Do not know what 3.5 means. Probably more like a 22KW system that can shed circuits if the demand is too high. It really depends on what you want to do and how important it is to you to have power. I would get a few quotes after the generator sales person has determined you actual needs. No power for a day would not be a problem for most of us so we can skip whole house generators. But if the power outage just affect you and a few neighbors during a huricane you will be at the end of the repair window and could be down for a week,

The amount of outages In the Villages for extended periods is 0..
The cost of a generator ,installation, a transfer switch and the maintenance program they sell you weather you use it or not.
If your not on public propane or natural gas..You couldn't store enough fuel to run for any extended time
If it did happen a hotel room in the long run is much cheaper and practical

OK. But many of us don't want a generator. Not sure why that seems to be a problem.

:bigbow::bigbow::bigbow:

It seems some areas are more susceptible to power ages, have been here 5 years and the longest power outage was 90 minutes and that was several years ago. We are in a SECO area so I assume that makes a difference. Seems Nucky and I assume Toymeister are in an area where a generator might be prudent.

Hi, Would like to know $ of their generator and labor.

There is never a situation where you will need a 22,000 watt generator, never. Millions of homes in the US have 100 amp service, that's 12,000 watts to you and I. While it is true that most homes in TV have 200 amp service you don't need it.

Let's talk: 2,700 watts for AC (HVAC), 4,500 water heater, 4,500 dryer
A few hundred watts for lights. But then again who is going to run all of those when there is a power outage? In my experience it is rare to use over 10,000 watts and unheard of to hit 12,000. This isn't some random speculation this is actual observation of energy usage by one of your neighbors.

If you want a whole house generator that's fine, just do your laundry after the power comes back up and save hundreds by buying a 9 or 10 K generator.

Duplicate post, see below

I have experience in both areas.

Not a hurricane but so wide spread of a power outage to replicate a hurricane. Not a snowstorm and not expected. Now let's talk about central Florida. I am assuming the greatest fear in TV are hurricanes.

Now let me ask the forum how many hurricanes sneak up without days of media coverage? Zero. What does everyone do before a hurricane? Buy gasoline.

Let's do the math, do you have an automobile? Two carts, probably gas? Can you keep an extra empty, new gas can in the attic? Then you have over a week's worth of power.

Amazon sells mess free battery powered gas pumps designed to get gas out of your car's tank. The cart tank is no problem at all. Reference Nucky's 1.5 gallon per ten hour testimony on consumption in this thread.

Ten gallons gas from the carts, ten from gas tanks and ten from the car. 360 hours of generator operation over at Nucky's and Toymeister's. Yup, all of that would be some work but I am cool and comfy.

Compare that to my neighbors in my widespread power outage, no gas stations open no hotels for miles. Sounds like millions of Florida residents escaping a hurricane to me.

The point is a gasoline generator can work it is not impractical for everyone and it is relatively affordable.

Obviously a personal choice. Some don’t mind the cost for peace of mind. However, “backup power never out again” might be a myth. Our son has an expensive one and guess what? During a 24 hour ice storm two years ago his failed to operate. Just saying. :popcorn:

They need to be run every month

These are some of the points I was told by Accurate Power and Technology 352-735-8285. They do free in home assessments as each home is different as are the needs of the customer. A standby generator needs a permit so the size of the generator is governed by the county as to the power drawn from the home. There are numerous ways to reduce the size of the generator, again it is based on the needs of the customer. This was gone over by the Accurate Power rep and several options were provided. The generator runs a test mode once a week for about 5-10 minutes. This keeps the battery charged and lets you know if there are any issues. Servicing once a year is recommended just like your air conditioner. With Accurate Power they do the entire job from licensed electricians and gas/lp installation,to permits. Generators are all they do. I apologize if I have offended anyone, as everyone has different needs and capabilities. I am not capable of hooking up a generator, doing the gas and installing a window a/c unit. My husband is having more and more medical issues so has become dependent on a continuous power source. I was mainly providing a name of a company for those who may want a back up power source. Just like car and home insurance you hope you never need to use it.

Some of these posts seem like an advertisement for a particular company.

I would not recommend emtying your car of gasoline during a widespread power outage after a hurricane.

My standby generator self runs every week for 20 minutes. One time someone shut the gas line off to the generator. It had to be restarted manually. There were a few steps, first one was I had to find the key to the cover box. Hubby was working his long hours as usual. But it does give comfort, takes 3 to 5 seconds to kick in and even the television doesn’t seem to notice the power transfer.

We had a bedridden person home alone once when the power went out in the winter for a long time. The temperature in the house fell dramatically and she could not even ask for help. Since then we have our standby.