Our 36-Hour Test During the Nor’easter Wind Storm, by RR in the Mid-Atlantic

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We knew this storm was a short-term situation, and so we used it as an opportunity to test systems and find holes in our plans. Keep that in mind as you read this article. We just experienced very heavy and sustained winds and no snow/rain/flooding, which would obviously bring a whole new set of challenges.

Generators

Backup generators are critical. Ours is a “portable”, 10K watt starting (8,500 running watts), gasoline-powered Generac. It has a 30 amp plug and cord that is then connected into a cable that connects into a 50-watt sub panel we have integrated to our home main electrical panel. That home panel has a dedicated set of circuits that can run critical components, such as the furnace, kitchen appliances, and outlets, a few rooms with light, and our upstairs MBR and bathroom with power. It also runs our septic and well systems. Lots of comforts were had when 95% of the neighborhood was dark and without water or septic.

Running a Noisy Generator

We ran the generator at three-hour intervals during the day and turned it off as we slept. The unit ran for approximately 12 hours, and it drank around four gallons of gasoline. It is loud, but all the neighbors have acreage around us, and I didn’t find that anyone beyond my closest neighbors who could hear it. I would like to see about some sort of muffler enhancement to make it less noisy. The generator also has a pull string start, which is handy because the battery is quite dead. We would have been more conservative with the hours running the generator, but we knew that this was a short-term situation. It was a good time to run a good test and learn some lessons.

Maintenance

BTW, we should all be keeping maintenance up on our generators. Run them now and then and make sure they are running well and maintained properly.

Does Your Spouse Know How?

Also, does your spouse know how to power up the generator and how to hook it up? Do they know how the panel operates, and are they proficient with it in case you are not home? My good friend was out of town on vacation and his wife was home with the kids. She had no idea how to work this process. We need to quit trying to be a hero and make sure the whole family can be self-sufficient, should someone not be available. Yes, we offered to help.

Water

In advance of any storm or potential for power-outage, filling the bathtubs with water for flushing toilets or other gray water uses is important. You could also buy a waterBOB or three and have drinking water available.

Electronics

We were able to power our electronics and had a few of the small (hand-sized) backup battery units that we could use in our bedrooms at night to power devices, clocks, et cetera. Those worked very well, along with the rechargeable LED lanterns.

What didn’t work well is a 3-year-old battery system from Costco. I recharged it fully two times, and within hours it was basically dead.

We have a teenage son and realized how hooked he and we are to our electronic devices, Internet, and gaming. The wife did well, as she reads a lot of books. However, those are also all digital books on her phone, so she would have been as bored as the boys without the juice to run her device.

Communications

Our cellular communications service where we live is not good. Now, it is maybe one bar of service, but a new tower should be up and running soon. However, I can see if we didn’t have cell service, we would be basically unable to communicate. Texts work well with poor coverage, but the phone is spotty at best and Internet is basically useless.

Scanner

This learning opportunity gave me a chance to dust off the cob webs of my scanner. Listening to the county emergency services was entertaining in itself. I realized I was not as familiar with my scanner as I should be. (The new ones with trunking and that require programming really require some effort, homework, and familiarity.) Wow, the amount of calls over the scanner for trees down and brush fires was amazing. Radios are nice to have as backups as well and would have been useful in a more serious emergency and longer-term grid down situation.

Phone/Internet/Cable

Many of us have the all-in-one phone/Internet/cable packages offered by the big companies. These usually come in the house in a single location and then loop throughout the house from there. Do you lose all those services when the power is down? Can you get power to it if you have a generator? Can you make a phone call when those services aren’t working? It’s worth exploring all of the options to address these questions.

Chainsaw and Safety Gear

If you had to travel, take the chainsaw and safety gear. I remember one time being deep in WV when a big storm came through and knocked trees down over the road. It was amazing seeing several guys with saws come out of their truck. They had the road clear in minutes. There was no other way off the road on either side, and no one was waiting for help. They were prepared and took action. That was a great example of living prepared.

