Standby Generators - Opinions?

[sjwaste]

I have an electrical contractor coming out Saturday to estimate a generator instsall for me. Not bad timing with Sandy coming up the coast, although I doubt it'll be done by Wednesday before we see the weather up here in Maine.

Anyway, the contractor is locally reputable. I had a good conversation with him, and he seems to prefer GE units over others. I've heard mixed reviews on Generac, so I'm ruling that brand out since there are so many others with mostly positives.

I'll be running off of propane since NG isn't available here and I already have a 100 gal cylinder out back. My house only has 100A electrical service, but I also don't have central air, well, or sump pumps to worry about. Primary heat is forced hot water, oil. I do cook with electric only for now. So based on that, I'm looking at up to a 14kW unit and an automatic transfer switch. The contractor said he'd take a look at what I'd actually be powering in terms of load and size me smaller if it made sense.

Anyhow, I'm wondering if anyone has opinions on other brands. I'm specifically considering GE and Kohler. Are there other makes to look at? Anything you wish you'd have done during the install, but didn't?

 

[Minerva]

Kohler is a good brand. Onan too.
Just make sure it has a low oil cut out. (most do)

If you run your computers off it make sure you have a UPS that allows you to adjust the line quality. Otherwise they will just stay on battery and run down. Even gensets with regulated frequency output vary more than your utility power and the UPS input doesn't like that. With APC backups and smartups you can select high/mid/low with low working on generator power.

Be safe, this storm is packing some punch!

 

[Scouzer]

I work in a profession where we have backup generators at most locations. All I will say is whatever you do, maintain it. The thing is bloody useless if it doesn't work when you need it.

Our commercial quality ones fail to start all the time, and they are maintained regularly.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I installed one for my parents and it has worked well. Aside from loving to overcharge and kill the battery every couple years it has been quite reliable and very nice to have. Briggs & Stratton made it.

 

[richardycc]

do you really need a standby? Do you have a lot of power outages and each one last a long time? We lost power for 4days last Oct, and I've just added a manual switch for 10-12 items, an outdoor inlet, and a 6000watts portable generator for under $1300. This setup should handle a power outage like we had last year. I got a quote for a 7000watts standby w/ propane for like $6-8k. I forgot exactly how much, it was just ridiculously expensive as the materials are only around $2-3k, so they basically wanted $4-6k to install it. I doubt that you will need a 14k unit, for basic survival, keep your pump,fridge, non-electric heat running, if you don't really need to power your electric range during outage, I would leave it out, as it alone will use up to 5kwatts. Just use your outdoor bbq grill.

 

[JoeyP]

Agree with richardycc. The standby generators are good if you are elderly and cannot drag out a generator, or need electricity to power home oxygen, appliances and pumps while you are away (like at work, and your sump pump normally runs every 15 minutes).

I got a big Troy-Bilt from Lowes and use a transfer box. I can easily power 6 15A circuits and the unit hardly blinks. The only detectable change is a brief blip in RPM when a fridge starts up. I even ran a 1200W halogen shop light and a 12 amp air compressor off its 20A outlets and it just labored a little.

My suggestion is to look for one with wheels and a handle, with a plastic gas tank.

 

[skimple]

14KW is WAY too much power. You only have to run some lights, furnace blower, refrigerator, and maybe the stove? I wouldn't think you would need more than half-that.

Check out this calculator:
http://www.briggsandstratton.com/generators/portable-generators/portable-generators-101/wattage/

I would buy what your contractor is going to stand behind. If he isn't going to warranty it himself, then Troy-Bilt is highly rated by Consumer reports (for what that's worth)

 

[dud]

do you really need a standby? Do you have a lot of power outages and each one last a long time? We lost power for 4days last Oct, and I've just added a manual switch for 10-12 items, an outdoor inlet, and a 6000watts portable generator for under $1300. This setup should handle a power outage like we had last year. I got a quote for a 7000watts standby w/ propane for like $6-8k. I forgot exactly how much, it was just ridiculously expensive as the materials are only around $2-3k, so they basically wanted $4-6k to install it. I doubt that you will need a 14k unit, for basic survival, keep your pump,fridge, non-electric heat running, if you don't really need to power your electric range during outage, I would leave it out, as it alone will use up to 5kwatts. Just use your outdoor bbq grill.

This.

Do you really need a standby? I live in Florida with some of the most active weather on the planet. I considered buying a 5KW gen just to run the fridg and some lights during an outage but asked myself IF I really needed it. Based upon the fact that the last time I needed one was back in 2004 (for 1.5 days) and the fact that they are expensive, take up a lot of room, have to be maintained, etc. ... I decided NOT to get one.

Why do you feel that you need a standby?

 

[olds]

14k seems excessive with no central heat/ac or a well pump..
Standby is worth it over dragging generator(s) around.

 

[OutHouse]

14KW is way overkill unless you are planning on powering the whole neighborhood. Also how long will a 100g propane tank give you?

my sister built her house designed for a generator so all outlets in the house can be switched over to the gen, all she has is a honda portable gas generator and that is enough to power the house. its in the garage with a exhaust pipe going out the side of the garage. its a sweet setup and was a life saver when Hurricane Ike tore up Texas she didnt have commercial power for 2 weeks. she keeps about 40 gallon of gas on hand just in case and rotates it by putting it in their cars and refilling the cans.

how much total for the setup you are wanting to do? my guess is about 10G?

