Whole Home Generator Advice

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Ron
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by Ron »

clutchied wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 9:58 pmWe got a 20kW honeywell which is just generac rebranded.
Generac and Honeywell have a cross-marketing agreement. Generac makes the generator - Honeywell makes the transfer panel. The label on the skins just indicate what brand you made your purchase from.

I also have the Honeywell product. Open the genset lid and it's all labeled Generac.

- Ron
Outer Marker
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by Outer Marker »

aburntoutcase wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:01 pm
Olly wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:29 pm I live in Northern NJ and I had a 20kW air cooled Kohler installed in 2019.

If I could have my time again I wouldn't have bought it and would have gone for Tesla Powerwalls for multiple reasons...
Interesting thought. The home actually has two arrays (4 panel and 13 panel arrays on different sections of the rood) of Tesla solar panels installed with a total capacity of 17x260 Watts or 4.42 kW. When I go to the Tesla Powerwall ordering page just to check, it insists on selling the Powerwall with a new Solar roof ($127K and 31.81 kW in solar panels) and 7 Powerwalls (which they only allow you to reduce to a minimum of 4). If you ignore the Solar Roof option, the only other option they allow is to buy at least 4.08kW solar panels together with a single Powerwall. There does not seem to be a way to order just the Powerwall. The Powerall itself is $10.5K and if you buy two it is $17K. But the minimum solar panels they will allow is 4.08 kW and that is $8.2K. Perhaps I should call Tesla after the closing and ask them if they would consider doing just a Powerwall install since I already have 4.42 kW of solar panels.
I think you are on the right track with upgrading your solar vs. buying an expensive generator. Generators also require regular maintenance. Upgraded solar will pay you back every day and serve as backup in emergency. The generator does nothing for you on a day-to-day basis.
aquaman
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by aquaman »

Outer Marker wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 9:20 am
aburntoutcase wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:01 pm
Olly wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:29 pm I live in Northern NJ and I had a 20kW air cooled Kohler installed in 2019.

If I could have my time again I wouldn't have bought it and would have gone for Tesla Powerwalls for multiple reasons...
Interesting thought. The home actually has two arrays (4 panel and 13 panel arrays on different sections of the rood) of Tesla solar panels installed with a total capacity of 17x260 Watts or 4.42 kW. When I go to the Tesla Powerwall ordering page just to check, it insists on selling the Powerwall with a new Solar roof ($127K and 31.81 kW in solar panels) and 7 Powerwalls (which they only allow you to reduce to a minimum of 4). If you ignore the Solar Roof option, the only other option they allow is to buy at least 4.08kW solar panels together with a single Powerwall. There does not seem to be a way to order just the Powerwall. The Powerall itself is $10.5K and if you buy two it is $17K. But the minimum solar panels they will allow is 4.08 kW and that is $8.2K. Perhaps I should call Tesla after the closing and ask them if they would consider doing just a Powerwall install since I already have 4.42 kW of solar panels.
I think you are on the right track with upgrading your solar vs. buying an expensive generator. Upgraded solar will pay you back every day and serve as backup in emergency. The generator does nothing for you on a day-to-day basis.
It all depends on how much protection he requires. What you're saying obviously makes sense, as expanding his solar capacity and adding solar batteries would reduce his reliance on the grid, which gives him an immediate return on his investment and also provides a measure of power backup in an emergency. Depending on his backup requirements, this may be sufficient.

Having said that, the above obviously depends on the weather and wouldn't work for extended outages. A lot of power outages are caused by inclement weather, so if he wants a solution that is not really weather dependent and would work even for more extended outages, then solar and powerwalls wouldn't replace the need for a generator.
Generators also require regular maintenance.
Generators require simple maintenance every 100 - 150 hours, which for most people means once every year or two. As I've previously posted, I purchase an OEM service kit online for roughly $50 and then pay my handyman another $50 to install it (it's a simple oil change, spark plug and air filter replacement). Every 4 years or so, I also get him to replace the battery for another $90 - $100 (it's a standard battery that you can get from any auto parts store). Most standby generator owners in our area do the same thing.

