Countdown to Preparedness

For most of us, electricity might seem to be a necessity, but it really is still a luxury. Sure, during an extended outage we may feel as though we’re experiencing some serious withdrawal symptoms from not being able to access our e-mail, but we’ll survive without it. That said, those outages can be made a bit more comfortable if we can at least turn on a fan and maybe a lamp or two.

To provide for our own electricity, most of us will need to turn to some sort of generator, either gas-or solar-powered. That, of course, begs the question of how large of a generator do we truly need?

The answer is going to be different for everyone. You’ll need to do a bit of homework. Go through your house and decide what appliances and such you feel that you would truly need running during a power outage. Let’s make this easy. Grab a pen and notepad and visit each room of your house, jotting down every single thing that’s plugged into an outlet. Don’t forget the sump pump in the basement as well as all the kitchen appliances. Next to each item, write down the watt consumption, which is usually found either on a tag on the power cord or on a label on the item itself.

After you’ve gone through every room, sit down with the list and begin crossing off those things that are unnecessary for survival. Things like toasters and clock radios are likely among those items. Keep narrowing down the list until you’re left with only those things that are vitally important.

Now, add up the watt consumption for your new list. This will give you an estimate of how large the generator will need to be to provide power for everything. I’m betting that once you start pricing out generators, you’ll find a way to cross more items off that list, too. There’s a little bit of wiggle room here. Not every single thing on the list will necessarily need to be running at the same time. The refrigerator may currently run about every other hour, but you could dial that down to every couple of hours and still keep the contents cool and safe, provided you can keep the teenager from opening the fridge door every ten minutes.

Lamps and other lights need power only at night. The sump pump needs to run only when there’s water to be removed. TVs and DVD players won’t be on constantly. So you can play the numbers game, at least a bit, and fudge on your needs when shopping.

There are two primary types of generators—gas- and solar-powered. Each has pros and cons. The gas generators are powerful and very easy to use. Start them up, plug in the extension cords or throw the transfer switch, and you’re good to go. But they’re also very noisy, similar to a gas lawn mower. As a result, it’s tough to convince folks that you don’t have one once you’ve started it up. They also require the use of fuel, sometimes quite a bit of it. Some of the popular brand names of gas generators include Generac and Westinghouse. They come in a wide range of sizes, from small enough to wheel around the backyard to “whole home” models permanently installed alongside the house.

There are also a couple of different configurations to gas-powered generators. The smaller models are designed to have a couple of extension cords plugged into them, running to where the power is needed. Larger ones will utilize a transfer switch that’s installed in the side of your home. This switch runs to the electrical hookup inside the home and allows the home owner to switch household power from the utility company to the generator. This installation is not typically a DIY project but something that should be handled by a professional. An electrician will route certain circuits in the home in such a way that when the transfer switch is thrown, those circuits will get their power from the generator. Then, when power is restored, they’re switched back.

Solar-powered generators are rather new to the market. As such, they’re generally more expensive than their gas-powered counterparts. But they have some advantages. First, they’re silent, given that there’s no motor running inside. No fuel consumption, either. They also allow for energy storage. They soak up the sun’s rays and store the power inside batteries, which provide the juice for your toys and whatnot. Goal Zero and JASPak are two companies at the forefront of this technology.

One other option is to use portable solar panels for limited power. You won’t be able to keep a refrigerator running with these, but you can charge cell phones and tablets quite easily, which might be all you truly need for limited outages.

WEEK 52 ASSIGNMENTS

TASKS

1. Research, inventory, and prioritize all the power-consuming items in your home.

2. Begin shopping around for generators, basing your selection on the power needs that you’ve calculated.

SAVINGS

Add $15 to your Prepper Savings Account.

TOTAL PREPPER SAVINGS ACCOUNT:

WATER STORAGE

One gallon (or two 2-liter bottles) per person or a case of bottled water for the household.

TOTAL WATER STORAGE:

GROCERY LIST

3 cans vegetables, your choice

2 cans fruit, your choice, but stick with those packed in water or juice, rather than syrup

2 cans meat (tuna, chicken, beef), your choice

2 cans soup, not condensed (they require water)

1 box (12 packages) ramen noodles

1 lb white rice