0:00
Next question comes from Sandra and she writes
0:07
Hi Steve, with a few recent power outages under our belts, we're wondering how best to move forward
0:13
We live in a rural area and worry about our basement flooding if the sump pump doesn't have electricity
0:19
That's a very valid concern, Sandra. We currently have a backup battery and have a portable generator that my husband uses to keep us from flooding
0:28
My concern is what happens if we're away or if I'm here alone and unable to start the generator
0:33
We're wondering about options. We do not have water during a power outage as we have a well and in warmer weather we can make do
0:42
but worry about a prolonged outage in winter. That's a valid concern as people in the country, no electricity, no running water
0:50
We've heard of Generac but have been told that they're very expensive
0:54
maybe $11,000 to install and can blow through hundreds of dollars of propane quite quickly
1:01
What other options are out there? It seems like this is on the minds of many with climate change wondering the wisest way to proceed
1:10
Well, Generac is a brand name of what is called generically automatic backup generators
1:20
This is something I would recommend for you despite the concerns that you have offered here
1:26
These are stationary enclosed devices that sit outside your home. They're connected to a fuel source
1:37
That's either propane where you live or if a person has natural gas you can connect to that as well
1:43
Then there are some cables leading to your house and a separate electrical panel in your house
1:49
These things come on automatically if the grid goes down. They shut themselves off automatically when the grid comes back and they provide very complete power
2:03
Basically almost everything that you could use in your house depending on the size of the stationary backup generator
2:10
Some are small. You might have to pick and choose what you use when that thing is providing you with power
2:15
Others are large and you probably wouldn't have to change your lifestyle at all
2:20
$11,000 to install, I think that's a little on the high side
2:25
These units have gotten a lot cheaper over the last 10 or 15 years
2:30
A lot of people are getting them. You won't find a more reliable secure way of protecting your basement from flooding if you're not around or your husband's not around to connect the generator
2:41
As far as operating costs go, operating any generator is going to be much more expensive for a unit of power created compared with the grid
2:53
The grid has got some problems. It's got some vulnerabilities. In terms of providing cheap power, it's an excellent option. It really does deliver that way
3:05
I have two recommendations for you. One recommendation would be to go with a backup generator
3:12
That's going to be your once and for all solution. If you bite the bullet and pay the cost, I don't think you'll regret that at all
3:20
Don't forget too that the amount of fuel that a generator consumes is somewhat proportional to the amount of power you're demanding
3:30
Yes, the generator is going to fire up and it's going to run full blast whether you are using just a 100 watt light bulb or roasting a turkey
3:39
The generator is going to be running at the same speed, but that doesn't mean it's consuming the same amount of fuel
3:45
The harder you work that generator, the more fuel it's going to have to burn in order to maintain its RPM
3:52
There is a proportion there. It's not like if you use no power and your generator is running, you're not using any fuel because you are using some
3:59
The worry you have about this thing sucking back vast amounts of fuel, you don't really have to worry about that
4:09
It really comes down to how much electricity you use and also how long the outage is, of course
4:14
It sounds like you're concerned and a stationary backup generator is going to satisfy that concern perfectly
4:22
There are backup sump pumps that have a built-in battery and they will run for a number of hours after the power goes out
4:35
But a number of hours might not be enough, as you probably recognize
4:40
It's one thing to keep the water at bay for a few hours, but when that battery dies, you might as well not have had a sump pump
4:48
There are additional backup battery banks that you can use for this sort of thing
4:55
They are becoming more and more common. They are generically called portable power stations
5:02
They are essentially a high-output lithium battery in a case with an inverter and other control equipment that allows you to carry AC power around in your hand and use it wherever you want
5:17
You can use it for other things, too. These portable power stations are great for providing charging capabilities for your phone, your computer
5:27
I ran a test on one recently, specifically to see how long it would run a water pump, a rural water well pump like the kind you have
5:37
I found that a fully charged unit, moderate size, will keep that water pump going for a day
5:44
Now, it's not running constantly, of course. The water pump only comes on as you need water
5:50
That's another option. It could be left connected to your sump pump to provide a whole bunch of additional backup power for that pump beyond any battery that might be part of the sump pump's own system and expand things that way
6:05
Other than those two options, I think that's pretty well it. I would certainly urge you to consider that backup generator
6:16
I think it's going to give you the best bang for the buck
