Posted on 11/19/2022 1:40:05 PM PST by gop4lyf
I want to hire an electrician to set up my house so that I can just plug it in to my house when the power goes out. What additional things do I need to buy that the electrician will need?
Here is my generator - Westinghouse 12500 Watt Dual Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator, Remote Electric Start, Transfer Switch Ready, Gas and Propane Powered, CARB Compliant https://a.co/d/gSlgcUv
Also, what can I expect to be able to run on a generator of this size? I definitely want my refrigerator, and preferably my central heat and air conditioning (air conditioning will not likely ever be needed).
If you are going to run it off nat gas, you have to have knowledgeable plumbers set that up. Good luck.
“The last outgage for me lasted 3 days. How much fuel would that huge genset use running for 72 hours? 25 gallons, 30 gallons, 40 gallons? That is some serious jack.
A couple of hours is all fun and games but try the 5, 6, 7 day outages....”
Your right about that.I lost power for a week when we had a Dericho rip through here and destroyed all of the trees knocking down our major power lines
I had No water,No food,since the food in the Refer was spoiled and even if we wanted to cook we had No microwave or electric range.We were basically screwed.
I tried to get a reimbursement for the food loss from the insurance company, but they only provide half coverage, so it wasn’t worth it.
Lessons like that are what got me into buying that Generac.As I said we have power failures here often because the POWER Utilities don’t want to trim the trees overhanging these power lines.
I calculated that my generator could run 5 days if needed on my tanks 500 gallons.fortunately I haven’t needed to run it that long.
Emergency generators normally are 3,600 rpm units. Those are NOT designed to run for long periods of time.
If by chance you have an 1,800 rpm unit those MAY be usable for longer periods of time before voiding the warranty.
The best unit IMO is a Hawkpower unit that has a Lister Petter diesel with the internals modified to burn natural gas. Those you can run 24/7 for about six weeks w/o voiding the warranty. With the large capacity oil pan you can double that run time.
IIRC those engines are good for 40,000 hours before a rebuild,
12500 watts is just 100 amps at 120v. 50A at 240V. Enough to run the outlets and the refrigerator, but not enough for a heat pump or electric stove. The typical house is wired for 200 amps.
Sure, why not. A good nap helps clear the mind/sarc.
A big meal, a glass of wine, clean sheets, the steady hum of the generator in the bedroom.
All electric heat will draw a lot of power. You’ll have enough to run the central heating, but don’t try to run stove and clothes dryer at the same time. Have you switched to LED lighting? Do.
I’m in the process of looking into this as well.
Fun for the whole family!
/Sarc.
Whoops, I screwed up, too! We don’t winter on Martha’s Vineyard. That’s the summer house. We winter in Hawaii. You can just call me “McCain” — I get all the houses mixed up.
Your generator is big enough to run pretty much everything in your house. My experience with a dual fuel generator is that it will only be able to use about half of a 20 gallon propane tank before the tank freezes up and becomes unable to provide sufficient pressure to fuel the generator.
I’ve installed plenty of whole house generators. 12500w start up/ 8500 run is plenty for an emergency. Just don’t toast bread while drying your hair. An automatic transfer switch runs around 400$. The switch will determine which circuits run on the generator. Expect one day labor with a 2 man crew. I’m not sure where you live but around here that’s 1000$.
Good luck 👍
Never hurts to get educated on what you need before you buy something. Figure out the amps needed to run and go from there.
Generac is the only way to go in my opinion. Ours quit 3 day in an ice storm. They drove 150 miles from St Louis under warranty and did whatever they needed to. No charge. We have a 10 yr warranty. Starts 10 minutes a week to keep battery fresh. Starts 60 seconds after power goes out. If it is nasty outside the last thing you need to do is go out and try to get one started.
I have had a Generac generator for years! Best thing I ever did.
I installed it myself. I am not an electrician, but being an HVAC guy I have electrical skills due to the cross-trade electrical work I did.
Not that hard, following Generac instructions. LP gas. Fully automatic. By prioritizing circuits I was able to live happily with the largest SINGLE cylinder model.
The smallest twin cylinder uses TWICE as much fuel.
I’ve been wondering how to improve our well pump so it can run off our generator in our RV or install a windmill to it.
I used to power my entire 2400 sq ft house with a 5k genset. 12,500 watts is way more than needed to run an entire house.
Check with your electric utility. https://www.portablegenerators360.com/generlink-meter-mounted-transfer-switch-review/
First, if you are in California (CARB compliant) you will have to move to use it. They’ve outlawed pretty much all gas generators.
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