2024 Rain Thread: All Your El Nino Are Belong to Us

[Brisketexan 103602]

6 minutes ago, Post Oak said:

I told my wife, the 3 nights we lost power in the ice storm in 2021 was the best I had slept in years and probably since.  I think it was 48 in the house and I was as snug as a bug in a rug.

First night, we got down to 50 or so, and I loved it.  As the temp kept plummeting inside, fuck that.  Again, we were just a coupla degrees above freezing.  Shit, our dog and cat were shivering uncontrollably.

[Fudge Nuggets 18977]

On 5/19/2024 at 2:52 PM, Grimas said:

All buried in The Woodlands except for the main transmission towers…

And for this I am very thankful.  Hell, the redneck town I grew up in in N. Louisiana back in the 70's/80's had all buried lines.  I can't believe it's not the standard tbh.

[Dahobbs 17227]

Power back as of 3:00 pm. So, Thursday at 6:30 pm to Monday at 3:00 pm. 

[huge 3774]

I was setting up for an neighborhood happy hour on Thursday (outdoors) when the tornado alarms went off.  No one had a clue what was coming, to the point where I was out driving around and had to pull my car up into an IHOP parking lot when the shit was hitting the fan.  At one point I could not see the end of the hood of my car.  About as close to white out snow as I have seen rain get to.  I also felt the pressure drop in my chest and was told by an okie friend of mine it was a "hook echo" and meant a legit tornado was in the area.

I need to buy a generator.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13310]

It sucks but Centerpoint has to triage where to put resources to fix widespread problems. Eventually there are lines to a single house that need to be repaired. That can't be the priority. With Ike, there was one line down that just provided electricity to me and my neighbor. . It wasn't the highest priority for Centerpoint to fix but they also didn't leave us until the very end. The line was repaired as they were wrapping up repairs in my general area.

57 minutes ago, huge said:

I need to buy a generator.

I recommend this inverter generator if you're looking for something that can power a handful of items: TV, lights, internet modem/router, computer, portable AC cooler. It should also power a washing machine but you may have to turn off some other devices. Inverter may not be as powerful as some standard generators but they use much less gas, quieter and lighter. They can also be used for tailgating, camping, etc.

[utee94 15722]

Yes inverter generators are far superior in noise reduction and efficiency.  And these days the off-brands like the one Eddie posted above, are actually not totally cheap pieces of crap.  There was a time 20 years ago when you absolutely had to go with Honda or Yamaha, but these days there are many brands that are much cheaper and similarly reliable.  

For home emergency temporary use, I understand why people still buy the old-style loud AF open-frame generators.  But for camping and tailgating, I strongly suggest the inverter style, unless you want your neighbors to murder you in your sleep and/or after you pass out.

 

 

 

[Deej 76197]

4 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Me?  Yes.  Others differ.

Nah, bro. Invest in some thermal underwear and let the dogs sleep with you. 50 is more than tolerable. 

[jimmyjazz 45192]

5 minutes ago, Deej said:

Nah, bro. Invest in some thermal underwear and let the dogs sleep with you. 50 is more than tolerable. 

Thanks for setting me straight.

[Deej 76197]

I'll camp in sub-50 degree weather. 80 or above...?

[jimmyjazz 45192]

I don't camp much.  Lowest I recall was it touching freezing overnight west of Boerne.  I was in a 15 F rated sleeping bag and I was fucking miserable. 

Plus, a donkey started braying a couple of hours before sunrise.  I almost went donkey hunting.

[SquishMitten 10370]

5 hours ago, GreenspointTexas said:

You would rather sleep in 80 degrees than in 50?

I would absolutely prefer sleeping in 50. But during the day, 50 inside would be fucking miserable. At 80, I’d have to go sleep outside with a fan. That’s perfectly fine camping weather

[InkaUtexas 24932]

Have camped at 15 and at 105. All about the equipment.

[UTexasFight 9298]

3 hours ago, huge said:

 

I need to buy a generator.

Just missed the sales tax holiday… again.

every year I feel it should be in late May. Only to look and remember it’s at the end of April 

[CHIEF 5044]

I always tell people, when it's cold, I can always put on enough clothing to stay warm. I can't take off enough clothing, in the summer, to stay outta jail.

