Back up Generators - finally looking.

[Larry Caldwell]

Interesting selection of outlets, and a great score!

All the best, Peter

There are two 15a household plugs on the other side of the generator box. No sign of breakers, so there must be fuses in the box. There are battery lugs on the back of the box for the starter. I have an old pair of garden cart wheels that I could stick under it. The 230 volt plug is labeled 17.5 amps. At 4000 watts. the motor would be running at 53% load, give or take. It hasn't even run hot enough to burn the paint off the cooling fins.

I just moved it into the shop with the tractor. I have more firewood to cut, but am eager to check the wiring and try to start it. The engine has a lot of spare power, so I might put a dual fuel carb on it for fun.

 

[bdhsfz6]

There are two 15a household plugs on the other side of the generator box. No sign of breakers, so there must be fuses in the box. There are battery lugs on the back of the box for the starter. I have an old pair of garden cart wheels that I could stick under it. The 230 volt plug is labeled 17.5 amps. At 4000 watts. the motor would be running at 53% load, give or take. It hasn't even run hot enough to burn the paint off the cooling fins.

I just moved it into the shop with the tractor. I have more firewood to cut, but am eager to check the wiring and try to start it. The engine has a lot of spare power, so I might put a dual fuel carb on it for fun.

Great find and good luck with your project!

 

[tradosaurus]

I live out in the country and racked my brain what type of generator I needed, how often I would need it and how I would fuel the generator.

I settled on a 10,000 watt Champion duel fuel generator. Champion Duel Fuel Generator

In 5 years on my property the power has gone out a few times, the longest 12 hrs.

I use non-ethanol gas to store while the generator is not used but will use regular unleaded if I need it. I have the option of using propane but a lower watt capacity. I start and run the generator on the 1st of each month for about 10 minutes.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Price a Tesla Powerwall. 13 kWh for $10,000 for the first one, $7,000 for each thereafter to expand your capacity. The installer will want to sell PV solar too but that is optional. 26% Federal tax credit. Possibly more from California.

Will not only carry you though most outages but can be automatically configured to charge from the grid at night when T.O.U. is low to assist in daytime use.

I've been looking at the Tesla Powerwall ever since they were first put on the market. It's a convenient solution for short duration outages.

Powerwall | Tesla

Powerwall is a home battery designed to store energy from solar or the grid, so you can use it anytime you want—at night or during an outage.

www.tesla.com

In my case, a single 13KW unit would power the household essentials for just under 24 hours. Unfortunately, outages around here aren't frequent but when they happen, they can last for days.

I would need at least 2 units for around $17K. Figure another $2K to install a transfer switch and I'm pushing 20 grand. Add the cost of solar and... just wow!

Sure, there are few maintenance issues but what about the useful life of the units? For that kind of money, I could buy a top of the line diesel generator and fuel it for decades.

Still, it's an intriguing concept which, in my case, could become practical if the price drops 30% or so.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Last fall I got a power meter mounted Generlink switch($1000) and a Duramax XP12000EH for ($1300) yes it is a manual setup, but worked very well for our 1st power outage vs the money I had to spend to keep essentials going in my house. I only have a 2 bedroom 750sq/ft house.

 

[Dftodd]

I live out in the country and racked my brain what type of generator I needed, how often I would need it and how I would fuel the generator.

I settled on a 10,000 watt Champion duel fuel generator. Champion Duel Fuel Generator

In 5 years on my property the power has gone out a few times, the longest 12 hrs.

I use non-ethanol gas to store while the generator is not used but will use regular unleaded if I need it. I have the option of using propane but a lower watt capacity. I start and run the generator on the 1st of each month for about 10 minutes.

Sams club was had a pallet of champion dual fuel generators, 4,400 watt for $372 yesterday while wife and I were there.

Ended up picking one up for a just in case.

We were quite comfortable at our house in the winter with an old 3,000 watt Chinese model for the occasional power outages. Had a wood burning fire place insert. So the generator would operate the blower fan to get heat out of the insert. As well as a few lights, TV, and microwave.

