I keep thinking about your basement for some reason - stay safe kiddo!

yeah, i'm thinking of my basement also. i picked up what i could. we have a generator standing by for the sump pump. AND i opened the storm drain last night.

if the sump pump runs, we should be okay

Offers the sump pump a five year vested stock option to stay keep running.

the problem isn't the pump, really. it's power to the house. hence the new generator.

Did you also get a bunch of new squirrels for the other generator?

there was no old generator. we were just watching a squirrel in the tree next to our house. he's crouched on a branch. why not closer to the trunk???

if it breaks off he's more able to get another branch

ah. thank you. the wind has really picked up now. the power blipped momentarily also. debating whether we should start the generator before dark, just so we don't have to get to it in the dark

Test start it for sure

Did you already lower the temp on your fridge and freezer a couple notches? Mark where they were but lower them a bit (not to milk freezing point tho)

gives you an extra couple degrees == hours of extra cooling if you lose power & the gen.

we started the generator last week. we've tested it every 2 months since we got it in may.

not sure if my husband tested it yesterday again while he was setting it up (attaching the cords and leading them into the house)

gotcha. Sorry, just paranoid and lots of folks let gens sit untested. hugs

no, we didn't do all that with the refrigerators. my real concern is the sump pump. i do not want to deal with a flooded basement again. everything else will be fine

no, no. i appreciate it. don't apologize. we agree with you

that's one of the reasons we bought a propane-fueled generator, not gasoline or battery backup

easier to test, easier to keep the fuel (because we have it fresh all the time for the grill)

On propane, might try to keep lods as low and even as possible so regulator doesn't experience freezeup due to precip and cooler air

Not sure if you're on small propane cans a la Blue Rhino tradables or the larger -all-winter propane tank?

we are on the Blue Rhino kind. we have 5 of them. Jim figures we will run 1/2 load. i expect only running the sump pump and refrigerators during the rain. after that, the 2 fridges and computer, if ISP

undoubtedly Jim could do a better job of explaining all of his plans. grin i just want my sump pump. and i opened the storm drain ANYWAY.

If it's a 3500W peak, 2800W sustained gen, at 1/2 load (so 1400W or less) you should get a good 10 hours per 20 lb propane can

not sure of the gen size, but that's a good rule of thumb for the most common size household freestanding propane genset

you can scale up or down from there pretty easily.

best part of propane is almost no need to do an oil or filter change for forseeable runtime, unlike w/ a gas gen out back

that's what jim said - our tanks each give 10 hours

at 1/2 load

grin glad to hear that you both agree

i'm imagining horror scenarios that keep us from getting to the generator, which is in a free-standing garage

trees coming down and blocking the door. ok, np, i can ROLL under the garage door - i left it open a ft at the bottom for ventilation

wires brought down and sparking between us and it..... havent figured out what i'll do then. flash the Bat Signal?

Wait a while, or bail out the basement with a bucket, or just let it flood. Don't play w/ live wires under any circumstances. You're too precious

okay, so we're agreed. grin the Bat Signal it is

just tweet something every now & then so those of us who can't help know our favorite people are okay

I'm an emergency-response kind of guy & I hate not being able to help my extended families!

it seems to me that we are through the worst of what we can expect. south of us is disaster. i have no idea what will remain of the Jersey shore. but as i look at the radar - we seem to be in the clear

fingers crossed let me know if I can help w/ anything

hugs thanks Sean!!

power went out. generator went on. we are back in business, although limited

yay

It's dark. I've never heard such wind.