CHIEF

 

[Sawbonz 26871]

First stress test of the year for the grid? 90s this week for much of the state

[tx 3 putt 75478]

5 hours ago, Post Oak said:

I told my wife, the 3 nights we lost power in the ice storm in 2021 was the best I had slept in years and probably since.  I think it was 48 in the house and I was as snug as a bug in a rug.

i set my heater to 48

[Post Oak 20107]

2 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

i set my heater to 48

A lot of nights over the winter I leave our heater off unless it's gonna be really cold.  Especially on the weekends. I sleep better but more importantly the kids sleep longer 

[tx 3 putt 75478]

13 minutes ago, Post Oak said:

A lot of nights over the winter I leave our heater off unless it's gonna be really cold.  Especially on the weekends. I sleep better but more importantly the kids sleep longer 

i agree, it’s a great sleep

[atomheartbevo 89015]

1 hour ago, Sawbonz said:

First stress test of the year for the grid? 90s this week for much of the state

Quote

The isolation of the Texas power grid has become a symbol of the state’s independent streak and resistance to federal oversight in recent years. The massive outages during Winter Storm Uri in 2021 were a wake-up call to the vulnerabilities of Texas’ system. Now it seems Texas has sleepwalked into another avoidable crisis, with record high temperatures approaching and the Energy Reliability Council of Texas warning that these conditions may squeeze reserve margins.

Quote

An isolated grid also creates persistent problems even when no foul weather impacts the state. Spot wholesale electricity prices in Texas are $175 per megawatt-hour for August, up from $90.18 in August 2023. Price increases of this magnitude are not consistent across the United States. California’s spot electricity prices for August are trading for $80 per mwh, 30% below last year’s average. By allowing these issues to persist, average Texans will continue to bear the brunt of growing costs.

Quote

Still, there is a silver lining. The power grid successfully weathered another cold flash this January, thanks to a sharp uptick in battery construction and a surge in solar and wind power, which allowed Texas to diversify and decentralize its energy production to meet increasing demand.

 

[GreenspointTexas 9385]

3 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I don't camp much.  Lowest I recall was it touching freezing overnight west of Boerne.  I was in a 15 F rated sleeping bag and I was fucking miserable. 

Plus, a donkey started braying a couple of hours before sunrise.  I almost went donkey hunting.

Im laughing my ass off that that last comment

[CHIEF 5044]

A/C is at 66 when it is 66 or warmer, heater is at 62 when it is 62 or colder.

CHIEF

[SydneyCarton 47471]

15 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

It sucks but Centerpoint has to triage where to put resources to fix widespread problems. Eventually there are lines to a single house that need to be repaired. That can't be the priority. With Ike, there was one line down that just provided electricity to me and my neighbor. . It wasn't the highest priority for Centerpoint to fix but they also didn't leave us until the very end. The line was repaired as they were wrapping up repairs in my general area.

I recommend this inverter generator if you're looking for something that can power a handful of items: TV, lights, internet modem/router, computer, portable AC cooler. It should also power a washing machine but you may have to turn off some other devices. Inverter may not be as powerful as some standard generators but they use much less gas, quieter and lighter. They can also be used for tailgating, camping, etc.

Second an inverter generator. I purloined this one from my hoarder father in law after we had to move him out of his ranch. He was a massive hoarder, it was literally in a box unused...next to 1-2 other identical units also in boxes. I would say it saved our ass quite a bit over the weekend.
 

Once you got all of the load on, you could switch it to "Efficiency Mode" and it would run for about 6-7 hours on a little more than a gallon of gas. That sucker succesfully powered 2 fridges, our deep freezer, our wifi, and things didn't really get diecy until I tried to add a TV and portable fan to the mix. It was a champ.

15 hours ago, utee94 said:

Yes inverter generators are far superior in noise reduction and efficiency.  And these days the off-brands like the one Eddie posted above, are actually not totally cheap pieces of crap.  There was a time 20 years ago when you absolutely had to go with Honda or Yamaha, but these days there are many brands that are much cheaper and similarly reliable.  