We didn’t need to bring out the chainsaw, but I was ready for that. I think a second one may be a good investment as well. Two is one, one is none. I’m thinking of purchasing a smaller Stihl chainsaw. (I already have a Farm Boss model for bigger work.) The smaller Stihl might be one that I can train my family with and use for the smaller jobs. We are all small statured and need to keep in mind our physical capabilities. We are in good shape, but the heavyweight in our family weighs in at 160 lbs, with an occasional gust to 165.

Board Games For Entertainment

There was a recent article on board games that was quiet timely as well. We have a few but realized we could use some more the whole family enjoys. Combo chess/checker/backgammon is nice. Also, we like Yahtzee and Pass the Pigs, but we need to visit the soon-to-be-bankrupt Toys-R-Us and stock up on a few more.

Batteries

I have a nice stock of rechargeable batteries and was able to learn lessons there as well. I have both Eneloop and the Amazon branded batteries. The Eneloop far outperformed the Amazon brand. These batteries were all charged to full capacity in the last few months and were sitting in a bag ready to go. YMMV, but that’s what I experienced.

Hot Water

We discovered our hot water heater is not connected to the sub-panel for the generator. That was another first world problem, but it could be a bigger pain in a longer-term scenario. We were duped for the first 24 hours, because the water was still hot. However, after a cold shower the following morning, we quickly realized. So, we plan to research both how to get power to it or perhaps move to a tank-less gas system.

Gas Fireplace

The gas fireplace also will not start if the power is down and is also not tied into the sub-panel. Do you (and your family) know that there is likely a battery compartment underneath the fireplace that once you have batteries in it will get the spark necessary to run it? Do you have the batteries and know how to make that happen? I did, but not sure my wife knew how to do it. Yes, she does now.

I’d much prefer a wood stove to the gas fireplace in these emergency/SHTF situations. Can I convert mine? I will explore this. Options in newer built houses for this are a little more difficult, if not planned in advance. I had one in my last home, but it was very costly (4500-5K), as the stove was in the basement (a good spot). However, because of the layout of the house, I had to have a 40-foot chimney to get safely above the roof line. Those four foot sections of double insulated chimney are not inexpensive. The chimney cost more than the stove. In a long-term grid down situation, a wood stove will be critical. Gas (natural gas) service will eventually stop, as they need power to bring it to your home, unless you have the very rare exception of gravity fed gas.

Gasoline

Do you have some gasoline stored? I’ve switched to all ethanol-free gasoline for all my lawn/garden equipment and anything else I put in a can. I’ve also switched to the all-metal gas cans. (No more plastic here.) We store 25 gallons, but I don’t think it would hurt to have more. (We use Stabil in all of them.)

Also, I’d recommend anyone use ethanol only for their lawn/garden/mix gasoline oil, et cetera. It is a little more expensive and can be a little harder to find, but a quick Google search can help you out. I’ve seen quite a few more locations offering ethanol free recently, so I think word is getting out. Have you seen those “mixes” at your local hardware store that sell for a ridiculous amount for safe gas? That’s all this is really. Ask your local repair guys who work on mowers, blowers, trimmers, et cetera. The gummed up carburetors they see and fix is mostly related to poor gas and gas/oil mix. Ethanol free is a great help to avoid this.

Garage Door/Security

Does the family know how to open, close, and secure the garage door when the power is down? Teach them if they don’t know.

Trailer Trailer

We have a travel trailer (RV) that could be used in a bad situation as well. I do have two ***Honda 2K generators***amazon.com/Honda-2200-Watt-120-Volt-Portable-Generator/dp/B079YF1HF6/ that can tie together. However, I realized I don’t have the right connection to directly put the trailer 30 amp plug into the unit. A cheap $10 part would cause me a problem. Ugh. Don’t let this happen to you.

