Generac Standby Generator

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The Generac tests itself weekly on the day and time selected. It starts, runs for 5 minutes and then shuts down. If I want to test that it will supply electricity when the electricity goes out I just have to turn off the main switch on the electrical box that brings electricity into the house. After 30 seconds the generator will start and everything that the generator has been wired to run, should work.

Gary
 
The 60 KW diesel Kohler my aunt had at her previous home would start automatically every couple weeks, and would exercise under a partial load.

My neighbor down the street has a Winco 8 KW, and it exercises every week, but not under any load. I've told her it needs to be exercised under load every couple months, especially to make sure the transfer switch is working correctly. She's had trouble with that switch a couple times - it would stick in the middle position, so genset would run but no power, and none when utility power would return, either.
 
With Hurricane Ian on the way, have really been thinking about getting one of these. Every hurricane that crosses our path typically get 2 weeks with no power. After Irma in 2017 we were out four weeks.

I'm just dreading thinking about it. I don't even mind being without TV, internet, lights etc, it's just the AC being out. The hot humid weather with little to no breeze is almost unbearable with no AC for weeks. It seems like the older I get the worse it bothers me.

I am considering after we get into the winter season and hopefully demand for these drops looking into having one installed. Our next door neighbor just had one installed a few weeks ago. I didn't see the brand, but most around here are Generac.

Is there a substantial quality difference between them and Kohler, etc? I know a lot of our neighbors had them installed in 2004 so they're going on 20 years old and as far as I know they're still working. I think they were all Generacs.

Really just had enough of these power outages that last for weeks, and having to clean up a yard and going to work during these long outages just really adds to an already stressful time.

I just having trouble weighing if it's worth it. I mean like now we may only get one hurricane every 5 years but then like in 2004/05 we may get three in a row, which to me would make it worth its weight in gold.
 
Don't waste money and time on those old petroleum powered generators. You'll still be dependent on gas which, if supply is interrupted will mean you have no power in two ways.

The big new stuff is with Solar generators. It's basically a solar charge controller, inverters, several batteries, and a bank of various outlets all neatly packed into a convenient generator sized package with a handle.

And you can charge it either with typical home power, or simply plug solar panels into it and charge it for free.

It makes no or little noise so you can have it inside where it's safe.

And they are affordable and no installation is necessary. No gas piping to install. None of that garbage.
And at a fraction of the price. One could easily buy a couple of theses, the solar panels, and a window AC unit to use when the power goes, for much MUCH less than that old dangerous gas stuff.

You might like it so much you'll decide to continue using it even when/if the grid tied electric comes back on. Why? Because it's FREE electric.



https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/g37295464/best-solar-powered-generators/
 
Hurricanes only last for about a day, then the sun comes out and it's beautiful again.

...well except for all the subdivisions and infrastructure that has been leveled but, whatever....

 

One can buy a standard 100 watt solar panel for about $100 these days.  Affordable.

I think I would have 5 panels on my roof or on a rack in my yard.

I would be taking them off as a storm is approaching and bring them in.

Very easy to uscrew and unplug them.

The generator is already indoors so one is all protected during the storm and can use the power in the batteries of the generator.

The next day, when it appears that all hope is lost, the power is out, an numerous subdivisions are now dust...

I'd simply re-install said panels as that sun will most likely be shining.

 

You can also now buy foldable solar panels.  Just unfold them, and plug them in. 

 

And remember, one doesn't need bright sun, especially in FLA, to still get solar charging.  The batteries in these generators last for days without ANY charging at all.

 

It's all these technology advancements AND reduced prices that makes solar so incredibly AWESOME!

 

 

 

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My Aunt in Mississippi had a Kohler that runs on diesel - either 50 or 60 KW. She could use anything in her all-electric house, just as if the utility power was on. Fuel tank large enough for several days; used it for five days during Katrina. She did have to limit running air conditioning after a couple days to not run out of fuel. My cousin Shawn has an even larger diesel Kohler on his poultry farm. Kept all the birds alive during and after Katrina.

If I were purchasing one, I'd get one with an 1800 rpm liquid cooled engine, regardless of whether gas or diesel. These are industrial grade machines, and have better voltage and frequency regulation than 3600 rpm engines on the residential models. My neighbor down the street has a Winco 8 KW natural gas unit, and it doesn't have good voltage or frequency regulation, and has caused problems with their microwave oven, refrigerator, and florescent light ballasts.

In addition to Kohler, Cummins and Caterpillar are good brands. Generac is probably OK in the 1800 rpm models, but have heard the smaller units having issues.
 
We hardly ever lose power here yet I have a 5000 watt 20 year old Honda on standby because when its out its for days. If you live in an area of the country where you lose power seasonally from hurricanes or tornados it is wise to have at the least a 6500 watt generator and four 5 gallon gas cans for reserve fuel in case damage is so bad gas will be hard to find. Engine powered generators are still the best option and 8500 watts is best if you want run most things as if line voltage was still live and you dont want to balance not running the washer if the fridge is running etc.
 