For home emergency temporary use, I understand why people still buy the old-style loud AF open-frame generators.  But for camping and tailgating, I strongly suggest the inverter style, unless you want your neighbors to murder you in your sleep and/or after you pass out.

 

 

 

Now, all of this being said, as awesome as that thing was, pretty sure I'm about to bite the fucking bullet and just get a fucking generac. Houston just has too  much shit happen to it at this point, and the quality of life step-change is probably worth it. Of course every time I get motivated is right before hurricane season, where I probably can't get one installed in time. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13310]

As stated the fuel efficiency of inverter generators can't be overlooked. In an extended and widespread emergency you do not want to spend your day looking for and waiting in line for gas.  Having 5 gallons at home can save you a lot of stress.  The industrial generator might burn though that in 12 hours but an inverter generator might last several days depending on your needs and assuming you can use the fuel efficiency feature.

[Dahobbs 17227]

1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

Second an inverter generator. I purloined this one from my hoarder father in law after we had to move him out of his ranch. He was a massive hoarder, it was literally in a box unused...next to 1-2 other identical units also in boxes. I would say it saved our ass quite a bit over the weekend.
 

Once you got all of the load on, you could switch it to "Efficiency Mode" and it would run for about 6-7 hours on a little more than a gallon of gas. That sucker succesfully powered 2 fridges, our deep freezer, our wifi, and things didn't really get diecy until I tried to add a TV and portable fan to the mix. It was a champ.

Now, all of this being said, as awesome as that thing was, pretty sure I'm about to bite the fucking bullet and just get a fucking generac. Houston just has too  much shit happen to it at this point, and the quality of life step-change is probably worth it. Of course every time I get motivated is right before hurricane season, where I probably can't get one installed in time. 

Generators are good, but I really think the battery + solar combination is overlooked in Houston. The battery responds instantly to any outage (the lights may flicker), requires zero maintenance, and has a renewable source of fuel that you don't have to go look for. And, generally speaking in Houston, you're going to need more power when it is hot, which also happens to be when the sun is out. Solar is generally a decent investment in Houston anyway so long as your roof gets good sunlight. And the battery while more expensive upfront than a whole home generator, isn't that much much more expensive and doesn't require fuel or maintenance. 26kwh of batteries came out to be 14k with install after tax credit. That's on the high end for the installed estimates I've seen for a 20 kw generac (10k-15k). 

[Storm the Field 5255]

22 hours ago, Storm the Field said:

Still in the dark in my pocket of 77018. Approaching 90 hours without power. Possible, but not likely we get restored at some point this evening. Tomorrow seems more realistic.

House stayed below 75 on Friday night so no big problem. We toughed it out on Saturday night though had to sleep downstairs on the couches and it was pretty miserable. Finally tapped out yesterday after it was getting close to 80 degrees indoors and cashed in some hotel points to get a room a Residence Inn that allows pets. Already re-booked for tonight. 

110 hours without power now. Looks like I'll be in the "lucky" 10% that still won't have power back tonight. My neighborhood is shaded "estimated restoration 5/22" on the current outage map. Re-booked our room for one more night tonight.

Wife and I stopped by the house to empty out our fridge and freezer and re-pack our bags. 82 downstairs, 85 upstairs. Glad we didn't wait any longer as the fridge was already starting to smell borderline putrid. Got it emptied out, Clorox'd, and stuck some fresh baking soda boxes in. My wife loved to complain about having too many sauces and condiments filling up the fridge. Welp, she got her wish!

Edited May 21 by Storm the Field

[SquishMitten 10370]

1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

Second an inverter generator. I purloined this one from my hoarder father in law after we had to move him out of his ranch. He was a massive hoarder, it was literally in a box unused...next to 1-2 other identical units also in boxes. I would say it saved our ass quite a bit over the weekend.

What happened to the others? You can put two of the same models in parallel with minor expense

[texasdago 7407]

4 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

110 hours without power now. Looks like I'll be in the "lucky" 10% that still won't have power back tonight. My neighborhood is shaded "estimated restoration 5/22" on the current outage map. Re-booked our room for one more night tonight.

