Generate Power

 

By Stephen Milldrum

January 2026

During the recent power outage throughout Lincoln City, and the much longer outage in my area of Nelscott caused by a large voltage spike (see article above), I gave my backup power setup its most prolonged usage to date, and it went perfectly.

When planning the setup, the goal was not “life as usual” but rather to keep the necessities (and comfort) operating normally. My definition of necessities in this case is lights, internet, TV, refrigerator, tankless gas water heater, controls for the fireplace and distribution fan, gas kitchen range controls, recharging for computers and phones. By powering these items only, our power needs drop to around 250-350 watts. Items I consider non-essential during an outage include the dishwasher, washer and dryer, electric wall heaters, water pressure pump and microwave.

In previous years, I have relied on my gas generator connected to a permanently mounted generator input plug that I installed on my house. This plug remains the connection point for any backup power. A couple of months ago, I made an important addition: a medium-sized, battery-powered power station (often called a “solar generator”). If you are unfamiliar with these devices, they consist of a battery pack with a built-in inverter that converts the battery’s low DC voltage to standard 120-volt AC power for household use. They typically include charging options for both grid/generator power and solar panels.

The power station that I chose has a capacity of 3000 watt-hours, meaning it can supply 3000 watts for one hour (or proportionally less power for longer periods). For example, at 350 watts of usage, the math is straightforward: 3000 ÷ 350 ≈ 8.5. Thus, the power station can run my essentials for about 8.5 hours on a full charge. During the recent outage, because our actual draw was often below 350 watts, I achieved closer to 12 hours before recharging was needed.

Two major advantages of a battery power station are that it operates silently and stays indoors (in my garage), protecting it and me from the weather and without any exhaust fumes.

After approximately 12 hours, I switch to my gas generator (kept outside) for about two hours to fully recharge the power station. During those two hours, the generator has plenty of excess capacity to power all necessities and even extras like the microwave or water pump, simultaneously. Once the power station is recharged, I shut off the generator for another 12 hours, greatly reducing fuel use, noise, and maintenance.

The total cost is reasonable. Power stations come in various sizes and brands. I selected a “Pecron F3000LFP”, currently priced around $850 on Amazon. While not the most widely known brand, it offers excellent value at roughly half the cost of most major competitors.

My gas generator is a Predator 3500 from Harbor Freight, currently listed around $800 (with coupons often available). Its capacity is actually more than needed for my current approach; a smaller Predator 2200 (around $630) would also suffice.

You will need to decide how you would want to connect backup power to your home, such as installing a permanent generator inlet plug (as I did) or using quality extension cords. Begin by listing the simple necessities you would like to maintain during an outage. This list will guide your equipment choices effectively.

This setup has proven reliable and practical during our recent prolonged power outage. Advance preparation truly makes a difference. We even ran our outdoor Christmas lights during the outage!