Propane for a number of reasons.100% RE: PSE and trees and overhead power lines.
I'm down the road from you, and have had multiple outages, including up to 4 days in the middle of winter. PSE has a lot of overhead power lines in an area with lots of trees and that gets high winds fairly often. An outage is a near certainty in my mind.
We went with whole-house (actually whole-property) solution a few years ago and would absolutely do it again.
The process is going to vary depending upon what type of solution you want. That could be whole-house, partial load, only essentials, etc. along with automatic transfer, manual transfer, or hook up a portable. Costs will also vary accordingly. The better idea you have of what you want, the smoother the process, and the fewer opportunities for surprises.
I would get several bids from vendors that are certified to maintain the system you want. I couldn't stand the response from the closest approved vendor and ended up going with a more-distant vendor. That can potentially cost more.
BTW, the other issue with a well in the winter is keeping things from freezing. If you have a heat solution of any type, it is most likely electrical and potentially another concern during a longer outage in mid-winter.
We have an electric water heater and a oil furnace....but the thermostat to control the furnace doesn't work without electricity.
Stove is electric.
We do have a wood stove that could heat the house enough for survival purposes and even, in desperation, cook on.
The biggest safety issue we have is water. Without electricity, our well pump shuts off.
What fuel source did you pick?
I didn't want to trust PSE's ability to supply natural gas -- especially in an earthquake. Even if I did trust them, I would have needed to upgrade the supply line -- too many existing gas appliances between the house and ADU.
Diesel gens are more reliable long-term, but come with their own set of issues around the fuel. The fuel needs to be cleaned if you don't burn it fast enough. Spill containment is a must for the tank, but also to fill it -- double wall tanks are not sufficient. It doesn't burn cleanly. My wife hates the smell of both the fuel and the exhaust.
Statistics: Posted by GAAP — Fri Dec 20, 2024 12:57 pm — Replies 43 — Views 1798