[batman911]

Anyone know the price range of installed whole house generators? I would not rely on natural gas as a fuel source. Natural gas service can be lost in a wide spread electrical outage. Better to bury a large propane tank.

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by UpNorth

Just because you haven't had a major power outage since you've lived here, doesn't mean that one is impossible. With hackers trying to get into our electrical grid, who knows when or if they would be successful. Now, picture The villages without electricity for 4 or 5 days - it can happen. When the power does go down in other parts of the country, the unprepared panic and quickly wipe out all available generators. If you don't mind the idea of having your food spoil and living in the dark (and maybe cold) for several days, keep telling yourself you don't need a generator backup.

So what do you think, should I have a bomb shelter built just in case also? LOL To tell you the truth I lived in S. Fla. and recently 3 times had to throw away food in 2 years. The last storm I had a generator (portable). It made so much noise that I couldn't run it all night or the neighbors would complain not to mention that we couldn't sleep also. As far as TV is concerned it would be way cheaper to throw away some food than buying and maintaining a whole house generator. This area we live in seems to be fairly safe from hurricanes and doesn't warrant having an installed whole house generator which would be quieter and would be a good choice in more hurricane prone areas. Next time a storm approaches here, I'm going to fill my 5 or 6 five gallon gas cans and head for the mountains for a vacation if we loose power.

[Mack184]

Originally Posted by Rebel Pirate

A backup generator is a 'different type' of insurance policy. I've never experienced a house fire, but I still buy fire insurance. I don't have a backup generator installed - but when I move to TV full time we will probably have that done. I hope to never have to use it, but if 'the big one' happens, we'll be ready. If 'the big one' happens, it's too late to do anything about it. The fact that you've never seen a black swan should not be interpreted as evidence that black swans do not exist. (Read "The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb) I've seen enough black swans in my life to know that they do exist. Each of us needs to identify those black swans for which - if they ever fly into your yard - you'll be certain you want to be prepared. I prepare for some and not for others. Many people just assume they don't exist.

Nassim Taleb!?! Do you also read James Howard Kunstler?

[Jim 9922]

Originally Posted by batman911

Anyone know the price range of installed whole house generators? I would not rely on natural gas as a fuel source. Natural gas service can be lost in a wide spread electrical outage. Better to bury a large propane tank.

Not cheap. About $4,000 for a 16,000 watt generator with a 100 amp switch box which will only cover part of your house, maybe $1,000 to wire it all up and move the necessary circuts, and who knows how much for an underground tank large enough to run for how many days. You'd probably want a tank with 1/3 more capacity than you would need for the duration of your anticipated outage. The gererator exercises itself each week so it is constantly using fuel and thus your tank is never full.

[Rebel Pirate]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

What is "the big one"?

Ah, the big one?! (Sorry for leaving that hanging out there...) It is any event caused by (fill in your own preferred natural or man-made disaster) resulting in a power outage that lasts long enough to cause one to exclaim "Gadzooks, I should have installed an emergency generator last year!!" That event could range from the usual weather suspects such as hurricane, tornado, to the more exotic hacker-triggered electrical grid failure.

Let's not forget we're all products of our upbringing and our own personal experiences. Although I try to be rational when making decisions, I'm not unlike anyone else - emotions (based on prior experiences) are ever present.

For example, we did not buy owner's title insurance when we bought our property here in TV, and I suspect that is contrary to the VAST majority of other owners. Thirty years ago I lived where the title became clouded for all real estate in the entire community...even that real estate that was "covered" by title insurance. Title insurance covers against some - but not all - challenges to clear title. It became virtually impossible for anyone to sell their homes for years due to no fault of the owners. Although there are other considerations that influenced my decision, that experience certainly colors my decision making.

In contrast, I will probably will buy electrical-outage insurance (an emergency generator) since I've lived through a couple hurricanes, one of which resulted in no power for three weeks, which made daily life not only inconvenient but very uncomfortable. (During this period the propane trucks continued their deliveries.) We all make our decisions with both logical and emotional influences; I believe we are more confident in our decisions when we are able to understand and identify those influences.

[gadaboutgal]

We were living in Glenbrook when one of the 2004 Florida hurricanes (there were four in August and September) criss-crossed the state. One passed through Orlando as it crossed the state. One came across just above us by about 10 miles in south Ocala, and the brunt of it's winds knocked down a large oak tree on Talley Ridge. The oak took out the transformer for this area. Half of our street lost power for two days until they could repair it!

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Rebel Pirate

A backup generator is a 'different type' of insurance policy. I've never experienced a house fire, but I still buy fire insurance. I don't have a backup generator installed - but when I move to TV full time we will probably have that done. I hope to never have to use it, but if 'the big one' happens, we'll be ready. If 'the big one' happens, it's too late to do anything about it. The fact that you've never seen a black swan should not be interpreted as evidence that black swans do not exist. (Read "The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb) I've seen enough black swans in my life to know that they do exist. Each of us needs to identify those black swans for which - if they ever fly into your yard - you'll be certain you want to be prepared. I prepare for some and not for others. Many people just assume they don't exist.