My homeowner's insurance company gives a discount for having a standby generator, which more than makes up for the above cost.
miamivice
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by miamivice »

aquaman wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:52 pm
miamivice wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:33 am
Way less than the $20k to $30k for the whole house generator.
Where did the $20K to $30K figure come from? It'll depend on the size of the generator, the location and installation complexity, but if you review this and many other threads on this subject, you'll see that in many cases putting in a 20Kw standby generator costs roughly $8K to $10K with everything.
Just to follow up on this. We had a massive power outage in my area, the 5th this year, and I got fed up with them. At your urging, I contacted the whole house generator company and got a price estimate for installation. Turns out that it will cost just under $20k for a 24kw standby generator (size recommended for our house). Ouch! That's a lot of money for just relatively minor frustration.

The cost is less of an issue for me, but what I found out is that code requirements prevent the generator from being installed within 5 feet of the property line, and also 5 feet away from windows that open. This virtually eliminated any good spot to install the generator on our property and thus it will be a no go for us.

Next I will look into portable generator options instead.
aquaman
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by aquaman »

miamivice wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:25 amJust to follow up on this. We had a massive power outage in my area, the 5th this year, and I got fed up with them. At your urging, I contacted the whole house generator company and got a price estimate for installation. Turns out that it will cost just under $20k for a 24kw standby generator (size recommended for our house). Ouch! That's a lot of money for just relatively minor frustration.
If the quote was $20K for a 24kw generator, was it for a liquid cooled one? A 24kw liquid cooled generator (most air cooled generators max out at 22kw) is roughly double the price of an air cooled one. Here's one for $10.5K at Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-24-0 ... /205460024 Here's one for $5.6K for a 22kw air cooled one at Home Depot (and you can get it much cheaper): https://www.homedepot.com/p/Generac-220 ... /305187973

Most people with residential standby generators have air cooled ones. You can add a load shedding module for a few hundred dollars, which gives you the ability to accommodate various equipment with high startup loads, such as a/c's, without upsizing your generator.
miamivice
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by miamivice »

aquaman wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:47 am
miamivice wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:25 amJust to follow up on this. We had a massive power outage in my area, the 5th this year, and I got fed up with them. At your urging, I contacted the whole house generator company and got a price estimate for installation. Turns out that it will cost just under $20k for a 24kw standby generator (size recommended for our house). Ouch! That's a lot of money for just relatively minor frustration.
If the quote was $20K for a 24kw generator, was it for a liquid cooled one? A 24kw liquid cooled generator (most air cooled generators max out at 22kw) is roughly double the price of an air cooled one. Here's one for $10.5K at Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-24-0 ... /205460024 Here's one for $5.6K for a 22kw air cooled one at Home Depot (and you can get it much cheaper): https://www.homedepot.com/p/Generac-220 ... /305187973

Most people with residential standby generators have air cooled ones. You can add a load shedding module for a few hundred dollars, which gives you the ability to accommodate various equipment with high startup loads, such as a/c's, without upsizing your generator.
I had a price quote for both and their price was essentially the same for either model. I would need the load shed adapter for either.

The price they estimated me ($20k for a 24kw model) is turnkey installation.

Generac models, not Kohler.
tomd37
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by tomd37 »

miamivice
I realize you are going another route for a generator and that is fine, but I personally think the quote for a 22kw air-cooled Generac generator is about double of what it should be. My original post, about the seventh post down, gives details of the 22kw unit I had installed for $10,300 one year ago. That included all electrical work, a new larger natural gas meter the gas company provided free as a customer of them, an automatic transfer switch, and a whole house surge protector, and all the licenses and on-site gas and electric company representatives required by code. I can run my entire home at one time, including a 2.5 and 3.0 ton a/c system. Just can't start both a/c units at the same time, but can run them both at the same time. Good luck on your portable unit.
Last edited by tomd37 on Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tom D.
killjoy2012
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by killjoy2012 »

aquaman wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:42 pm Even if you are paying $2/gallons of propane, this ends up being substantially more expensive than natural gas.
Needless to say, I think anyone planning on propane as their primary fuel source probably lives in the country and doesn't have NG available. I don't think many city ordinances would allow one to store 1,000 gallons of fuel in their urban/suburban lot.

