need generator advice

[Carabelli]

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I am looking to add a generator to provide back up power to my house in the case of a power outage. We live in rural community, and, we can sometimes lose power for 2-3 days. It is not often, but, it is enough to concern me.

Currently, I have a battery back-up system that will power my return pump and my vortechs & tunze 6055 for 8-12 hours ... I would like to purchase a generator to power the tank (minus lights), a well pump (occasionally to fill the holding tank to have some water pressure in the house), a window ac/heater unit to cool or heat one room in the house to maintain tank temperatures, a few lights and ceiling fans ... I have done the calculations, and, a 7 kw generator is a great size for me.

I plan on installing a transfer switch (electrician will) to make it simpler, but, I am at a loss on what generator to get. I would love to spend around $1k on the generator, but, I want something reliable that will work if i need it to run 2-3 days.

I have read there are limitations on air cooled generators and how long you can run them, but, I hate to buy a more formal stand-by generator that costs $4k.

Any advice would be awesome! Thanks.

 

[dfwtek]

I have heard and seen bad things with Tecumseh engines, they seem to run very well on the generator I had and I never had any problems with mine but I have seen two other generators where the engine was just flat out shot......

This could have been due to a older design flaw or bad maintenance I really don't know, I know generac seems to suck too....

I would guess if you are spending 1k then anything with a honda engine would be the best bet, I still think it boils down to maintenance more than anything, you have to change the oil in them quite often....

 

[Carabelli]

thanks for the reply - that is one thing i did read online ... the honda, yamaha and subaru powered generators are typically rock solid and hard pressed to beat ... thanks.

 

[masharp1126]

Does the transfer switch change the power over to the generator automatically when there is a power failure? Is the generator self starting? or does someone have to be there to start it when the switch over happens?

 

[dwittster]

I have often looked at doing this kind of thing. I cannot get past the cost though. The one I have considered is a natural gas model. I figure that way I don't have to worry about keeping it fueled. If you are in an area that does not have natural gas, they do have propane models as well. Just a thought for you.

 

[Guest]

If it were me I would stick with a diesel engine. For work we use 10kilowatt and 20 kilowatt diesel portable engines what is nice any diesel engine mechanic can work on them. If you are looking to for an automatic transfer switch I would not go with them as not all the time they transfer over. One AT&T building I work at has an automatic transfer switch and when we had power failure it never did when we lost commercial power. I would just go with manual switch

 

[Wes]

but an automatic can be turned on manually right? so the chance it does it by itself if you are not there would be worth it wouldnt it? ive been contemplating one of these myself.

 

[Carabelli]

@masharp1126 wrote:

there are both options ... if one were to go with a standby generator vs. a portable generator, the standby generators are typically plumbed into some fuel source ... typical ng or propane ... those devices have an automatic transfer switch and controls that detect power outages, turn on and power selected circuit or your whole house ... like having a really big ups

i am looking at a manual transfer switch ... in the case of a power outage, i would have to take the generator out of the garage (or storage area), power it on, hook it up to the transfer switch and manually turn those breakers on ... with the portable generators (cheaper), you can run them at most for 6-8 hours b/f having to let them cool, check their oil levels, refuel and fire back up ... this is the ideal approach with any air cooled portable generator - not mandatory, but, it extends the life of the generator

higher end portable generators like Honda makes, will have radiators to maintain cooler temperatures and will handle longer usage, but, they typically go for 3500 new ... not far from a good standby generator

 

[Carabelli]

@Wes wrote:

I believe many automatic switches may have a manual option, but if they are not automatically switching over, then something is wrong with it and I don't believe I would trust it is working right ... fire risks, backfeeding risks etc.

With an automatic switch, I would think you would only want to with a standby generator ... they are built to work at all times ... many of them have built-in weekly tests where they power on to run diagnostics, check power output etc ... but, even those can fail. Plus, you need to make you get one big enough for your house.

APC makes a transfer switch that is being pushed heavily by Honda that is computerized ... it is still a manual option, but, you can program it to prioritize circuits and manage the power ... so, if your ac kicks on while you are running a well pump, it wil turn the well pump circuit off until the ac turns off ... this prevents overloading the generator. In addition, you can hook up a separate ups to the switch to it will power a selected circuit until you can turn your generator on ... such as providing power for a closet light or garage door to make it easier on you. I think this has more benefit in places with basements etc ...ultimately, there isn't much info about the switches online and read a negative review on the circuit design and breaker selection that made me leary of selecting it.

 

[Carabelli]

@kuyatwo wrote:

does anyone know of any portable diesel generators? I agree that last longer, but, I haven't found one besides aurora, but, they have some terrible reviews on them. Thanks.

 

[SumThinhWong]

portable diesels are hard to find generally most generators are good it just the Honda and Yamaha that need less maintenance. Its generally good to empty the fuel tank when not in use and purge the fuel lines. Fuel gelling is number 1 killer of generators. Ive used a Chicago generator for about 5 years and i maintain it a best as possible and starts every time. Ive also used a Honda its good and can run everything in my tank minus the MH and its the EU2000iA the smaller unit. Diesel units don't come cheap and if your not planning to power your house i would think a simple gas generator will do fine. It just my thought

 

[Carabelli]

Thanks for the reply ... how do you purge the fuel line?? I may just end up going with a generator from the depot to keep it simple ... thanks guys

 

[SumThinhWong]

After you siphon the fuel run the generator till it all the fuel runs out

 

[Carabelli]

great ... I think I have decided a Rigid 6800 generator from HomeDepot ... it has a yamaha engine that has received very favorable reviews ... I looked at the diesel generators, but, if you get one under 3K, they generally have chinese made engines that are very hard to repair and get parts for ... thanks guys

 

[melev]

So this one will be manually set up as needed, correct?

 

[Carabelli]

yep ... I still need to find a reliable 6-10 circuit manual transfer switch and install (electrician) ... I purchased the 6800 watt rigid last night at homedepot ... they had one that was 8000 with the same engine and electric start, but, it cost 500 more ... couldn't see the extra money for that feature ... plus, they had 12 months no interest, so, it was an easy sell ...

thanks for the help guys

 

[melev]

If you are going to manually start it, then you need to know how to turn it off. Here's a write up I did right after our huge snow storm last winter:
http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.php/98-A-generator-isn-t-just-an-option-it-s-a-must-to-protect-your-reef

 

[Carabelli]

thanks marc ... great tip on the fuel additive ... which one do you use and how much gas do you store?

 

[melev]

I usually buy new gasoline when I'm going to run the generator, and store what is left over after it is put away. The tank holds 5 or 6 gallons on my generator, and lasts about 12 hours on a tank. I have two 5g containers, currently empty. The additive is called Sta-Bil, and I probably bought it at an autoparts store, or maybe Walmart.