OT: Whole House Back Up Generator Fringe Benefits

D

Dean

Well-known Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

My 20 KW Kohler whole house back up generator has been running for nearly three hours now.

Without it, I would not have been able to watch UK loose to Auburn.

Woo hoo!

Dean

 

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ditchwitch

Well-known Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

I have been thinking about having one put in just haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. Glad you were able to watch the game

 

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john in la

Well-known Member

Location

What part of in La do you not understand

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

I bet that blows most march madness brackets right out of the water.
Especially since UK beat Auburn twice during the regular season.

 

OP

OP

D

Dean

Well-known Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

Made my day, John.

I've never considered myself an Auburn fan but I am an ABK (anybody but Kentucky) guy.

Dean

 

jm.

Well-known Member

Location

Dover TN

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

Yea but Tennessee beat Kentucky twice and Auburn beat Tennessee twice. Auburn is hot, just watched the mighty DUKE get dethroned.

 

OP

OP

D

Dean

Well-known Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

Yes they are, VERY hot.

Still, I didn't think that they would beat UK, especially after Okeke blew out his knee Friday.

Dean

 

J

john in la

Well-known Member

Location

What part of in La do you not understand

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

While I am going to pull for the SEC team I think Mi state is the team to beat of the 4 left.

 

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Bonnan

Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

MS just did it.

 

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dpendzic

Well-known Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

wouldn't a little 3K generator have done the same thing?

 

OP

OP

D

Dean

Well-known Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

Perhaps, but the 20K is installed and starts up and comes online automatically.

I was also running the washer and dryer.

Dean

 

G

Gene Davis (Ga.)

Well-known Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

I have a 20 ES Kohler unit running nat. Gas. $2500.00 for the generator and a billion dollar peace of mind because it is ready to go at a moments notice. Best money I spent in many years.

 

OP

OP

D

Dean

Well-known Member

• Mar 31, 2019

• #1

It's a tough call now.

I don't think that UVA will win it but TT is tough to predict, and Auburn is really playing well.

Still, MSU is probably the team to beat now.

Dean

 

H

huntingreen2day2

Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

Me too

 

4

4520BW

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

Me to plus Louisville!

 

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Texasmark1

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

NO! First of all would be getting it out (from wherever you had it stored), weather permitting...usually not the case, and having enough "fresh" fuel on hand to run it however long it took. Then does it "feel like" starting or is the battery dead....oh wait, it's a hand crank.. Then there are the extension cords run all over the house to swap this and that....but you only have selective lights that work so you have to pull out the old whale oil lamp or candles. Then it might be the middle of the night and you "were" trying to sleep.......need I go on?

 

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Shetland Sheepdog

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

--- and it's pouring down rain!

 

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Shetland Sheepdog

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

BTDT!
We now have a 22KW "whole house" wired in auto start, plumbed to 500 gallon propane tank!

 

J

john in la

Well-known Member

Location

What part of in La do you not understand

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

You forgot the best part mark

And as soon as you jump threw all these hoops and get it hooked up the electricity comes back on.

 

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D beatty

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

I have an 8,000 k B&S portable generator and have it up and running in 15 minutes. One large cord from gen to house and throw one switch. Enough power to run what's needed in a power outage.

 

BarnyardEngineering

Well-known Member

Location

Rochester, NY

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

All well and good, if you have already have a bypass installed, and you keep up with the maintenance of your generator, but it's STILL "15 minutes" where an automatic standby is virtually instant, and automatic. The generator takes care of itself, performs its own testing every week.

Plus if the power's only out for 20 minutes, you don't have to go out and put it all away after getting only 5 minutes of use.

Lots of advantages to the automatic standby. All it takes is money.

In 15 years, I've only ever had to use a generator for the house twice, once for a job interview (via Skype, and the power was out when I got home), and once when the power was out for 30 hours.

 

OP

OP

D

Dean

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

How do you isolate the house from the utility service?

Dean

 

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D beatty

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

With a transfer switch( small box with switches and meters). The big door to right has the 200 amp main panel.

 

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D beatty

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

I have priced whole house backup generator and can't justify the cost of one ($12,00.00- $17,000.00) when
they get used several times a year for short time.The longest we have ever been out is a week and that was
18 years ago.

 

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Texasmark1

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

Yessssss. Grin. You are so correct....never know when it will return.....un-desired guessing game.

 

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Texasmark1

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

My 11kw Generac was $2500, transfer switch $450, new 250 gallon tank, 80% propane fill (back when gas was high), tank and line installation, $1450. I did the Generac installation and the propane co. installed the gas. Local REA COOP signed off on the installation. Actually it was free. Cows were way up at the time I sold off my livestock....my 3 year old "grade" Brangus bull brought $3200, and just about paid for the deal by himself and the rest were in proportion; Durant, Ok. Livestock auction, Feb. 2014 .

 

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D beatty

Well-known Member

• Apr 1, 2019

• #1

I was looking at 25-27k which is what it would take to run every thing without overloading generator and cover any surges.

 

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Texasmark1

Well-known Member

• Apr 2, 2019

• #1

Ok. My goal was to maintain basic functions keeping the cost (fuel consumption cost/volume in particular) reasonable. Things that didn't need to be done could wait, or using a microwave/coffee pot/iron example, just do the tasks in series rather than parallel.

 

Destroked 450

Well-known Member

Location

Harned, Ky

• Apr 2, 2019

• #1

We have a 75 kw automatic backup gen set for our poultry barns, in 2009 we had a bad ice storm with power out for over 10 days, the generator burnt just under 400 gallons of diesel during that time.
A friend had a 20 kw propane gen set wired into their house with 150 gallon tank, they ran out of fuel after 5 days.
We had a small 5.5 kw gas generated hooked to our house running essentials, lights, refrigerator, hot plate, water pump, tv. That little generator would burn 10 gallons of gas in 24 hours.

I've been watching for a deal on a 10 kw diesel generator for the house, that'll run everything but the electric heat and we have a gas log insert for that.