18 HRS. NO POWER

[Iggy]

I have a whole house Generac that runs on natural gas. It kicks in instantly if we have a loss of power.

Every Monday morning it kicks on and self diagnoses itself and shuts off in 10 minutes.

Have only had one power failure of any significance since we put it in but it was reassuring to hear it kick on without hardly a flicker of the lights.

 

[federali]

Generac

I'm fortunate in that here in Long Island NY, we rarely lose power except when someone takes out a utility pole at 3 AM and of course, Hurricane Sandy when we lost power for two weeks. I have a large Generac 220 volt generator and I also installed a mechanical interlock on the breaker panel. A dedicated circuit goes outdoors and the generator is plugged into it. The grid power and generator power are mutually exclusive and the mechanical interlock meets current codes.

My gas is stabilized and when it's time to recycle the gas, I put it in five gallon plastic containers, put it on the roof of the car and siphon it into the automobile gas tank. Trying to pour it in simply doesn't work thanks to the new and useless EPA approved fuel containers. My siphon begins with stiff but flexible copper tubing followed by plastic hose to insure that the siphon gets the gas all the way to the bottom of the container.

Incidentally, when introducing gas to a portable fuel container, always but the container on the ground to discourage a static electric buildup. Never keep the container anywhere inside the vehicle, including the cargo bed of pickup trucks. Use red containers intended for gasoline. The blue containers are for kerosene and I think the yellow ones are for water.

 

[NYlakesider]

NYLakesider;

I have a Gasoline storage regiment that I stick to ever since hurricane Sandy. I NEVER let my Automobile gas tanks go below 1/2 - my SUV holds 28 gallons and my wife's car 21).. I do store 25 Gallons in fireproof metal gas cans. I keep the portable Generac generator full (holds 10 gallons). I also have a Harley that I always keep full (6 gallons). Aside from the cars (and MC when in riding season) I treat all gasoline with Startron Enzyme which will keep gas fresh for over a year. Any gasoline that does not get used within a year gets dumped into the cars tanks and used. There is no waste and then the storage tanks get refilled with fresh gas & new Startron Enzyme. Between all my vehicles, portable generator and tanks I've got over 100 gallons of gasoline available in case of an emergency. Some what of a minor chore (only once a year) but the feeling that I can be self sustained for at least 10 days with no power is gratifying. In my area we don't loose power that often, but when we do it's usually for a long time at a clip. I also have 5 plastic 6 gallon gasoline cans that I normally keep empty but can and do fill at a moments notice when a huge storm or hurricane is on its way. If they don't get used they get dumped into the vehicles.

I could convert the portable generator to natural gas but since I use it for other reasons a few times a month and run it on regular gasoline I have not done so. When a generator is being run on Propane or NG you need a fuel conversion carb. kit and different temperature spark plugs that needs to be installed. Don't want the hassle of going back & forth.

I also use a Safety Siphon to transfer gasoline so I do not have to pick up heavy metal containers to do the gas transfers or while emptying tanks of the generator and other equipment tanks.

All this might seem like a big pain in the butt, but it's really not once you get into the regiment - and again, it's only once a year I need to swap out old for new gasoline. Startron Enzyme is your friend!

Oh, BTW another reason a portable generator is good (EVEN if one has a whole house NG Generac) is because during some natural disasters like hurricane Sandy, some blocks has their NG shut off by the utility Co. for fear of fire and explosions. If one relied solely on a NG generator they would have been SOL! Now admittedly they don't shut off NG service often but in the case of Sandy they did in some areas. Just saying..........

Good work chief you well on top of things!

I use the Startron most times as I am also a boater and if worse came to worse the boat has 35 gallons of treated gas I coud siphon. I also had a must do regimen but with less gas, always fill up vechicles at at 1/2 except during the winter I fill more often. I also do my saved gas changes through my truck and then refill and add chemical to my storage gas.

I still have my gas 5,000 portable as it makes a very nice redundant back up and I can take it to the beach or other places I or a friend/son needs power. Unlike you I run it dry. I also know a lot of the summer people up here and I have permission to "commandeer' their 100# propane tanks if necessary during the winter and of course get them refilled before they come backup.

Between us it looks like we are both pretty well able to handle MOST any power out situation that occurs.

Be well, Dave!

