# Mmmmmm generator bliss **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854 "2012-06-30T22:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/21 "2012-07-02T18:26:47Z")
Yea, **RalfCoder** - I’ve found that a gasoline powered machine is perfectly satisfactory. I installed my Honda some 20 years ago, and have changed the spark plugs only once in that time span. I do run it ever three or four weeks, and change the oil at least once every two years. Never had a problem with it. I have heard (and seen myself in one instance) that a propane conversion can cause a lot more problems than it’s worth. A neighbor of mine had a dealer installed conversion done on his new Yamaha, and it never really worked. The dealer stalled him off long enough so that the warranty ran out, and he finally junked the generator and bought a regular gas one. BTW, the reason that I used the word “machine” in the post is that if the word “Gene\*ator” was used, a link to a web site was automatically set up. Clicking on that took me to a site that wanted me to take some sort of stupid-ass survey or something. What gives, Straight Dope? ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/22 "2012-07-03T22:04:12Z")
> [@RalfCoder](#): > > We used to lose power in my area (rural mid Michigan) a lot. If you go 5 houses either way from our place, you can probably find 7-8 houses with generators. When we came home after a weekend out-n-about and found we had no power, and had to pitch a freezer full of food, we bit the bullet and got one, too. It’s a gas-powered portable, 5500 watts (I think), putting out 110 and 220 volts. It powers everything in the house, but not all at once. I can run the furnace, lights, sump pump, well pump, etc. If I control what gets used when, I can run the microwave, washer, and other electronical doodads. I don’t run the AC off the generator - I think it sucks down too much power. If you don’t have a generator and want to protect your freezer against power loss, put some plastic jugs of water in the bottom. These will freeze and provide a backup source of cold for a while during a power outage, and may be enough to save your food. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/23 "2012-07-04T04:14:02Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > You could be right. Then I have no idea why my UPS is complaining… > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > It might just be the frequency. It’s going to be close to 60 hz of course, but it won’t be as well regulated as grid power, especially with changing loads. A computer won’t actually mind the change for its purposes, but I’ve found that some UPSes will kick in for even a small deviation from the norm. An Instapundit reader who “installs and services generators, including home-stand-by and portable units” agrees it’s the frequency. Page down. [Instapundit](http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/145919/) ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/24 "2012-07-04T04:24:26Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > An Instapundit reader who “installs and services generators, including home-stand-by and portable units” agrees it’s the frequency. Page down. [Instapundit](http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/145919/) Problem solved and ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/25 "2012-07-04T05:35:34Z")
Have you found neighbors wandering over to “check out” your generator then casually staying a while? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/26 "2012-07-04T05:55:34Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Have you found neighbors wandering over to “check out” your generator then casually staying a while? 🙂 I invited a few. Most people left over those couple of days that we had 100+ temps - probably staying with relatives or hotels. One of my incentives for getting a generator was last year when I was driving down my street to my house on the night of the 4th day of no power, and there was this house fully lit up a few houses down. And back then, during the Irene power outages, temps were in the low 80s. Not like this time. I think all in all mine cost me something like $7.5K to install (and ongoing expenses to maintain). A chunk of change that you sometimes wonder if it was wisely spent. Then there are moments like right now, 4 days plus into a power outage, in a cooled down house with internet and cable and phones working, and you wonder no more. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/27 "2012-07-04T08:11:42Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > An Instapundit reader who “installs and services generators, including home-stand-by and portable units” agrees it’s the frequency. Page down. [Instapundit](http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/145919/) Good to know. A bigass flywheel would solve the problem I think, though it might need to weigh more than the rest of the generator… ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/28 "2012-07-04T13:40:55Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I think all in all mine cost me something like $7.5K to install (and ongoing expenses to maintain). A chunk of change that you sometimes wonder if it was wisely spent. Then there are moments like right now, 4 days plus into a power outage, in a cooled down house with internet and cable and phones working, and you wonder no more. You have to consider not just the overall quality of life but how much you are saving from not losing frozen/refrigerated food each outage, the savings of not going out to eat because of no way to prep foods at home, not having to move into a hotel to get showers and having to deal with bodily waste disposal issues. Here in CT there was a veritable shitstorm over the electric company cutting the number of work crews, not doing routine maintenence/removing trees and jacking up prices over the past 10 years and 2 years of seriously horrible power outages caused by storms knocking down trees. So far this summer we have not lost power for more than a few scattered half hours here and there and this has been a horrible storm season. It has been rainy/thunderstormy for about half the time in the past 3 months. Northeast Utilities has been out massively trimming trees which is a good thing. We may just stick with a portable genny instead of going to the trouble of installing a generac. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854/30 "2017-09-08T09:54:36Z")
Reported [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmmmmm-generator-bliss/626854.md?page=1)