Off topic whole house generator

[tdb]

I am in the market for an whole house generator I am looking a the generac m-5817 17KW , I have found prices from 3300.00 to 4200.00 , where is the best place to look for the best price , has anyone got one of these generators

Thanks for the help

TEDMI.

 

[Ductape]

I'm gonna go a little further, since I'm also looking to add generator to power our house during outages. Currently I'm using a Honda EU2000i to run our refrigerator, and some lights during outages, with our wood stove providing heat.

I'd like to see pictures of what others are running, even though some may find the pictures boring. How is yours connected........ transfer switch, interlock? Gas, propane, diesel??

I'd like something in the six, to ten thousand watt range, and diesel powered...... but interested in what others use.

Thanks!

 

[KD57]

I run a 10K watt gasoline generator, big enough to run everything but the A/C. Wood also serves as heat if needed. I would love to have a diesel, because I have diesel stored on site, but they get really expensive, and there seems to be a big jump in KW power-either a small one or a big one, nothing in between.
I'm not gonna tell you how I have it hooked up, the safety police will hijack the thread and chastize me, but I will say it is simple, and has worked for many years.
We have quite a few power outages in the course of a year, it was out for 2 weeks during a bad ice storm several years ago.

 

[savageactor7]

We got a Generac that cranks up to 8k on propane. Truthfully at first I didn't want a Generac, but everyone and their brother has one around here so I gave in.

Back when I was activated a few years ago the wife replaced our ancient oil furnace with gas. Our gas company also put in a huge gas tank and told her she should consider a back up generator as well.

This sits under our lean-to and is programed to turn itself on if the grid in down for 30 seconds or so. Pretty sure it was around 45 hundred installed. We like it enough to get another one...that's for sure.

Well they put the bug in her ear and that's all I heard for the longest time. Yeah I suppose our power does go off quite a bit.

imo the weak link in home systems to the fuel required to run them. If you have a natural gas line use a NG generator.

Also if the grid craters how will you get gas at the store?

This huge tank of propane will power our house for a week, longer if we shut it down at night.

ps We were talked out of bigger systems by folks that know generators.

 

[Ed*L]

I don't think you can beat these guys fror price. IME, good people to deal with.
http://www.zillerelectric.com/

I installed a 20kw Generac with whole house transfer switch at my folks' place last spring. A new 200amp main panel went in also.

FWIW, the only time it has been needed, I had to trigger it by flipping the transfer switch myself. We had low voltage, not a complete power outage.

Ed

 

[leon]

generator etc.

I run a 10K watt gasoline generator, big enough to run everything but the A/C. Wood also serves as heat if needed. I would love to have a diesel, because I have diesel stored on site, but they get really expensive, and there seems to be a big jump in KW power-either a small one or a big one, nothing in between.
I'm not gonna tell you how I have it hooked up, the safety police will hijack the thread and chastize me, but I will say it is simple, and has worked for many years.
We have quite a few power outages in the course of a year, it was out for 2 weeks during a bad ice storm several years ago.

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Not a big secret deal; when you back feed through your electrical panel with twin male dryer plugs through the dryer vent hosepass; just be sure the main breaker is turned off to prevent back feeding the highline with your generator.

 

[leon]

generator continued.

The big thing to remember is to either buy and use a propane converted gasoline generator or a strictly propane fueled unit and be sure to use low weight motor oil- SAE 5-10 weight in the winter months in the crank case.

 

[sawkiller]

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Not a big secret deal; when you back feed through your electrical panel with twin male dryer plugs through the dryer vent hosepass; just be sure the main breaker is turned off to prevent back feeding the highline with your generator.

I am not the safety police in fact I am far from it because I do the same thing but the problem is in even when you shut off the main the neutral and ground is still hooked to the grid. The other problems with the double male plug are obvious and I actually hardwire mine into a sub main panel I have below my meter base outside and flip on the breakers in the house for what I want to run.
I have a little cheapie 5kw gas generator and I can run lights and stuff in the house along with my well pump and wood furnace. If I shut most of the other load off I can even run my water heater. When we had a week with no power my neighbors came up to get a shower and were very thankful to the point of bringing some gas up for the generator and watching through the day while I was at work to make sure it did not disapear.

 

[dellwas]

The following is a website by a guy I know, seems to have a lot of good info. on it. If memory serves me right he's an electrical engineer with CBC.

http://members.rennlist.com/warren/generator.html

 

[bluestem]

I don't have pics but will try to take some tonight. We have a 7500 watt honeywell gas generator that I connect to a 6 branch transfer switch with an outlet on an outside wall of the house. It was very easy to install, took my dad and I a Sunday afternoon and I don't have to worry about killing someone working on the power lines!!

 

[Butch(OH)]

I am not the safety police in fact I am far from it because I do the same thing but the problem is in even when you shut off the main the neutral and ground is still hooked to the grid.

And it better damn well better be the same way even if you have a $3000.00 double throw switch as it doesn't meet UL or any other code wired any other way.

Just where to bond and and unbond (debond? LOL) the ground is argued back and forth every time it comes up on a forum like this. The neutral is another story, it does not get broken, period.

My E generator has the ground bond broken at the panel but bonded (aka attached) at the generator frame thus the power cord ground comes from the ground stake that grounds the generator frame.

