Diesel brought next idea :
> I haven't been able to post due to a power outage.  It goes out 
> after almost every good storm, but, what was unexpected was that the 
> generator didn't kick in.  I had to manually flip the power switch a 
> few times, from auto to manual to off and back (even though it was 
> on auto all the time and the battery was charged as evidenced by a 
> 3.8VDC check on the side panel) and there is plenty of propane in 
> the tank.  I flipped the breaker a few times.  I pulled the fuse and
> it looked good. 


The power went out here yesterday so it was work on the lawn and 
weeding day yesterday. It was out from 8am to 5pm, so I was worried 
about the freezers and all the frozen food thawing out. The ice-cream 
got soft, but that was about it so no loss of food.

Edison has a hiccup at the plant so there were a few hundred thousand 
people without power as well as several businesses that didn't have 
their own backup generators.
>
> Everything looked ok electrically, and, after a few flips of the 
> switch, it turned on.  Recently on its weekly charging cycle, it had 
> been turning off and on after only a few seconds, so, that's 
> probably related.  I'm guessing that the propane generator wasn't up
> to speed at first, for whatever reason, and that the voltage wasn't 
> as high as it needed to keep the solenoids down, so, they were 
> clicking?  I never heard that clicking before, and, the lights were 
> running as soon as the generator kicked in. 
>
> While I might not have continuous power, it doesn't always mean 
> other circuits in the neighborhood are all dead.  Some might still 
> have better battery backup, and/or their own reliable generator to 
> keep them going.  Having some electrical knowledge lets me
> reconfigure mine for my immediate needs.  Backsoon.

Life goes on. :D
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