For those with NG access, yes, NG makes a lot more sense financially and practically (e.g. cheaper, unending)... maybe with propane being a secondary source if you're really trying to prepare for a zombie apocalypse and worried about covering a NG disruption.

NG has less energy per volume vs. propane, and same for propane vs. gasoline... just if you're trying at a macro level to understand fuel consumption. Meaning for a given load over a set amount of time, you're going to burn more propane vs. gasoline, and more NG than propane.
hudson
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by hudson »

tomd37 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:36 pm miamivice
I realize you are going another route for a generator and that is fine, but I personally think the quote for a 22kw air-cooled Generac generator is about double of what it should be. My original post, about the seventh post down, gives details of the 22kw unit I had installed for $10,300 one year ago. That included all electrical work, a new larger natural gas meter the gas company provided free as a customer of them, an automatic transfer switch, and a whole house surge protector, and all the licenses and on-site gas and electric company representatives required by code. I can run my entire home at one time, including a 2.5 and 3.0 ton a/c system. Just can't start both a/c units at the same time, but can run them both at the same time. Good luck on your portable unit.
I had a 22kw Generac installed this year for just over $12K out the door including purchase of a 325 gallon propane tank. There are auto cutoffs for the dryer and heat strips on the heating system. I'm not in a high cost area; I can see the job easily costing over $20K in high cost areas, especially if the landscaping repairs are hired out.
aquaman
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by aquaman »

tomd37 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:36 pm miamivice
I realize you are going another route for a generator and that is fine, but I personally think the quote for a 22kw air-cooled Generac generator is about double of what it should be. My original post, about the seventh post down, gives details of the 22kw unit I had installed for $10,300 one year ago. That included all electrical work, a new larger natural gas meter the gas company provided free as a customer of them, an automatic transfer switch, and a whole house surge protector, and all the licenses and on-site gas and electric company representatives required by code. I can run my entire home at one time, including a 2.5 and 3.0 ton a/c system. Just can't start both a/c units at the same time, but can run them both at the same time. Good luck on your portable unit.
Not only is it about double of what it should be, but the contractor proposing to install an air cooled generator that costs about $5K less than a liquid cooled one for roughly the same $20K is either charging insane prices or is including some very expensive extras.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by TomatoTomahto »

aquaman wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 7:49 am
tomd37 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:36 pm miamivice
I realize you are going another route for a generator and that is fine, but I personally think the quote for a 22kw air-cooled Generac generator is about double of what it should be. My original post, about the seventh post down, gives details of the 22kw unit I had installed for $10,300 one year ago. That included all electrical work, a new larger natural gas meter the gas company provided free as a customer of them, an automatic transfer switch, and a whole house surge protector, and all the licenses and on-site gas and electric company representatives required by code. I can run my entire home at one time, including a 2.5 and 3.0 ton a/c system. Just can't start both a/c units at the same time, but can run them both at the same time. Good luck on your portable unit.
Not only is it about double of what it should be, but the contractor proposing to install an air cooled generator that costs about $5K less than a liquid cooled one for roughly the same $20K is either charging insane prices or is including some very expensive extras.
Supply and demand. Our generators were around 6 months lead time.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
Ron
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by Ron »

tomd37 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:36 pmI can run my entire home at one time, including a 2.5 and 3.0 ton a/c system. Just can't start both a/c units at the same time, but can run them both at the same time.
No problem; the standard Generac transfer switch (manufactured by Honeywell) are managed by the Overload Protection Control Board (OPCB) integrated within the automatic transfer switch. The OPCB can manage two central air conditioning units without the addition of any hardware.

Up to four additional loads can be controlled by adding Power Management Module Starter Kit (PMM), which requires the installation of a Power Management Module. The kit includes one PMM and the 24-volt transformer required to operate the modules.