I agree. We'd want a generator.........but I'm fairly sure I remember being told that they are not allowed.

I'm glad to read now that I was given the wrong information and that they are allowed. It would give us peace of mind. Everyone up here has generators......some are even investing in whole house generators.

In 1994 our home in Vermont sold to survivors of Hurricane Andrew in coastal Florida........she was so traumatized by the lack of electricity in the sweltering heat and humidity when their roof blew off........that they relocated to Vermont, only to complain about our climate.........but what she told me about the lines and lines waiting for water in the hot bright sun.........makes us want a generator "just in case" even if we never had to use it.

Just like we wouldn't want to go without heat up here.......living without air conditioning down there would be difficult, to say the least.

Anyway, I'm relieved to read now that people do have generators in TV.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Originally Posted by UpNorth

Just because you haven't had a major power outage since you've lived here, doesn't mean that one is impossible. With hackers trying to get into our electrical grid, who knows when or if they would be successful. Now, picture The villages without electricity for 4 or 5 days - it can happen. When the power does go down in other parts of the country, the unprepared panic and quickly wipe out all available generators. If you don't mind the idea of having your food spoil and living in the dark (and maybe cold) for several days, keep telling yourself you don't need a generator backup.

Its like saying I don't need life insurance because I've lived xx years and have never died so far

[buggyone]

Don't forget that if you are planning to get that huge underground propane tank that it will need approval by the Architectural Review Board.

Personally, I would not be happy if my neighbor put one on his property. I would be concerned about an explosion.

[batman911]

Originally Posted by buggyone

Don't forget that if you are planning to get that huge underground propane tank that it will need approval by the Architectural Review Board.

Personally, I would not be happy if my neighbor put one on his property. I would be concerned about an explosion.

I think you may be suprised to know how many you already have in your neighborhood if you live in one of the newer villages without natural gas service. I have one in the front yard, as do several of my neighbors. I see no more danger of explosion than having natural gas. Everything is under ground until it reaches the point of use. Most farm houses have propane tanks above ground and I have never heard of one exploding.

[jbdlfan]

Had a conversation just recently around this type of issue. When we were young, we had home canned foods in our basement, my dad had a gun rack in the house, we hunted in the fall and winter, fished in the spring and summer and always had enough around if we needed it. That was common sense when I was young. Be prepared!
Now, people think you should be wearing a tin foil hat and be called a prepper if you do any of these activities. If we lost the power grid, people around here would be in deep doo-doo.

[mulligan]

If we get a storm bad enough to cause that severe a power outage, we probably will have been given an evacuation order. I'm outa here in a heartbeat. Remember all the people stuck in Gulfport and New Orleans after Katrina?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by batman911

I think you may be suprised to know how many you already have in your neighborhood if you live in one of the newer villages without natural gas service. I have one in the front yard, as do several of my neighbors. I see no more danger of explosion than having natural gas. Everything is under ground until it reaches the point of use. Most farm houses have propane tanks above ground and I have never heard of one exploding.

I am not sure if this is relevant, but all eight homes that have burnt to the ground here in The Villages from lightning strikes in the last seven years had gas lines running through their attic. Running gas lines through the attic is code here in this area.

This area of central Florida is the lightning capital of the U.S.

There are pluses and minuses to everything. In five years living here in TV, we have lost power three or four times and the longest was a couple of hours.

We have never owned a generator and needed one only once in Ohio when hurricane winds somehow got inland and blew down a lot of stuff and we were without power for three days.

I guess you bring with you the ways you dealt with things back where you are from. Nothing wrong with that.

[UpNorth]

If cost is a concern, get a 2000 watt Honda for about $1000. Small, very quiet, and able to run your refrigerator, charge your cell phone, and give you lights at night. No, it won't run your whole house all at once, but it will keep you going with the essentials. You can run it all night on a gallon of gas or less. These are the small red generators that most of the vendors use on "Market Night". Extremely quiet and efficient, although "expensive" per watt.

[USSGompers]

Originally Posted by gadaboutgal

We were living in Glenbrook when one of the 2004 Florida hurricanes (there were four in August and September) criss-crossed the state. One passed through Orlando as it crossed the state. One came across just above us by about 10 miles in south Ocala, and the brunt of it's winds knocked down a large oak tree on Talley Ridge. The oak took out the transformer for this area. Half of our street lost power for two days until they could repair it!

We also did not have power for 2 days during that time. I now have battery powered fans and a Coleman cook stove in case of another emergency.

It was Damn HOT!! We didn't have Wi-Fi then so we were out TV, computers, etc. We had our radio though and tons of candles and lantern lights.

Be prepared. It can happen again