Gave the old Chinese model to my son when we moved.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Great find and good luck with your project!

It was apparently a Winco product, though I don't see the name anywhere. I found a video of one with an identical cart under it, and pretty close to the same engine. The title says 1957, the voice says 1963. I suspect it was a 1963 model, purchased right after the 1962 Cat 5 that hit the PNW.

Mine has a 4000 watt generator rather than a 3500 watt, and a slightly later Briggs 23A engine. I looked inside the generator box - no fuses. The engine is good for 7 kw, so I hope the windings aren't fried. If they are, I will just scrap it. There's enough copper in it to get my $50 back, and the engine would be worth something too.

I'll probably redo the cart with space for a starter battery and a small distribution panel with breakers and a 15 amp GFI receptacle. I'm torn between keeping it original as an antique or sticking a dual fuel carb on it. That's a rainy day project.

The drought is back with a vengeance here in the PNW, so I'm cleaning up downed trees to prep for fire season. There's room for 9 cords in my woodshed, and I may get there. I'm working on cleaning out old firewood in the back of the woodshed. I'm burning wood I cut 20 years ago. It's like an archaeological dig.

 

[Grumpycat]

I've been looking at the Tesla Powerwall ever since they were first put on the market. It's a convenient solution for short duration outages.

Powerwall | Tesla

Powerwall is a home battery designed to store energy from solar or the grid, so you can use it anytime you want—at night or during an outage.

www.tesla.com

In my case, a single 13KW unit would power the household essentials for just under 24 hours. Unfortunately, outages around here aren't frequent but when they happen, they can last for days.

I would need at least 2 units for around $17K. Figure another $2K to install a transfer switch and I'm pushing 20 grand. Add the cost of solar and... just wow!

Sure, there are few maintenance issues but what about the useful life of the units? For that kind of money, I could buy a top of the line diesel generator and fuel it for decades.

Still, it's an intriguing concept which, in my case, could become practical if the price drops 30% or so.

The first Powerwall is $10k because it includes the Tesla Energy Gateway which monitors in/out flow and serves as the transfer switch. Also HVAC and other high users require a soft start mod under control of the Energy Gateway. I suspect the soft start also allows Tesla to disable that device if available power is insufficient.

The warranty is 10 years.

Not sure about the options to pair with a traditional generator. Other PV-battery off-grid solutions integrate generator options.

 

[ponytug]

The first Powerwall is $10k because it includes the Tesla Energy Gateway which monitors in/out flow and serves as the transfer switch. Also HVAC and other high users require a soft start mod under control of the Energy Gateway. I suspect the soft start also allows Tesla to disable that device if available power is insufficient.

The warranty is 10 years.

Not sure about the options to pair with a traditional generator. Other PV-battery off-grid solutions integrate generator options.

"Pairing" with a generator is just an extra transfer switch between the gateway/powerwall(s) and the house. The house either pulls from the generator, or from the powerwall(s)/grid.

If you have solar, solar can recharge the powerwalls, and when paired with a generator, can recharge the powerwalls while the generator is supplying the house. What you can't do is charge the powerwalls with the generator, unless you are 100% off grid 100% of the time, in which case the powerwalls can be programmed to work with generators.

Perhaps at some point in the future Tesla will support generators more fully, but not at the moment.

All the best,

Peter

 

[JDZ735M]

"Pairing" with a generator is just an extra transfer switch between the gateway/powerwall(s) and the house. The house either pulls from the generator, or from the powerwall(s)/grid.

If you have solar, solar can recharge the powerwalls, and when paired with a generator, can recharge the powerwalls while the generator is supplying the house. What you can't do is charge the powerwalls with the generator, unless you are 100% off grid 100% of the time, in which case the powerwalls can be programmed to work with generators.

Perhaps at some point in the future Tesla will support generators more fully, but not at the moment.

All the best,

Peter

Very Interesting!