Ok need some QUICK EMERGENCY HELP!

[WaterGardener]

Thanks for that info.

 

[addy1]

If this one ever dies, it will be replaced with another induction stove. Our boat has a electric burner stove. I am always surprised, again, at how slow it heats up, compared to the induction. You get spoiled.

 

[poconojoe]

This is great info on induction stoves.

My daughter was in the market for a new electric stove/oven and she opted for a standard glass top electric. That was a mistake. It's a real pain to keep clean. If anything spills, it gets burnt on and nothing but a straight razor blade will remove it. Even with the razor blade there are some spots that won't go away.

She chose the standard electric glass top because she was unsure if her pots and pans would work with induction.
She uses mostly cast iron, so with the info here I'm guessing those pots and pans would have been fine.

Addy, is this just a stovetop or is it also an oven? I guess if there's an oven it's just the standard electric oven.

I guess my Revereware stainless steel copper bottom pots and pans won't work on induction. A magnet doesn't stick to stainless steel.

 

[GBBUDD]

I was brought up with the rule never have all your eggs in one basket. If you have gas cooking I'd keep it short of torandos and earth quakes it's a heck of a lot more reliable than is electric.

 

[poconojoe]

I was brought up with the rule never have all your eggs in one basket. If you have gas cooking I'd keep it short of torandos and earth quakes it's a heck of a lot more reliable than is electric.

Yes, good point.

When we moved from the NYC metro area to PA, we were accustomed to natural gas appliances.

This area has no natural gas pipelines. We have a 100 gallon propane tank which supplies our gas range, gas cloths dryer, gas fireplace and our outside gas barbeque grill.
We only have to fill that tank once a year, so it lasts pretty long.

We used to get a lot of power outages and with the propane we still had the stove, barbecue and fireplace. You have to light the stove with a match, but it works.

I do have a portable gasoline generator, but haven't needed it for years.
Now I just jinxed myself!

Our heat is oil fired hot water baseboard. With the portable generator we can run the heat since it doesn't draw much electricity.
Many homes in our area have electric heat. It's actually the most common method here. If you lose power you're screwed if it's winter unless you have a decent sized generator.

Many homes here have their "eggs in one basket", as you say. They are literally all electric. Unless they have a wood burning fireplace there's no heat if the power goes down.

Oh, and weather is not the only cause of a power outage. We've lost power quite a few times due to someone hitting a pole on a nearby main road. Our service is underground, but on the main road it's overhead.

 

[combatwombat]

I do have a portable gasoline generator, but haven't needed it for years.

How often do you fire it up to check for functionality? I've heard portable generators are quite finicky and need to be run/tested regularly in order to be relied on when you actually need them. We're all electric here too, and I've thought about buying one for backup. But I can't stand the thought of yet-another-thing I have to babysit around here.

 

[poconojoe]

How often do you fire it up to check for functionality? I've heard portable generators are quite finicky and need to be run/tested regularly in order to be relied on when you actually need them. We're all electric here too, and I've thought about buying one for backup. But I can't stand the thought of yet-another-thing I have to babysit around here.

I test the portable generator a couple of times a year. I keep it in my garage. It's a Craftsman, it's small, only 3600 and its pull start. Amazingly, It always starts on the first pull. It has a few 120 volt outlets and one two pole, 4 wire 30 amp outlet.

I have a 6 circuit manual transfer switch permanently installed next to my circuit breaker panel in the basement. The transfer switch came with a weatherproof box that houses a 2 pole, 4 wire 30 amp outlet.

If the power goes down, I roll the generator to the side of the house. I have an SJ cord that connects it to the house. I start it up and go down to the basement and flip the 6 switches to the generator position. I have 6 essential circuits running through the transfer switch. Oil burner, fridge, lights, etc.
Its primitive and requires me to do it manually, but it was inexpensive and does what I need to and safely. No extension cords, etc.

 

[j.w]

We bought this one several years ago I believe at Costco. Never has failed us yet. Starts right up every time. Electric start. Just sits in the corner by the garage door and whenever the power goes we just roll it outside and on it goes. Runs everything. We have a woodstove so don't use it for the furnace. Don't use it for the oven, washer or dryer tho as takes to much gasoline. Runs 2 fridges, 1 freezer, the pond and stove top etc. We have power outages every year here but not for too long anymore. Used to be out for a week or more many years ago.

 

[GBBUDD]

But I can't stand the thought of yet-another-thing I have to babysit around here.

put in a battery backup with solar or a Generac BUT RENT THEM ANY ISSUE AND YOU JUST MAKE A PHONE CALL

 

[poconojoe]

put in a battery backup with solar or a Generac BUT RENT THEM ANY ISSUE AND YOU JUST MAKE A PHONE CALL

I wonder how good those are? I've seen the ad on TV.
I guess the position of your home might matter for the solar panels to fully function. My roofs are not exactly facing in the ideal direction.

If you want hassle free and no input, get one of those solar backups or a standby whole house generator.

For us, we don't get as many power outages as we used to, so it doesn't pay to invest thousands.
If I ever get to the point where I'm physically incapable of rolling a portable generator around, then maybe I'll splurge for a standby.

Generac is a big name. My mother-in-law has one but it's had its problems.
The main board died, but luckily it was still under warranty at the time. Then it stopped charging the battery. Now it's hard to find anyone in our area that services them, so it's up to me to maintain the darn thing.
If I decide to get one, I think I will be looking at different brands or go with Generac and buy the extended warranty. But I'll still need someone nearby that will service it.

 

[combatwombat]

put in a battery backup with solar or a Generac BUT RENT THEM ANY ISSUE AND YOU JUST MAKE A PHONE CALL

Would love to do batteries, but they're just way too expensive and our grid is ridiculously stable. The total time we've been offline in the 7 years we've been here is probably under 5 hrs. We also have a fireplace for heat, so backup would really just be for the pond and to make sure I can come harass you on GPF when the rest of the neighborhood is dark.

Would love a Generac, but no gas supply to the house, so would have to do a propane tank and... well... I'm running out of space around here!

 

[addy1]

Addy, is this just a stovetop or is it also an oven? I guess if there's an oven it's just the standard electric oven.

I actually thought about the oven, as far as I know it is standard electric, convection etc. Very accurate!
Mine is a oven and top.

 

[addy1]

We have a new whole house generac, hauled from AZ when I moved, never hooked up, and multiple smaller generators, never used or hooked up. We do have heat, propane. So if power goes out we will be warm.

 

[addy1]

She uses mostly cast iron, so with the info here I'm guessing those pots and pans would have been fine.

They would work perfectly.

I guess my Revereware stainless steel copper bottom pots and pans won't work on induction. A magnet doesn't stick to stainless steel.

you are right it would not work with them.

 

[combatwombat]

@poconojoe: did you actually put a magnet to the bottom of the cookware? We have stainless cookware, too, but the bottom is thick and has some sort of ferrous core, so they work great on our induction too.