quote:

Originally posted by BigWhup:
I wouldn't think the location of the electric meter would be a concern, but ask your installer.

You will need a transfer switch located near your breaker panel box to get the auto switching and startup of generator when the power goes out. Makes me smile every time the power goes out and that sucker cranks up in about 15 seconds.

I believe it is also important to buy from someone that installs and services it after installation. Oil, plugs, filter, battery check, replace etc.

I have done all that myself for about 6 years, but have just hired someone to do it on an annual basis because, well, I am getting old and don't want to screw with it anymore. Plus if there is an issue needing repair, they know what they are doing.

+100% on service after the sale being of utmost importance.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:


The one thing to consider, is that many portables make significant wattage, without making significant amperage. For example, mine makes 7500 watts, but only 30 amps.

I had to read that several times ... 7500 Watts divided by 120 Volts equals 62.5 Amps . If you're only getting 30 amps you have other issues . Are you talking about 240 Volts possibly ? If so , you're down to 31 Amps which is correct for it's rating .

Having a whole house generator delivers peace of mind at a substantial cost. Instead you could have a long vacation to remember or some nice firearms. Comfort is important to most Americans.
A friend of mine was raised in the country. Hurricane Katrina left him without power for two months in the late August heat. All the stores were closed and most had to depend upon soup kitchens and MREs. He had cattle which he butchered, dairy cattle and a garden that survived. He did very well.

Thanks everyone, you’ve given me some ideas to consider, and that’s what I was after. It occurs to me that we would have to decide just what we can afford too. I guess what I was really after is some numbers from those who have installed whole-house backup generators. I believe I can choose just how many circuits, in addition to the well, that we want to power. We’re fortunate not to live in a hot/humid climate, so AC is not an issue. If I could power the kitchen, furnace, and the freezer downstairs, along with the outlets in a couple rooms, we could get by for a long time. As has been demonstrated time after time, the ability to draw on the group experience of the members here is invaluable. Thanks, para for providing a forum that offers so much more than firearms talk.
T

I have begun looking at backup power systems and there are some new options coming out that make power distribution and management more flexible and easily managed. The old sub panel thing works but you are pretty much stuck with what you select and situations can vary (winter/summer, hours v days etc). If you have some money (and they can get pretty expensive) there are smart panels (SPAN seems interesting), smart breakers for existing panels, and Generac now has some Power Management Modules which allow you to prioritize circuits but also change the priorities fairly easily.
The technology is changing quickly and new options are becoming available and more cost effective.

I finally done did it.

My wife noticed an article in our local electric cooperative magazine. They were promoting GenerLink which the coop installs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C5XaEGk9Nw

The device installs under your electric meter. It will automatically disconnect the house from the main electric line when the generator cord is operating and plugged in. The coop charges $15 a month for 5 years, plus a $75 installation fee. Then you use your main electric panel.

We have an old generator that will work too, but we ordered a new Champion generator from Tactor Supply.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/...tm_content=Top%20200

We have old air conditioning units, so this generator may not be adequate for A/C use. But we need water, heat and refrigeration and this unit should be adequate for that. The GenerLink unit is limited to 10,000 watts.

We picked up the generator two days before Ian arrived, so I haven't been able to test the house operations, it is still raining. We went with the gasoline version because we have no propane access. We have boats on trailers that hold over 150 gallons of stabilized ethanol free gasoline, besides the several 5 gallon cans for the lawn mowers.

This was a huge savings over an automatic standby generator.

A) I’d switch as many of your vital appliances to NG, if possible.

An instant on gas hot water heater, gas furnace, and gas stove, would require very little power.

If a winter storm takes out your power, a cooler outside should work.

Put those, and the pumps on a circuit - I’m assuming you have a house pump and a well pump.

How do you heat your pump house?

Size adds cost, pretty rapidly, until you get big - not much difference between 60KW and 125KW, except in operating cost

Do you have a wood/coal stove? (The benefit of coal, is you can keep a lot of BTUs around, pretty well indefinitely.)

We had wood stoves, and a spring set up on the ranch in MT - long long ago - but extended times without power were pretty much a given.

Hell, we also had a team of Clydesdales and a sled, because it was the most reliable form of winter transport.

Someone mentioned that a NatGas whole house generator (Generac 24 kW) can easily run propane without any mods/programming other than just switching the supply line. True?

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
Someone mentioned that a NatGas whole house generator (Generac 24 kW) can easily run propane without any mods/programming other than just switching the supply line. True?

Different regulators and possibly different piping sizes. There's a setting for both options. You do not need to buy NG/LP specific units. You do lose a little power with NG as fuel.

When we had our house built 23 years ago, we had a transfer switch installed and emergency circuits set up for furnace, well, refrigerator, freezer and a string of lights on each floor. Those items will run on an 8000W portable gasoline generator. It won't start up automatically, but I am willing to take that chance for the rare occasion it might be needed. BTW: It's NEVER been needed in 23 years. I start the generator monthly to make sure it's in working order and have tested the operation plugged into the house a couple of times, just for fun. If you want to run an entire house including ranges and AC, you need a much bigger system.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:

...If you don't want to spend as much as necessary for the build in, whole house, automatically activated generator, you can have the transfer switch / subpanel installed, where the is a plug on the outside of the house for a portable generator. Then you'd buy a generator, and if necessary, wheel it out, plug it in and turn it on. Obviously this is NOT as convenient of a system, but it's much cheaper.

