Flashlight, lantern, battery suggestions

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodak I am considering moving back to my house in my home town. If I do that I will be looking at a natural gas powered generator that can handle the whole house. I figure about 16Kw should be enough. I've seen enough 3 day blizzards with power problems that I think it would be worth the expense.

Look carefully at the noise figures. Some of those are incredibly noisy and although marketed for residential use are simply not suitable for that purpose because of the noise they make.

Even if you don't want to sleep your neighbors probably will. Noise suppression to a reasonable level isn't that expensive anymore but it does add a few hundred dollars to the price if done right. It might make the difference between your neighbors merely being envious during an outage or coming after you with pitchforks and torches.

A hint is in the advertising. If the ads put their noise levels front and center in the ads (expressed as a number in DBA, should be in the mid 60's or lower) they've probably done their homework. If they're silent on the issue or make you dig for it you probably don't want that machine running outside your bedroom window and neither does anyone else.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Look carefully at the noise figures. Some of those are incredibly noisy and although marketed for residential use are simply not suitable for that purpose because of the noise they make. Even if you don't want to sleep your neighbors probably will. Noise suppression to a reasonable level isn't that expensive anymore but it does add a few hundred dollars to the price if done right. It might make the difference between your neighbors merely being envious during an outage or coming after you with pitchforks and torches. A hint is in the advertising. If the ads put their noise levels front and center in the ads (expressed as a number in DBA, should be in the mid 60's or lower) they've probably done their homework. If they're silent on the issue or make you dig for it you probably don't want that machine running outside your bedroom window and neither does anyone else.

I disagree, sort of. The whole house generators that run on natural gas (or diesel for that matter) are really pretty quiet. Ours is 25kW, and has what is basically a VW Beetle engine in it. It runs on propane, and powers about 2/3 of our large house. When you are outside near it it sounds like a well tuned car idling. From inside you have to listen hard to even know it's on.

When we built the house the people next door (the word neighbor implies friendliness that doesn't exist here) insisted we build an enclosure around it because they were afraid of the noise. No problem, I like the enclosure. But you can't even hear it from their house. They, OTOH, bought a smaller Honda gas generator that is noisy as hell in comparison.

The research I've done shows good sound levels for all the whole house generators, although I mostly researched Generac. But the portables, for all their claims of quiet running, are pretty noisy IMO.

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley I disagree, sort of. The whole house generators that run on natural gas (or diesel for that matter) are really pretty quiet. Ours is 25kW, and has what is basically a VW Beetle engine in it. It runs on propane, and powers about 2/3 of our large house. When you are outside near it it sounds like a well tuned car idling. From inside you have to listen hard to even know it's on. When we built the house the people next door (the word neighbor implies friendliness that doesn't exist here) insisted we build an enclosure around it because they were afraid of the noise. No problem, I like the enclosure. But you can't even hear it from their house. They, OTOH, bought a smaller Honda gas generator that is noisy as hell in comparison. The research I've done shows good sound levels for all the whole house generators, although I mostly researched Generac. But the portables, for all their claims of quiet running, are pretty noisy IMO.

I am surprised that the Honda was so noisy.... Once I went to a local football bowl game here and went tailgating... the crew had a wide screen TV showing the bowls before our game... it was run by a small Honda which they placed on the other side of the truck.... could not hear it at all... I went to the other side and could hear it, but it was like a very quiet lawn mower....

Now, I have heard some of those $300 generators from 3 houses over...

[splitwdw]

Maglite flashlights for the house and Maglite's and cheapo's for garage. Maglites in all vehicles. Battery powered lanterns and Coleman fuel lanterns for indoors (not Coleman) and outdoors. My husband checks batteries in them on a regular basis. I have kerosene lamps.......don't think it's kerosene.....that I use indoors and outdoors. You buy quart size bottles of fuel and it doesn't smell. I keep spare wicks on hand.

Had a portable generator but a couple of years ago after a bad series of storms we installed a whole house generator by Generac 20kw hooked up to natural gas. All generators that I've heard are loud. Our Generac has a dba rating of 66 in full operation and 60 in test mode. Ours is installed behind a wood fence with shrubs in front to try to block noise from neighbors. Don't think neighbors would complain about noise because we have run cords (heavy duty and made for this) to neighbors to help keep refrigerators running and the biggie is their coffee pots. We probably don't need all the flashlights in the house and garage but we still keep them.

Someone on this thread mentioned that a friend went on a battery plant tour and saw or was told that the same battery was sold under different brand names. I'm surprised that the tour would show this. I know it's done but why a manufacturer would tell people on a tour seems odd.

