Why Buy A Generator? You Have One Parked In Your Driveway (And It Runs Your Furnace All Night)

When the power goes out in a winter storm, your gas furnace quits too, even with a full gas line. A generator runs about a thousand dollars, if you can even find one the week a storm hits. But the car or truck in your driveway makes electricity every time it runs. With the right box on the battery, about a hundred and fifty dollars, it can run your furnace through the night. I'll show you the five things that matter, including the one mistake you only get to make once. In this video: 0:00 The second night without power 1:15 The day my truck clicked at me 2:15 #1: The plug inside your car won't do it 3:39 #2: The right box: 1000 watts, pure sine wave 5:39 #3: The engine has to be running 7:08 #4: Gas, cold, and the long night 8:05 #5: The mistake you only make once 10:00 What's yours to do, and what's not 10:42 The whole list for your Saturday 11:23 Next time: your water heater Safety: Never run a car in a garage attached to your house, not even with the door open. Park it outside with the tailpipe pointed away from every door and window, and keep snow cleared from the tailpipe. Don't sleep in a running car. Keep a working carbon monoxide alarm on every floor; if it goes off, or everyone gets a headache or feels sick at once, get everyone out and call from outside. Keep the battery clamps from ever touching each other; the power coming out of the inverter can hurt you just like a wall outlet. I'm not an electrician or a mechanic; I'm a homeowner sharing what works at my own house.