microcomputer
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itsbob said:
Thanks!
Home Generator - Recommendation
- Thread starter microcomputer
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Thanks!
Vince
......
My neighbor put one in to run the whole house. Around 5K. Runs on a big propane bottle. I've got one that hooks into the house. It'll run everything I want, but not all at once. Main thing was getting one big enough to run the deep well pump so I had water to flush toilets, etc. Next I want to change over my elect stove to gas.
oldman
Lobster Land
My friend is in the final process of getting one installed. He's got COPD so needs the A/C in the summer. His unit is as big as my Metro and would probably drive a 40 foot boat. Needless to say if ever needed it will run anything and everything all at once. Cost a pretty penny also even with him getting it through friends in the business. I know where I'm going if mine ever craps out.
R
RadioPatrol
Guest
microcomputer said:
http://www.askmikeb.com/power.htm
Not counting washers / dryers
38,000 watts of surge 20,000 load
thats with 4 Window AC Units @ 1200 W each I think 2 draw more and 2 draw less ...... included Gas Furnace and a backup 1500w space heater so it might be a tad high ....... and 5 computers running @ 750w hooked to a 3000VA 2100w RM UPS thats on a 30 Amp Circuit by itself oh and the water heater is Gas ...........
now to run the fridge and microwave and TV for a few hrs my neighbor runs an extension cord from his 5000w Gen Set outside into his house ..... keeps the above mentioned going and the TV w/DVD Player to keep the kids quiet
but if you do not need to run everything 10kw should be fine for more than a couple days ....... but more then a couple weeks and your going to be attracting the wrong attention
with the only lights on in the neighborhoodthis is a good deal:
12kw
Shipping might hurt but $ 1500 bucks ............
If your handy this might work:
Lister Type Cold Start Diesel
Utter Power
You can get a 10kw Gen Head are replace the 3kw
Last edited by a moderator:
penguin6
New Member
Are outages common? Well, depends on your baseline.
I grew up in the Midwest, where storms and tornados would cause an outage every few months. I then lived in DC for about a dozen years or so. Had only one outage in 12 years (back during the manhole explosions in Georgetown).
Moved out to Calvert and am in a pretty rural area. Had about three or four outages in the first year. TS Isabel knocked out power for about four or five days, and then BGE (what we have up here) went on a tree trimming orgy for a couple of years. We went about two years without an outage but just last year we had a couple (ice storm, TS Ernesto, and then a monster wind storm). Worst outage since Isabel was 26 hours.
Most outages last about 3-5 hours or so. With the exception of an Isabel, you'd probably want to ask is 9-15 hours without power a year worth $x,000 for a backup system, or can you get by with a UPS and a small portable generator for the fridge and maybe a few other things?
I grew up in the Midwest, where storms and tornados would cause an outage every few months. I then lived in DC for about a dozen years or so. Had only one outage in 12 years (back during the manhole explosions in Georgetown).
Moved out to Calvert and am in a pretty rural area. Had about three or four outages in the first year. TS Isabel knocked out power for about four or five days, and then BGE (what we have up here) went on a tree trimming orgy for a couple of years. We went about two years without an outage but just last year we had a couple (ice storm, TS Ernesto, and then a monster wind storm). Worst outage since Isabel was 26 hours.
Most outages last about 3-5 hours or so. With the exception of an Isabel, you'd probably want to ask is 9-15 hours without power a year worth $x,000 for a backup system, or can you get by with a UPS and a small portable generator for the fridge and maybe a few other things?
Thor
Active Member
microcomputer said:
When you mean run the entire house do you mean run the heat pumps too?
We have a Briggs & Stratton 8000 and it is more then enough to run the house. I back feed our breaker panel with it and I can run everything in the house with the exception of the heat pumps. If I want to run the heat pumps I have to make some sacrifices such as a refrigerator or two.
When I say run the house I mean it powers every 15 amp outlet in the house which would normally have three computers, a large plasma TV (plus all the sat equipment that goes with it), two full size refrigerators and a small wet bar refrigerator, the well pump (as well as the gas hot water heater), and the ignition and valve system for the gas fireplaces (which kinda negates the need for the heat pumps).
Thor
Active Member
microcomputer said:
Last time we had a hurricane blow through we were without power in Northern Calvert for five days. I think most of Calvert was in the same boat. But there seemed to be hole down by Prince Frederick that never lost power.
It's not really how often we lose power it's about how long it stays off once it's gone. For Northern Calvert that seems to average 3 to 5 hours depending on the damage. In the winter 5 hours is a long time.
Jeff
Stop Staring!!!!!
I went with one of the smaller 5,000 Watt Jobs. Manily because we don't tend to lose power often enough to warrent the expense of one of the big ones. At least not here on Town Creek Drive.
I also found it kind of nice because I can loan it to friends when they lose power and I don't. Just sling it the back of the truck and take it to them. The problem with this is everybody wants to fill it with gas when they return it, just to be polite. The damn thing is heavy enough to haul around without gas in it and I alwasy tell folks this but they still wanna fill it up.
Mine has a 220V outlet on it. I simply made a patch cord for 220 with 2 Male ends. I can keep the generator in the shed. Start it then run the patch cord into the house through the dryer vent and plug it straight into the dryer receptacle. Have to kill the main breaker for the house first though. But the 220 line is bascially two 110 V lines so it works fine. From that point I can control which circuits are live simply by using the house breaker panel.
I also found it kind of nice because I can loan it to friends when they lose power and I don't. Just sling it the back of the truck and take it to them. The problem with this is everybody wants to fill it with gas when they return it, just to be polite. The damn thing is heavy enough to haul around without gas in it and I alwasy tell folks this but they still wanna fill it up.
Mine has a 220V outlet on it. I simply made a patch cord for 220 with 2 Male ends. I can keep the generator in the shed. Start it then run the patch cord into the house through the dryer vent and plug it straight into the dryer receptacle. Have to kill the main breaker for the house first though. But the 220 line is bascially two 110 V lines so it works fine. From that point I can control which circuits are live simply by using the house breaker panel.
Thor
Active Member
Jeff said:
That's essentially what I do except I wired a female 220 outlet right into the breaker box using the two existing 20 amp breakers for my well pump, so that's how I split out the 220 into two 110s.
It's so easy to hook up my wife can do it if I am not around, and she absolutely hates working with electricity.
And the lending it out to my friends is noce too but I always put a condition on it. "If my power goes out I'm coming to get it no questions asked LOL".
penguin6
New Member
Oh, one other thing. Are you on a well?
Losing power you can live with--losing water? That's a bear.
I'm on a shared well with four other homes. We all chipped in for a very small generator and a 'switch' on the box such that when the power goes down we can walk to the well house and start the generator so we still can have water.
Definitely something to factor into your decision making.
Losing power you can live with--losing water? That's a bear.
I'm on a shared well with four other homes. We all chipped in for a very small generator and a 'switch' on the box such that when the power goes down we can walk to the well house and start the generator so we still can have water.
Definitely something to factor into your decision making.