Home Generators, Choices, Pros & Cons, Needed?

[mstem]

I'm 67 & wife is 65. We just went through an ice storm Saturday & power was out a couple of days. I have a generator that kept 2 fridges & freezer going but had to feed them gas day & night. We got lucky. A friend 35 miles from us was out 6 days. And we are going to have another ice storm that is going to be worse than the last storm. So as soon as this mess is over I'm calling about a Generac whole house generator. If it weren't for our soon to be ex-son in law we would have frozen. We stayed with him & our grand daughter in his camper & going to do the same this time if power goes out.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

This is a very informative post. Thanks to all who have contributed!

Now I have more to worry about, but some reality-based guidance to help.

 

[Muley Gil]

When I bought my old (1850-1870) farm house back in 2006, I found out there were three outlets that went to a plug out in the detached garage. My dad gave me an old 2 cycle generator that was 1/2 new, half 1950s military. However, it would only run for two hours before needing gas.

In 2010, I bought a 5000w Champion generator from Tractor Supply. I moved one of the outlets from the enclosed back porch to the kitchen. When the power goes out, I go out to the garage, fill the tank (5 gallons), pull the rope and plug in the wire going to the house. I have a kerosene Monitor heater in the living room that heats the whole house, about 900 sf. I pull in the ice box, move the coffee maker from the counter to the top of the washing machine, which is next to the ice box. The third out is in the cellar and used to power the furnace, which I don't use. Then I run a series of power strips and extension cords, which when I get done, gives me some lamps, TV and the computer. Battery lanterns, flashlights and a couple of kerosene lamps complete my "emergency power plan."

Is all of that a pain? Sure it is, but it beats the $9K that a whole house Generac would cost. The only thing I do need to do is to install a transfer switch so that I can run the well pump.

AND, I have more money to spend on guns!

 

[twodog max]

We built our house in 2013. I got several estimates from whole house generator outfits and used none. Their prices were ridiculous 10,000K and up and did not make the connection to my propane tank. II would have to hire a plumber for that, propane company requirement, or would they build or provide the pad for the generator to set on. They all also wanted to sell a much bigger generator than required for a house my size according to internet sizing charts and friends that have whole house systems. My conclusions were that all local dealers drink coffee together and decide what to sell and the price. As I have an aversion to having my head ripped off I passed on those steals.
Six months after moving in we had a snow ice storm and lost power 4-5 days. I had to borrow a generator and run freezers and refrigerator. A couple years later a tornado passed close by hundreds of poles snapped and lines down. Power was out 4 days. The first day I went to Lowes and bought the only Generac generator they had left a 3,400 watt. Got out the extension cords and got things sort of back in order.
I then discovered the electric cooperative sold and installed as Generlink system. Basically you plug your portable into and outlet they installed at the meter turn off all the breakers fire up the generator and flip breakers on what you want operate up to the capacity of your portable. We have used this setup satisfactorily several times since its purchase. I am about to buy a larger portable so that I can run my water heater which I cannot now. I will get a dual fuel so I can use both gasoline and my bulk propane tank if needed. For us this work.
As this recent very cold weather has shown the grid is very fragile and will become more so IMO as misguided interests work to destroy the generation capacity in this country. And they think they can electrify transportation when capacity is stretched to the max already. FOOLS
Bottom line is I will never be without the ability to handle emergencies on my own again. Service the generator, run it about once a month, use non ethanol gas or propane and be on guard.

 

[GypsmJim]

When I bought my old (1850-1870) farm house back in 2006, I found out there were three outlets that went to a plug out in the detached garage. My dad gave me an old 2 cycle generator that was 1/2 new, half 1950s military. However, it would only run for two hours before needing gas.

In 2010, I bought a 5000w Champion generator from Tractor Supply. I moved one of the outlets from the enclosed back porch to the kitchen. When the power goes out, I go out to the garage, fill the tank (5 gallons), pull the rope and plug in the wire going to the house. I have a kerosene Monitor heater in the living room that heats the whole house, about 900 sf. I pull in the ice box, move the coffee maker from the counter to the top of the washing machine, which is next to the ice box. The third out is in the cellar and used to power the furnace, which I don't use. Then I run a series of power strips and extension cords, which when I get done, gives me some lamps, TV and the computer. Battery lanterns, flashlights and a couple of kerosene lamps complete my "emergency power plan."

Is all of that a pain? Sure it is, but it beats the $9K that a whole house Generac would cost. The only thing I do need to do is to install a transfer switch so that I can run the well pump.

AND, I have more money to spend on guns!

My house had a similar set up. I added my own wires when the house was built. There was an extra line going to the sump, furnace and fridge, etc. Just the items that were "needed". When the power went out and I fired up the genny, I merely switched each line over to the genny line.

The last time it was needed we had an area wide outage. My genny would run about 10 hours on a tank of gas. I almost ran out. Gas stations were inoperative and in the end I had to siphon from the car's tank. Not a good idea. We put in the whole house shortly after.

 

[GypsmJim]

Great info in the thread - I will not be redundant

however my .02

when sizing a " standby whole house generator"...........
use the same mentality as when you purchase a gun safe......
the bigger the better

expensive - yes !
but when you need it - you will feel at ease.......

My feeling was that it could be overdone. I have so many circuits in my house, and when push comes to shove, many of them really aren't necessary in an "emergency".

My pool wasn't on the list. Not a necessity. Neither was the workshop in my outbuilding. The stove took up 2 circuits (220V), so we could just cook in the MW or BBQ grill.

In other words, our house is secure, we are comfortable and we feel at ease. It's not a problem that the 2nd TV doesn't work - we'll all just have to watch the same station.