 

[chief38]

In 2004 we experienced 3 hurricanes here, with associated power outages. We borrowed a friends generator for the first one, and it didn't last 1 day. I took it to a repair shop, which had row after row of portable generators that needed work
As they did not sell generators, I asked them for advice on what to buy. Short of commercial grade, HONDA. Period.
Took the advice, and purchased a 5K Honda portable generator. It got me through the next two hurricanes, and everything since. I pull it out every few weeks, give it a pull or two, and off it goes.
Not cheap. But it's been absolutely reliable, and still running 13 years later.

Update: Pulled it out just now. Two pulls, ran like a champ. Put a load on it, didn't even hiccup.

Honda is known to be one of the( if not the best ) generators out there but expensive up the wazoo! Generac (the ones built in USA) are GREAT as well and right up there with Honda. NOT the Chinese "GP" Generac's which most people buy from Big Box stores) but the XG and XP Contractor and Industrial grade units.

The only point that no one can dispute is that the Honda's are the quietest watt for watt! Personally since I only run it for long periods of time during a black out it is not a major concern. I have a large patio with a roof and I built a 3 sided foam board structure with a slanted top that aims the sound away from the house. Since most people in my neighborhood are doing the same thing - no one complains since they are making noise too. I actually hear my neighbors machine more than mine.

So far I've got over 300 running hours on my Generac without a hic-cup! For an emergency piece of equipment that is only 6 years old that's a lot of running time! I love it!!

 

[federali]

Correction

I have been informed that the yellow containers are for diesel fuel, not water. Sorry.

Red: gasoline
Blue: kerosene
Yellow: Diesel

 

[chief38]

That ^^^^^^^^ is correct as I understand it!

 

[rwsmith]

I don't think....

...I own a 5500 watt generator...used it in outages several times and was happy with it...then the intake valve on the ten horse Briggs and Stratton started sticking open every time I shut it off...I've had the head off quite a few times now unsticking the valve with penetrating oil and a hammer...it runs for a while then sticks again...I remember when Briggs and Strattons were extremely reliable...not anymore I guess...

I don't think Briggs and Stratton haven't revised their original design enough to compete with a few dozen makes that are much more refined. One thing, though, is that they are simple to work on. But other engines seem to not need working on much.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

I also have the Honda and can't say enough good things about. Expensive - yes but the best always is. The house is wired to only run the essentials and it will do that for about 6 hours on one tank of gas. One word of caution - it is gas so must be operated outside.

 

[les.b]

..... disconnect your house from the grid before connecting a generator. We around here were used to Hurricanes, but nothing like Hugo, and several linemen were electrocuted. I'm sure you guys know this, but I'm putting it out there because it became new knowledge to us in a very bad way.

RW:

Glad you mentioned this very important step. Of course, for those folks who have the big Generac natural gas units, they are probably being installed by pros who handle all the gas plumbing and electrical installation, but for those using gasoline units, like myself, here at calm, for instance, this is extremely important!!

Here, my son, who is a telephone "line splicer" (so he's up on the same poles that the electrical linemen are on, and has a vested interest in safety) is installing the interface for my generator to feed into the electrical breaker box. Notice that the interface has its own breakers, four 110V, and one 220Volt. This is a limitation, considering that I have a 200 Amp service entrance, but we picked the most important circuits to run through the box, and it runs everything I need, refrigerator, TV, AC, lights, etc.

There is absolutely no way that we can energize the line running into the cabin!!! Believe me, with my son climbing poles for a living this is a primary concern for us. I also have many linemen friends, including the guy who put in the service right here at the cabin. We have a buried line through the woods for both the phone and electric. Ground mounted transformer.

We do not have to shut off the main breaker. The double pole, double throw switches are foolproof.



Once the covers are back on the breaker box, and the interface is closed up, there are no exposed connections of any kind. (Notice the rough sawn 2x4"s...cut from poplar trees that were cut down to provide space to build the cabin).

Here's all that you see on the outside of the cabin, a watertight covered plug to connect the cable from the generator to. In an outage, I can have the system up and running in a couple of minutes.



The generator is stored nearby, and secured. I only run the cable when I am running the generator, although it could be left in place permanently.

Safety for the electrical workers is really important, as you have said, they could easily be electrocuted when working on what they believe to be a dead circuit, which some homeowner has inadvertently energized.

Best Regards, Les

 

[bearfoot]

i have learned so much from the replys on this thread. didn't even know that some generators run on propane. thanks to everyone for their input and your time. now to get ready for the next winter season.