Sounds like a good idea regarding using your solar powered outdoor lights for indoor emergencies. Wonder if there's a downside and do those outdoor solar lights actually give off much light? I guess if it's frozen into the ground that could be a problem.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud Now, I have heard some of those $300 generators from 3 houses over...

We bought a "cheepo" 5500 watt gasoline powered generator after one of the three recent hurricanes went through south Texas. It works fine, but when I start it, the cat doesn't come home for a day or two.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by splitwdw Someone on this thread mentioned that a friend went on a battery plant tour and saw or was told that the same battery was sold under different brand names. I'm surprised that the tour would show this. I know it's done but why a manufacturer would tell people on a tour seems odd.

Yes, Johnson Controls makes the base battery for several retailers. There are other independent battery manufacturers, however. I had a Varata in one of my German cars that was quite good and lasted 7 years and it was starting a diesel.

I worked a project last year at a plant that bottled personal care and laundry products (shampoos, mouthwash, lotions, liquid detergent, etc). The plant manager told me (when I asked about it) that liquid laundry detergents use the same base stock soap and the only difference is the fragrance that the retailer wants put in the mix.

[frank]

when I was younger I installed furnaces for a while. when you went to the wholesaler to pick it up it came with 3 or 4 different manufacturer labels you could put on to align with what the customer wanted to buy. I also thought about the generac whole house generators and was wondering does it take a special setup in your breaker panel to use them? how expensive are they for a 16 kw unit? natural gas model.

[RetireAge50]

We have electricity so flashlights not really needed. In the rare event of power outage use candles which have unlimited shelf life and do not need batteries.

Also for the times I need a flashlight I always have one in my pocket as my iPhone camera flash can be set easily to remain on constantly.

[GrayHare]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodak I have a radio that uses a spring powered generator to run the radio and an LED light. Crank the handle on the radio to wind the spring for a few minutes and it will run for close to 30 minutes. It's a bit of a pain to use but I never have to worry about leaking batteries. It stays in my winter survival kit in my car.

Something stores the energy for those 30 minutes, probably a battery. Eventually it will leak or not charge.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank when I was younger I installed furnaces for a while. when you went to the wholesaler to pick it up it came with 3 or 4 different manufacturer labels you could put on to align with what the customer wanted to buy. I also thought about the generac whole house generators and was wondering does it take a special setup in your breaker panel to use them? how expensive are they for a 16 kw unit? natural gas model.

Here's a link to some, there's different models and costs. YES, you do have to have a transfer switch. It prevents a lineman from being killed by your genny powering a dead line(others can explain better I'm sure).

There are tricks some folks use to improperly connect portables to some of your home. Don't do it, without the transfer switch, they can kill too. I'm guessing your homeowners policy would leave you high and dry if you did so, leaving you with 2 disasters.

http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect....Generator.html

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

[Nodak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrayHare Something stores the energy for those 30 minutes, probably a battery. Eventually it will leak or not charge.

It has a large spring like an old gramaphone that is wound up by cranking and it then powers a small generator as it unwinds. There is no battery in the radio.

[Nodak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Look carefully at the noise figures. Some of those are incredibly noisy and although marketed for residential use are simply not suitable for that purpose because of the noise they make. Even if you don't want to sleep your neighbors probably will. Noise suppression to a reasonable level isn't that expensive anymore but it does add a few hundred dollars to the price if done right. It might make the difference between your neighbors merely being envious during an outage or coming after you with pitchforks and torches. A hint is in the advertising. If the ads put their noise levels front and center in the ads (expressed as a number in DBA, should be in the mid 60's or lower) they've probably done their homework. If they're silent on the issue or make you dig for it you probably don't want that machine running outside your bedroom window and neither does anyone else.

I have been looking at that. When I get moved back I will get more info on the units. I have a large garage separated from the house by a breezeway and am wondering if the generator could be mounted in the garage with exhaust through the wall. The garage is 18 feet square and I only have 1 car. I have a lot of questions but as long as I am 300 miles away from my house I will have to wait for answers.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem Time to just get a small generator? http://http://t.harborfreight.com/en...9676-8945.html Less than $350, big enough to start and run a fridge or freezer or even a room AC unit (which would be super handy in some places), you can recharge your big batteries, power tools and LEDs while it is running other stuff, and your fuel would probably last longer than running a car engine just to turn a small alternator. Down side: noisier (for the portion of time it is running) and requires upkeep

Our complex's HOA does not allow generators for a couple of reasons. We are in an "egg crate" configuration, so noise and exhaust would be issues to neighbors. Also, since fire in a semi-high-rise is the worst scenario, we are not allowed ANY storage of fuels on premises (except in the car's fuel tank.) I did use a whole house arrangement (generator and isolation wiring) back on the mainland. My thinking on the battery driven inverter was that, in a pinch, it would be possible to keep the batteries charged using the car alternator. Not ideal, certainly, but fits neatly within the HOA guidelines and should work for all but truly extended outages. Again, though, I'll have to do the research to be certain it will work and also that it will be worth it.

