He Suggests Saying No to Windmill System

Regarding your story “Generate Your Own Electricity” (“The Sensible Home,” April 21), six years ago I invested in an electrical generating system using a windmill and solar photovoltaic panels. My answer to those who wish to buy a windmill system is, don’t.

My wind generator, after nine months of service broke in half. Still in warranty, the manufacturer replaced most of the critical parts. But, after six months more in service, the tail boom broke off. From what I could determine, metal fatigue and a lack of bushings around critical moving parts caused the failures.

Aside from mechanical problems, I wouldn’t recommend a windmill generator in a residential area (on typical tract-sized lots) for the following reasons:

1) The guy wires supporting the tower eat a lot of yard space.

2) To work on the generator, the tower has to be pulled up and down with a vehicle, this again requires space.

3) The danger of hitting electrical lines with the tower.

4) Your neighbors may not like the noise it creates, and may consider it an eyesore.

GREG C. OLSON

Castaic