Wife and I stopped by the house to empty out our fridge and freezer and re-pack our bags. 82 downstairs, 85 upstairs. Glad we didn't wait any longer as the fridge was already starting to smell borderline putrid. Got it emptied out, Clorox'd, and stuck some fresh baking soda boxes in. My wife loved to complain about having too many sauces and condiments filling up the fridge. Welp, she got her wish!

Keep it open for now

[CHIEF 5044]

5 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

Generators are good, but I really think the battery + solar combination is overlooked in Houston. The battery responds instantly to any outage (the lights may flicker), requires zero maintenance, and has a renewable source of fuel that you don't have to go look for. And, generally speaking in Houston, you're going to need more power when it is hot, which also happens to be when the sun is out. Solar is generally a decent investment in Houston anyway so long as your roof gets good sunlight. And the battery while more expensive upfront than a whole home generator, isn't that much much more expensive and doesn't require fuel or maintenance. 26kwh of batteries came out to be 14k with install after tax credit. That's on the high end for the installed estimates I've seen for a 20 kw generac (10k-15k). 

We have several homes in my subdivision with heavily damaged roofs and solar panels. Insurance companies are balking at paying to replace the solar panels. A couple of the homeowners have the panels insured through a third party insurer recommended by the solar installer. BUT, if your roof is damaged, the insurers will not pay for the labor to remove and reinstall the new panels. Many insurance companies are refusing to underwrite the homes with solar panels at all.

CHIEF

[SydneyCarton 47471]

46 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

As stated the fuel efficiency of inverter generators can't be overlooked. In an extended and widespread emergency you do not want to spend your day looking for and waiting in line for gas.  Having 5 gallons at home can save you a lot of stress.  The industrial generator might burn though that in 12 hours but an inverter generator might last several days depending on your needs and assuming you can use the fuel efficiency feature.

 

4 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

Generators are good, but I really think the battery + solar combination is overlooked in Houston. The battery responds instantly to any outage (the lights may flicker), requires zero maintenance, and has a renewable source of fuel that you don't have to go look for. And, generally speaking in Houston, you're going to need more power when it is hot, which also happens to be when the sun is out. Solar is generally a decent investment in Houston anyway so long as your roof gets good sunlight. And the battery while more expensive upfront than a whole home generator, isn't that much much more expensive and doesn't require fuel or maintenance. 26kwh of batteries came out to be 14k with install after tax credit. That's on the high end for the installed estimates I've seen for a 20 kw generac (10k-15k). 

Man, I live in a neighborhood where no shit about 80-100 massive, massive trees just took out roofs galore. And honestly, my old oak tree in the back stood strong but could have oblitered us...and any solar panels we had installed. It's hard not to look at that thing at this point as a time bomb. And believe me, I don't need 20kw generac. I'll be honesty, I'm questioning if I even need a 10kw generac. I'm starting to think I can run with 6kw. 

All of that being said, it's sort of why I'm leanings towards a generac that hooks straight up to my natural gas line. Natural gas raaaarely goes offline in Houston. I don't have to go hunt for a gas station taht's open, or have a stockpile of gas in my garage, etc. Shit's pricey, but I also hate being hot and uprooting everything in our lives X days a year, and these days it seems like we have some kind of shit event every damn year. Hurricane season this year will be a fucking beating. 

4 minutes ago, SquishMitten said:

What happened to the others? You can put two of the same models in parallel with minor expense

My brother in law took one, and we left one up at the property. 

[SquishMitten 10370]

What? They won’t provide HO insurance of any type just because there are solar panels? I understand excluding them from a policy, maybe even excluding coverage for any damage to the property resulting from the panels (thinking roof damage or leaks around the mounting points). But no coverage at all seems crazy unless they’re just looking for excuses to not cover a specific property for another, more legitimate reason

[Storm the Field 5255]

We have a guy from Costco coming out to quote us on a Generac tomorrow. Fortunately have the backyard space necessary to install a decent size one and hook up to gas line. 

Never, ever, ever dealing with this again. 

