OT: home backup power generators

[empower]

Howdy fellas, so about 2 months ago i bought my first house, and its out in the country. well pump, septic etc, which is all new to me, lol.
last night we had a pretty decent storm here i guess and a good chunk of detroit area is out of power. looking for recommendations for a backup generator, i do have a 500 gallon propane tank on the property, so ideally run off that.
what are some good brands to stick with? previous owner had a generator, but took it with him. there's a plug with a bigass switch next to my panel where he had it plugged in, i'm thinking i'd want a more permament installation?

 

[projectnut]

The two most popular brands are Generac and Kohler. Generac seems to sell more because of the price. However, they have 2 different power plants. One made in the US and a less expensive one made in China. The one made in the US seems to be more dependable and has much better parts availability.

Kohler is more expensive but has nearly double the working life. Parts are readily available, but not cheap.

For the limited time they run it would be a difficult decision as to which one would be more cost effective. In years past I had a Kohler portable unit. It was a beast to move around even though it was "portable". I used it for extended periods to build several houses. It was a good machine.

We are also considering a permanent backup unit to run the furnace, AC, water pump, and other utilities during power outages. I'm still on the fence about fuel source. We have natural gas, but I'm not sure how dependable it would be should there be a longer-term power outage. All the power sources seem to have potential downsides. Diesel and gasoline present storage challenges, while natural gas and LP have potential delivery or availability problems.

 

[empower]

The two most popular brands are Generac and Kohler. Generac seems to sell more because of the price. However, they have 2 different power plants. One made in the US and a less expensive one made in China. The one made in the US seems to be more dependable and has much better parts availability.

Kohler is more expensive but has nearly double the working life. Parts are readily available, but not cheap.

For the limited time they run it would be a difficult decision as to which one would be more cost effective. In years past I had a Kohler portable unit. It was a beast to move around even though it was "portable". I used it for extended periods to build several houses. It was a good machine.

We are also considering a permanent backup unit to run the furnace, AC, water pump, and other utilities during power outages. I'm still on the fence about fuel source. We have natural gas, but I'm not sure how dependable it would be should there be a longer-term power outage. All the power sources seem to have potential downsides. Diesel and gasoline present storage challenges, while natural gas and LP have potential delivery or availability problems.

thanks! any idea which ones are US made?
i dont think i'm gonna do portable, and in a year or 2 i'm gonna do solar with giant battery backup (we make them at work) so hopefully generator wont see too much abuse.

 

[EmGo]

hopefully generator wont see too much abuse.

Since you say you have propane .... I lived in the woods for several years, electric went off many times per winter for at least a day at a time, often longer. Eventually everything we had was propane except the refrigerator. Heat, stove, water. And kerosene lamps.

Refrigerator was the only thing that really required electric, as for the rest it was actually kind of fun on a nasty stormy night to light up the kero lamps, snuggle down and ... have fun

A honda 2000 would run your reefer.

Sometimes it's good to go back to a less electrified world for a short time. Especially if you have company ...

 

[empower]

Since you say you have propane .... I lived in the woods for several years, electric went off many times per winter for at least a day at a time, often longer. Eventually everything we had was propane except the refrigerator. Heat, stove, water. And kerosene lamps.

Refrigerator was the only thing that really required electric, as for the rest it was actually kind of fun on a nasty stormy night to light up the kero lamps, snuggle down and ... have fun

A honda 2000 would run your reefer.

Sometimes it's good to go back to a less electrified world for a short time. Especially if you have company ...

converting everything from electric to LP is gonna be a hell of a lot more work than adding a generator, not sure if i wanna go that route, especially when i'll be doing solar/battery in a year or so.

 

[EmGo]

converting everything from electric to LP is gonna be a hell of a lot more work than adding a generator,

Yeah, probably true. Too bad tho, it's kind of fun to snuggle down in the wilderness without electricity once in a while. Kind of like camping but with the convenience of a comfy bed

btw, there's a guy who converts 2-71 Detroits into generators. They were used for refrigeration on railroad cars and ran 24/7 for weeks. Pretty reliable and pennypinching on fuel. I think I'd look into those too. I had a 671 that I loved, that thing was unburstable and it sounded the business.

 

[cg285]

cummins is an alternative. that's what i have

 

[empower]

Yeah, probably true. Too bad tho, it's kind of fun to snuggle down in the wilderness without electricity once in a while. Kind of like camping but with the convenience of a comfy bed

btw, there's a guy who converts 2-71 Detroits into generators. They were used for refrigeration on railroad cars and ran 24/7 for weeks. Pretty reliable and pennypinching on fuel. I think I'd look into those too. I had a 671 that I loved, that thing was unburstable and it sounded the business.

whats stopping me from not turning it on when the occasion arises?

 

[empower]

cummins is an alternative. that's what i have

model?

 

[jaguar36]

i dont think i'm gonna do portable, and in a year or 2 i'm gonna do solar with giant battery backup (we make them at work) so hopefully generator wont see too much abuse.

