Portable Generator

[Iplayfarmer]

Having 3 cooling compressors to run plus water pump & heater means you'll want a large unit. Anything that runs 220v brings other issues to the table. You can tie 2 of the switches together on my transfer switch to get 220v but you cannot run a stove through it because the switches are only rated for 20amps not the 40 or 50 amps needed for a stove. You'd want to go the extra mile and get the whole house switch. NorthernTool.com has a bunch of generator equipment you can peruse to get an idea of what you can buy including auto transfer switches and tri-fuel gen's that run gas/propane/natural gas.

Was just looking around, if still early in your house build then maybe a panel like this would be good. It looks like it's all built in. Reliance Generator-Ready 200 Amp Panel — Dual Analog Wattmeters, For Generators up to 60 Amps/15,000 Watts | Transfer Switches | Northern Tool + Equipment

A trifuel genny would be cool! Actually anything that runs propane works since propane can be stored for long periods of time.

 

[RonMar]

Electric hot water heater is a real killer and will pull 4.5KW all by itself. 2 reefers and freezer are probably going to be just less that 1.5KW combined, but only if they are all running at once. How big is your well pump. A large inductive startup load can really put a strain on a generator. Once it is running it probably won't be much load, but startup can pull 2-3 times or more than the running/nameplate load. You need a list of wants and a consultation with a sparcktrician Oh, and don't consult with one who deals and or sells generators and transfer switches. they will usually try and convince you that bigger is better, but they won't be paying the fuel bills...

Good Luck.

 

[whistlepig]

I have been thinking about buying a portable gererator to back up the wood furnace blower in the basement and maybe run the fridge if needed. I could also use one at the other farm we have since there is no power there. I received an email from TSC for this generator Champion Power Equipment 3500 W Portable Gasoline Generator - 4434023 | Tractor Supply Company and was wondering if it was a good one?

I know very little about what size generator to get or what household items it could run. :ashamed:Could someone enlighten me.

At some point we plan to buy a large backup for the house but don't see it in the near future.

Thanks,
David

It depends on how often you have power outages. We had a power outage three years ago and I had wiring done and bought a generator. We haven't had a power outage since. Even at that the wiring and generator was well worth the price just for the piece of mind. We have enough generator for the basics. Pellet stove for heat, well pump for water, and can run the fridges and a few appliances. Whole house generators and the wiring for it is money well spent if one has a lot of power outages. But for us and just an occasional power outage our basic system didn't cost enough to become a white elephant. I really like my Honda generator. They have generator size recommendations on their website. Honda Power Equipment - Generators

 

[adjusterr]

My set up is a 2500 Kawasaki and a 4000 Coleman contractor model. I can get by with the 2500 as I have LP for cooking, a heater in the gameroom, and wood heat. My solution is a "Pigtail" plug hardwired into the panel box. When the power goes off, I throw the main switch off to prevent backfeed and turn off all individual breakers. I plug the generator in and throw individual breakers to serve necessary circuits. I run the refrigerator until it stops, same with the freezer. I use one light circuit. This set up requires monitoring for the fridge and freezer but has gotten me thru numerous outages and minumum expense. The generator is outside on the carport with the feed line entering through a portal cut in the garage wall. I have yet to need the 400 watt Coleman. This is a low budget setup but it works.

 

[Skyco]

I have about the same set up as you and I chose to upgrade to a small diesel 6500W generator and it serves my needs well. It uses about 1/4 gallon an hour at 1/2 load. Compared to my previous gas generator which consumed about a gallon an hour at the same load. I chose an Aurora open frame generator

I have two similar generators except they are the enclosed quieter variety.
In the pics you linked the engine appears identical to mine, generic chinese yanmar clone.
Here is the question- can you start and stop remotely as shown without ever going out to the generator to reset that stop lever?
On mine when you turn it off that lever springs back and has to be manaully moved back into the detent to the right to restart it.
Just curious how they get around this. Or maybe they don't.

 

[Financegal]

It depends on how often you have power outages. We had a power outage three years ago and I had wiring done and bought a generator. We haven't had a power outage since. Even at that the wiring and generator was well worth the price just for the piece of mind.



The above words - never a truer statement uttered. We rarely have outages but then the blizzard of 2010 that hit the east coast did it for me. No power for over 5 days.

Plannning began - in March I bought a generator, then added a transfer switch in October. Electric company installed the switch which is a Generlink which aren't cheap but I like the features of that type. Switch cost was spread over 4 months interest free as part of my bill. Bought extra gas containers. Total cost of all - generator, switch and down to the extra gas containers was about $1800. A lot if I never need it or a mere pittance in another such storm. I think about how much food had to be thrown out due to spoilage. A regular transfer switch would have been cheaper - but I liked the features of a Generlink and by purchasing everything at different times I was able to spread cost over many months - much easier on the budget!