[CHIEF 5044]

2 minutes ago, SquishMitten said:

What? They won’t provide HO insurance of any type just because there are solar panels? I understand excluding them from a policy, maybe even excluding coverage for any damage to the property resulting from the panels (thinking roof damage or leaks around the mounting points). But no coverage at all seems crazy unless they’re just looking for excuses to not cover a specific property for another, more legitimate reason

I am very pro-solar. We do not have natural gas in my subdivision. I have enough roof area facing south to run my whole house, and possibly run the meter backwards. I have had two real estate clients, and have a couple of friends that have them. They told me they are great until you have a storm tear everything up. Then, the insurance nightmare starts. One was out $14k to have the panels removed and reinstalled. The panels were still good but the remainder of his roof was trashed. This was from a hailstorm we had about 3 years ago.

CHIEF

[tx 3 putt 75478]

6 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

We have a guy from Costco coming out to quote us on a Generac tomorrow. Fortunately have the backyard space necessary to install a decent size one and hook up to gas line. 

Never, ever, ever dealing with this again. 

I would buy from the local generac store 

[tx 3 putt 75478]

13 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

 

Man, I live in a neighborhood where no shit about 80-100 massive, massive trees just took out roofs galore. And honestly, my old oak tree in the back stood strong but could have oblitered us...and any solar panels we had installed. It's hard not to look at that thing at this point as a time bomb. And believe me, I don't need 20kw generac. I'll be honesty, I'm questioning if I even need a 10kw generac. I'm starting to think I can run with 6kw. 

All of that being said, it's sort of why I'm leanings towards a generac that hooks straight up to my natural gas line. Natural gas raaaarely goes offline in Houston. I don't have to go hunt for a gas station taht's open, or have a stockpile of gas in my garage, etc. Shit's pricey, but I also hate being hot and uprooting everything in our lives X days a year, and these days it seems like we have some kind of shit event every damn year. Hurricane season this year will be a fucking beating. 

My brother in law took one, and we left one up at the property. 

natural gas powered back up is the way

imo

 

[texasdago 7407]

I know there's a cost difference but when we did whole home in Houston we went with Kohler over Generac.  If you can swing Kohler, look there first.  Talk to electricians and they will tell you they would pick Kohler for themselves.  Everything I've always heard is Kohler costs more on the front end but it more reliable, easier to maintain, better service, etc.   I loved our Kohler... loved it.  Would go that way 1000% again.

Edited May 21 by texasdago

[Dahobbs 17227]

26 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

 

Man, I live in a neighborhood where no shit about 80-100 massive, massive trees just took out roofs galore. And honestly, my old oak tree in the back stood strong but could have oblitered us...and any solar panels we had installed. It's hard not to look at that thing at this point as a time bomb. And believe me, I don't need 20kw generac. I'll be honesty, I'm questioning if I even need a 10kw generac. I'm starting to think I can run with 6kw. 

All of that being said, it's sort of why I'm leanings towards a generac that hooks straight up to my natural gas line. Natural gas raaaarely goes offline in Houston. I don't have to go hunt for a gas station taht's open, or have a stockpile of gas in my garage, etc. Shit's pricey, but I also hate being hot and uprooting everything in our lives X days a year, and these days it seems like we have some kind of shit event every damn year. Hurricane season this year will be a fucking beating. 

My brother in law took one, and we left one up at the property. 

Got it. I think we live in essentially the same neighborhood from your posts in this thread. That said, a massive tree that takes out your house enough to destroy a solar array means you likely have bigger problems than lack of power and could just as easily take out a generator. 

27 minutes ago, CHIEF said:

We have several homes in my subdivision with heavily damaged roofs and solar panels. Insurance companies are balking at paying to replace the solar panels. A couple of the homeowners have the panels insured through a third party insurer recommended by the solar installer. BUT, if your roof is damaged, the insurers will not pay for the labor to remove and reinstall the new panels. Many insurance companies are refusing to underwrite the homes with solar panels at all.

CHIEF

Solar panels are considered attached to the house and are generally covered by HO policies. There are sometimes exclusions for damage caused by wind or hail depending on where you live. There may also be issues getting damage covered if one didn't notify their insurer previously of the install. But I can't think of any reason that an insurer would refuse to cover a house entirely. I think that is misinformation and may even be against the law. Finally, if the roof is damaged enough to be replaced, I don't see how removing the panels is really any extra labor. Reinstalling, sure. 