Cummins and "Cat" are brands for industrial and commercial gensets.Neither of these market to residential-households.The transmitter plant I am at has a 2.2Mw Cat 16 cylinder genset-3200Hp!In its own metal buiding.It can come on automatically in case of power outage-or for load management start it manually from a control panel in the site control room.Sometimes the power co out here will request we run on generator for load management if the load on their lines is high.Homes don't have to worry on this.What about folks in California when you get rolling outages-can you use your own genset?My sister has to go thru the rolling blackouts in the LA area.
 
And How MUCH do these gas powered jobbys cost up front?

holy-ScHmIT !

 

And I know they are loud. 

Back in 2000 I had a neighbor who foolishly got suckered into buying one of these and had it installed between our two homes.  When ever that would cycle, like once a week or something, you could definitely hear it come on.

 

If someone is willing to flush that kind of money down the drain they can certainly do a lot toward a solar set up that's permanent.  

 

If a person doesn't have any sunlight reaching their lot or house that's an unhealthy situation and some of those trees should be removed.  It's also rather dreary and depressing living without the natural vitamin D that sunshine provides.

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My house is covered by trees.Lets see-I have 10 of them!The tree cutter charges about $2000 per tree! Not possible for me! The cost is high becuase the sawyer has to take the tree down in peices.Forttunately the time I had to do this-storm damage,insurance paid for the cutting.My youger brother in Soux Falls,SD has a solar system at his place.Works out for him.IN this area solar systems start at 40K!!!Power is VERY reliable here.
 
How high do you have to mount these to protect them from 12 foot storm surges so that they will be usable after a storm like Ian? Florida is pretty flat and hurricane winds are high so depending on your topography, if you would have to consider a tower-mount installation, that could be complicated, but if flood waters around your house were that high, the house would not be habitable anyway.
 
My Generac was a very good investment. I did not get suckered in and certainly did not flush money down the drain. I can not cut trees as I am in a Resource Protection Zone because of the lake. There are 2 big solar farms going in nearby that people can buy into. Solar may work for some but not for me. And my electric usage is low so any savings would be minimal.
 
Solar panel racks are great because they can serve several purposes:

Hold the panels and make them accessible

 

Over a garden you can plant things beneath them that will give the plants a break during parts of the day from blistering sun.

 

Here in Calif, and no doubt other places, it's not unusual to see structures over parking lots/parking spaces giving cars protection from the sun

 

As a patio canopy providing protection from the sun.

 

Of course if one has a large solar array on their roof and it's damaged from what ever disaster, it should be covered by your home owners insurance policy for replacement.

If you've rented your roof to a solar installer to install their panels than they would be responsible to replace them.

 

Another benefit of covering your roof with solar panels is it prolongs the life of your roof.  If you can keep the sun and weather off direct contact with it's surface it's going to last much longer.

 

Like I stated, I wouldn't leave PERSONAL solar panels up when the threat of hurricane exists.  Just as one wouldn't leave loose garden furniture and other things you wouldn't want damaged outside.

 

Solar panels are meant to withstand wind and rain and depending on how well they've been anchored in place they shouldn't blow off.  

With hurricane winds and tornados ANYTHING can be damaged including powerlines, substations, and even one's own electric meter can take a direct hit that would knock out your power.  

 

Some people cover their windows with boards during hurricanes for protection with plywood.  If they can do that, they can just as easily remove their solar panels temporarily until after the winds pass.

 

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Cummins gensets

Rex, Cummins has had a line of residential models in many sizes that run on natural gas or propane for several years. If you need a diesel generator, you have to get one of the commercial models. As for Cat, I was at a model home (mansion) in Dayton, OH several years ago that had one, think it was natural gas. The Cat distributor had a rep there, and I got a brochure about them.

When my Aunt Doris got her Kohler in the late 90's, standby generators weren't sold through retail stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. She had to buy it through an electrical contractor. At that time, about the only homes that had them were large country estates or farms. Natural gas service wasn't available at her location, and she decided against propane because she didn't want the tank. Her neighbor next door had one that operated on propane. They had a greenhouse on their property to grow plants for their floral shop, so had to have reliable power to protect the plants. Neither of these large generators were any louder than the 8 KW unit my neighbor Marilynn has.

Diesel gensets probably aren't too practical for city homes or small suburban lots, but diesel equipment is very common on farms, so not out of place there.

Link is to Cummins.

https://www.cummins.com/na/generators/home-standby
 
solar panels

they would need to mounted good:) I get strong winds in my area,so i have mine mounted rigid and secure.Hail is also a hazzard,so i have a heavy wire grid over the panels for hail protection.One of my backyard buildings has a 1981 vintage Onan generator salvaged from a wrecked motor home:opposed twin engine runs quietly at 1800 RPM,about 275#,4KW rating.Onan later came under cummins influence...
 
#48

You'll have to investigate that Greg.

It will be interesting to know how many HOMES are no longer standing due to the 155 mph winds and the fact that even though the hurricane has been on land now for several hours, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">it's still considered a hurricane.</span>

Usually they quickly fall apart once reaching land.

