Thinking about a standby generator... (update see #49)

[Tenn2]

Generator

Lou,
They used the standard meter as it was piped with 3/4" pipe and stated that was all they needed. I do not think my meter is high flow as it looks the same as my neighbors. The 13kw came with 14 breakers and the transfer switch. Size your generator to maintain emergency use and a few conveniences as it is costly to run. Keep in mind that you will most likely only (hopefully) need it for a short time.

As an aside. Be sure they put in a shut-off valve right before the generator so you would not have to shut down the entire house if it needed to be serviced.

Russ

 

[loutent]

Lou,
They used the standard meter as it was piped with 3/4" pipe and stated that was all they needed. I do not think my meter is high flow as it looks the same as my neighbors. The 13kw came with 14 breakers and the transfer switch. Size your generator to maintain emergency use and a few conveniences as it is costly to run. Keep in mind that you will most likely only (hopefully) need it for a short time.

As an aside. Be sure they put in a shut-off valve right before the generator so you would not have to shut down the entire house if it needed to be serviced.

Russ

Thanks Russ - I just checked our meter and we do have a 3/4" going into the house, so I think we will be ok as is - and thanks for the tip!

 

[ArcticFox]

We have RV'd for years and have the Yamaha 2400iS and the Yamaha 1000iS. We have wood heat and we don't need a/c in our local so we have been able to get by power outages with these. I have an outlet installed from the patio to the office that can be electrified only by the generator. We generally just use the 2400 to power this outlet for things like lights, the coffeemaker, microwave and powering the office, not all at once of course. The fridge and freezer are on it overnight while we sleep.

 

[msinc]

One other point to consider regarding gasoline vs. propane vs. NG...you get less wattage or V/A {volt/amperes} out of NG than the other two, and less out of propane than gasoline. I wanted propane {accidentally said NG in the last post...a thousand pardons please} because I wouldn't have to tote gas in a can and spill half of it filling from one container to the other, everytime I go hunting {among other advantages.}
I looked at an aftermarket propane conversion kit for my Honda, but the dealer warned that the peak wattage would go down with propane and down even more with NG. Possibly enough to not run my well. My one condition for buying it was that it would have to run the well. The dealer agreed to take it back if it couldn't power the well as long as the test was the only time I ran it.
Propane or NG is not all advantageous...but it has its good points. It is hard to steal, it is easy to store for long periods of time and it can generally be delivered. It doesn't have to be handled much at all and it can be used to heat your living space much safer than gasoline. About the only bad points regarding propane or NG is the lower wattage output, the higher noise level and that smell they add so you can tell if there is a leak is a type of oil that eventually gums up the pressure diaphram in the engine. Typically you will get about 5 years out of the diaphram before it needs replacement. It is not really expensive, just inconvienient. Another consideration with gasoline is that because you cant buy gas without ethanol there is an added cost associated with having to treat the gas with some sort of "stabilizer." Honda recommends Startron.

 

[USAFret]

I'm very pleased with my propane fired 7KW generator. It runs the entire house except A/C and electric stove. Most importantly operates the heating system when the snow/ice storms take out the primary power. It automatically fires up and checks itself out once a week. The 20 second or so delay in starting tumbles all the digital clocks in the house but that's a small price to pay for having heat and lights through the outages. The three of us on the street that have these systems become really popular with the neighbors when the storms hit!

 

[Frank46]

I bought a 6500 watt generator after one of the hurricanes for which Louisiana has become famous for tore through here. I split the 240 volt line coming from the generator and made up a 6 outlet box. Using heavy extension cords I can run two fridge's, one freezer, a george foreman electric grill, and a 3" industrial fan. Each item I mentioned has its own outlet. But I always pull the main breaker just to play it safe. It has a 5 gallon tank for gas that will last for about 8 hours. I let it cool down prior to refueling. And have spare fuel, oil, and air filters along with the proper oil. I chain it to a picnic table that two grown men cannot pickup and the chain is heavy duty towing chain. Frank

 

[VAdoublegunner]

They are pricy but I love the Honda eu2000i, one gallon runs about 8 hours. Not a full house backup but enough for comfort in survival mode.