I have four Power Management Modules https://www.norwall.com/products/Genera ... dule-6186/ for four 220V circuits beyond the single heat pump managed by the OPCB with priority 1-4 set up as follows:

1 - Microwave/Oven (combo wall unit)
2 - Island Counter cooktop
3 - Dryer
4 - Hot water heater

Normally the dryer would be last (according to the installers) but I switched them since the hot water heater has a reserve and doesn't need to be manually restarted if it falls offline, whereas the clothes dryer would have to be restarted if it fell off.

FWIW,

- Ron
Ron
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by Ron »

killjoy2012 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:12 pmNeedless to say, I think anyone planning on propane as their primary fuel source probably lives in the country and doesn't have NG available. I don't think many city ordinances would allow one to store 1,000 gallons of fuel in their urban/suburban lot.
Follow the money :annoyed ...

The development above me has NG; the same with the development below me.

We don't have access to NG. The developer that did our area (around 100 lots/homes) received a bit of vig to keep the area electric only. That's why I have an underground 500 propane tank to power my Generac 20kVA unit.

OTOH at least with propane, I get the full rated 20kVA output rather than the same unit on NG, which is rated at 18kVA.

FWIW,

- Ron
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StevieG72
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by StevieG72 »

I have one for my business, it is a big beast that runs on natural gas. It will run EVERYTHING as if we never lost power from our primary source.

I think they are overkill for most homes. They do require regular maintenance to keep them running and ready when needed.
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
OldBallCoach
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by OldBallCoach »

We are on day 2 again using ours as the power was taken out by a storm and we are on the small pocket of homes that are still without power...I could not imagine ever living in a home without a backup generator...but thats just me I guess...
Archimedes
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by Archimedes »

When we were young, we just toughed it out with power failures. Empty the fridge of easily spoiled food, huddle around the fireplace, etc.

Now we are older and look to spend some of our wealth on things that will make our lives better. Spending money on a whole house generator was an easy decision as we now have more money than we will likely ever need.

House 5,700 square feet.
Natural gas service.
22 kw Generac, air cooled.
4 AC units with load shedding.
VHCOL area.
White glove installation $15k including upgrade of natural gas service lines and meter.

We can relax when there are long power failures and know that we will be comfortable. We view it like insurance, worth the cost for those occasional events. The decision for Generac was based on the recommendation of our large, local generator service company. We have had positive results with Generac in 2 homes over the past decade.
miamivice
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by miamivice »

tomd37 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:36 pm miamivice
I realize you are going another route for a generator and that is fine, but I personally think the quote for a 22kw air-cooled Generac generator is about double of what it should be. My original post, about the seventh post down, gives details of the 22kw unit I had installed for $10,300 one year ago. That included all electrical work, a new larger natural gas meter the gas company provided free as a customer of them, an automatic transfer switch, and a whole house surge protector, and all the licenses and on-site gas and electric company representatives required by code. I can run my entire home at one time, including a 2.5 and 3.0 ton a/c system. Just can't start both a/c units at the same time, but can run them both at the same time. Good luck on your portable unit.
I looked at your post and it appears that the generator is in close proximity to both the electric and the gas. Unfortunately, due to the geometry of my house and lot, I have a lengthy (110') run from the generator to the utilities which drives up cost.

Bottom line - regardless of whether the cost "should" be what you paid, it is what it is. About $20k for my house in my neck of the woods.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by TomatoTomahto »

miamivice wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:52 am Bottom line - regardless of whether the cost "should" be what you paid, it is what it is. About $20k for my house in my neck of the woods.
Costs can also vary if there’s a lot of “clean up” work involved in the electrical panels. Some of the required clean up varies depending on local code, the layout of your panels, how many panels, etc.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
hudson
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by hudson »

miamivice wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:52 am
tomd37 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:36 pm miamivice
I realize you are going another route for a generator and that is fine, but I personally think the quote for a 22kw air-cooled Generac generator is about double of what it should be. My original post, about the seventh post down, gives details of the 22kw unit I had installed for $10,300 one year ago. That included all electrical work, a new larger natural gas meter the gas company provided free as a customer of them, an automatic transfer switch, and a whole house surge protector, and all the licenses and on-site gas and electric company representatives required by code. I can run my entire home at one time, including a 2.5 and 3.0 ton a/c system. Just can't start both a/c units at the same time, but can run them both at the same time. Good luck on your portable unit.
I looked at your post and it appears that the generator is in close proximity to both the electric and the gas. Unfortunately, due to the geometry of my house and lot, I have a lengthy (110') run from the generator to the utilities which drives up cost.