Experience Taught Us a Few Lessons

This experience helped us learn a few lessons, and I think (hope) it impressed upon our son that being prepared and the work that goes into it is well worth it. What are you preparing for? Are you preparing for a one-day, two week, 30 day, three month, or longer scenario where you have to stay in place? You don’t get to three months without being able to do a week, then two weeks, then a month, et cetera. Use the opportunities to test your preparedness when you can.

Minor Things Can Make Life Better

I quickly realized how little others are prepared and how a few minor things can really make life better in a shorter-term situation. I can feed my family for six months in grid down, but I can’t heat my house in the winter without gas and some power. That needs to change and is probably my biggest “need to fix”. Another area to evaluate is communication with other prepared friends in a longer grid-down situation. We have radios, but I have zero confidence we know how to use them properly to communicate, should land lines and cell towers be out. We need to fix that as well. There are dozens of articles on SB on this. I just need to take action on it.

Be critical of yourself and your plans. Find the holes, and take action. God speed.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  6. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 75 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.


41 Comments

  2. Thanks for this good article. Here are some thoughts and experiences we have:

    1. Generators: We have an electric start Generac with recoil start as a backup. I have a calendar reminder to top-off the charge of the battery every two weeks, and I do a 15-20 minute maintenance run the 3rd Saturday of every month. We store 10 gallons of gasoline treated with Stabil. Additionally, our vehicles will provide additional fuel, but modern vehicles need a method to get the siphon hose past the anti-siphon point in the filler system. A Gastapper system solves this problem.

    https://www.amazon.com/GasTapper-Portable-Transfer-Gasoline-Case/dp/B00QDC31VO/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1521636017&sr=1-6&keywords=gastapper

    2. We have switched most of our small device batteries to Eneloop rechargeables and I top-off the charge on those every three months. For other rechargeable batteries, such as cell phones, a Microstart jump battery

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015T8KN5Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    will charge cell phones, jump start your vehicle, run laptop computers, etc. A small solar panel is a back-up charging system for the Microstart battery. The Microstart battery is top-offed every 3 months, more often if it is used.

    1. Great suggestions! I have a few devices similar to the Microstart you mention. Those are what we were using in the bedrooms and for general charging. They worked great.

      I also have something similar to the gas transfer system you shared. Great mention and I think that anyone that has a fairly long-term (>1month) outlook should have one squared away (or two).

      Love your suggestions on the maintenance schedule.

    2. I have a similar plan in place but would like add I purchased a dual fuel. It run on gas and propane the nice thing is the propane doesn’t have a shelf life like gas. Very happy with it so far had a 5 day event

  3. You can make ethanol free gasoline. Just add water to gas/ethanol mixture, agitate it well, then let it set for a while to separate. The ethanol will bind with the water and settle to the bottom of the tank. Just like oil and water then. Saves a lot of money over store bought.

  4. In this all electric house in CT, there is a 30,000 BTU vented propane stove in the living room. The thermostat does NOT require electricity, but is wired directly to the stove. We can just “dial” it to the temperature desired and it starts. The fan IS tied to the electrical panel, so that does not run, but the room (which has vaulted ceiling and MANY windows) will stay somewhat comfortable. That stove has three 100 gallon propane tanks. We do have a 15,000 watt propane generator and 2 bedrooms, kitchen and 2 bathrooms wired to it, as well as hot water heater, refrigerators/freezer/lights – anything that is plugged in. We ration use so that the main house and guest house can “share” the generator. the guest house has a ventless propane stove and two 100 gallon tanks, so they turn OFF the baseboard heat, and we take turns using our hot water heaters. We have a schedule for 2 hours early AM, 2 hours Noon, 2 hours PM. In a very long lasting ice storm, we could last about 10 days before needing propane for the generator tank. Scarce propane would go to First Responders/hospitals and the like and home owners would be last on the list. In a true long last grid down situation here in a crowded small New England state, we know that in winter we are “done for”. The other 3 seasons we could last much longer. However, we are elderly and that is just the way it is. We have plenty of long dated food to last a long time, something to leave younger relatives who are still clueless! Were we 40 years younger and other factors NOT being the case, we would have left and moved to a more RED rural state and take up mini-farming as we were both farm kids back in the 40’s and 50’s.

