How many of you own generators and what size?

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

Your meter base has a main? Odd...

All the power around here comes from the power company, into the meter base, out of the meter base, then into the service disconnect, then into any sub-panels. Our main breaker panel is considered a sub-panel since we have a service disconnect between it and the meter. If your main breaker pannel is within 10 feet of the meter base, you are allowed to skip the main disconnect as they will consider the main breakers in the first panel the service disconnect.

My terminology might be wrong. The box at my pole has overhead feed wires, meter is in the top section, bottom section has 200 amp main breaker and then below this is terminal blocks (correct term?) that feed my house and shop underground. This is where the generator was hooked to after the mains were shut off.

Dave

 

[Bigbear]

Living off grid, we depend on generators all the time. When the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow, we must use the generator to top off the batteries. I have a small 1850 coleman, that charges the batteries, and then goes through a transfer switch and feeds the house, while disconnecting the inverter to take the drain off the batteries. We also run a Dewalt 7000 twice a week that runs the washer and electric dryer and also charges the batteries at the same time. A backup 5500 Devilbus just in case the others fail. We do have a LP stove, refrigerator and on demand hot water heater, so our everyday electric demands are quite low. BEAR

 

[Jim_in_Omaha]

I'm jealous...
Some serious backup. Running a small village?

Guess the pic didn't go through. I could have sworn it did.

 

[SWB]

Mine is 15,000. Everything goes on automatically when the power goes off and off automatically when the power comes back on. Runs all my appliances heat pump and well and septic pumps. It runs off of a 500 gallons LP tank. I have it in a new house I just built and have needed it 3 times in the 6 months I have lived here. Yes, the electricity goes out that frequently where I live. Would not want to live here without it.