Always run a generator outside — carbon monoxide fumes will kill you indoors. Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogicA land hurricane blew through the mid-Atlantic Friday night and left 1 million of us powerless — no lights, no air conditioning, no nothing.This isn’t the first time — or the 10th time — we’ve been without power in the 15 years we’ve owned a home in McLean, Va. Each time, I swear to buy a generator so we’re not caught with our watts down again, but after the lights return, the urgency passes. What kills me is that I urged my husband, Greg, to buy a generator last week when we were shopping at Home Depot, but he vetoed my idea. And, since the extended forecast seemed clear, it was a marital hill I chose not to die on.Not a week later, it’s 105 degrees, there’s a maple tree on the power line down the street, and the electric company won’t even guess when they’ll restore power. So, on Saturday morning at 8, we drove back to our local Home Depot and learned the last generator left the store at 7:45.Thus began the great generator hunt that finally located a machine on a Lowe’s shelf in Philadelphia, 2.5 hours away.

“Oh sure, we’ve got 8 generators, no problem,” said Ken Cooper, our new best friend. Over the phone we chose and paid for a Generac GP5500. Not because we thoroughly researched generators and knew what we were doing. But because that was the biggest we could afford, and at the moment bigger seemed better.By the time we sprinted into the store a little after 9 p.m., only two generators were left on the shelf. Vapor Steam Cleaner For Bed BugsAnd the one they put away for us was lacking wheels, a manual, and nuts and bolts for the handle. Scottish Fold Kittens For Sale UsaKen found us some wheels from an old generator, printed out the manual, and took $60 off the price for the inconvenience, which brought the machine down to about $590. Chair Cover Rentals Rapid City Sd

We also bought 15 feet of copper wire to ground the generator to prevent electrocution, and a 5-gallon gas can because the generator tank holds 7 gallons of gas.You should know, I’m pull-cord phobic. I’ve never met a gas-powered chainsaw or tiller that started the first or 15th time I pulled their recoil starters. My biggest fear was that we’d get our new generator home and not be able to start it.It turned out, the thing started with one half-hearted pull. But filling the tank with that freaking gas can was nearly impossible. The safety spout was inscrutable: No matter how we locked or unlocked it, gas spilled from the mouth and never made it out the spout. I ended up holding a funnel while Greg poured gasoline into the generator, fumes pounding our noses.By 3 a.m., we had a working generator chugging away in our driveway. The only problem was: How to work it?Watts and costsGenerators are named for their wattage output, the amount of power they can generate at one time. We had 5,500 watts to play with.

We hooked up our freezer (700 watts) and fridge (700 watts), because saving our food was a priority. And we lent our neighbors 1,000 watts — because that’s just the kind of people we are. We also needed their forbearance because portable generators make a lot of noise.That left us 3,100 watts to:Charge the computer (500)Run a two-bulb lamp (100 watts/bulb)Toast some bread for breakfast (1,650 watts)Run a portable air conditioner (750 watts) that cools us only when we’re sitting directly in front of it.Whenever we want to plug anything else in, we do the math to make sure we’re not overloading and shutting down the generator. For instance, I unplug the toaster when I make a latte with my espresso machine, which uses a whopping 1,260 watts. (After the fact, I found a handy one-sheeter for determing how much portable power you need.)Every 8 hours, we gas it up with another 5 gallons; power is us costing about $50/day. (Our neighbor chips in for gasoline, too). But without the generator, we would have lost at least $300 worth of food, so I figure the thing will pay for itself in another disaster or two.

Lessons learnedSince our generator has been chugging away for three days, I’ve become a portable power expert. Here’s what I’ve learned.Never use a generator indoors, where carbon monoxide fumes can kill you in minutes.Don’t place a generator in an attached garage, even with the door open: Fumes can still leak into the house.Keep windows closed on the side of the house where you locate the generator.Let the generator cool off before refueling. Never refuel when it’s running.Offer power to neighbors, who’ll then be less likely to complain about the noise.Bite the bullet and buy a generator before you need one ($250 for 2,000 watts to $1,000 for 10,000 watts). Be the ant, not the grasshopper driving to Philly in the dead of night.Are you a take-your-changes type or will you buy a generator for peace of mind?Sticking outside in all their boxy metallic ugliness, dripping onto passers-by, and blocking light and views indoors, window mounted air conditioners are as ubiquitous a feature of NYC apartment life as fire escapes and water towers.  

(For more info, check out BrickUnderground's guide to all things window a/c).PTACs are usually installed when a building is constructed and hooked up to a building’s hot-water system.  Hot water produced by the boiler flows into the PTAC, and circulates the resulting heat into the apartment.  The PTAC has a separate chamber containing coolant that produces cool air.  They are vented to the outside through a cutout below the window typically covered with a metal grill, similar to a through-wall a/c, says Gary Cottam of Cottam Heating & Air Conditioning. 2. Choosing the right through-wall unitFriedrich, LG, GE, Amana, and Frigidaire are the most popular brands.  There are standard calculations  to determine the number of BTUs you need--room size, ceiling height, amount of sunlight, number of occupants, and proximity to the kitchen.And don’t forget to jot down the voltage and amperage of the electrical plug, along with the capacity of the outlet the a/c will use.  If you’re buying a unit that requires more electrical power than your existing outlet can handle, you’re going to need an electrician to upgrade your wiring. 

And that will require lots of permits along with permission from your landlord, or co-op or condo board.3. Installing a through-wall a/c where none has gone beforeAlthough cutting an opening through the masonry of an exterior wall is physically a relatively simple undertaking that costs around $2,000, like most things connected with New York City real estate you’ll have to get the requisite building and construction permits, permission from your landlord, co-op, or condo board, and maybe even an architect,  says Ranjit Singh, president of Cool Air Inc.Arline Kob, a principal at Key Real Estate Associates, which manages co-ops in New York, says that she’s “never known a co-op board to allow the installation of a through-the-wall unit where none exists.”  The board would be concerned about façade uniformity and breaking the seal of the building’s exterior. If your board is through-wall-friendly, you will be expected to install an exterior grille that matches existing ones and lines up to them, says property manager Michael Wolfe of Midboro Management.  

The grilles will also need to be flush with the building's facade and the building's architect or engineer will need to review the proposed installation.In addition, says Kob, "the resident and future buyers, not the co-op, would be responsible for maintaining the newly installed sleeve and the wall into which it was cut.  That includes damage to surrounding apartments that may result.”If you live in a landmarked building or district you’ll have to get the go ahead from the Landmarks Preservation Commission too.  Good luck with that, especially if the altered wall will be visible from the street.  “Landmarks would never allow it,” says Kob.Because a PTAC is hooked up to the building’s water, the units need to be rigorously maintained to get rid of clogs that can cause leaks. These can go unnoticed for long periods of time, causing floors and walls to buckle and often damaging apartments below the one in which it’s housed. Damage from PTAC units is, in fact, among the most common apartment insurance claims in New York City, says Jeff Schneider of Gotham Brokerage, with an average claim size of $5,000.In addition, PTAC units are prone to the musty, mildew-y odor known as 'dirty sock syndrome', which is generally thought to be caused by bacteria and mold accumulating on heat pumps.