DIY & Home Improvement

Walk away

(9,494 posts) Sun Nov 24, 2013, 12:01 PM Nov 2013

Help...I am a Babe in the Woods of emergency generators! [View all]

I live in a small (under 1,000 square feet) cottage in New Jersey and I need to buy my first generator.

I'm a woman who has never felt comfortable around electricity or gasoline but I really need to get this all together and figure it out. Most of my neighbors are helpful and handy type guys..In fact one of them is my electrician.

I am looking for something that will run a few lights, the fridge and my computer. I would like to set it up with a separate electrical panel as well.

Can I please get some recommendations and advise???

Hopefully not too expensive and really easy to use. Safe as possible too.

I get the best info here.

12 replies

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Help...I am a Babe in the Woods of emergency generators! [View all] Walk away Nov 2013 OP

The best way. lumberjack_jeff Nov 2013 #1

I like the battery idea for a short outage.... Walk away Nov 2013 #2

batteries stored on concrete... lumberjack_jeff Nov 2013 #4

What do you think of this???? Walk away Nov 2013 #5

55 amp-hours is not very much capacity. lumberjack_jeff Nov 2013 #6

I was thinking of using the battery just for the computer and TV/cable Walk away Nov 2013 #7

The most complex / expensive single part will be the 'separate electrical panel'.. X_Digger Nov 2013 #3

I think I'm going to look for a portable to run the fridge and some lights off of .... Walk away Nov 2013 #8

Well, an entry-level gas generator would handle the fridge and some lights. X_Digger Nov 2013 #9

One thing to keep in mind Nac Mac Feegle Nov 2013 #10

Size the generator to the house Crazypolitics25 Mar 2014 #11

Thanks! Just in time. Walk away Mar 2014 #12