 

[S&W629]

As much as I would like a whole house generator...just not in my budget.
So I went with the Honda 2000, and I have been impressed. Set up outside, with a cover, two heavy duty cords, one to the gas fired furnace,the other to the fridge, split off to the tv/living room light. The specs stated the Honda would run up to eight hours, depending on the load. With the house heat cycling on off, keeping the house at 75, and the fridge running, the Honda ran for ELEVEN hours on the one gallon tank! Now with the extended fuel tank set up, I top it off once a day at noon, without need to shut off.

 

[JSR III]

We don't lose power here that often and when we do it is usually back on in an hour or so.

The cabin in Maine is a different story and although we have no electricity, my folks did buy a Sears gas powered generator to run power tools for projects and the once a year dead fly and spider gathering. We only get to use the cabin a few times a year so the critters tend to take over.

The Sears worked fine for many years but one year I was unable to pull the rope starter. Took off the head and found that so much carbon had built up that the piston could not cycle. Scraped off all of the gunk, put her back together and she ran fine for a few more years until the carb crapped out. The local chain saw store had a replacement for a mere $80.

A friend turned me on to inexpensive carbs on Fleabay that can be had for $5 or $10 so I now have 2 in stock just in case. They are pretty much universal and will work on many 2 bolt engines. Snowblowers, lawnmowers etc.

I also have a Harbor Freight water pump down by the pond to pump up water to the cabin for washing dishes and the one inside toilet. The first one lasted 2 years and then refused to start. Stabile in the gas hadn't helped so drove 50 miles to HF and purchased a new one.

Last year, because a buddy had one, I purchased a propane generator on Fleabay for like $300. I absolutely love it. Propane never goes bad. I used it to build the new tool/wood shed and even built a concrete pad under the rear of the shed for its eventual home. The noise will be directed away from the cabin and will eliminate having to drag the gas generator out of the cabin every time I need power.

The photos show the pad and footings and then the floor frame. The land slopes from right to left and also from front to back so the left rear corner was ideal for the generator pad.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

So I went with the Honda 2000, and I have been impressed. Set up outside, with a cover, two heavy duty cords, one to the gas fired furnace,the other to the fridge, split off to the tv/living room light. The specs stated the Honda would run up to eight hours, depending on the load. With the house heat cycling on off, keeping the house at 75, and the fridge running, the Honda ran for ELEVEN hours on the one gallon tank! Now with the extended fuel tank set up, I top it off once a day at noon, without need to shut off.

The EU2000 is a gas miser for sure. Eco-Throttle adjusts engine RPM to only generate the amount of power required by the appliance, then low idle when there's no load. If the OP is operating a modern efficient refrigerator it will be about a 1/4 running load on the EU2000. Honda rates 1/4 load runtime at 9.6hrs on one gallon. But of course the refrigerator isn't operating all the time so actual runtimes will be longer as you've experienced.

Typical homeowner usually doesn't have a lot of gasoline on hand, so operating the larger 5k+ units with heavier loads can be wishful thinking absent an adequate fuel supply. Not a good lesson to learn the hard way in the midst of an extended power outage.

 

[jimmyj]

Secure your outside generators during "Blackouts". Thefts of outside generators are common.

Example: a deputy was sleeping in his bedroom after a 16 hours shift. Had only a window A/C running off the outside generator. Woke up with the bedroom very warm. Heard the sound of the generator but the A/C was off ? Investigation revealed thieves had put his running lawn mower under the bedroom window and stole the generator.

 

[les.b]

Jimmy, that reminds me of what my son the telephone guy told me. During our last extended outage, power was out over most of the state, and for a couple of weeks. The phone company has all these remote stations, I can't remember what the name of them is, but they require electricity to operate, so the company owns lots of generators, which they set up wherever the power outages are, to keep the phone service going.

Well, you can probably guess what happened. They were getting calls that phone service was out, and they would go to the site, and the generators would be gone. I don't know how many they lost.

It's important to secure your generator, and the more expensive it is, the more desirable!!

Best Regards, Les

 

[DWalt]

Even though we have not in 25 years ever experienced a prolonged electrical outage, I keep an 800W gasoline generator on hand, but unfueled (tested every six months or so). I usually keep between 3 and 5 gallons of gas in a can for the lawnmower, then there is the gas in the car tanks I could syphon if necessary. I also have a 700W inverter I could attach to the car battery if needed. I have not needed either - yet. For lighting, I keep four cheap LED lanterns. They really do put out a lot of light. I have needed them a few times.

