Re: Portable Generator
[Re: 1fastrunner]
#2948330
07/28/21 09:39 PM
07/28/21 09:39 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,455 A collage of whims
topside
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,455
A collage of whims
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On mine, the electrician just mounted a box on the house near the generator, and put an interlock on my existing panel. I think the whole deal was a couple hundred bucks. Oddly, my well pump runs off a separate box (main house service), which I didn't know at the time. So, even if the gen is supplying the house, it's "after" the well pump. Not a big deal for me, though I wish I'd known that; I just keep water (5-gal bucket) to refill the toilet and keep a few gallons of drinking water. My main service would be a pain to get to in a decent snowstorm anyway,
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: Andrewh]
#2948442
07/29/21 10:13 AM
07/29/21 10:13 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,931 North Dakota
6PakBee
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,931
North Dakota
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Portable generator? Or is this a fixed location for a residence? 9 KW is about 50 amps, hence the 50 amp breaker for the generator feeder. For my money I'd regroup your critical loads into a new panel making sure you don't overload the generator. I'd then use one transfer switch in the feed to that panel so that when a power loss occurs, your critical loads are switched from your utility to the generator. Your first option sounds a lot like this and is the one I'd go with.
"We live in a time when intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended".
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: topside]
#2948525
07/29/21 01:23 PM
07/29/21 01:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,478 Kalispell Mt.
HotRodDave
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,478
Kalispell Mt.
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On mine, the electrician just mounted a box on the house near the generator, and put an interlock on my existing panel. I think the whole deal was a couple hundred bucks. Oddly, my well pump runs off a separate box (main house service), which I didn't know at the time. So, even if the gen is supplying the house, it's "after" the well pump. Not a big deal for me, though I wish I'd known that; I just keep water (5-gal bucket) to refill the toilet and keep a few gallons of drinking water. My main service would be a pain to get to in a decent snowstorm anyway, The well pump is run separately so you can fight a fire if your house (panel) is burning. Probably for an equal amount of time you are more likely to burn your house down during a power outage (using candles, too much power for the generator...) and even if they were the same risk you still want to have your water to fight a fire, so it would be a good idea to do something about it. I have a slow well (2GPM) and an 1850 gallon cistern, I like having a gasoline powered pump handy to pump right out of the cistern in a total loss of power.
I am not causing global warming, I am just trying to hold off a impending Ice Age!
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: 1fastrunner]
#2948652
07/29/21 08:15 PM
07/29/21 08:15 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,432 UPPER MICHIGAN, MARQUETTE COUN...
NITROUSN
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,432
UPPER MICHIGAN, MARQUETTE COUN...
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First question to the OP why two 200 amp panels? If it was me I would run a bigger generator and an automatic transfer switch. I was looking at a 20kw setup. Generator is big enough to run everything. Sometimes a smaller generator may use just as much fuel as a larger unit.
Last edited by NITROUSN; 07/29/21 08:17 PM.
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: NITROUSN]
#2948659
07/29/21 08:30 PM
07/29/21 08:30 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,272 PA.
pittsburghracer
"Little"John
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"Little"John
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,272
PA.
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My neighbor has a whole house generator that runs on natural gas. It comes on every Sunday to run for awhile. Power goes off it automatically starts.
1970 Duster Edelbrock headed 408 5.984@112.52 422 Indy headed small block 5.982@112.56 mph 9.38@138.67
Livin and lovin life one day at a time
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: HotRodDave]
#2948740
07/30/21 08:15 AM
07/30/21 08:15 AM
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Joined: May 2019
Posts: 6,497 nowhere
Sniper
master
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master
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 6,497
nowhere
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The well pump is run separately so you can fight a fire if your house (panel) is burning. Probably for an equal amount of time you are more likely to burn your house down during a power outage (using candles, too much power for the generator...) and even if they were the same risk you still want to have your water to fight a fire, so it would be a good idea to do something about it. I have a slow well (2GPM) and an 1850 gallon cistern, I like having a gasoline powered pump handy to pump right out of the cistern in a total loss of power.
Just be careful, this past winter we had a multiday electrical outage so I drug out the portable generator, it's a generac. Went to put fuel in the tank and it was full of rust. I had only ever ran it once when I first bought it and I put it way empty and sealed. That is not the time to find out your portable generator, or fire fighting pump, will not work. In my case I ended up using fabbing a temporary gas tank by using a plastic one, putting a nipple in the bottom and adding a long fuel hose. Tied it all down with a bungee cord. Looking for a good plastic replacement for the original metal one.
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: 340Cuda]
#2948830
07/30/21 01:27 PM
07/30/21 01:27 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220 West Plains, MO
DrCharles
master
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master
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220
West Plains, MO
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Good advice, which I also fail to follow on a regular basis When sizing a generator, keep in mind that a large one will use considerably more fuel than a small one, even when lightly loaded. If you just have 500 watts of lights and TV on, the whole-house unit will be expensive to operate. I have a remote-start 2.5 kw Onan in a hut the size of a large doghouse with two 6-gal. outboard motor tanks. It will run lights, TV, furnace, and my CPAP machine and sips fuel... the thirsty 10 kw Onan rarely is needed except to recharge the well tank and run the water heater.
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: DrCharles]
#2948971
07/30/21 09:15 PM
07/30/21 09:15 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,139 Hunt Valley, Maryland
1fastrunner
OP
top fuel
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OP
top fuel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,139
Hunt Valley, Maryland
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If we had natural gas, we would have a whole house generator. We have propane, so we went with portable. We have a gas stove and a gas fireplace and we are not worried about heat. The well, fridge, kitchen, fireplace fan, and sump pump are all we really need. Anything else is a bonus.
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: 360view]
#2949064
07/31/21 08:44 AM
07/31/21 08:44 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,079 Tulsa OK
Bad340fish
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,079
Tulsa OK
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Having natural gas service to the house and an existing easy to access port and valve inside the fireplace has made me think about buying a kit to convert my 10 HP Briggs & Stratton powered Troy built 7500 watt gasoline portable generator to natural gas and keeping it on hand “just in case.”
If anyone knows the best kit to buy for this please comment.
I have now been through ice storms and Hurricanes that kept the electric service off for more than 7 days numerous times. I don't know of a kit but beware that changing it over to NG will likely reduce its output. Costco was selling a tri fuel generator that ran on Gas, NG, or Propane. It had different output ratings for each fuel, the highest being gasoline and I think proane was next.
68 Barracuda Formula S 340
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Re: Portable Generator
[Re: 65pacecar]
#2949576
08/02/21 12:55 AM
08/02/21 12:55 AM
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Superfreak
Unregistered
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Superfreak
Unregistered
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And buy a Honda! The small Generac units are absolute garbage, everything vibrates of them and when you need a repair, no one will do it as you can't get parts for them.
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