Politics

[375 Ruger Fan]

For those of you who consider a 10k generator insufficient and require a 25k to meet your household needs, I'm wondering what your needs are. A survey of our home shows the items that use 220v are an electric oven- both elements in use 10k; clothes dryer, water heater and central air conditioner all at 5k each. the 110v appliances use 50 - 500w. With planning- either not using the oven for cooking or reducing competing sources, we find the 10k generator to be completely adequate. We haven't run it 24 hours/non-stop but those time we have run it during power outages, most of the time in operation it was barely above idle having minimum output- that is, the 220 appliances were only occasionally in operation.

I'm wondering what appliances/facilities require a 25k generator.

Multiple AC units, refrig, freezers, microwave and dishwasher. The load shed program drops out our electric ovens. I'm good with not cooking, but want the AC. If the power outage occurs in cooler months, the AC load drops off, as our heating is natural gas fired. Same with the tankless hot water. But both systems require electricity to ignite and and HVAC blower. I'm on city water, but some neighbors are on a well.

 

[rookhawk]

For those of you who consider a 10k generator insufficient and require a 25k to meet your household needs, I'm wondering what your needs are. A survey of our home shows the items that use 220v are an electric oven- both elements in use 10k; clothes dryer, water heater and central air conditioner all at 5k each. the 110v appliances use 50 - 500w. With planning- either not using the oven for cooking or reducing competing sources, we find the 10k generator to be completely adequate. We haven't run it 24 hours/non-stop but those time we have run it during power outages, most of the time in operation it was barely above idle having minimum output- that is, the 220 appliances were only occasionally in operation.

I'm wondering what appliances/facilities require a 25k generator.

You cannot install a backup generator on guesswork. It requires a detailed analysis of all breakers, peak and starting loads, and sustained loads.

My home as configured requires a 26kw generator. Two washers and dryers, one furnace/AC, 2 ranges, 2 fridge/freezers, 2 freezers, one dishwasher, two microwaves, one well pump, a network server, a myriad of wifi access points, 5-6 laptops, 3 external monitors, 3 TVs, warming drawer, and my garage that has a dehumidifier and other items in it. Oh, and a hot tub.

So that's what the analysis was on my home, but that analysis will be different for every home.

I was disappointed to learn you cannot "over buy" either. You have to buy something for current load, not something that could handle a future increased load.

 

[Ray B]

WOW @rookhawk , THAT'S A LOT OF STUFF!!!

 

[rookhawk]

WOW @rookhawk , THAT'S A LOT OF STUFF!!!

It's a mid-sized home above ground, but it has a walk-out basement apartment and my teen sons live down there. (it has a kitchenette)

But you'd really be surprised if you did an audit of your home for everything you have plugged in and what it draws. Death by a thousand cuts as they say.

I could absolutely get a smaller generator if I isolate circuits, but I have three panels and that makes isolating circuits a total mess with lots of backhauled wires and a complex installation. Bottom line, it is cheaper to do whole-house with a 26kw generator than to do 18kw by using only certain circuits. The electrician is more expensive than the generator.

 

[Russ16]

You're a perfect candidate for a portable generator for general use, and handy to keep your fridge running in a blackout. If you aren't literally buying enough food to feed a large family plus guests for 6 months at a time, a permanent backup solution isn't a big need.

I just want enough to run a few lights and the heat so the pipes don’t freeze. Most of our outages are winter storm related.

 

[tinktink12]

 

[Certus]

It's a mid-sized home above ground, but it has a walk-out basement apartment and my teen sons live down there. (it has a kitchenette)

But you'd really be surprised if you did an audit of your home for everything you have plugged in and what it draws. Death by a thousand cuts as they say.

I could absolutely get a smaller generator if I isolate circuits, but I have three panels and that makes isolating circuits a total mess with lots of backhauled wires and a complex installation. Bottom line, it is cheaper to do whole-house with a 26kw generator than to do 18kw by using only certain circuits. The electrician is more expensive than the generator.

We just switch off everything at the wall when we finish.
Home is currently using 55w of power. We only have 1 fridge/freezer though that stays on.

 

[spike.t]

...so prepper thread now.....

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Jing S. Dong, a 48-year-old resident of Staten Island, New York, has been officially charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter by the Virginia State Police. Authorities noted that additional charges are still pending against him.The Stafford County CrashThe Incident: Around 2:35 a.m. on Friday, May 29, 2026, Dong was operating an E&P Travel Inc. charter bus traveling south on Interstate 95.The Collision: As highway traffic slowed down for an active work zone in Stafford County, Virginia, Dong failed to reduce his speed. The bus slammed into a Chevrolet Suburban at a high rate of speed, triggering a massive multi-vehicle chain reaction.The Toll: The crash claimed the lives of five people and hospitalized 44 others, three of whom sustained critical injuries. Four of the deceased victims belonged to a single family traveling from Massachusetts to a wedding.Investigation and National ControversyDong, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from China, sustained injuries during the impact. His involvement has drawn immediate national attention due to licensing and regulatory oversight concerns:CDL Background: Dong obtained his Commercial Driver's License (CDL) from New York State in 2024.Language Barrier: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy publicly criticized the situation after local police confirmed Dong does not speak English. Federal regulations dictate that commercial drivers must be able to read road signs and speak enough English to communicate with law enforcement and emergency personnel.Federal Audit: The Department of Transportation is launching an audit into New York’s licensing records and training schools. Simultaneously, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has deployed a "go-team" to investigate the mechanical and operational aspects of the vehicle.