 

[gregintenn]

I bought a portable gas generator when we had a tornado pretty much destroy the county I live in. It isn't the best option, but seemed to be at the time. It probably saved enough freezer contents to pay for it's self. It also kept us warm, comfortable, and entertained.


I learned that during a natural disaster isn't the best time to shop for such an item.


Later, I discovered that Northern Tool sells a generator that mounts to a 3 point hitch of a tractor, powered by the tractor's PTO. I'd really like to have one of those, but it is very rare I need a generator, so I'll just drag out the one I have and run it occasionally.

 

[oldbrownhat]

Someone should write a book on this topic. It takes that much space to cover all the information. A lot depends on the budget for the job and how fully automatic you need the system to be. Very large generators that run everything consume a lot of fuel. A 22,000 watt system could use 3 gallons per hour.....

Agreed, A comprehensive article - preferably "non-partisan", on buying a generator would probably be very useful now, given that power outages are "a real and present danger" in so many parts of the country. This thread is a good introducition, though.

It's interesting to see the various approaches from people here and their reasons for doing what they did, as it's clear that one size does not in fact fit all.

As far as diesesl gennys go, I just remembered this note that I made from the SmokStack Forum when I ws trying to figure how much fuel my 6kW Onan uses (metric conversion at the end was mine as I'm up in Kanuckistan, north of 49.)

“Rule of thumb for diesel fuel consumption on diesel sets: .08 x KW= GPH, or .08GPH per KW.”

(This is USG = .3024L per kW. My 6kW = approx. 1.8L/hr., so approx. 55 hrs. from 100L tank), 11 hrs. Per 20L container)
​

I usually have 2 or 3 20L (5 gallon) jugs of diesel on hand aside from the 100l/20 gallon tank. If you are in an area where it gets really cold, you should keep your tank inside, in in an insulated box with a pad heater, as diesel will gel at low temps. There is a good article here. I haven't had that problem, but according to the article, I have come pretty close, so I might move the tank this summer.

SmokStack is a useful forum for anyone interested in old iron engines. Like the S&W Forum, if you can't find an answer there somewhere, there probably isn't one

 

[bigwheelzip]

This looks like a good company with some interesting solutions.

Grid Tied Energy Storage for Your Home

 

[oldbrownhat]

...I then discovered the electric cooperative sold and installed as Generlink system. Basically you plug your portable into and outlet they installed at the meter turn off all the breakers fire up the generator and flip breakers on what you want operate up to the capacity of your portable. ...

I think this is what my neighbour was looking into. (Link here) Our local utility (BC Hydro) hadn't heard of it but seemed interested. Apparently they're in pretty wide use in several provinces up here, though. Seems like a simple and convenient system and less involved than having a transfer switch installed.

 

[ditrina]

Next best thing to a permanent Generator.
It will run the whole house.

Electric stove, A/C, Water Heater

 

[ladder13]

Next best thing to a permanent Generator.
It will run the whole house.

Electric stove, A/C, Water Heater

Get to know this guy

 

[Jessie]

I’m with the Generac crowd. 20kw automatic. It was pricey with it, a tank and wiring but the peace of mind is priceless plus I figure that I can recoup much of that cost if/when we sell.
Money in the bank won’t keep you warm and alive in a bad weather situation.

 

[ditrina]

Get to know this guy

Yeah, unfortunately at this house no access to natural gas, and the HOA ( 55+ Community ) will not allow propane tanks.


I DO MISS MY NG HOME

 

[oldbrownhat]

...Gas stations were inoperative and in the end I had to siphon from the car's tank. Not a good idea. We put in the whole house shortly after.

That's always a worry, and one reason I went with a diesel genny as diesel stores better for longer periods. I put Stanadyne in mine and keep the tank full. Also, I believe the local Co-Op has its own generator, so as long as they an get fuel, I can refill, although in real emergency, even that would be at a premium. The big fear out here isn't so much wind or ice storms but an earthquake, and if we got a bad one, all bets would be off, along with the power.

My battery backup system can run the house for about 5-6 hours if I'm careful, so I figure I can keep the house running for about 7 days on the fuel I have on hand.

The worst power outage we've had here was 84 hours after a wind and ice storm a couple of years ago and I weathered that just fine.

 

[ladder13]

Yeah, unfortunately at this house no access to natural gas, and the HOA ( 55+ Community ) will not allow propane tanks.


I DO MISS MY NG HOME

They probably won’t like the idea of storing gasoline either. I didn’t particularly like having 5 or more gallons stored in my shed. But if you don’t store some you may not find any when you need it.

They gotta find it....

 

[llowry61]

Nobody has talked about the useful life of a whole home permanent unit. I am curious about how many hours one will actually last.

Is it even a consideration when deciding what unit to purchase ?

 

[G-Mac]

I have a Lincoln Ranger 250 GXT portable gasoline powered welder. 23 horsepower Kohler V-twin engine. It puts out 250 continuous amps of welding power and also is an 11,000 watt generator. Has four 110V outlets and one 230V outlet. I have used it during power outages to keep our refrigerator, radio, and a light or two going.

 

[6518John]

Nobody has talked about the useful life of a whole home permanent unit. I am curious about how many hours one will actually last.

Is it even a consideration when deciding what unit to purchase ?

Depending on maintenance, 20-40 years. This is why service contracts are so important. I know my Generac dealer has some 35 year old units at a health care facility. The next time they are out I will get specifics. And update this.

What is the Lifespan of a Backup Generator? - MGS

 

[bigwheelzip]

....the HOA ( 55+ Community ) will not allow propane tanks.

My in-laws neighbor got permission from the Aberdeen HOA in Boynton Beach, to put in a buried propane tank for a new genset installation. They even hard-piped a line to the barbeque.