This is what I did, the plug is at the back porch with the transfer switch panel inside beside the main panel. For emergency use I wheel my generator (I forget the size but it's certainly not big enough to run my small house, or even the heat pump) to the porch and plug it in. I can run lights, fridge, microwave, and well pump or water heater (not both together). I can heat with a wood stove. Power here doesn't go out for more than hours, or a day, that often and for days only a few times, so this works fine for me.

I run my well pump with my PTO generator off my Kubota.
It runs the house just fine sans the stove and dryer.
When the well kicks on the tractor will labor a few seconds.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
Someone mentioned that a NatGas whole house generator (Generac 24 kW) can easily run propane without any mods/programming other than just switching the supply line. True?

We have two of those running on natural gas at our house and my dad’s house in MI. They we $12,000 each installed. For the generator itself, I believe there’s a lever you flip to run propane or natural gas. It opens/closes the appropriate sized orifice in the carburetor for the gas you are using. The 24kW is only 22kW on NG.

Right now in Florida, I’m running a portable 5800watt/8800watt starting Briggs and Stratton. It’s plugged into an outlet I had installed on the outside of multiple house that’s connected to a 50amp break at the top of my electrical panel. In order to turn that breaker on, I have to turn off the main breaker in the panel which allows my to slide a metal plate up and then I can turn on the breaker for the generator. The metal plate only allows either the main breaker or the generator breaker to be on thus preventing back feeding the power company lines.

I actually bought two of these generators on clearance from Home Depot for $200 each 18 years ago after Hurricane Charley. I’m not sure what maintenance people are talking about with the portables, but I started one on them when I first bought it and ran it dry. I changed the oil last week before starting it again last week, filled the fuel tank, and it started on the fifth pull.

My neighbor’s generator quite working today, so I offered him my other one. It had never been started in the 18 years I’ve owned it. The oil looked good, but I changed it anyway. It started on the third pull.

One of these will run my variable speed pool pump, the TV, toaster, and a burner on the stove. I can run the water heater or clothes dryer if I turn everything else off. Running the pool pump, some lights, the TV and a couple ceiling fans, it runs 12 hours on 7 gallons of gas.

We have well water and a pumped septic system.

So... we have a generator.

Recommendations:

Auto switch so you don't need to get up in the dark of night and if you are out of town, all is good.

Whole house so you don't have to worry about overload.

1800 rpm so you hear a low rumble rather than a high pitched scream that attracts zombies.

Water cooled so generator engine won't over-heat. Air cooled burn out under continuous usage.

Natural gas so you don't run out of fuel and is cheaper to run.

Have it run weekly checks and get annual service so it works when you need it.

For water, can you get a water storage tank and keep it in a place that won’t freeze it?

Your well pump could fill it when power is on.

Even Home Depot is selling water tanks. They’re not too expensive.

A few hundred gallons is not a big tank, physical size wise, and are pretty cheap.

Best wishes to you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OKCGene,

A generator is designed to provide back up power when the electricity goes out. A whole house generator burns more propane, costs more and has more sensitive electronics that can break.
A 10kW generator will power a well pump, freezer, refrigerator, air handler fan and easily handle a couple rooms with LED bulbs.
Place the generator closer to the propane source. Run electric line to transfer switch that powers a small circuit panel with the circuits you want on the generator.
You want a reliable generator to power the essentials.
Generators have been in high demand. Sometimes backordered 6 months.
Link to generator retailer..https://www.norwall.com/
I would recommend a Kohler 10-12 kW for your needs.

Well, I'll tell you my experience and hope it helps. My work as a plumber depends on gas for my van. 12 years ago I made the best investment I ever made.
The local car wash had 30 & 50 gallon soap containers that were empty and free. I took them home washed them out thoroughly, then rinsed them with isopropyl alcohol and dried them open in the sun.
Fast forward to now, I'm filling my work van for $1.89 a gallon and patting myself on the back, the kerosene will wait for heat, in much worse times. I give the credit for a good gas and kerosene supply to Pri-G and Pri-D, 12 years later.
I actually think that I am getting much better gas mileage with the old gas. I keep it stored in 4 different places, so I don't have to worry about losing it all. Filling with a small battery powered transfer pump is a breeze!
I actually planned on it for generators, but at 65, I like saving the money and wonder how much longer this worn out body wants to fight on. Nobody knows what the future will bring?

Edit to add: There is not a mechanical pump that I know of that will pump much more than 28' at sea level, only submersibles.

When my mom lived in Oregon, she had a well. A storm knocked out power to her house for a week, after which she decided to get a generac generator to power the whole house in the event of another outage. The generator was propane powered, with a 250 gallon above ground tank. It certainly paid off when her power went out again for four days. In those four days, she used half the tank of propane, while running everything normally in the house.
Now, if I were in your situation, I’d be looking into solar with Tesla power wall(s) as backup. I like that setup because your solar charges the batteries, and you’re not reliant on a propane tank, or gas delivery from the power company.