How often does your power go out? If you're only going to need it for a year or two getting a small portable seems like a better idea. Would be alot cheaper and then you can still use it away from the house after you get your solar/battery.

 

[fish123]

Installed one of these about 13 years ago, great!
- 21kw Perkins Diesel.

Perkins 21 kW Diesel Generator

Recently built some solar power here, discovered that the genset is rarely needed now.

If I had installed solar first, would not have put in as large a genset.
Now, generator is only used to charge the batteries and support loads when there is no Sun for many days:
(before/during/after hurricanes),
and the grid is also down @ the same time.
Rare events.

 

[empower]

How often does your power go out? If you're only going to need it for a year or two getting a small portable seems like a better idea. Would be alot cheaper and then you can still use it away from the house after you get your solar/battery.

no idea, pretty new to michigan, and only bought this house 2 months ago, this was the first time. just coming at it from a 'better safe than sorry' approach

 

[Rob F.]

To recap some of the above comments...I would look at the Honda 2000's. If one is not enough then get two, there is a cable to link them together so they work as one. They are quiet, and portable for many other uses. Buy them for or convert them to propane to make it harder for buddies to borrow them, and no gasoline issues after sitting for long periods of time.
The 3000's can also be linked but they are not as portable...

 

[Rob F.]

The only downside to the honda 2000 or 3000 is they are 120v only. If you need to get 240v you probably need to get into the 5kw size or bigger. You dont need much juice during an outage, we have plenty here and I have a 5.5kw honda and a 2.4 yamaha inverter that primarily gets used. Main job is to power the internet modem for wife....

 

[projectnut]

I'm not sure which models use the American made engine. The engines made in the USA are the G-Force, and the OHVI. According to the company literature they are designed and manufactured in Wisconsin.

Seeing this will be a temporary setup I'm not sure a permanent standby model would be the best choice. The least expensive ones are in the $2,000.00 range. The Generac model we're considering is around $6,000.00 depending on where it's purchased. The Kohler model is closer to double that amount. You'll also need to plumb in the fuel source, and wire in some kind of transfer switch. The installation costs could easily be as much as the generator itself. A " portable" 10kw model is generally in the $1,500.00 range and doesn't require a plumbed in fuel source.

Keep in mind the system will also need to be exercised regularly. The recommended exercise time for our Onan 5,500-watt model is 2 hrs. per month under at least half load. Running it at regular intervals under some load keeps the moisture out of the windings and circulates the engine oil to keep things lubricated. Then there's the annual maintenance like oil and filter changes as well as air and fuel filters.

 

[empower]

are most well pumps 120 or 240v? that'll prob dictate it

 

[empower]

I'm not sure which models use the American made engine. The engines made in the USA are the G-Force, and the OHVI. According to the company literature they are designed and manufactured in Wisconsin.

Seeing this will be a temporary setup I'm not sure a permanent standby model would be the best choice. The least expensive ones are in the $2,000.00 range. The Generac model we're considering is around $6,000.00 depending on where it's purchased. The Kohler model is closer to double that amount. You'll also need to plumb in the fuel source, and wire in some kind of transfer switch. The installation costs could easily be as much as the generator itself. A " portable" 10kw model is generally in the $1,500.00 range and doesn't require a plumbed in fuel source.

Keep in mind the system will also need to be exercised regularly. The recommended exercise time for our Onan 5,500-watt model is 2 hrs. per month under at least half load. Running it at regular intervals under some load keeps the moisture out of the windings and circulates the engine oil to keep things lubricated. Then there's the annual maintenance like oil and filter changes as well as air and fuel filters.

For

well, my other thought for the generator was, that i have a 40x30' shop that eventually i'll have machines in, and from what i've read so far, they can put out 3 phase power, which would be very handy in that case. and then of course in the winter, solar wont do as much, and power outages do happen in winter storms, so while it may not be very active majority of the time, it'll still serve a purpose.

i was looking at the 26kw Generac from home depot, comes with a switch for 7k. there is a propane line nearby to where i think i'd mount it, so that shouldnt be a big deal. as well as installation i can handle with my brother and pops.

 

[reggie_obe]

To recap some of the above comments...I would look at the Honda 2000's. If one is not enough then get two, there is a cable to link them together so they work as one. They are quiet, and portable for many other uses. Buy them for or convert them to propane to make it harder for buddies to borrow them, and no gasoline issues after sitting for long periods of time.
The 3000's can also be linked but they are not as portable...

When the inverter board which controls everything shits the bed, you're S.O.L. No way to even start the engine without it and well over $500 replacement cost, if you can find one.

 

[Rob F.]

are most well pumps 120 or 240v? that'll prob dictate it

Voltage could be either, probably depends a little on depth and GPM.
Do you have a storage tank? I am guessing no due to winter freezing?

 

[empower]

Voltage could be either, probably depends a little on depth and GPM.
Do you have a storage tank? I am guessing no due to winter freezing?

no storage tank. eventually i want to add a few 500gal containers of storage, but mostly for the sprinkler system i want to build. but ya, for now - no storage.