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  • Stand-By Power

    Posted by fixbear on October 8, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    Ok, so we had a bad squall come through the area on the 7th a little past 15;00 hours EDT. 65 MPH wind gust’s. I lost power with about 46,000 other National grid customers and 2 people died from tree injury’s in thier car or golf cart. I’m COPD and dependent on machines that use power. Problem is they were overwhelmed and I was told it would take 48 hours to restore my area.

    So, what standby generators have you seen and what’s a reasonable cost? I had a lot of experience with prime power from 40KW to 2400 KW years ago, But nothing lately, and nothing for stand-by. Not sure what I’m getting into here.

    With Hurricane Delta headed here Monday, Probably a bit late on my part.

    nafets47 replied 3 years, 1 month ago 6 Members · 18 Replies
  • 18 Replies
  • ShawnF

    Member
    October 8, 2020 at 9:36 pm

    The last one i bought was actually at Aldia. 3kw. Have had it for 10 years. I find the predator line at harbor freight to be pretty good. Keep up with the hours and change the oil as needed. I was a 52D20 in the army for 11 years. Generator repair.

  • ShawnF

    Member
    October 8, 2020 at 9:39 pm

    Diapite what most people do. I always build a small shelter around mine. Even though most are fairly quiet it helps protect them feom tje elements and dampens the sound. Ensure enough room for air flow…

    • techtownmayor

      Member
      October 11, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      VERY smart. I’ve heard more stories of people who have a generator and couldn’t use it because it wasn’t installed right than those who could…

  • fixbear

    Member
    October 11, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    Just a quick update. It was determined that the storm we had on the 7th was a rare Delvechio. (not certain of the spelling) 240 miles long and gust at 110 MPH. Other than a heavy ice storm, i’ve never seen so many outages and broken poles. We had 47.000 without power and as of tonight, there is still 7800 out. Tropical storm Delta is about to come into the area, so the fun starts again. I;ve never seen the outage map look like a Christmas tree before. But when it takes 5 days to restore power it’s crazy

    • ectofix

      Member
      October 11, 2020 at 7:09 pm

      One thing I’ve discovered is they never designate a storm as a derecho until after the fact.

      That’s some kind of weather you’re having, @fixbear . Hopefully the remnants of Delta will be easy on you as it was here in TN. It was just a little breezy and got some good rain, but no storms or anything significant.

    • ectofix

      Member
      October 11, 2020 at 7:14 pm

      Here’s a nail-biting videofrom a derecho we had in Nashville earlier this year:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMpSkg708kQ

      • nafets47

        Member
        October 12, 2020 at 11:15 am

        That was crazy!

  • fixbear

    Member
    October 12, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    I’ve only seen this phenomenon twice in my life. Previously in 1952 when it flattened my grandfathers masonry bus garage. along with 9 coaches. One has a warning with hurricanes and tornadoes, but not a Derecho. We were just expecting gale force gusts.

    Mother nature rules for sure.

  • Sparky0575

    Member
    February 17, 2021 at 12:27 pm

    When purchasing a generator what do i need to look for . If I hook a portable generator to my furnace i have a polarity issue sense generator does not use a neutral leg on the 120 volt outlet . It produces 60 volts on each side of the outlet and between the 2 i have 120 volts. If i get a generator that has 230 volts and hook into hole house application will this still be an issue? Do i need to purchase a generator that is an invertor for clean voltage?

  • Sparky0575

    Member
    February 17, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    What is the typical size generator i need to run whole house minus washing machine and dryer . mainly fridge , Freezer, lights Ac and Heater. Rule of thimb

  • fixbear

    Member
    February 17, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    That all depends on you home design and load. Or what your willing to not operate. Most will get by with a 10 to 12kw for whole house. All electric home may need 20 to 24KW. Add up the total watts of the load and add 20%.

    Be careful of the rating, weather it is standby or prime. If it’s just 8 to 10 hours, the standby rating will suffice. But if you have to run for more you may want to consider a prime rating. Be sure to open the mains to the power grid and install a suitable breaker to feed the panel. Don’t forget water.

  • Sparky0575

    Member
    February 17, 2021 at 1:59 pm

    After doing some research for it appears that i need 13 to 16 KW generator. Which would cost me about 6 to 7 grand . Has any body else have whole generators and are they worth the price ( maintenance , warranty and reliability )?

    • nafets47

      Member
      February 22, 2021 at 9:25 am

      We have a Cummins standby generator for the building I care for at our large complex and it is definitely worth it.

      The maintenance is not that extreme and as long as you understand motors/generators it is simple.

      Also with the fact we have hurricanes and tropical storms all the time it is a must. I would just like to bring up that if you do pull the trigger to run in every week for at least and hour otherwise the parts inside could seize which will result in costly repairs.

      I highly recommend Cummins as a brand for generators.

      • techtownmayor

        Member
        February 22, 2021 at 9:29 am

        Yeah – it doesn’t get too much better than them. But regardless of brand, poor maintenance will kill any generator, and I’m always amazed at the people who keep theirs in a shed or garage, and are amazed that it won’t start after sitting there for a few years 😀

  • fixbear

    Member
    February 17, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    Generac makes a LP powered stand-by. LP is preferred due to the aging of gasoline only being good for 30 days. That’s bit beyond Onan’s range. There are nice because they are 1800 RPM and a lot less noise. That why they have the RV market. Carrier/Bryant also has a line that uses a V twin Koller. Last I checked they were about $2500 without the automatic switchgear. Cat and Cummings both make units more than 20KW.

  • techtownmayor

    Member
    February 21, 2021 at 1:31 pm

    Ive heard good reviews on this triple fuel generator – it is only 7500W, but it does have a lot of decent features, and the price is definitely right:

    https://www.costco.com/firman-7500w-running–9400w-peak-tri-fuel-generator.product.100648883.html

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