergencies and it’s been amazing during a couple extended power outages. It won’t keep the whole house at normal temps, but it’ll definitely keep it tolerable.

The smell is the only downside, and you can’t leave it unattended, but it’s worth those associated hassles when it means your pipes won’t freeze.

Anonymous wrote:Get a built in generator. Make sure it is powerful enough to start and run a/c and be sure it will run the heating system/fan. Honeywell used to be good. Generac less so. But do current research. They last for years. Portables you need fuel, which stinks and goes bad, you still need a transfer switch, and they are significantly less powerful.

My power failures are 10 seconds long and have been for a long time.

NP. I agree, but we don't have $14K to get one, which was the most recent quote we received (~2 yrs ago). By comparison, we spent $1,000 on a small generator/cords/a 5 gallon gas tank (and fuel stabilizer is cheap). It's definitely not ideal and wont power the HVAC/Furnace, but helps keep us warm via a space heater if needed... the refrigerator running so food doesn't spoil... lights for a couple rooms, and Fios internet (most times)...and we can keep our phone/tablets charged. Its nothing like the click on generator our neighbor has, but also a fraction of the cost and really just for extreme/prolonged outages.

I would love to have the built it, but its too expensive for us to justify given how rare they are needed in our area - and the fact that when possible we can just go rent a hotel room elsewhere nearby if its localized to our neighborhood.

You're lucky you moved after the derecho of 2012. Before that, the tree canopy was not well maintained and caused frequent power outages due to branches falling on power lines. The derecho was a warning call, and our utilities were forced to aggressively prune trees close to power lines. Not pretty, but ever since, we have not had ONE power outage in our Montgomery County suburb of DC, when previously we had multiple every year.

So don't worry too much. If you get a generator for storms, PLEASE create a safe placement for it: ventilate correctly (CO poisoning) and keep it dry (electrocution risk).

Get a built in generator. Make sure it is powerful enough to start and run a/c and be sure it will run the heating system/fan. Honeywell used to be good. Generac less so. But do current research. They last for years. Portables you need fuel, which stinks and goes bad, you still need a transfer switch, and they are significantly less powerful.

My power failures are 10 seconds long and have been for a long time.

We have lanterns for light but just figure we can bundle up for warmth. Maybe we have some handwarmers somewhere and can use the gas stove (for warm drinks not heat). Last time we lost power we walked to a nearby coffee shop that had power and spent a couple hours there.

Fireplaces are fun but don’t really give you much warmth.

You could also consider one of these... the "big buddy" is better at heating a larger room. https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F274830-Indoor-Safe-Portable/dp/B01DD6C4TC/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1QFJJEGPQ29RM&keywords=big%2Bbuddy&qid=1664469650&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjU1IiwicXNhIjoiNC4wMiIsInFzcCI6IjMuODIifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=big%2Bbuddy%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-5&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.08f69ac3-fd3d-4b88-bca2-8997e41410bb&th=1

Some worry about the safety but as long as you aren't completely sealing a small room its said to be safe. MANY people rely of these to heat their campers/RVs/trailers when its cold outside. Often for days at a time. We got this and just keep ~8 of the little propane canisters on hand. We have a 15 x 20 family room and it completely warms up the room even though the room has an open doorway to the hall. It's a great option when you expect the power to be restored in say 6-8 hours but your house temps are quickly dropping.

If you have young kids then maybe this isn't the best option though.

We bought this... https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-iGen2200-Portable-Inverter-Generator/dp/B09LRFNVKM/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=westinghouse%2Bportable%2Bgenerators%2Bfor%2Bhome%2Buse&qid=1664468584&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIzLjUzIiwicXNhIjoiMi44MCIsInFzcCI6IjIuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=portable%2Bgenerators%2Bfor%2Bhome%2Buse%2Bwesti%2Caps%2C50&sr=8-14&th=1

Primarily because I wanted something smaller and easier to move around and store. FWIW you can't just use ordinary extension cords, or you can but its a huge fire safety issue. You need to use heavy duty gauge 12/3 or bigger to bring the power into where you want to use it - and a 75 foot one of these will generally run between $60-$100. We snake our through a window and have a strip of precut foam to seal the gap it leaves. You could have a transfer switch installed and linked to the circuits you need, but the quote we got for that was $1,500 a couple years back and we didnt want to spend that much.

You need to consider where you are going to store the generator and how easy or not it is to move. And when using it they recommend keeping it like 15-20 feet from the house, so your extension cord(s) need to be sufficiently long and the right gauge for that length and power draw. Bear in mind you can't use a generator safely in the rain unless you have a generator tent (which you could make) as the store bought versions tend to be surprisingly expensive.

Short story, do some reading and know what you are getting into... Consider you may need to spend $100+ on extensions cords, $50+ on a gas tank/gas/feul stabilizer, where you can feed the cord through a window and how you will seal the resulting gap, where you will store a big generator and the gas.

You will find the easier you make the set up the more likely you will be to use one.

Looking for advice on a back up heat source in the event of a winter storm power outage.

We lived through the 2021 Texas winter storm, so we have some anxiety about power outages. We recently moved to the DMV area and bought a lovely 1950s house w 2 fireplaces. Unfortunately they failed the fireplace inspection, and 1 company quoted us >$20K for repairs and a 2nd opinion quoted us $7K for repairs. We just spent a large sum of money on the move and a kitchen renovation, so I am reluctant to spend this kind of money and undertake another project at the moment.

My husband has read about a “polar vortex” coming this year, and so we’re trying to prep for another bad scenario.

Is a more affordable option to just get a portable generator that would power an electric space heater? That way we can heat up 1 room and gather there if the temps were to drop? Here is something I found, but I’ve never bought a generator before.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/champion-power-equipment-3550w-weekender-portable-generator?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=BPS%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CCamping%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CTopPerf%7CNMT&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI27qcqLq2-gIVht7ICh1ZQg0GEAQYAyABEgLVtvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


What do other people do around here to prepare for back up heat?