Attack Disables Electrical Substation in North Carolina

[Totem Polar]

The only regret I have regarding my generac is not buying it twenty years sooner

Do you mind saying more about your particular choice?

My belief is that if more than four people are involved in anything criminal, one's an informant. Even if they didn't start out that way, a sense of self-preservation kicks in and they make the call.

This cracked me up, because it’s so true.

[Andy T]

During Ian, I was without power for 3.5 days. My A-iPower 8200W / 10000W was able to power everything via a transfer switch (to include well, fridge,etc) except for the central air. I used portable ACs for that.

1. I had to periodically tune the generator's governor. This controls the frequency of electricity coming out. Most appliances esp computers need as close to 120HZ as possible. I used Kill-a-wat plugged into the generator to help me tune it. If the frequency was way off, my UPS wouldn't recognize the power and run off of battery.

2. It took approximately 9 - 10 gallons / 24 hours. I started with ethanol free and finished up with regular 89 gas.

3. You can get a larger 13/15k generator that will be able to handle central ACs.

[Tensaw]

During Ian, I was without power for 3.5 days. My A-iPower 8200W / 10000W was able to power everything via a transfer switch (to include well, fridge,etc) except for the central air. I used portable ACs for that.

1. I had to periodically tune the generator's governor. This controls the frequency of electricity coming out. Most appliances esp computers need as close to 120HZ as possible. I used Kill-a-wat plugged into the generator to help me tune it. If the frequency was way off, my UPS wouldn't recognize the power and run off of battery.

2. It took approximately 9 - 10 gallons / 24 hours. I started with ethanol free and finished up with regular 89 gas.

3. You can get a larger 13/15k generator that will be able to handle central ACs.

Yes, but you will be ripping through fuel even when the AC is not running. Smaller genny with window unit(s) is the way (in my opinion). And it's not even about the cost of fuel (though that could wind up being significant); it's about getting enough gas to keep the genny running when supplies/access will likely be problematic. And then there is the issue of dealing with all the gas cans one would need.

[ccmdfd]

Yes, but you will be ripping through fuel even when the AC is not running. Smaller genny with window unit(s) is the way (in my opinion). And it's not even about the cost of fuel (though that could wind up being significant); it's about getting enough gas to keep the genny running when supplies/access will likely be problematic. And then there is the issue of dealing with all the gas cans one would need.

Yeah, a couple built a house next to my parents house and put in a propane-powered large generator system that was powerful enough to do full air conditioning, etc.

During our last hurricane the power went out. Their generator started up and ran the whole house. It was out of fuel in less than a day.

[CWM11B]

Do you mind saying more about your particular choice?




This cracked me up, because it’s so true.

Generac was readily available at the time, and I had great confidence in the vendor. I'm only screwed if the "terrorists" take out the power grid and natural gas pipelines sat the same time

[blues]

Yeah, a couple built a house next to my parents house and put in a propane-powered large generator system that was powerful enough to do full air conditioning, etc.

During our last hurricane the power went out. Their generator started up and ran the whole house. It was out of fuel in less than a day.

I have 500 gallon propane in-ground. I think that would run about a week if running most all the time for a whole home setup.

[whomever]

"...My A-iPower 8200W / 10000W was able to power everything ... It took approximately 9 - 10 gallons / 24 hours."

My 2 cents: There is absolutely nothing wrong with a whole house generator. If you need AC, they are the bomb. But a 2000W inverter generator is the J frame of generators. Just as having a J frame is waaaay better than no gun, having a small generator is way better than having no generator.

We had a week long outage a few years ago, in sub freezing weather. Neighbors were really hurting ... houses getting close to freezing, no way to cook, etc.

We used our 2000W inverter generator a few hours a day, with extension cords, to A)run the (nat gas) furnace blower, B)the fridge, and C)charge half the neighborhood's cell phones. We set up the coleman stove on the deck and did spaghetti feeds for the neighborhood. We could carry the generator to neighbors so they could run their furnace for a couple of hours.

We kept the house warmish (i.e. heat to 65, turn off genny until it dropped to 55) on about 2 quarts of gas a day. That means a 5 gallon can lasts 10 days - no trying to find a working gas station.

Again, there isn't a thing in the world wrong with whole house, but a small generator today beats a big one later, or none at all. The Harbor freight ones have gone up a lot - $550 right now - and the Honda's are $1200.

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I would add that a solar system that would kinda sorta run a fridge and furnace is could also be had for $1200ish, although for that price you might run out in you get several days of storm, which is unfortunately when the power is most likely to go out. OTOH, it will run indefinitely.

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ETA: wells are another great reason for a big generator ... not having water sux.

[feudist]

If it’s that easy and our enemies haven’t done it that leads me to the following conclusions:

1) They don’t actually want to hurt us.

Or

2) They have much less resources than I have Ben led to believe.


Or

3) The FBI and intelligence community is REALLY good at stopping these attacks.

Or

4) Our enemies are just stupid.

I have no idea which is true but I find it interesting to think about.

Immediately after 9/11 I envisioned multiple teams of 3 men armed with cheap thumbhole AKs and a sack of magazines hitting a big mall food court at noon on Black Friday.
A half dozen such teams spread across middle America could have brought our economy to a halt and killed hundreds for the outlay of a few grand.

[fatdog]

Immediately after 9/11 I envisioned multiple teams of 3 men armed with cheap thumbhole AKs and a sack of magazines hitting a big mall food court at noon on Black Friday.
A half dozen such teams spread across middle America could have brought our economy to a halt and killed hundreds for the outlay of a few grand.

I have often thought that there was a window back at this time in 2001 where the terror payback would have been extremely high for a very small investment in Jihadi lives. But the fact that none of it happened tells me a lot about how shallow their pool of useful idiots who can actually function and move about and carry something off in our society really was. I think they peaked on 9/11 and pretty much spent nearly everybody they really had. Although terribly effectively.

[HeavyDuty]

Yeah, a couple built a house next to my parents house and put in a propane-powered large generator system that was powerful enough to do full air conditioning, etc.

During our last hurricane the power went out. Their generator started up and ran the whole house. It was out of fuel in less than a day.

How large was their tank? I’m looking at a whole house propane powered generator.