After watching my basement begin to fill up with water again in a power loss, I finally bought a portable 5.5KW Troy-bilt generator and a six circuit transfer switch at Lowes. Total cost about $1,000 plus an hour or so to install the switch - directions were excellent. The switch also came with an instructional DVD but, of course, you need power to watch it.
I am able to run the sump pump, furnace, refrigerator, well pump and the kitchen lights and outlets. The outlets allow us to run a toaster oven or a small microwave oven that previously was used in dorm rooms when our kids were in college. I can also run extension cords to adjoining rooms to power the TV and DVD player as well as lights in the bedroom.
After 2 days into that power loss, my wife said it was the best $1,000 I ever spent.
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