  5. Excellent article, and now for a couple of suggestions.
    One, for communications, you and your family should consider getting your Ham Radio license. A little studying and for local comm’s the Technician license is not that hard to pass and you would have good communications within a 25(?) mile radius. You can do a Goggle search for Ham Radio clubs in your town and see what you can come up with. I also suggest you visit a club close to you and talk to the members and get to know them. You might be surprised at the help you get.
    Two, while Stabil is good and works well, what I use (and a little more expensive) is Pri-G. This will keep gas good for 5 years and I use it in all my gas storage including fuel I run in the lawn mower, chain saw, generator, and tiller.
    Glad you learned from your experience from the storms.

    1. Thanks Randy. You and JohnnyMac both point out something I’ve been intending to do for some time. All that you mention in regards to the local clubs, practice exams, books, etc. is straight on. Just take the darn time to do it, right?!

      1. I’ve had my license [for] several years. The only bad thing is the user hostile programming of Yaesu and other radios with similar chip sets. A smartphone can store contacts easier than programming repeater freqs in a Yaesu.

    2. -Randy-

      Good suggestions. I would add that for those who are not yet into HAM radio, there is an app called Broadcastify which let’s you listen in on transmissions from just about everywhere right on your phone. During the California wildfires this summer, I had access to crucial information in real time, long before it made the local news. I really recommend it.

      I too use PRI-G for my stored gas, but I also use it in my truck every time I fill up. It’s a 2004 Ranger, but she runs like a champ since I started adding it. The gas out here is horrible, but PRI-G cleans it up beautifully.

  6. I in general do not agree with generators. I have a motorhome and they come with a generator. I have to run it every couple of months to assure it’s condition doesn’t deteriorate but I never use it. We do a lot of dry camping or boondocking and still don’t use/need a generator. We do have a solar panel and it is more than enough to charge a couple of computers and our phones and to run lights at night and to keep the battery topped off. I see other campers with generators and wonder why they waste the time and money on them. As for home use, again simply don’t use the major appliances that need electricity. I have somehow survived black outs withoout a generator.

    1. I understand your point about generators, and somewhat agree. The main purpose for our generator is to keep the refrigerator and freezer going until the food can be consumed during a long-term outage. After that we are positioned to operate without electricity.

  7. Generator Muffler:
    I remember reading about an article were the author recommended a (used?) motorcycle muffler for his generator. It was a complete DIY project to mount it but I recall him stating it worked well to keep the noise down. I also recall him saying he pointed/mounted it vertically so the noise went “up.”

  8. Great AAR! We all learn from our missed opportunities and mistakes.

    Compared to most of your neighborhood you seemed pretty well squared away and I am sure will make adjustments as mentioned. The one point I want to emphasize is – Communication.

    I know, I know I/you/us will get around to obtaining our FCC Ham Radio License, or…I will learn how to use UHF/VHF/HF when the grid goes down. I use to think that too until I bit the bullet and got my Technical Ticket.

    Once I got my Technical ticket the real learning started. Building cheap antennas, back-up power supply, and practicing my communicating techniques with other hams were forced upon me. This lead me to obtaining my General Ticket which even more so, opened up my communication world.

    This is what I tell the folks on my internet site.
    1) Buy the ARRL Technicians Text book.
    2) If you have a smartphone, down load the APP with the test questions.
    3) Register with the ARRL.org so you have access to the practice exams.

