I think you mean "anthropogenic," right? Anthropogenic means caused by (or "originating" from) human activities. Anthropomorphic means looking like human beings.

Great AAR and well done sir.



The best way to get warm is to stay warm.



I have an inexpensive home laminator purchased from Costco. I used it to protect the Generator Operation Checklist I wrote and attached to our generator. This makes the generator operable by Mrs. Magnet or the Offspring.



My generator has a section in the manual describing how to start it with a cordless drill.



This is a very good idea. You can also use a relatively inexpensive UPS to provide power stability for your network equipment. It's low draw and if sized correctly you can get a day or more out of it. Since this gear is sensitive to power fluctuations I have mine in place to keep my internet working if our power "bumps" more than an hours-long outage.

Also, keep in mind that any use of a transformer reduces efficiency. If you take 12VDC power and use an inverter to bring it up to 120VAC, then plug your Mac power brick into that, you'll use significantly more watt-hours transforming the power than you might have to. Going direct from 12VDC to 20VDC (which is what my Mac uses, be sure to know the right voltage for your machine!) is going to be a far more efficient use of your limited power budget.



Really good ideas, these had not occurred to me. You can also use PVC pipe couplings for this.

Bingley is correct regarding the word choice.

The Internet tells me that specific unit weights 137 lbs. Mine (a Champion) has a pair of wheels and a folding handle on it that makes it relatively easy to move around on flat surfaces. It's not as easy to move on steps.

Any generator that outputs 120VAC (in the USA at least) can be safely and legally used with a properly installed transfer switch.

My generator doesn't have any semiconductors in it and I expect that it would start and run after an EMP. I imagine the Generac model you mention is similar. I don't begin to have enough fuel on hand for that to matter to me, for more than a few days using the generator sparingly.

My generator has a long-term storage procedure and starts within 2-3 pulls after a year of storage if I follow the procedure correctly. If you don't follow the manufacturers' long-term storage procedure and the manual doesn't suggest an interval to run it periodically, I'd guess at running it for an hour a month.

Oil, gas, air filter, rare spark plug changes (I have a couple spares), and mine allegedly needs a new fuel hose every five years. I've always done that pre-emptively, never having had a fuel hose failure.

If there's a model you're particularly interested in, I bet you could download the manual for it before making a purchase.

With any generator:

• They emit carbon monoxide and other gasses that can kill you. Always run them outside and away from air intakes and windows.
• They run hot. Don't fuel them when hot. Don't let the exhaust hurt someone or cause a fire. Use a spark arrestor on the exhaust.
• Ideally you'll have a flat, paved spot out of the rain to operate it. I'd be comfortable operating mine on a flat spot that's unpaved but away from anything flammable. Mine is not designed to run in rain or snowy conditions.
• Remove all electrical loads before starting, and if you possibly can let it run for at least a few minutes before adding electrical loads. Remove all electrical loads before stopping, and let it run for a minute or so without a load before stopping.
• Don't let the fuel gum up. Either run it completely dry, or stabilize the fuel and log when you fill it up so that you don't let it gum up after the stabilizer expires. I like to run mine on a 50/50 mix of stabilizer and gasoline for at least a few minutes until it runs dry, then restart it until it won't run any more at all. After that I change the oil (while it's warm or hot) and squirt some oil into the cylinder, as per the long-term storage procedure for my unit.
• I use expensive full synthetic motor oil for the four small engines I own (lawnmower, snowthrower, generator and gas chainsaw). A local small engine mechanic gave me a thorough butt-chewing over how I maintained the lawnmower that he had just fixed for me a couple decades ago. I've seen him only very rarely since and (when I had him fix a cable on my lawnmower) joked with him again about that incident.

A1. 137lbs without a 20lb fuel tank

A2. Yes, along with four 120VAC/20A outlets it also has one 120/240V twist-lock outlet that can be connected to the house.

A3. Good question. It doesn't seem to have a computer and looking over the manual, nothing jumps out at me that would need a computer.

A4. Nope, that's the main reason I went with propane over gasoline. The carburetor doesn't get gummed up. Once I'm done using it I follow the instructions to pull the spark plug, pour 15cc of the oil into the cylinder, and pull the pull start four times to spread the oil around. Then reinstall the sparkplug and shove it into the garage until the next disaster.

A5. Change the spark plug every season or before use...which I haven't actually done. Check the air filter before each use, replace if overly dirty. Also note, propane cylinder valves have an expiration date and once it expires propane refillers won't refill it. It's easy enough to swap an expired 20lb tank but I'm not sure what to do with my two 100lb tanks.
-Blast

O.K., Blast & Chaos, great info. I will have to build a little wooden shelter or put it under the deck to keep it out of the rain.

Hahaha, good catch! That is the word I meant to say.

This is a really good idea. I have such checklists attached to different pieces of equipment. You don't want to make a simple mistake like skipping a step, wondering whether your equipment is broken during an emergency. Reading a machine manual by candlelight is just not as romantic as it sounds. I know from experience.


UPS for everybody! For those who work from home, an UPS should be able to protect you from brief power interruptions during a Zoom meeting. If a hurricane knocks out local power, you may still have internet access through your router as long as you can power it. Don't count on cell service.

Is this how you start a generator with a drill?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIqsh4aXFPs