Last time we had an extended outage, the power company paid off those who filed claims of lost food in freezers. We simply left the freezer/fridge closed and lost nothing. So, in theory, I don't need to run the fridge. More than anything, I just do not like the idea of being without power - some sort of personality quirk more than a fear of losing the contents of the cooler. YMMV

[GrayHare]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodak It has a large spring like an old gramaphone that is wound up by cranking and it then powers a small generator as it unwinds. There is no battery in the radio.

THAT's a good design. I didn't know such were available, now I'll have to see about getting one like that.

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodak It has a large spring like an old gramaphone that is wound up by cranking and it then powers a small generator as it unwinds. There is no battery in the radio.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrayHare THAT's a good design. I didn't know such were available, now I'll have to see about getting one like that.

May we get a photo or link for this, please ?

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley I disagree, sort of. The whole house generators that run on natural gas (or diesel for that matter) are really pretty quiet. Ours is 25kW, and has what is basically a VW Beetle engine in it. It runs on propane, and powers about 2/3 of our large house. When you are outside near it it sounds like a well tuned car idling. From inside you have to listen hard to even know it's on.

They have improved then. I heard a couple many (30 years?) ago and they were deafening. Probably designed for industrial backup where noise doesn't matter.

[Nodak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 May we get a photo or link for this, please ?

I bought the radio from C Crane Company about 10 years ago. I don't know if they still have it or not. It was intended for use in countries that had poor electrical systems. Their web site is:
Home | C. Crane

[splitwdw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 They have improved then. I heard a couple many (30 years?) ago and they were deafening. Probably designed for industrial backup where noise doesn't matter.

Walt, What's considered loud as far as dba ratings? Ours is fairly new, about 3 years old and running full load is 66 dba.
Sometimes they sound louder due to where they are located and if there's anything around to soften the noise. My older neighbor set up his portable generator in his garage with the front door open. I live along him and could hear it but not too loud. It was deafening when you stood in front of the garage.

[Nodak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 May we get a photo or link for this, please ?

I looked at my radio and it is made by Baygen. After searching for a current source it looks like it may have been discontinued. A newer model may be available but it looks like there is a battery included now. Here is a You tube clip that shows the radio I have:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8tcPu3LcT0

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by splitwdw Walt, What's considered loud as far as dba ratings? Ours is fairly new, about 3 years old and running full load is 66 dba. Sometimes they sound louder due to where they are located and if there's anything around to soften the noise. My older neighbor set up his portable generator in his garage with the front door open. I live along him and could hear it but not too loud. It was deafening when you stood in front of the garage.

66 dba is fairly quiet, you should be able to carry on a conversation standing next to the source without having to raise your voice much, if at all.

How sound is perceived can get real complicated real fast. I learned a lot about that from being in a model airplane club at a time when the county was receiving noise complaints about the models at the flying site. The sound levels were well below allowable limits and in fact were below the sound of a lawn mower 1/2 block away. But because the sound of a model airplane engine is at a higher frequency it is perceived by most humans as being louder even when by all objective measurements it is not. Think of how annoying the high-pitch buzz of a mosquito is but it actually is not very noisy.

We were lucky - the club's president at the time was a sound engineer! So he was able to poke lots of holes in the arguments made by the people making the complaints and had access to some fairly sophisticated measuring equipment and the knowledge to use it.

It turned out that all the complaints stopped when one jerk moved away.

Anyway, as most people know vegetation of almost any type goes a long way toward muffling sound. So does directing the sound upward when that is possible or as you found by moving away from the direct emission of the sound in your neighbor's garage. And reducing the frequency of the sound may have the effect of reducing the perceived loudness even if in fact the volume is not reduced at all. We saw that effect when model airplane 4-stroke engines came out in volume. The actual noise they produced was nearly the same as the 2-strokes but they are perceived to be much more quiet because they turn more slowly and thus have a lower frequency.