While I would like to have a 8 to 10 KW genset for emergencies, I'll take my chances about ever needing it.

 

[vt_shooter]

I would encourage you to scrap the gasoline or propane lanterns, and get a couple of LED lanterns. I have a couple of them that are powered by (4) D-batteries, the brightness is adjustable from dim to bright enough, and the run time on a set of batteries is a L-O-N-G time, as in days at the dimmer settings. They're safe, fast, and easy to operate. LEDs have come such a long way, they really are the best for power outages.

For a generator I have a 3,000 watt Honda EU-3000 generator (paid about $2K for it) that I can connect to the house circuits via a switch-over panel. I had an electrician install. Its powerful enough to run the boiler system, the fridge and the small freezer, and a lights. If I wanted to brew a cup of coffee or use the microwave oven, I'd take the furnace off line for the few minutes I'd have to time share the generator with the coffee maker of microwave. But I do have to set it up the generator each time by putting it outside, running a very heavy duty power cord to it that the electrician made. And if I don't keep the battery charged up the starter battery will die. It does have a pull cord starter also, but if it hadn't run in a while and the temp was cold, like teens or below, I have my doubts that I could get it started using the pull cord so I keep the battery charged.

 

[chief38]

The KEY to Generator longevity is (in my opinion) changing the oil and filter at the manufacturers recommendations and using a quality oil and filter. Personally I use Amsoil 100% Synthetic oil and Nano Tech filters in ALL my cars, MC, Snow Blower, Power Washer, and of course the Generator. I am not connected in any way, shape or form with their company but I have been a believer for 15 years now and I have NEVER had a hic-cup out of any engine Amsoil has been in.

I've notices that some of the less expensive generators that some of my neighbors own do not have oil filters - IMO that's not a good thing and would install an in-line oil filter if it were mine. At the VERY LEAST, I'd change the oil very often since there is no filtration going on.

The second thing is to always run fresh or stabilized gas (with an Enzyme based stabilizer). It also helps to clean or change the air filter once in a while. If you have an electric start by battery as mine does, charge the battery at intervals specified in your owners manual or else you will either be constantly replacing batteries or yanking the cord. If you have inflatable tires check the pressure in them once in a while too.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Did someone mention lantern?


Flashlight -



Empty vitamin bottle -



Lantern -



The mouth of the bottle is pretty close in size to the head of the flashlight. Just a bit of tape around the mouth made it a snug fit for use standing the flashlight upright, hanging or carrying. Diffusers can be purchased, but the homemade versions I like best.

 

[NYlakesider]

I would encourage you to scrap the gasoline or propane lanterns, and get a couple of LED lanterns. I have a couple of them that are powered by (4) D-batteries, the brightness is adjustable from dim to bright enough, and the run time on a set of batteries is a L-O-N-G time, as in days at the dimmer settings. They're safe, fast, and easy to operate. LEDs have come such a long way, they really are the best for power outages.

For a generator I have a 3,000 watt Honda EU-3000 generator (paid about $2K for it) that I can connect to the house circuits via a switch-over panel. I had an electrician install. Its powerful enough to run the boiler system, the fridge and the small freezer, and a lights. If I wanted to brew a cup of coffee or use the microwave oven, I'd take the furnace off line for the few minutes I'd have to time share the generator with the coffee maker of microwave. But I do have to set it up the generator each time by putting it outside, running a very heavy duty power cord to it that the electrician made. And if I don't keep the battery charged up the starter battery will die. It does have a pull cord starter also, but if it hadn't run in a while and the temp was cold, like teens or below, I have my doubts that I could get it started using the pull cord so I keep the battery charged.

My portable Generac came with a battery tender and so does the whole house one I have!.(Tender a small unit that only does about 1/2 volt charge when needed.) I'm very used to working with tenders as I also keep one on my stored boat battery, away for winter Vette and tractor. The Vette is in the downstairs garage and the tractor is parked outside next to the back garage!

. You can find Tenders at most auto supply places, they're not expensive and they basically guarantee it will start and quadruple battery life. I have been using them for over 20 years. A company called Schumacher makes a bunch of good different models. NOTE there is a big difference between a Tender and a Charger!

We have a lot of different flashlights around and as we used to do a lot of camping have a couple Coleman lanterns and stove out in the garage. All our stored gas, diesel, kero, boat is safely storred in the back garage which is about a 100' from the house.