Some personal stories written by people who have endured prolonged power outages are
posted here. How did they cope with the inconvenience? What was it really like
with or without a backup power source? We would like to hear YOUR
story too! Send us yours by email and with your permission we will post it here for
others' benefit!
Power
from pto generator during Florida hurricane, 2004
[Backup power supplied by a Voltmaster PTO47.7-1
PTO Generator mounted on a trailer and connected to home using a
400A transfer switch all provided by NoOutage.com LLC.]
The hook up works and the whole house can run on the
30,000KW generated, 2 A/C units, pool heater and pumps, 2 fridges, freezer,
4500sq feet of lights, TV's, PC's, stove, micro oven etc. The tractor
has to idle at 2200 RPM under load to hold 60Hz but that is acceptable and
within the PTO speed range. I have a 25 foot cable and there was no
noticeable voltage drop. Hook up takes about 2 minutes so it is not a
problem. As you can see from the photo I need to alter the trailer hook
up to lower the front of the trailer to straighten out the PTO shaft.
My tractor will need to remain outside when the generator
is running and there is a 98% chance it will be raining so I will need to
figure out a cover for the generator. Over all it is a great solution,
thanks for your help. --D.E., Jacksonville Florida, August 2004
Click thumbnail image to enlarge
[Update upon arrival of Hurricane Frances]
Right now I'm running on PTO
Generator power we have been out for a few hours. This storm promises
many hours without power but the house is cool, the water warm and lights
bright. I can use EVERYTHING in a 4500 sq foot home without a problem
including two AC's, two fridges, one freezer, two hot water tanks, pool pump
and spa/pool heaters, computers, TV's oven, microwave, all the lights etc,
etc, etc.
I just walked out and took a couple photos of the new cover
I made from 16 gauge stainless. It protects the generator from rain but
allows it to breathe. It is expected to rain the next 24 to 36 hours so
I did not want to be without power because the generator could not be run in
open rain. I did not weld the cover on but bolted it instead so it can
come off if I use it for a long time in the hot sun.
--D.E., Jacksonville Florida, September 4, 2004.
Whole house powered from 12kW genset
Almost one year ago, I purchased an Onan RS12000
genset, GE ZTX20RM4 automatic transfer switch,
and various accessories and service parts from your company. You might recall
me; I was the customer that sent you photos of the transfer switch with the
revised control panel and optional third pole..
Well, everything has been in boxes for the better part of a
year (long story) and last weekend I finally completed the installation!
Your website is by far one of the best sources of
information out there. I really received quite and education and I cannot
thank you enough for your personal assistance and knowledge in suggesting a
perfect system for my home. I could not have done with you, and the vast
wealth of information learned from your website. You did not oversell or
undersell, and I am exceptionally pleased with your company.
I used Configuration
C1, "all circuits backed by generator", and I am pleased to say
the genset powered just about everything I could throw at it (I didn't want to
overdo it during break-in) without any problem. We ran a 240V 18,000 BTU air
conditioner, as well three smaller 120V air conditioners, 5,000 BTU, 6,000
BTU, and 8,000 BTU, not to mention the refrigerator, oil furnace,
dehumidifier, attic exhaust fan, three computers, two televisions, and just
about every single light in the house, you name it, without any problem
whatsoever. At one point, I was reading a total of 49.0 amps (both legs
combined) on my Fluke clamp meter, and the lights were steady. And for the
first time I read nice strong voltage; approximately 240-242V and 120-121V!
With our local utility, I'm lucky to get only around 211-214V volts and
109-113V! (I needed to adjust the jumpers in the transfer switch to 220V.)
Other vendors told me this (the C1)
configuration would not work, and that I would need a dedicated sub-panel, and
at least a 20KW genset for an 1,100 square foot home! Thank goodness I found
you and your company!
--J.M, Whitestone, NY, July 29, 2004.
Ice-storm, Southern Maryland 1993
If you had been in Calvert County, Maryland during March or April of 1993 you
would have noticed people walking around with metal buttons pinned to their chests which
read, "I survived the Ice Storm of '93". Now, for anyone not living in
Calvert County this inscription was meaningless. We were in Calvert County in Feb '93 and
we truly did survive the ice storm, but only barely. The ice storm was centered mostly in
the northern half of the county. Trees down across electric and phone lines and you
guessed it, no power and no phone. If you lived on any incline at all, automobile
travel was virtually impossible. We were without power for seven days. We had two
fireplaces but no dry wood, apart from household furniture. We had a four wheel drive
vehicle which provided us with travel to the real world, the land of heat, electricity,
and phone service. Phone service came online first but no electricity for seven
days. That means no heat and in Maryland in February you need heat. We wore clothes
to bed, got up and ate breakfast in the same clothes. Incidentally, breakfast was
over a Coleman Stove. A few days without a shower one becomes a little smelly but we
kept repeating, THAT TOO SHALL PASS. A couple of months after that incident we went
out and bought a generator. We have used it often since but not to the extent of
seven days or even one whole day. We had the generator wired into the main
electrical system of the house, so when we do lose power it's just a matter of wheeling
the generator out of the garage and flipping a few switches. We feel really secure
now knowing that we have the means of providing heat and partial electrical power
throughout our house during emergency conditions.
--RAF, Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, 1993.
A severe ice storm struck Quebec, Canada and New England in the US in January
1998. See Outage Archives for news clips. An
excellent and detailed article about living for weeks in the state of Maine without
utility power is available by clicking the following link. Photos are included.
Ice Storm '98 -
Living Through the Storm of the Century.