 

[robs660]

I'd say the last thing you want to do is run out of fuel half way through the outage and not have fridge or heat. It's all about planning. A generator is no good without fuel, and gasoline doesn't store very well. You have to decide what amount of time you are going to be prepared for. Buy that much fuel, use a stabilizer, and keep it rotated.

I hold 40 gallons on hand and then if not needed I use in car and then refresh my stock when the forecast calls for anything. 40 gallons will get me through 4 or 5 days. Never had to go more then 2 days on it and I can always get more gas if needed

 

[dcyrilc]

A trifuel genny would be cool! Actually anything that runs propane works since propane can be stored for long periods of time.

I went with a small 10KW NG/LPG generator for the house. Fuel was one of the concerns I had. Being an electrician, wiring the genpanel was no concern. I went with a 100 amp auto transfer switch and a 45 amp main in the genpanel since that's what the generator has. This will let me run about half the power available on utility power. Our service main is 100 amps.

The house has gas hot water and heat. As for cooking, we have both electric and gas stoves so during an outage we just use the gas. More than enough power to live life as normal during an outage.



Something I want to mention as a side note:
All the new quiet (non-contractor) generators sold in the US have their outputs controled with a GFCI type curcuit. This means that if you have anything connected in the house which does power conditioning (such as a UPS for your computer) it will trip the breaker on the generator.

A few years back we had a storm which took out 80% of the power in the region. Some areas were out for several weeks. A friend called me that night because he couldn't get the generator he bought to run without tripping the breaker on the generator as soon as he plugged it into the genpanel in the house. It took a few hours in the dark to find and unplug the two items tripping the breaker. One was the UPS for his computer. I don't remember what the other was.
Just something to be aware of and check out before an outage.

 

[Financegal]

Being an electrician, wiring the genpanel was no concern.

Something I want to mention as a side note:
All the new quiet (non-contractor) generators sold in the US have their outputs controled with a QFCI curcuit. This means that if you have anything connected in the house which does power conditioning (such as a UPS for your computer) it will trip the breaker on the generator.

Okay I am seriously electrically challenged but see you are an electrician. Not sure what the above means but it may relate to a question I have. The transfer switch I had installed said you CAN'T use a generator with the GFCI full panel (which seems to mostly be Honda models like in your above post for the most part). My brand new generator does not have that. On the transfer switch website they have a list of approved types of generators (which is pretty outdated in that many of those generators have been superceded now with newer models) and it uses the term "bonded neutral" by most of the acceptable ones. My brand new generator doesn't have the GFCI full panel designation but uses the term "floating neutral". Any problem with this or is it just that the newer models now are beginning to be floating vs bonded? Either that or I am assuming that as long as my generator isn't GFCI it doesn't even matter?

 

[dcyrilc]

Being an electrician, wiring the genpanel was no concern.

Something I want to mention as a side note:
All the new quiet (non-contractor) generators sold in the US have their outputs controled with a GFCI type curcuit. This means that if you have anything connected in the house which does power conditioning (such as a UPS for your computer) it will trip the breaker on the generator.

Okay I am seriously electrically challenged but see you are an electrician. Not sure what the above means but it may relate to a question I have. The transfer switch I had installed said you CAN'T use a generator with the GFCI full panel (which seems to mostly be Honda models like in your above post for the most part). My brand new generator does not have that. On the transfer switch website they have a list of approved types of generators (which is pretty outdated in that many of those generators have been superceded now with newer models) and it uses the term "bonded neutral" by most of the acceptable ones. My brand new generator doesn't have the GFCI full panel designation but uses the term "floating neutral". Any problem with this or is it just that the newer models now are beginning to be floating vs bonded? Either that or I am assuming that as long as my generator isn't GFCI it doesn't even matter?

A system with a bonded neutral means that the neutral and ground are physically bonded together. This is what creates the ground fault protection in conventional circuits, including your house. Your generator may not say GFCI, but if it has a floating neutral then it has to have circuitry to measure between the two to disconnect power in the event of a ground fault (power shorted to ground). This is how GFCI circuitry works. With a GFCI circuit, a percentage (94-96% IIRC) of the output on the power must return on the neutral or it considers it a fault condition and trips the breaker. Power conditioning, such as many UPSs do, change this relationship when they condition the power which the GFCI circuits misinterprits as a ground fault causing the breaker to trip.

I suspect that to be labled as GFCI protection it must meet certian criteria which your generator may not fully meet. However, being a floating neutral, it will have to have similar circuitry to function properly and protect against ground faults.

I don't know how your transfer switch works, but if it calls for a generator which is bonded neutral, I would be causious about using one which has a floating neutral. At best, you may void the warranty. At worst, it could damage the transfer switch or simply not allow the generator to run without tripping the breaker. Hard to say without knowing the system.

Hope this makes sense and helps.