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The local grid goes down with every storm. When the wind blows trees will blow down and in a state that is 92% forest we expect grid power to go out.
We got rather used to it during our first 10 years of living here. Every calendar month we had at least one power outage. Two Christmas' in a row we were without power for 4+ days.
Thank God for solar power and batteries.
It is amazing to talk to neighbors about their generator fuel expenses. Monthly generator fuel expenses can be a lot.
It is amazing to talk to neighbors about their generator fuel expenses. Monthly generator fuel expenses can be a lot.
Yes, they can. Especially when someone has only a 6,000 watt genny and uses it for everything. An engine that size gulps the same amount of fuel whether it's used to run a household, or just an extra freezer.
A small 2,000 watt genny will be up to most tasks, and only sips fuel.
Then one large unit they run to do: laundry, flush toilets, bring freezer temps back down and bathe.
I was unaware that flushing toilets and bathing require electricity??? Unless you mean to run a well pump, but you can always flush with a gallon or so of water. Just dump it in the bowl forcefully!
You can use a toilet at any time without needing water. But all activities that need water [laundry, flushing, dish-washing and bathing] all require running your well pump.
One of our neighbors has been off-grid for 12 years, he just built a new outhouse in 2016. His indoor bathroom with flushing toilet works fine. But he just wanted another option, so he got a permit for it and all.
No, not specifically. But if you go back and search the threads on this board for anything of an electrical or off grid topic, I will usually have a few posts in it.
Submariner, you need a PERMIT for an outhouse? And all this time I thpught it was a hole in the ground with a shed over it.
I live on top of a hill, s**t runs downhill, so we don't worry about backups if the treatment plant goes down.
I did not think so. But he told me the whole story about hiring a septic design engineer to 'design' how deep the hole had to be. Then after he built it he hired a health inspector to inspect it.
A month after he told me this I was talking to a health inspector, and he told me that he inspects a dozen new outhouses every year.
You can use a toilet at any time without needing water. But all activities that need water [laundry, flushing, dish-washing and bathing] all require running your well pump.
Just wanted to mention that in some places (like where I live where it's very hilly), a sewage pump is needed to get the effluent from the tank to the leach bed. If you have one and switch to generator, make sure you have this pump powered when the well pump is powered otherwise your sewer tank can overflow.
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Unless you mean to run a well pump, but you can always flush with a gallon or so of water. Just dump it in the bowl forcefully! 