    Then,
    A) Read a chapter every three days from the ARRL book. Answer the exam test questions in the
    back of the book.
    B) While waiting for the Doctor in the waiting room, waiting in line at the Post Office, sitting at a
    red light, et cetera – Pull out your phone and start answering the exam questions while you
    wait.
    C) Go to the ARRL.org site and take the practice exams. When you consistently pass the exams
    by 80% (28 correct answers out of 35) it is time to find out where the exam will be given
    locally.
    D) Do a search on the internet for the following, “Your closest big town/city amateur radio club”
    e.g. “Philadelphia Amateur Radio Club”. Once you have that contact information, call or
    email the club and ask them, “when are you going to hold the next Technicians Exam day?”

    I have helped a half dozen folks, one of which was a 12-year-old, get their Technicians Ticket using this method. It works well for the General and Extra License too.

    Thanks again for taking the time to write your article.
    73,
    JohnyMac
    unchainedpreppers.com

  9. Make that “second” Chain Saw one of the new Stihl Battery powered Chain Saws. I bought two recently and can vouch that these became the “go- to” Saws by my crew of four experienced chain saw workers on any cuts up to 4 inches….. even thought they also had their choice of two other gasoline Stihl chain saws. We cleared six miles of fallen pine trees from a recent heavy-snow winter storm. Up to 100 cuts on one charge.

    1. I have seen the recent ads on these and was curious. Thanks for the note and sharing your experience. I would assume the batteries could be shared cross-platform of the other Stihl tools (blowers, edgers, trimmers, etc.).

      1. Yes….. the Batteries are the same for the Stihl Blower for sure. I bought one of them for $199. WITH the battery [ … seems like I remember the Battery itself was close to $100.]

  12. run your exhaust through 50 foot of flexible electrical conduct. Attach to the exhaust outlet of your current muffler with the same size hole or next size larger. Fittings can be found at a Lowe’s or Home Depot. Depending on your outlet, it canbe a do it yourself or a local welder can attach it to the muffler system. That 50 will take the noise level down to zero.

  13. I have a 27 KW whole house generator-its noisy with its supplied mufflers. What can I do to quiet it down, please? will adding mufflers cut down on efficiency?

  17. Regarding a noisy generator. Put a rag over the end of the muffler (Note: This is a test only, don’t leave the rag there) If you can quiet the engine by doing so then a better muffler system will work. If not then much of your noise is coming from the generator itself. In that case purchase a unit based not only on wattage but also decibel rating. Keep up the preps!!!

  18. Bigger is not always better. I can run my furnace, freezer, fridge, tv and lights on an old 2550 watt generator and only use a gallon of gas every 4 hours. Also I have never drained the gas tank in any of my engines. All it needs to start them in the spring is a few shots of starting fluid (Stabil is too expensive).

  19. Our generator is electric start and does not offer a pull cord to start. After having to jump start it once, I hooked up a spare solar panel with charge controller to the generator battery. No more dead batteries.

  20. I too have a 8KW Generac with the sub-panel. I use it to backup my retreat solar system. The nice thing about that is the generator charges the battery bank through the inverter in an hour or so and that bank lasts till the next day. The genset is propane powered so fuel not an issue for several months of that kind of use. This system is far superior to the genset direct to house feed.
    As to noise, the best bet is to loosely enclose the generator in a sound fence similar to those on highways. Wood/ foam baffles will work. Avoid messing with additional mufflers or you’ll risk stuffing up the engine. Generacs are real touchy about how they’re used. A lot of the noise if from mechanicals, not exhaust.
    Hide the fence behind shrubbery. My genset is not noticeable after a couple of hundred feet during the day.

  21. For a small saw, I can easily recommend the still ms170 or ms180 series. I manage a 70acre hardwood Forrest, and have 5 saws. 2 of them are the small 180 and I use them more than the bigger saws. Ask for it with the 12 or 14 inch bar, as it comes with the 16.
    I do not like the easy start system though and most come with it now.
    Stihl says they are light duty homeowner saws, but I use them every 2 weeks or so, for the last 5 plus years with no issues other than I’ve run over one and bashed another with my tractor, now parts saws, but never needed parts from them yet, other than I took the normal starting system off them to replace the easy start system on the new ones. Best of luck
    I’ve even used them to do big oaks when I’m out with the tractor and don’t want to go back to get the big saws.
    Obviously they can’t compete with the big ones doing big bucking duty.

