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Old 09-09-2009, 08:06 PM
 
344 posts, read 1,187,325 times
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If you've got the money, have experienced lengthy interruptions, or are particularly at risk if you lose power, then it's probably worth the 10 grand. And I'll admit that the night after Ike hit I would have gladly shelled out the money if I could have done it right then. But other than 48 hours without power after Ike, I haven't lost power for anything more than a few minutes to an hour since the hurricane twenty years ago. Of course everybody's situation is different, but I think I'll just hang on to my money.
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Old 09-10-2009, 06:52 AM
 
Location: Clear Lake, Houston TX
8,376 posts, read 30,702,433 times
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Those natural gas generators are uber-cool and I had not actually heard about them until this thread. You learn something new every day. I don't think they're worth the cost though, IOW you will never get a return on that ''investment''.

Quote:
Originally Posted by EasilyAmused View Post
They hook right into the Natural Gas Line. Houston Generators is the place to call. They do run most of the house, not all, so pick the AC unit you want to run. Also, they aren't all that quiet. My parents had a whole building built around it to quiet it. It starts up once a month on it's own to check itself. They get a call from their neighbors every time.

Or you can buy a Honda generator, they are pretty quiet and will run quite a bit. And they are about 1/4 of the price of the whole house one.

LOL "pick the AC unit you want to run." Yeah, which window unit? Safe to say most people in here have ONE central unit that takes enough power to cause instant cardiac arrest.

You're right about those Hondas though -- they certainly know how to build all kinds of motors. I'm thinking about getting one that would power the fridge, a window unit, the TV and a few bulbs. I don't think I'd buy a new one either since they are usually paperweights. I can certainly get one of those for cheaper than 1/4 the price of a full-house one, especially during the off-season.
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Old 09-10-2009, 02:50 PM
 
332 posts, read 1,323,826 times
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The Galleria Costco (which is not really in the Galleria area, but that's another story...) is selling a Generac 10 kW natural gas or propane fueled generator for $2,000, including the electrical interconnection / transfer switchgear (price does not include installation). That's a pretty appealing option considering what I paid for my 2 kW Honda portable generator last year (which I love regardless). If any of my family had health issues necessitating back-up for AC, I'd be looking at it seriously...
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Old 09-10-2009, 03:19 PM
 
809 posts, read 3,569,859 times
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If you do get a whole-house generator and we have another power outage like after Ike, be prepared for A LOT of visitors!!
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Old 03-08-2012, 11:21 AM
 
3 posts, read 5,678 times
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Yes I agree with you, air conditioning is a luxury in an emergency situation such as after a hurricane. After Ike rolled through Houston I decided to get a generac generator. It's not the kind that powers your whole house, but it does enough to at least power your kitchen and another room so that you can still eat and watch movies. I guess it just depends on your budget. If you want to get a bigger one you can, they just cost quite a bit more. I got mine from A A Genpro here in Houston if you want to try them out. Here is the link if you want to browse.

Houston Generators: Generac & Cummins Standby Backup Power
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Old 03-08-2012, 11:25 AM
 
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Ha ha you are so right! Make sure you have some inflatable beds and extra food in your freezer during hurricane season because all of your friends and family are going to camp out at your house
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Old 03-08-2012, 11:29 AM
 
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Yeah I don't blame you. I got one just because I wanted the peace of mind just in case another storm comes. I have had a few power outages since I got it and have been sooooo glad that I have it. The rain storm here in Houston last month knocked out our power for nearly 24 hours and I could still make coffee, check my email, and microwave a tv dinner. It's the small things in life
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Old 03-08-2012, 06:26 PM
 
332 posts, read 1,323,826 times
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We installed a Kohler standby generator last month, after doing a lot of research comparing Kohler, Generac, Briggs & Stratton, GE, etc. If you search you can get the true opinions of those who install and service these.

Ours powers the entire house, including the AC units. It controls the 220V large loads like AC units so that not all are re-powered at once, so you can install a smaller generator than would otherwise be necessary to re-start everything immediately.
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