Bottom line - regardless of whether the cost "should" be what you paid, it is what it is. About $20k for my house in my neck of the woods.
I paid around $12K for mine, but I would've paid 20. After 46 years of winging it, I decided to get the service. It was within my 2021 spending allowance.

Lots of things could increase the price of a turnkey installation. The electrician might require that the service be upgraded. One might have to cut through a driveway. The landscaper might charge scalper prices to fix the dug up yard. I was required to plant shrubs to hide the propane tank.
aquaman
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by aquaman »

miamivice wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:52 am
tomd37 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:36 pm miamivice
I realize you are going another route for a generator and that is fine, but I personally think the quote for a 22kw air-cooled Generac generator is about double of what it should be. My original post, about the seventh post down, gives details of the 22kw unit I had installed for $10,300 one year ago. That included all electrical work, a new larger natural gas meter the gas company provided free as a customer of them, an automatic transfer switch, and a whole house surge protector, and all the licenses and on-site gas and electric company representatives required by code. I can run my entire home at one time, including a 2.5 and 3.0 ton a/c system. Just can't start both a/c units at the same time, but can run them both at the same time. Good luck on your portable unit.
I looked at your post and it appears that the generator is in close proximity to both the electric and the gas. Unfortunately, due to the geometry of my house and lot, I have a lengthy (110') run from the generator to the utilities which drives up cost.

Bottom line - regardless of whether the cost "should" be what you paid, it is what it is. About $20k for my house in my neck of the woods.
It's obviously your money and your decision, but I would get more quotes. If you've got a contractor quoting $20K for a 24kw liquid cooled generator, this means that the generator is roughly $11K - $11.5K and the installation is about $8.5K - $9K.

If you get an air cooled generator, the installation cost should remain roughly the same. As I mentioned above, a 22kw air cooled generator is roughly $5K - $6K, so, with installation, your all-in cost should be roughly $13.5K - $15K.

It just makes no sense to quote roughly $20K all-in for a $5K - $6K 22kw air cooled generator or for a $11K - $11.5K 24kw liquid cooled one. If, however, $13.5K - $15K wouldn't be worth it in your case, then I wouldn't waste any more time on this.
PKD
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Whole-house generator

Post by PKD »

[Merged into previous discussion -- mod oldcomputerguy]

Can anyone recommend a whole-house generator? We have an underground liquid propane tank that we may be able to connect it to. We have a big house, and I would like to be able to get it to run as normal when the power goes out.

Thanks in advance.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Whole-house generator

Post by TomatoTomahto »

PKD wrote: Mon Aug 16, 2021 9:03 amrun as normal
Well, run as normal can be a big ask, but you can get for all practical purposes, close. We have (or shortly will have) most of our large house backed up, but as a practical matter won’t have our pool pumps included, and I would not recommend taking a sauna.

Others have more experience with whole house generators than I do (we have a one off use case), but I expect that you’ll be pointed to 20-22kw propane generators by Generac or Koehler, whichever has more convenient service nearby.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Re: Whole-house generator

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

I considered a whole-house generator when my old portable generator crapped out.

But, I decided on another portable setup (tri-fuel) as we have experienced in the past long hurricane related outages. My neighborhood has a lot of trees, in fact my street has a canopy over parts.

My fear was a whole-house generator might have fuel issues, as there have been times traffic was near impossible to enter the large subdivision we go thru to reach our smaller subdivision.

If fuel availability was not an issue, I would have gladly spent the funds for a whole-house unit.

