Category: Home Power

Hello Sir: I suspect this may have gone unnoticed by most, but as a former electrician (12 years in the trade) this passage caught my attention:   "I saved some money by making my own connections and crimps. The 00 wire was too thick for my wire strippers, had to use a separating disk with my Dremel tool."   Let me cauthion readers that stripping wire this way is a bad idea. Likewise, taking a box cutter (razor knife) and scoring the insulation in a ring around the cable is also bad. Stripping wire this way tends to cut slightly …

Sir: Re: Gary D.’s piece on generator use. Good article; I’ve learned a few additional things over the years about generator usage which your readers may find helpful. Power cords – usually, they’re undersized for the load. There are different American Wire Gauge (AWG) specifications for current carrying capacity: 16 gauge – 12 amp maximum for 25 ft, 3.4 amps for 100 ft. 14 gauge – 16 amp max at 25 ft, 5 amps at 100 ft.. 12 gauge – 20 amps at 25 ft, 7 amps at 100 ft. 10 gauge – 30 amps at 25 ft, 10 amps …

A couple years back I wrote a piece for SurvivalBlog about alternative energy in the suburbs.  I described a strategy for dealing with a potentially prolonged blackout in suburbia.  Essentially the plan is to keep a low profile, by camping in my grid tied, stick built, difficult to defend home.  This was accomplished by shrinking our energy footprint by using a well-insulated basement, propane heat and small scale solar to primarily power DC appliances.  The article is still available in the SurvivalBlog archives.   It is a sound strategy, well within the reach of most suburbanites and could keep many people …

Those of us who plan on “bugging in” during  upcoming times of uncertainty realize the need to plan for possible extended power shortages or blackouts. These preparations can range from a total separation from anything electrical or electronic to a series of sophisticated alternate power sources designed to completely power a survival location up to pre-blackout levels.  Based on the questions frequently asked by members of the survivalist community in numerous forums, the most common item of interest for the temporary generation of power for daily living seems to be the portable generator. Some of the most frequently asked questions …