Category: Home Power

Jim, The folks out there have some good information re. electrical considerations, codes and such for installing a hookup for a generator for the home. However, unless I missed a post, no one has mentioned how big a generator one may need to power essentials to get by comfortably in a grid down situation for the short term, at least. My family and I live in the eastern US and we are prone to power outages from hurricanes, ice storms and to a lesser extent tornados and heavy snowfall. Since moving to a rural area out near the end of …

Dear Mr. Rawles: I found a site that I thought to be some interesting info on using old fashioned (newly manufactured) Lister engines for generating electricity. And this second generator project. Has some really good pictures. Thought you or some of your readers might be interested. Thanks, – J.O. in Oklahoma

Jim, In regard to the gentlemen asking about his well pump: There is a product called Generlink that is a lot easier to install than a transfer switch. Most well pumps are 220 volt but there are always exceptions. The web site for the item is www.generlink.com and I have heard some electrical coops will install them for free. – Gene in Walla Walla James: A single-load transfer switch can be added to the well-pump line. Cost is about $100 from Northern Tools. Depending upon your local regulations, this may require the services of a licensed electrician. And if your …

Jim: Can you or one of the gang offer some advice? We live in a nicely secluded area, but are all electric. We have a well. Our well man says it is impractical and very costly to install a hand pump on our present well setup. What would be a practical procedure to utilize a small generator to power the water well when/if the power goes down for a week or so, for short term use. Do we need an electrician to hook things up, and exactly what? I realize, long-term, greater expense will be needed, and it is in …

JWR, Where can I get replacement batteries for my IM-179 radiacmeter? It takes Mallory BA1312U or Mallory BA1318U batteries.  Thanks, – D.A.B. JWR Replies:  Sorry, but I had no sources listed in my research files, and I struck out with web research. “Phone a friend” failed, so now I think it is time to “Poll the audience.” Lets see what they say. Collectively, there is some amazing knowledge out there, and they haven’t failed me yet.

Mr. Rawles, You had an inquiry on your site about long term storable charged batteries. Such a topic came up recently on the amateur radio reflector called hfpack. There is one such battery that is well suited for storage. It is called a silver chloride battery, and they are activated by adding salt water. One use is in torpedos – see http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/electrical/hbl/. Another source of information is at: energy.sourceguides.com. These have a high energy density, but are primary cells and not rechargeable. Still, if you plan for an urgent one time need arbitrarily in the future, silver chloride batteries may …

Jim: If left idle, a NiMH battery loses up to 1% of its original capacity per day. (This doesn’t mean that it loses 100% in 100 days; rather, it means that after day one, it is at 99%, after day 2, it may be at 98.01%, etc. — it will theoretically never reach 0%) I bought a Grundig/Eton FRS250 hand crank radio a year ago. I used it every day for about two months and it would run for two or three hours on a two-minute crank. I then left it idle for about 8 months, after which time it …

No one seems to know about storing new NiMH batteries pre-charging for a long term, I wouldn’t try it with testing it for several years first as any chemicals of this type age with time. Here is some specific info on the storage and longevity of NiMH batteries, from Wikipedia and other battery FAQs. They are your best bet for power density and economy for rechargeables, but for really long term storage 5-10 years the single use Lithium type batteries are the best (and are available in AAA, AA, C, D and 9 volt sizes). Disposable alkaline batteries are designed …

For a non tactical flashlight (momentary/click button on bottom) I prefer the Underwater Kinetics flashlight. These use four size AA batteries.They are widely used as firefighter helmet lights and survive well, even in fire/ground abuse environments. I try to keep everything standardized to AA and have a large stock of NiMH and lithium-ion rechargeables around. For long term kit storage the comments about 9 VDC lithium is right on, AA lithium batteries are also available in the camera section and can be expected to last much longer in storage than alkalines. I try to avoid CR-123 tactical and laser gear …

JWR, There have been a few posts about batteries lately and a question I have been unable to find an answer to is: Do Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries have a limited storage life before they are put into service (receive their first electric charge)? It would be nice to know if I can buy a quantity and store them away until needed. I’ve not seen this addressed anywhere and maybe you know or one of your readers knows the answer. Regards, – Keith JWR Replies: That goes beyond my base of knowledge.  Would any readers care to chime in …

Jim: I’ve been really busy lately, which is good. A fair bit of information from your great blog parallels my experiences and here’s some hopefully helpful information which I have gleaned: 1) PAL lights: Have several and always been pleased with them. [See: http://www.buckshotscamp.com/Flashlight-PALight-Sales.htm] I found a great rechargeable 9 volt NiMH high capacity battery. Wow, they really do have JUICE! Once fully charged several times, they outlive any non-rechargeable battery I’ve found and they work well with solar charging. One 9V NiMH 250mAh Rectangular NiMH Rechargeable Battery —Ultrahigh capacity http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1995 (BTW, I have purchased a lot of NiMH batteries …

JR, Please let us know more about the 9 volt PAL light, where can we purchase these? Thanks. Also, if a reader is concerned about shelf life of the battery, a very long lasting 9 Volt battery is made that was designed to be used in smoke detectors, it also works in AC-powered alarm clocks that have a battery back up when the power goes out… Sorry, I don’t remember off hand the exact name or what they are called but they are common enough to be purchased at the local Radio Shack…….they cost about $8 a few years ago …

Hi Jim,. Hurricane season is just around the corner here in Florida and I am getting ready to buy a backup generator for my home. To be better informed, I have gone back and re-read all the past survivalblog entries on generators, so I am pretty much up to speed on it. My last step is to decide what size generator to buy. One additional piece of information that would be helpful to me, and probably others, is to have an idea of how much wattage it takes to run each of the various typical appliances in a home ranging …

Hi Jim, I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who is considering purchasing a wind turbine to generate electricity for his house. He has a constant breeze at his hilltop location. I told him I didn’t think it would be a good idea because they require a lot of maintenance. Any input would be appreciated. Blessings, – Find 1 JWR Replies: I only recommend wind generators for locales that are both windy and cloudy, and/or that have minimal solar exposure. The cost per watt is so low for photovoltaic (PV) panels these days that they make …