Biggfoot44
Ultimate Member
- Aug 2, 2009
- 33,469
rfwacs above reports $12k for his . Did he get ripped off ? I dunno , I haven't researched in depth for generator systems , but I doubt it would be off by factor of 20 times .
I know that a plan A of using wirecutters to hack into furnace wiring or well pump wiring , twisting wires with cut off extension cords , and manually plugging in and out , is a definite non starter . If plan A instead is to run an extension cord in the window , and directly plug in freezer and torpedo heater , that's a different calculus.
Quick search shows 12-15K portable generators by themselves to run $2200 to $3000 from Home Despot . Sure maybe find a sale somewhere , but that gives a ballpark . Plus whatever mods done by a real electrician to input into electric panel . I figure that's the basic approach of trotting out , yanking the pull cord , plugging in , and periodically refilling . No doubt bulk fuel tanks, automated switchover , enclosures to protect a permanent mounted generator from the weather , etc are additional $$ .
Is that level of investment inherently out of the question for everyone ? No . But is it significant that a ( presumably) meaningful size full manual generator is 10x the cost of 2 or 3 Kerosene heaters ? You're durn tootin' !
I know that a plan A of using wirecutters to hack into furnace wiring or well pump wiring , twisting wires with cut off extension cords , and manually plugging in and out , is a definite non starter . If plan A instead is to run an extension cord in the window , and directly plug in freezer and torpedo heater , that's a different calculus.
Quick search shows 12-15K portable generators by themselves to run $2200 to $3000 from Home Despot . Sure maybe find a sale somewhere , but that gives a ballpark . Plus whatever mods done by a real electrician to input into electric panel . I figure that's the basic approach of trotting out , yanking the pull cord , plugging in , and periodically refilling . No doubt bulk fuel tanks, automated switchover , enclosures to protect a permanent mounted generator from the weather , etc are additional $$ .
Is that level of investment inherently out of the question for everyone ? No . But is it significant that a ( presumably) meaningful size full manual generator is 10x the cost of 2 or 3 Kerosene heaters ? You're durn tootin' !