Right now all the lights downstairs and the two refrigerators and various light duty branches are backed up.
'
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Toadie
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Re: Whole-house generator

Post by Toadie »

We've got a Generac 16kw. Very happy with it. I've seen and read some complaints about the kinds sold/installed from big box stores. We went to a local power system company that installed and services it and we've had no complaints. I get the sense that there are Generacs and there are Generacs, and it pays to make sure you know which you'll be getting.
Jeepergeo
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by Jeepergeo »

Check Costco. I recall them peddling Generac stationary units with Costco pricing.

I looked at stationary auxiliary power but decided to not put all my eggs into one fixed basket. Instead, I went with 2 Honda portable gasoline generators that can be run in parallel or separately plus a GoalZero 3000X battery based unit with a portable solar panel. The GoalZero was expensive, but it can run silently. The three units meet all my essestial electrical needs, but not my full house AC needs. We have a single room portable AC that anybof the Hondas or Goal Zero can run in a pinch.

I have a bunch of heavy duty extension cords to move power around.
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Re: Whole-house generator

Post by hudson »

PKD wrote: Mon Aug 16, 2021 9:03 am [Merged into previous discussion -- mod oldcomputerguy]

Can anyone recommend a whole-house generator? We have an underground liquid propane tank that we may be able to connect it to. We have a big house, and I would like to be able to get it to run as normal when the power goes out.

Thanks in advance.
I liked Generac. I've had a 22KW Generac for 6 months or so and it's still working fine. The installed system has switches that will automatically cut off the dryer and or the strip heat on the heat pump if certain conditions exist. I'm not exactly sure how that works. I can live with that.
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queso
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Re: Whole-house generator

Post by queso »

hudson wrote: Mon Aug 16, 2021 12:27 pm
PKD wrote: Mon Aug 16, 2021 9:03 am [Merged into previous discussion -- mod oldcomputerguy]

Can anyone recommend a whole-house generator? We have an underground liquid propane tank that we may be able to connect it to. We have a big house, and I would like to be able to get it to run as normal when the power goes out.

Thanks in advance.
I liked Generac. I've had a 22KW Generac for 6 months or so and it's still working fine. The installed system has switches that will automatically cut off the dryer and or the strip heat on the heat pump if certain conditions exist. I'm not exactly sure how that works. I can live with that.
I have a 20kw Kohler, but I would imagine the load shedding works in a similar fashion. This is the best explanation I have found of how it works - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F_2eCeBbwM
egrets
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by egrets »

teCh0010 wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 4:36 pm You want the brand that someone local to you will come out and service.

Natural Gas, 22Kw or larger, protect all your furnace blowers but you probably don’t need to protect all the ACs. Carrying all three ACs may require a larger generator so if you can hold up in part of the house on one AC that’s better.

To do this right you need a plumber, electrician, and someone to pour a small concrete pad.
I have a Generac 16Kw. The concrete pad arrived premade. The company, authorized dealer, handled everything including the electrical work. The generator is natural gas, auto off/on, automatic shedding thing for the air conditioning.

Estimate was $7800. I think there was an extra charge to bring in more electric power from the street, but I don't recall it as being a big charge.

Test runs 5 minutes once a week, has functioned during two brief power failures. The company does checkups, I cant recall if it is six month or 1 year interval.

I remember the company checked to be sure there was enough natural gas service to supply everything and the generator or there would have been an extra cost to upgrade that.

However, a couple of years later National Grid was replacing the gas lines in my street and said they found they had to do something to the meter. I don't recall what. It was something about a regulator in the meter not being sized enough for the gas that would have been drawn if all the gas appliancees including the generator were running at once. I don't recall what would have happened if the regulator had not been replaced, if stuff would have shut off or what, anyone know?
tomd37
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by tomd37 »

egrets - The gas company probably replaced the gas meter with a larger capacity one. My local gas company did that free of charge when my 22kW Generac was installed fourteen months ago. My bid included replacing three valves on other natural gas using products we have, but they were not required per the gas company so that charge was removed from my Generac bill. Paid $10,300 for the entire installation that took four hours. The 4-inch Generac custom molded pad was included as was the Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) and a whole-house surge protector. We have not had to use the generator yet but it tests weekly for six minutes. Starts on full speed and drops to low speed after thirty seconds.

