Generator Advice

[Fitz-]

So I got slapped in the face with reality.

Was fixing to order a 20kwh Kohler generator for about $5500, figured double that price w/ installation....... Nope they want 16k roughly for the work to install it with the auto transfer switch, stub out my propane tank line etc. At 22k roughly, I think I can deal with some extra ******** if we lose power.


So alterate plan, I need to find a wood stove insert for my unused chimney would be ideal. (Never shopped for these) And then for the fridge/freezer/space heaters or portable AC's a big portable generator outside.

Only issue is I'm scared of week long outages neighbors have reported in other years. So fuel is the question, I'm not sure how fast a gen will burn through gasoline, but it means I need a ton of propane cylinders or gas and worrying about keeping it fresh.

So I'd still like to try and figure out if I can get a hookup installed to run a portable off my 250gallon propane and of course get a house with interlock switch installed.



I just don't know **** about the generators themselves, whether for rare occasional use I can get the biggest harbor freight, or what brands are still good these days instead of coasting on name + advertising. I'd intend to have my tv/computers off, but not sure if I still need to attempt to get a inverter generator so the power quality doesn't zap my fridge or something else possibly sensitive.

 

[Shadowrider]

My mother had a 14kw Generac installed with a auto transfer switch. They had to run a gas line UNDER the patio to where it sets and the whole deal was a little north of $7k. Granted that was a few years ago and it'd be more now, but I'd seriously look at a different contractor, that sounds crazy.

 

[Big50]

They are still around $7,000 installed or buy just the unit for under $5,500

 

[Lucky]

It not that hard to run your house off of portable generator. Our house is gas heat an hot water tank. So just use what you consider a necessity an you will be fine. Minimal use of electrical appliances. ALWAYS shut breaker off so your power can’t go back out on service line.

 

[Fitz-]

It not that hard to run your house off of portable generator. Our house is gas heat an hot water tank. So just use what you consider a necessity an you will be fine. Minimal use of electrical appliances. ALWAYS shut breaker off so your power can’t go back out on service line.

Electric ac and heat, so sadly we are very dependent on power, otherwise I would have gone w/ a portable just for freezers etc. I'm just concerned a portable could handle house furnace + fridges. So figure If I can't get a much much better quote I'll focus on genny for the critical appliances and hopefully can do wood heat and maybe one room space heater.

 

[tynyphil]

I paid an electrician to install a transfer switch to my detached garage’s panel. When needed I just roll out the portable generator and plug it in. That panel runs the well and I have refrigerator and freezer in the garage. Nothing to the house as I have old time kerosene type lamps available and wood stove heat.

 

[cowadle]

first decide what your load will be. i suppose you want to run your furnace? is it gas or electric or heat pump? makes a big difference. is you hot water tank electric? 220? you can install an interlock kit real easy. get the information off of the data plates of your appliances and figure watts and amps and then you can size your generator. you don't need an inverter to run your house. remember you don't need to run every appliance all at once. you can get propane kits for any generator and you can run a vapor hose and regulator from your propane tank or get a wet kit and fill bottles from your tank.

i can run a gas furnace off of an 1800 watt generator.

 

[Firpo]

I’ve made a number of large purchases over the past 4 years and one thing I’d strongly suggest is to get at least 2 if not three quotes on any large purchase. $16K for installation is beyond ludicrous. In June 2020 I had a 22KW Generac installed along with the 400A (utility required it) ATS. I believe out the door that cost me around $8000. Not sure if the larger portables have an oil filter but those that don’t will need the oil changed more frequently I’d suspect.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

You can buy a pretty capable portable generator for $2k to $3k...maybe even less depending on what you want.

You can have an outlet installed that the generator plugs into on your home. Install a lockout kit on your electrical panel that keeps you from back-powering the downed power grid and hurting someone. It's very simple and relatively inexpensive. You can add a soft start kit to an A/C to really lower the amps needed not only to start the A/C but to run it. They're relatively inexpensive, too. I'm not sure about heat.

You can hook up a small wall heater or fireplace (we went with the fireplace and use it almost exclusively in the winter) and have that and your generator, depending on what you buy, that will run off of your propane tank. I'm guessing you could easily do all of that for well under $5k.

I bought a Generac 8500w portable that powers pretty much the whole house if it's managed properly. I hooked up the lockout kit (it's very easy), trashed the electric cookstove and used that breaker spot for the generator, had a propane line run to the kitchen and living room for cooking and heat. The generator has enough juice to power everything. I haven't installed the soft-start on the A/C yet but I will. I chose my generator based on the fact it provided "clean" power that won't harm electronics that are sensitive to power fluctuations (it's called an "inverter" generator).

Now we have a source of power, heat and the ability to cook and get water (since we're on a well). I'll eventually upgrade the generator but it'll do for now. I did all that for under $5k.

 

[Fitz-]

first decide what your load will be. i suppose you want to run your furnace? is it gas or electric or heat pump? makes a big difference. is you hot water tank electric? 220? you can install an interlock kit real easy. get the information off of the data plates of your appliances and figure watts and amps and then you can size your generator. you don't need an inverter to run your house. remember you don't need to run every appliance all at once. you can get propane kits for any generator and you can run a vapor hose and regulator from your propane tank or get a wet kit and fill bottles from your tank.

i can run a gas furnace off of an 1800 watt generator.

Was in a reply, but unfortunately electric furnace. Water heater I dont consider important but is gas.

250gal tank, could go to a 500. Currently only runs stove and water heater is why I figured it'd be ideal for an ample fuel supply that isn't tricky to store long term like gasoline.