free website stats program florida newbie | Harley Davidson Forums

florida newbie

rydahog

Active Member
ok new kid on the block to FLA...i have what i think is all my ducks in a row, but now i need some info on a gas generator for my home in case of Emergency . what is a good brand name or off brand,,,and what size is recommended??
thanks for any info...just preparing for future..:small3d023:
 
I think i need a gen large enough to run a few lights in the home, refrigerator, a couple of recepticles for cell phone charging, maybe wireless internet if and when cable comes back on...and enough power run small sump pump if needed.
I figure a small 1500 watt ,2000watt for approximatly 1 week intermittant use is sufficient.. by then from my observations in the past things should be somewhat back in order..if not well i tried..:D
 
i have a 4500 watt generator it does a ref & freezer some lites fans can run furanace or a/c if needed have had it 16 years. not sure of make. engine is briggs 5 hp
 
Better to buy a generator larger then what you think you will need.You know the old carpenters saying measure twice cut once. I use a 4500 watt continuous to power my house. Run some lights and sump pump freezer furnace radio and tv. You should also have a plugged in telephone because cordless phones don't work without power
kemo
 
Just my opinion, but having gone through several hurricanes I would not go lower than 5500 watts. A whole house is the best route but, as you probably know, very expensive.
 
I have a Generac 6500. Haven't had to use it much, but have it wired into my fusebox so I can just walk around the house and turn on what I need to. i doubt it would run my furnace as my furnance is electric.

As stated before, you need to figure out what you need to run. I got mine to keep my sump pump running and to be able to have a few lights, tv and such.
 
We just lost our power on Wednesday (power company putting in new lines I think).. went outside and my neighbor's natural gas whole house generator kicked on. I'll pass buying one for me and knock on his door when a hurricane strikes.

Good luck. I lived in FL for 20 yrs. The longest I lost power was for 3 days and that was only 1 time back in 2004, but I'm inland about 20 mile (as the crow flies).

One last thing... A long timer told me to check your drivers license. If it states "Florida" anywhere on it, you need flood insurance. Now that's going alittle too far, but you realy need to understand the drainage around your house and neighborhood.

After TS Fay when we got 35" of rain in 3 days, my house did not flood, but 80 homes in my community did and they were not in a flood plain. Last year, FEMA redid the flood maps, guess what, they are now in a flood plain (a little too late though).

When Daytona area got 30" of rain last year in the May "no name storm", alot of home got flooded and they were not in a flood plain.

I have flood insurance and it's a cheap $400 insurance.

Enjoy FL. It's going ot be 73 degrees today! I'm going out now to ckeck my bike over before I take a ride out to lunch on it!!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
thanks all for the answers..will asses and make some decision in the not to distant future.

Grillfish, thanks for the info..i moved here recently and am "out of flood" zone..hahha until they change it,,:)
but i am at the stage that i am starting to think to myself...i should have moved here earlier in my life...(warm is good for the body) haha later ryd :small3d023:
 
I have a 5500, 8600 surge, that will run the frig, and one room set up as a living space. That one room includes a SD DirecTV receiver, ceiling fan and a room A/C unit. I have plenty of capacity left on the genset.

More important than the genset is hurricane panels/shutters/windows for the house. If your house has no windows left in it, you won't need a genset. Even in a TS, the wind will be strong enough to send loose anything thru your windows...

Here's a handy-dandy link you'll need.. National Hurricane Center It's the link to NOAA's hurricane tracking site..

But I like this one better... Tropical Weather Page » Crown Weather - Your One-Stop Weather Information Source - US Weather, Tropical Weather, and More! Crown WX service has the info from many different hurricanes sites all in one.

Welcome to Florida...:) I'm glad you're here to help with the gap in local funding Amendement 1 caused (a big thanks to Mark "Man I really want my PAC fund contributors to make lots of money on the backs of the working people and retirees" Rubio and Charlie "Is my approval rating that LOW?" Crist). :small3d023:

I'm counting the days until I move out of this snowbird/tourist infested, hurricane home owners insurance gouging, Q-tip slow driving on the fast lane, red lighting running, run a motorcyclist over because "I didn't see 'em" state. :bigsmiley29:

One good thing, at least we have concealed weapons permits that are easy to obtain! :mgun
 
Back
Top