Edited May 21 by Dahobbs

[SydneyCarton 47471]

Just now, Dahobbs said:

Got it. I think we live in essentially the same neighborhood from your posts in this thread. That said, a massive tree that takes out your house enough to destroy a solar array means you likely have bigger problems than lack of power and could just as easily take out a generator. 

Solar panels are considered attached to the house and are generally covered by HO policies. There are sometimes exclusions damage caused by wind or hail depending on where you live. There may also be issues getting damage covered if one didn't notify their insurer previously of the install. But I can't think of any reason that an insurer would refuse to cover a house entirely. I think that is misinformation and may even be against the law. Finally, if the roof is damaged enough to be replaced, I don't see how removing the panels is really any extra labor. Reinstalling, sure. 

Yeah, we're both in the same area. And oddly,  saw a ton of tree damage ON roofs, but after all the cleanup I haven't seen that much actual hardcore roof damage. Most folks roofs from driving around mostly held or had minor damage. But a tree over the panels, if not completely taking them out, at least is preventing recharging. On the other hand, sure something can take out a natural gas genny, but that's a hell of a smaller target, statistically. Also, solar as other's said can be damage by hail or high winds in general, which also isn't really a problem with a generator that fits under my roof easement and is smaller than an office desk. 

Just a difference of practicallity and opinion. 

[huge 3774]

1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

As stated the fuel efficiency of inverter generators can't be overlooked. In an extended and widespread emergency you do not want to spend your day looking for and waiting in line for gas.  Having 5 gallons at home can save you a lot of stress.  The industrial generator might burn though that in 12 hours but an inverter generator might last several days depending on your needs and assuming you can use the fuel efficiency feature.

This one looks like a good deal.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099KKP4PK/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B099KKP4PK&pd_rd_w=uqScq&content-id=amzn1.sym.d81b167d-1f9e-48b6-87d8-8aa5e473ea8c&pf_rd_p=d81b167d-1f9e-48b6-87d8-8aa5e473ea8c&pf_rd_r=QS3QGSB7J0E6311JZ1XC&pd_rd_wg=Y8Qva&pd_rd_r=16f69e13-fb72-48eb-8e99-6c2922a43459&s=lawn-garden&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM

My neighbor sent me a link to his Honda.  2200w for $1100

Any thoughts on other brands?

Edited May 21 by huge

[tx 3 putt 75478]

3 minutes ago, huge said:

This one looks like a good deal.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099KKP4PK/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B099KKP4PK&pd_rd_w=uqScq&content-id=amzn1.sym.d81b167d-1f9e-48b6-87d8-8aa5e473ea8c&pf_rd_p=d81b167d-1f9e-48b6-87d8-8aa5e473ea8c&pf_rd_r=QS3QGSB7J0E6311JZ1XC&pd_rd_wg=Y8Qva&pd_rd_r=16f69e13-fb72-48eb-8e99-6c2922a43459&s=lawn-garden&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM

My neighbor sent me a link to his Honda.  2200w for $1100

Any thoughts on other brands?

Honda has always been considered top of the line

id look at anything Costco stocks because you can always return 

Edited May 21 by tx 3 putt

[Dahobbs 17227]

2 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Yeah, we're both in the same area. And oddly,  saw a ton of tree damage ON roofs, but after all the cleanup I haven't seen that much actual hardcore roof damage. Most folks roofs from driving around mostly held or had minor damage. But a tree over the panels, if not completely taking them out, at least is preventing recharging. On the other hand, sure something can take out a natural gas genny, but that's a hell of a smaller target, statistically. Also, solar as other's said can be damage by hail or high winds in general, which also isn't really a problem with a generator that fits under my roof easement and is smaller than an office desk. 

Just a difference of practicallity and opinion. 

No worries. Just some more flavor, panels are really fucking strong in general. Even when the roof gets damaged, the panels themselves are actually fine and just need to be reinstalled. And while an entire system is a bigger target for something like a tree, a tree is unlikely to takeout a whole system. Assuming you have a good install, the rest of the panels should work fine (although older setups are string installed and can have whole system taken out by a single malfunctioning panel). As to hail, many panels are rated for up to 3 inch hail at 88 mph. Again, if you're experiencing more than that, you likely have more significant problems than some damaged solar arrays.  