  22. Try what I have for long term fuel storage: 15 gallon barrels from the car wash, treat with PRI-G and. re-treat annually, fill to the top to elminate air, and tighten bungs firmly with bung wrench. Do not let vapors escape- that is the volatile gas fraction needed for good combustion. Steven Harris tested all this over a 10 year period (Prep1234 website).

  23. Here in the Pacific Northwest, living in the suburbs, we don’t do generators, period. Not worth the noise and uninvited guests.

    If anything, as a foundational approach to preparedness, we’re planning for the long haul / multi-generational collapse, in the absence of fossil fuels. We have a wood stove in the living room and if we have to, can use our brick rocket stove in the back yard, that I already use to BBQ with during Spring and Summer. I use a local invention consisting of a pair of circular grills, sandwiching a layer of ceramic briquettes. Normally you can’t BBQ with a rocket stove, unless you have something like this.

    We also have a PowerHub 1800 solar generator to power anything that doesn’t draw heavy wattage. We can run almost everything that uses 120 VAC.

  24. You can save on gas treatment by using and refilling your gas cans weekly or monthly depending on number of cans stored and car/truck gas usage. When you have driven enough to use 5 or more gallons put in a can then go top off vehicle and refill can or cans. This does trade your time to save on treatment chemicals. I do keep the gas treatments in stock for a time when fuel will need to be rationed and stored longer. You will also benefit by checking on your fuel stores when doing your routine fill ups. Having a diesel tractor takes care of diesel rotation . Hindsight reminds me I should have incorporated a diesel fuel car/truck when it was more affordable . Please be safe when working with fuels. Thank you and keep up the good work.

  25. My solution to generator (and Lincoln welder) dead starting motor batteries was to use blue top Optima automotive batteries. The excess current/cranking ability of these batteries easily makes up for long periods without recharge. I’ve tried automotive mufflers on my small horsepower engines (less than 30hp) with disappointing results. The best I seem to do is knock down about half of the racket.
    PR

  26. Outstanding article – good stuff!
    Batteries – Concur with comments about the Eneloop, about the best I’ve tested. Still doing a shoot off between them and the Amazon rechargeables. Encouraging as specs for both are identical, even down to “Made in Japan.”
    Battery rechargers – can’t tell you how many I’ve gone through over the years. Finally have zeroed in on one that works on all the rechargeable AAA – 9V and all Alkaline non-rechargeables AAA – 9V. Been using it over a year now and like it. I just plug it into my off grid solar system (another story) and no problem. Recharger found on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Maximal-FC999-Universal-Alkaline-Batteries/dp/B008467K1E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1521727776&sr=8-4&keywords=maximalpower+charger&dpID=41kAYbT9mfL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

    1. Yes, electricity for our septic is required. A lesson learned is ensure when you build/buy a home that you can have gravity fed drainage. I could go without power to it for some time but at some point it would get messy and smelly. Many builders now are building on lots that have drainage issues and have come up with alternative septic systems so they can still get approval to build on the lot. Good point to know and be aware of when considering a new homestead/retreat property, etc..

  28. As far as ethanol-free gas goes, if there is a small airport close by they will usually have a gas supplier there selling Av-gas. They sell to anybody as long as your money is green! It is ethanol free , much higher quality, and still contains lead which older engines need. I buy it for my old cars and motorcycles which required lead. It is all we use for the small engines ie. generators,saws, etc. which we have at the fire dept. Don’t be afraid of the lead, we all grew up with leaded gas.

  30. By far, the best generators are the older Onan CCK’s and 7.5JB’s. They operate at half of the speed (1800 rpm) of the box store generators, so they are much quieter and live a whole lot longer. The best generator out there is the MEP-803a, which is a tactical quiet military generator. You can find them for three to four thousand dollars on Ebay. These are also 1800 rpm generators.

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