 

[DrPizza]

I've already leaned in the direction of richardycc. Power simply doesn't go out often enough to warrant having one installed. In case of "brief" power outages, we grab the oil lamps for light. If we had (we haven't yet) a brief outage during the winter, I'd need power for heat (so my heat source operates; not electric heat.) I've had a generator for a few years. In that time, there have been 3 brief (couple of hours each) outages. One was long enough such that I was minutes away from getting the generator out & running extension cords into the house.

However, I've used my generator 3 or 4 times to provide power well away from my house. If I go camping somewhere that we don't have hook-ups, I can plug the camper into the generator (and it provides plenty to even run the air conditioning in the camper.) Thus, a portable model made more sense.

14kw? That seems like a lot to me. Yes, if you have a 14kw generator, you should only be running it to provide 12 or 13kw, but even that seems like a lot of power. Electricity-wise, for 12 kw, at 10 cents per kilowatt hour, that would be running you $1.20 per hour. That's $36 per day. Is your electric bill over $1000 per month? That's the rate such a generator would easily be supplying power. Is it really worth it for a couple thousand extra dollars that if you're without power for a week, in addition to running everything else in your house, you can bake a turkey in your electric oven while simultaneously using all 4 electric burners on the stovetop? If you can decide, "hey, no electric for a week, I guess I'll just cook simple meals", then you've just saved 2 to 4 kw.

 

[Nemesis 1]

I have an electrical contractor coming out Saturday to estimate a generator instsall for me. Not bad timing with Sandy coming up the coast, although I doubt it'll be done by Wednesday before we see the weather up here in Maine.

Anyway, the contractor is locally reputable. I had a good conversation with him, and he seems to prefer GE units over others. I've heard mixed reviews on Generac, so I'm ruling that brand out since there are so many others with mostly positives.

I'll be running off of propane since NG isn't available here and I already have a 100 gal cylinder out back. My house only has 100A electrical service, but I also don't have central air, well, or sump pumps to worry about. Primary heat is forced hot water, oil. I do cook with electric only for now. So based on that, I'm looking at up to a 14kW unit and an automatic transfer switch. The contractor said he'd take a look at what I'd actually be powering in terms of load and size me smaller if it made sense.

Anyhow, I'm wondering if anyone has opinions on other brands. I'm specifically considering GE and Kohler. Are there other makes to look at? Anything you wish you'd have done during the install, but didn't?

Generators are a good idea I have a really nice one runs on propane Have a huge storage tank , I have it shielded in case of solar event so circuits don't burn out . So after event I have Heating and refrigeration for stocks. Pretty nice setup cost me plenty to install and build shelter underground.. I doubt it will help tho , As when the big one hits anything on ground or ingraound will be destroyed . But for solar flare ya I am protected.

 

[weadjust]

100 gallons of propane is not a lot of fuel. 14kw generator will burn about 1.5 gallons per hour @ 50% load.

 

[JoeyP]

Definitely figure out how much power you will draw during an outage. Do not simply add up everything in the house, go to each appliance that you KNOW will be needed and figure out the amperage.

For outages, we have 6 circuits that can switch over to generator: blower and thermostat for forced air gar furnace, power vent for gas water heater, a couple fridges, a couple light circuits, sump pump, and I think a basement circuit. These will never start all at the same time; I slowly turn on each circuit.

You can buy long extension cords with multiple outlets. Plug a couple into your generator and run them to your critical appliances. Balance a little, don't put 2 fridges or 2 space heaters on one. Keep all this in a plastic tote on top of your generator so you have everything you need in one place. You can do this for around $600. Store and cycle gasoline as suggested above.

 

[Anarchist420]

I wouldn't get one especially since you'll have to spend an S load of money for one that provides safety and clean power.

My parents spent well over $3.5k (since the end of Hurricane Isabelle 9 years ago) on a generator that we never even used. It finally just died earlier this year from my dad testing it so much and then to think of all the money and time wasted on the maintenance...

 

[sjwaste]

I guess I'm thinking standby for peace of mind. I live in southern Maine, certainly not rural, but coastal and I'm told the grid out here can be finicky. My street has buried power lines, but all of the distribution and most of the rest of the town are overhead.

I have a newborn. What I really don't want to have to do is go out in the middle of a rain or ice storm and try to start a portable generator, worry about whether I have fuel, etc. Chances are, I will fuck something up in that process because I don't have a ton of free time, and the yard work are already things I neglect (and end up paying someone to do).

I suppose I don't need 14kW. I actually just pulled that number because I have 100A service and that would power the whole house. Realistically, during an extended outage, I could cook outside on the grill. I'm not doing laundry. I need to keep the lights on, the fridge going, the heat running, a window AC or two in the summer, maybe the dishwasher (lots of bottles!), coffee pot (not lots of sleep!), and the cable modem (assuming cable isn't out). It sounds like I could get away with a smaller unit.

Worst case, I already have emergency heat if you count the propane fireplace. It uses a pilot with manual pushbutton ignition, so I'm assuming I can get that lit without electricity, I just won't have the blower.

It does sound more practical to install a transfer switch and outdoor plug to backfeed. I'm just not confident that a portable generator will work, whether that is my fault or bad luck.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You could probably get away with like 5kw, you can even run the stove with that. Your stove breaker may be 40 amps but it's not pulling nowhere near that when you only have a few rounds turned on.

Though with a hurricane coming the last thing I'd be worried about is lack of electricity, I'd be more worried about lack of house. Find a safe shelter make sure your offsite file backups are current, move any valuables (family albums/memories, that kind of stuff) away from the house with you and stay safe...