[tx 3 putt 75478]

@UTPhil2006 works with a roofing guy. He already came and inspected my place 

Edited May 21 by tx 3 putt

[Grimas 652]

Here's an old post I put up after the freeze about connecting a portable generator to your fuse box to power the house.  I can use propane, gasoline or connect to the natural gas line by the dryer if needed.  (post 394)

 

Edited May 21 by Grimas

[tx 3 putt 75478]

6 minutes ago, Grimas said:

Here's an old post I put up after the freeze about connecting a portable generator to your fuse box to power the house.  I can use propane, gasoline or connect to the natural gas line by the dryer if needed.  (post 394)

 

hire a professional 

[tx 3 putt 75478]

19 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

@UTPhil2006 works with a roofing guy. He already came and inspected my place 

forgot to add, it was a huge relief for me. it sounded like Little Rock’s were hitting my house + the high winds. I thought for sure I had damage. Lot of shingles out on the street 

[jimmyjazz 45192]

2 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

Second an inverter generator. I purloined this one from my hoarder father in law after we had to move him out of his ranch. He was a massive hoarder, it was literally in a box unused...next to 1-2 other identical units also in boxes. I would say it saved our ass quite a bit over the weekend.
 

Once you got all of the load on, you could switch it to "Efficiency Mode" and it would run for about 6-7 hours on a little more than a gallon of gas. That sucker succesfully powered 2 fridges, our deep freezer, our wifi, and things didn't really get diecy until I tried to add a TV and portable fan to the mix. It was a champ.

Question about how you wire it up:  do you go to the breaker box or do you literally plug everything into the generator (perhaps via power strips, load dependent)?

There is no way I'll ever get to the power cords on our built-in appliances.

[SydneyCarton 47471]

2 hours ago, Grimas said:

Here's an old post I put up after the freeze about connecting a portable generator to your fuse box to power the house.  I can use propane, gasoline or connect to the natural gas line by the dryer if needed.  (post 394)

 

Fun fact, my BIL who worked in electrical in the Navy ended up showing me how to, as safely possible, wire his generator through our dryer plug to power our house. We got it set up on Saturday, and left to work at my father in law's property, only to come back to our power having been restored. Dangerous, but if you're careful, it worked great in a pinch. 

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Question about how you wire it up:  do you go to the breaker box or do you literally plug everything into the generator (perhaps via power strips, load dependent)?

There is no way I'll ever get to the power cords on our built-in appliances.

WEll, the little one we had I plugged directly into appliances, and yes it was with cords, splitters, and it is very load dependant becuase it was a small one. 

But if you get a bigger generator, you can do the dryer plug hack, or you can get a professional electrician to install a switch on your breaker box, and then you just power down from the grid and plug the genny into your breaker box. Then you can control which parts of your house get power by the breaker system. This works great for wheeled generators that you can just move by the breaker box from your garage and be up and have power in 5-10 minutes if you have your generator gas and oiled. 

Edited May 21 by SydneyCarton

[utee94 15722]

If you decide to wire a backup generator directly into your house's breaker panel please hire a professional and do not attempt to backfeed the system through the dryer outlet. There are many potential safety issues with the dryer hack. 

Do it right, do it once.

Edited May 21 by utee94

[royiv 9044]

We’ve  got a 24kw Kohler in our backyard. For those thinking about a standby generator, I highly suggest you look at Kohler over Generac. Much more reliable and they’re a little bit quieter than the Generacs. 

[Dahobbs 17227]

6 minutes ago, royiv said:

We’ve  got a 24kw Kohler in our backyard. For those thinking about a standby generator, I highly suggest you look at Kohler over Generac. Much more reliable and they’re a little bit quieter than the Generacs. 

How big of a house for the 24kw? That's a lot of power, just curious if you use anything close to that. 

[jimmyjazz 45192]

Regarding the small inverter generators -- our heat is propane (tank buried in the front yard), as Austin chose not to run natural gas to our street.  (Thanks, Austin.)

But, we lost all heat during the two recent freezes because the blower, dampers etc. couldn't run due to no electrical power.  I assume those are fairly small loads, though.  Anyone know if such a small generator could actually get such a system running?