 

This storm is the 5th worst hurricane in weather history to hit the U.S.  It's slow moving and will dump several feet of rain in the next couple of days.

 

---

 

As for hail on solar panels, I've had fears of that too.  Apparently they can handle up to 1" hail

 

Putting wire mesh is a good idea. 

Do you leave that over them all the time or put it over when you know it's supposed to hail?  I would think it would create a shadow that would affect output.  

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See how sunny it was today in Lee County where the hurricane landed yesterday.

 

If you were lucky to be one of the homes that wasn't too badly damaged/demolished, had a solar system as described above, and you'd taken your solar panels in over night, this morning one could simply re-install and you'd be set with electric.

 

Turn on your AC unit, enjoy a refrigerator, charge cel phones, all while the rest of the county has little or no electric from the grid (and probably won't for quite a while).

 

It's supposed to be sunny and in the 80s for the next week in Lee County.  You can count on it being miserably humid as well.

 

Of course the solar generator would still have had power in its batteries as the batteries last several days.  So last night, when the hurricane knocked out power, you'd have had silent electric lit lights to ride out the storm with. 

 

And look at that, there are at least a couple of homes that survived AND have what appears to be solar panels on their rooves.  They are all set to go depending on what type system it is.

 

I doubt a gas generator installed on the ground would be any good with a 9' surge of water.  Not even a 2' surge would save those over priced and noisy clunkers.  Then the question is, is the gas working?  And of course in FLA., is there gas service AT ALL since, experience has shown, they really don't need it in homes in FLA. and many areas don't have it.  And if you're thinking propane, remember the tanks float. 

 

If you have an electric car  a home solar system will allow you to charge your car for FREE.  And you can do it that way all the time.  No worrying about gas rationing and sky rocketing prices.  Or even the pumps not working because the electric is out.

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Radio Stations are limited to 50,000 watts

Tolivac, why would your radio station need a 2,200,000 watt generator to run the transmitter? Even with other systems at the station it could not possibly be that much. Maybe a total of 150,000 watts for the whole station with the AC, lighting, etc. Are you exaggerating?

2.2 MW megawatts = 2,200,000 watts
50,000 watts - 50 Kw Kilowatts
150,000 watts = 150 kilowatts.
 
 

Of course if one has a large solar array on their roof and it's damaged from what ever disaster, it should be covered by your home owners insurance policy for replacement.

 

<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We have 27 panels on the roof.  I don't know if that's considered large solar array or not.  They are warranted for 25 years from any kind of damage or production failure, etc.  They monitor the panels remotely and if they see any panel has reduced production they will come out and repair or replace.  I can monitor via a phone app and if I see and issue I can call them as well for repair.</span></span>

 

<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">They warranty the roof against any issues for 10 years.  I called our insurance company when we installed them and she told me if something happened that they didn't cover it would go through our home insurance.  We had a new 30 year roof put on the house about five months before we got the panels so likely the only thing that might happen is a leak where the panels are attached to the roof.  There is only one hole through the roof for the entire installation where it comes into the attic and across the house to where the panel is on the </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">side of the house.  They did a really nice, very clean job of installing.</span>

 

 

 

 

 
#53

Ralph, that's sounds great.

I'm curious what kind of contract arrangement you have, since there are several ways in which a person can "go solar".
 
Picture of a home who's solar array apparently made it through the storm, but the house didn't.  

 

With the roof on the ground it would be easy to reach the panels to carefully remove them and put them in storage.  No ladder necessary.  That's what I'd do.  Re-install them where ever the party ends up moving to.

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The Marti/VOA transmitter site owned and operated by the government to broadcast on short wave to other countries.It can broadcast to anywhere in the world.The transmitters at this site run at 250Kw(6) 2(500Kw) and one 50Kw sideband.The 50Kw sideband rig is no longer on the schedule.The generator is actually too small to run the transmitter at full power.When on the generaator they have to be cut back.Otherwise the gen breaker will trip or the engine will shut down from overload.
 
Rex, it sounds to me that they need to install a second large generator for part of the equipment. I went past a business the other day that has just installed three large Kohler generators at the side of their parking area. Don't know what KW they are, but each was the size of a large car, but taller.
 
Solar may work great in places that have alot of sun but in this neck of the woods we have alot of clouds and fog. What we do have is abundance of off shore winds. A past governor tried to have wind mills put in to get that free power but the feds nixed it because it would harm the whales. Now it is the lobster fishing industry that they say is killing whales but only 1 has been entangled in rope in 2 decades and that was off Mass.
 
We have been wanting another genset -but get turned down-even having the generator from the closed site sent to our site-the powers to be don't want to do that.Even got offers from the Army Corps of Engineers to install a gas turbine generator-5Mw- but it got turned down.The generator was free except for delivory and installation and we would also pay for fuel.Could choose from natural gas or diesel to run it.The combusters on the turbine are made for the fuel you want to use.Cannot be changed in the field.Engine has to go to a rebuild shop.So we have to "baby" the generator we have.
 

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