 

[wapacz]

I know a guy that picked up a used diesel welder that also could be used as a 10kw generator. He did it mostly for the generator but also becuase it could be used as a welder.

 

[dellwas]

We've got a small Champion 4000 watt. All I did was run outdoor extension cables through the wall and plug them into the generator outlets when we lose power. It's a temporary measure until I get the coin together to get a whole house with tranfer switch setup. Works good though, can run the fridge, a couple of lights, sump pump, and the tv off of it. We have a woodstove for cooking and heat....

I don't have pics but will try to take some tonight. We have a 7500 watt honeywell gas generator that I connect to a 6 branch transfer switch with an outlet on an outside wall of the house. It was very easy to install, took my dad and I a Sunday afternoon and I don't have to worry about killing someone working on the power lines!!

 

[Highbeam]

I am not the safety police in fact I am far from it because I do the same thing but the problem is in even when you shut off the main the neutral and ground is still hooked to the grid. .

This is not a problem. No issue at all.

I have a NEC, UL, and state electrical inspector approved generator transfer interlock kit on my main house panel that allows a legal backfeed of the panel through a branch circuit. The interlock is cheap and easy to install and allows the entire house panel to be fed from the generator circuit. The way it works is that the interlock forces the main street breaker to be shut off before the generator circuit can be turned on.

My generator circuit is 30 amps and I feed it with a 3500 watt continuous rated 220 volt gasoline genset that runs 12 hours on 5 gallons of fuel. The trouble with gasoline gensets is that they consume lots and lots of fuel. Especially the big ones. I do not run sensitive electronics like computers or TVs with my gasoline genset.

Interlock kits are about 150$, dependable 30 amp gensets are about 500$. This system will keep lights on, refers cold, run your oven, microwave, water heater, etc. until you run out of fuel. It does require manual engagement and some knowledge of power management so that you don't try and run the hot tub or A/C.

My dream upgrade to the interlock system would be an inverter style Honda powered by a large propane tank. I would like to watch TV for news info on the outage. Maybe a fancy UPS.

 

[Butch(OH)]

One thing that has to be considered is the cost of producing all those KWs that simply cannot be lived without. Some local folks used to laugh at my "tiny" E generator while they had the whole house lit up with their 15KW super magnum bla bla bla,,, until the power was out for a solid week here after the Ohio hurricane about two years ago now. 1 gallon per hour x 24 x $3 adds up quickly and some of the big gasoline gennys have no problem eating a gallon per hour. Here is my generator, a Lister CS copy Metro diesel making 6HP at 650 RPM and belted to a 5KW ST generator head. The engine wont pull 5KW about 3KW is max but more than enough to keep our heat going, the freezer frozen, the well pump pumping and enough lights for two old folks. While using just over a pint an hour of diesel fuel, waste oil or about what ever flammable liquid that is handy. We have about $2200 in it as you see it but the engines have gone up since our EPA friends decided they dont meet tier 3 requirements and banned them from import.

Our genny

<IMG SRC=http://i31.tinypic.com/2vsj9sp.jpg>

 

[bass_on_tap]

I have a whole house unit, 10,000 kWh, Onan powered, propane fired motor attached to the whole house propane supply. I also have a new 200 amp service we just installed with a electrical panel that incorporates the safety switch with separate watt meters for the two phases. Helps balance the loads. Made by Reliance. Works great! Powers everything I have.

 

[dolmen]

I'm with the Lister guy, well in the fact that I'm gonna head down that road when funds allow ... cheapish to run, will run the important bits in an outage and not break the bank to install or run.
I'd also love a solar array and battery bank connected so the Listeroid is always running loaded, it would mean I could switch the engine off in the evening and still run off batteries for a time ... but then again we can't have all we want in this life ...

Cheers

 

[Highbeam]

Since they banned the import of listers you might just not be able to get one of those either. I do agree on sticking with low wattage gensets. My little 3500 watt genset is gas and will go 12 hours on 5 gallons or less than half gallon per hour. The 6hp lister needs a 1/4 gallon per hour for what I assume are similar 50% loads. What you gain with the lister is fuel stability and simple engine repairs when they break. Realize that those listers are certainly a hobby, it helps if you are a mechanic.

The other thing, I never recommend running a genset 24/7. Shut the dang thing off at night. Even during the day when demand is low and after you've finished morning activities. No sense in wasting fuel. Your fridge will stay cold overnight so long as you stay out of it.

 

[bluefin650]

This is what I have. It takes an electrican 10 mins to install.

http://www.generlink.com/about_generlink.cfm

With a John Deere Large Frame AC-G8010S-E (8000 watt, 404cc Subaru, electric start) generator.

 

[Ambull]

I am not the safety police in fact I am far from it because I do the same thing but the problem is in even when you shut off the main the neutral and ground is still hooked to the grid.

No, not true. The ground should never be hooked to anything, except the rod that is stuck in the ground, right near the service entrance to the house. The neutral is connected to the ground, but does not go back to the "grid". It only goes to the transformer on the pole, right outside your house. Since it is tied directly to the rod in the ground, there is no danger. Now male plugs that are hot when disconnected is a whole different issue....