We did have a 69-hour outage about four months before the unit was installed. Next door neighbor has the same unit and his ran continuously and was the only home of 162 here that had power for those 69 hours. :beer
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jharkin
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by jharkin »

killjoy2012 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:12 pm Needless to say, I think anyone planning on propane as their primary fuel source probably lives in the country and doesn't have NG available. I don't think many city ordinances would allow one to store 1,000 gallons of fuel in their urban/suburban lot.
Not necessarily. I live about 20 miles from Boston as the crow flies. The town has natural gas, but not every street. All the old parts of town have gas from when it was first put 100+ years ago... and most of the newer 80s/90s/etc developments do... But a couple of really big developments that went in during the 50s and 60s do NOT have gas lines. I suspect that fuel oil was really cheap at that point and the developers didn't want to pay to have the utility extend the gas lines. Today we wish they did but it would require the majority of homes on these streets committing to spend $$ to hookup before the utility will agree to rip up the street and lay pipe...

... so it never has and never will happen.

Going forward there is a big push to get people all-electric and incentivize heat pumps etc so I think the days of expanding the NG infrastructure are numbered.
Dominic123
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House Generator

Post by Dominic123 »

[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek]

Hello new to the forum.

Just had a quick question I’m wanting to run some things in case of a Emergancy.

So I seen this Westinghouse 5300w generator.

It can run LPG or Gas

But I was trying to see if anyone has ever ran Natural house gas on this generator

I know they sell conversion kits but it looks like this one has it already.

Thanks
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Re: Whole Home Generator Advice

Post by LadyGeek »

Welcome! I merged your thread into the ongoing discussion. What's the model number of the generator you're looking at?
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HomeStretch
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Re: House Generator

Post by HomeStretch »

Dominic123 wrote: Sun Oct 24, 2021 4:00 pm [Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek]

Hello new to the forum.

Just had a quick question I’m wanting to run some things in case of a Emergancy.

So I seen this Westinghouse 5300w generator.

It can run LPG or Gas …
Welcome to the forum!

Sounds like you are asking about a portable generator rather than a permanently-installed whole house generator.

For a portable generator that is wheeled out during a power outage, consider checking with your town building department to see whether code allows you to use a natural gas hook-up. I recall from one of these generator threads a post saying someone had a LP or natural gas line installed that they could use intermittently to run a portable generator.

In my town, I am not allowed to have a gas feed for temporary connection to a portable generator. It is only allowed for whole house generators fed by a permanently-connected gas line that has been permitted and inspected for safety reasons.
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willthrill81
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Re: House Generator

Post by willthrill81 »

HomeStretch wrote: Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:15 pm In my town, I am not allowed to have a gas feed for temporary connection to a portable generator. It is only allowed for whole house generators fed by a permanently-connected gas line that has been permitted and inspected for safety reasons.
I've never heard of such a restriction before and wonder how common it is.
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nigel_ht
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Re: House Generator

Post by nigel_ht »

willthrill81 wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 10:29 am
HomeStretch wrote: Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:15 pm In my town, I am not allowed to have a gas feed for temporary connection to a portable generator. It is only allowed for whole house generators fed by a permanently-connected gas line that has been permitted and inspected for safety reasons.
I've never heard of such a restriction before and wonder how common it is.
Makes sense though…a propane tank leak is bad enough…
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willthrill81
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Re: House Generator

Post by willthrill81 »

nigel_ht wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 6:15 pm
willthrill81 wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 10:29 am
HomeStretch wrote: Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:15 pm In my town, I am not allowed to have a gas feed for temporary connection to a portable generator. It is only allowed for whole house generators fed by a permanently-connected gas line that has been permitted and inspected for safety reasons.
I've never heard of such a restriction before and wonder how common it is.
Makes sense though…a propane tank leak is bad enough…
Actually, natural gas is safer outdoors than is propane. Methane is lighter than air and floats upward from any leaks, dissipating quickly, while propane is heavier than air and can collect in depressions, waiting for an ignition source to blow it up.
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