Ditto the Honda EU2000i. Their power output is cleaner than line with their invertor technology, so they won't fry your sensitive electronics, they are very reliable for starting and running, they are very quiet, easily serviced at Honda dealers everywhere, and 1 gal of gas will run them for about 6-8 hours depending on your power demands.

Plus they are small and easily portable, good for camping or even bugout use.

Yeah, their output is not all that high at 2KW, but if you have a pair of them as I do you can hook them together for 4 KW, run them separately with different leads, or alternately run one and rest the other if a long term situation like I had after Isabel (13 days) or Irene (8 days). Plus, if one won't start right up (unlikely, but possible) or needs maintenance, the other one is a good backup.

No doubt they are expensive, but certainly worth it if you need one and don't need a whole lot of power. It is good to periodically start and run any generator with a load on it. I exercise mine during the year by running a electric leaf blower, hedge trimmer or electric chainsaw off of them. I even took one car camping with a small 5kbtu A/C in the summer to stay cool at night, (OK, not exactly roughing it that time, it started as a joke but was kind of an experiment too).

 

[jaykellogg]

Someone mentioned surge power. When an electric motor starts there is a surge of six times the normal full load current. This is especially important if you have a water well. Because you never stand next to the well pump when it starts you never really know if it is having trouble starting or not. My wife bought me a generator for my birthday in 1999 because she was worried about power outages in Y2K. I recall it was a 5000 watt with a 6500 surge. When I used it to power my workshop, it had noticeable trouble with my 1HP table saw. If the voltage drops when the motor starts, it is possible over time to damage the start winding. The small motors in your refrigerator and freezer shouldn't be a problem, but the circulating fan on the heating system may be. These typically are around 1/8HP.

I no longer have the generator, my wife wanted it when we divorced, but that is another story.

 

[loutent]

Almost 4 months (and $9K) later - a 20KW (18KW with our NG hookup). This is a lot quieter than I thought it might be (40 HP engine) - you can carry on a conversation while standing right next to it. It is pretty sophisticated - if we never have to use it, at least it might add value to the house.

 

[Bat Guano]

Long-lived thread, but some good stuff here. Suffice it to say that a few years back I opted for a Honda Eu 6500 portable unit which, considering the gas limitations, was a pretty good unit. I got the tri-fuel conversion but never actually ran it on anything but the auto gas. Also never needed it. Had a manual switch box installed on the house.

Finally got with the program and went with a 14Kw General standby unit on NG, with a fully automatic transfer switch. Wish I had done it long ago. Cost was not too bad, I can probably sell the Honda at a decent price, and the Generac will likely make the house easier to sell when that time comes

Oh--and I also sleep better at night now.

 

[rwsmith]

A warning

Do not run a generator without disconnecting from the service by your main breaker. After a really bad hurricane we had several linemen get electrocuted by generators feeding back into the grid.

 

[jjcobra]

After the big freeeze we had in 2006 that knocked out the power for a week when the outside temp never got above 30 we got a 15KW Generac mounted on a slab connected straight to the natural gas line, that comes on automatically if the power is out for more than 10 seconds. When the windstorms knock down trees elsewhere and the power goes out it's large enough to take care of the whole house. Probably even enough for a neighbor to run an extension cord to it, too.

Haven't had to see what happens in a major quake, though. There's an earthquake sensor that shuts off the gas when tripped but it can be reset without having the gas company out to do it. It's set up on a timer to run every week for 15 minutes or so to make sure it's ready to go. It's been 5 years since purchase and it's come on at least once every winter. Time for a new battery, though. It's on order.

This sounds just like mine I could not have said it better. We did go through a battery and charger but other then that we have had no problems.

 

[BobC357]

Natural Gas is the way to go. Even our barbeque is natural gas.

The lines are buried deep and depending on where you live, they are extremely reliable. You want a quiet one and one that can run your entire home. You want it load dependant so that it only consumes what it needs.

Because of the meter hookup, seal and the liability factor, I would recommend your local utility company do the actual hookup. In some areas, they will do it for free.

Good luck.