Power Outage: Residential

[TheLinuxBug]

Thought this had some interesting timing:

http://outdoors.dailysteals.com/

The item changes daily but today they have:

Eastern Tools and Equipment 1,800-Watt 3.4 HP 4-Stroke OHV Gas Powered Portable Digital Inverter Generator - Bring The Comforts of Home Outdoors

• LIST PRICE:$699.00
  
• DISCOUNT:67%
• YOU SAVE:$470.00
• FREE SHIPPING.
  

 

Time left to buy

• 18hrs
  
• 44mins
• 32secs

Your price: $229

 

The on board circuitry control air/fuel mixture and carburetor timing and result in a stunning 3% THD pure sine wave output. This unit is enclosed and insulated for better noise reduction. This clean sine wave power allows the generator to be used with any and all computer and electronic based appliances in today's homes, businesses, construction sites, and outdoor recreation. An added benefit is the ability of these generators to produce 120-volt, 60-hertz current at various engine speeds, thus saving fuel running at slower speeds and low load conditions but with the power for full speed and output when needed. 

 

Cheers!

 

[bizzard]

Though my place is not prone to most of the natural calamities, the power outages are very common here and the people are used to it. Since most of the power production here rely on Hydro electric projects, during the summer, the rivers dry up and the Electricity board regulates power consumption by introducing official power cuts of 1 or 2 hours for non-industries and around 5 to 6 hours for industries. We here have overhead power lines till the customer end and the chance for power outage during rainy days are high due to the breaking of transmission lines.

Here is how the transmission wires are connected on a post. Have you seen this in any other place?



As a caution, we have emergencies and torches. Almost all PC's have UPS here, usually of around 600VA, since the power is not reliable. And since we are used to it, power outages, even for a day or two doesn't affect normal life much.

 

[drmike]

Your price: $229

 4.5 hours runtime at 50% load.

That's the problem with many generators.  The runtime is rated at 50% of total capacity.  

The small tank on board coupled together with a small oil tank means if with some tinkering, your DIY runtime extender has real limitations.

I never understood why they don't make all generators capable of storing at least a gallon of fuel.  This model claims something like or near a gallon (which is surprising considering its small appearance).

At any rate, 4.5 hours run time isn't much.   Cycling generator down to refuel and deal with oil means lots of down time.

I've been through 5 days of total grid power down before.  So be through this before and that was with a larger generator with more gas and oil on board.  I dreaded the self imposed power downs.  Nothing more painful than hot oil splashes

 

[Coastercraze]

Power outages are rare for me, however, I do have a generator and fuel available if needed to run the fridge for a few days. Technology wise, I have my car to charge my phone if I really had to use it for something (providing 3G of course works). I have a netbook as well as a power inverter for the car too.

 

[mikho]

Living in a country with high standards have its advantages. Not often there is a power outage here and when they do happen, they are often planned and only lasts for a few hours.


The power is also stable so a UPS for common equipment is not needed at all.

 

[pcan]

I dumped my home UPS because power outages are extremely rare and the UPS would be the weak point. Sourge protection devices and a well mantained electrical switchboard are more useful here. I experienced this myself a few years ago, during a storm, when a lightning discharged on the roof of the building on the other side of the street, less  than 100 meters from where I stand at the computer. The ceiling light bulb exploded due to the high voltage arcing between the internal wires, but the computer survived because I installed a voltage transient suppressor at the outlet. I also replaced all the 15+ years old main panel switches at my home because old switches could  fail to cut the overload, or trip randomly at low current.

Living in a country with high standards have its advantages. Not often there is a power outage

It may be more a issue of environement than of country. On urban areas, underground fully-meshed power distribution grid is common, so power failures are unlikely and quickly fixed, because maintenance crew will easily reach all the utility equipment. On rural areas, power distribution is aerial and the grid is not meshed; faults and power instabilities are more likely to happen and could take longer to fix. When I lived basically in the middle of a farm field and the electricity came from a small transformer a the top of a pole outside the house, I experienced black-outs far more often than now.

 

[HostUS-Alexander]

I'm currently in Florida, unreal storms!

 

[mtwiscool]

Ware I am the power goes off about 2 to 5 times a year the only back up I have is for internet ware I can teather my phone to my tablet most cell towers have about 10 to 24 hours of ups power meaning they should be issue getting online

 

[Lee]

I have 2 APC units, but they simply don't power the pc long enough, even if I cut every possible power saving option to the minimum it lasts about 50 mins.

Instead I use 1 for the router/modem to keep the internet running, when I tested it last time it went for 18 hours.  I use the other to charge the Asus Transformer and my phone as needed and that pretty much covers me for up to 36 hours, once the modem dies I can tether the phone.

Never needed to use it so far.

 

[Slownode]

My solution is simple:
2KWH of deep cycle batteries
300W inverter
30W charger
double-throw relay

Try making your own 2KWH UPS for $280

I need a beefier inverter to power the house... I wish my stuff could run on DC.

 

[rds100]

Most computers can run just fine on DC by the way. 300V DC in Europe or 150V DC in USA.