Petee Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 9 hours ago, Eastman said: I just need a generator capable of running the 1/4 hp 120V blower on my furnace, the fridge, and maybe a couple lights. I don’t need electricity for water hot or cold or the cook stove. A 4KW should be more than enough for emergency power. Now, fueled by propane, about how much would a generator of that size cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 1 hour ago, Petee said: Now, fueled by propane, about how much would a generator of that size cost? Are any of these worthy of a look or the money? I do not understand KW, watts, about anything regarding electricity, so how do you explain what exactly is needed for simple survival? I just picked these three out of the blue to use as a teaching example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buschpounder Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 I would look into a house generator like this one. The generators you show are portable. Meaning you have to store them somewhere, keep filled with gasoline, start them and plug things into them that you want to run. A house generator isn't portable its weather proof and sits outside of your house in one spot. Runs on natural or propane gas and supplies you electric automatically when your electric goes out. You don't go anything. So at 2 in the morning you don't have to be outside in a storm or blizzard fumbling around with a portable generator that won't start. The more kw means more electric output and more things it can run. I would get a at least a 7000 kw generator which may be big enough to run the essentials to get by but everyone is different depending on what runs on electric in your house. If you are just looking for simple survival, you could always make a fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 4 hours ago, buschpounder said: I would look into a house generator like this one. The generators you show are portable. Meaning you have to store them somewhere, keep filled with gasoline, start them and plug things into them that you want to run. A house generator isn't portable its weather proof and sits outside of your house in one spot. Runs on natural or propane gas and supplies you electric automatically when your electric goes out. You don't go anything. So at 2 in the morning you don't have to be outside in a storm or blizzard fumbling around with a portable generator that won't start. The more kw means more electric output and more things it can run. I would get a at least a 7000 kw generator which may be big enough to run the essentials to get by but everyone is different depending on what runs on electric in your house. If you are just looking for simple survival, you could always make a fire. Unfortunately, the cost of these big units is prohibitive for most people, especially since they are rarely used and may need expensive regular maintenance, so they are ready to go when they are needed. A neighbor has one and said that every time they need it, there's something wrong and it won't work till the get it serviced, then the electric comes back on. Many people simply need something to keep the furnace, refrigeration and some lights on. In that light, what would be involved in any of the three that I posted? Basset3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buschpounder Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 The bottom two generators could do that. Not sure about the top one. The simplest way is to to pull it outside when electric goes out and plug things into it with extension cord. Not sure if you can plug in your furnace though. The bottom two can start with a key fob and a battery. You could put one in a shed or garage by your house and exhaust it outside. Run it by gas or propane. An electrician to wire in a transfer switch to your house and it would feed electric into your house and you wouldn't have to plug things into it with extension cord. A generac 7000 watt generator at lowes like the one I showed costs $2100 and it includes a transfer switch in the price so its cheaper than the middle one you have. You also don't need to keep it in a shed. A relative has had one for 8 or 9 years no problems so far, just routine maintenance. It starts up once a week and runs a 10 minute test and lets you know if somethings wrong. Cacao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illiterate Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 On 12/27/2022 at 12:54 PM, Petee said: Maybe someone on here has some excellent and experienced advice for what to look for in a generator. Best bet is to contact an electrician. Portable generators can be wired back through your electrical panel, but it must be done correctly. They can also help correctly size the generator, based on your needs. I have a 9000w which can easily run all my essentials...well, septic pump, furnace and house lights. We can use the cooktop. We do shut down or avoid using things so as to not overload the generator. When the power goes out, I throw a special breaker, drag out and start the generator, and plug the generator into a special plug on the outside of the house. I also have a 'mini shed' I built specifically to cover the generator. The generater sits about 20 ft from the house...limits the noise and fumes. Takes 5 minutes to get up and running. Decent generator, with wheels and electric start wiil set you back around $750-$1000. Can spend way more. (I have one generator I use regularly...a 8000w Predator from Harbor Freight--a Honda knockoff I bought for about $850 about 5 yrs ago). Generators need to started at least evey few months. The electrical work might cost around a $1000? -- really no idea, just a guess. (An electrical contractor friend did mine for a pizza and 6- pack.) buschpounder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 Gee, I like the Pizza and 6 pack ideas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old3dogg Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 Backup heat source installed. Bon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illiterate Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 8 hours ago, Petee said: Gee, I like the Pizza and 6 pack ideas! My sister has their generator wired in the main panel. However, the connector cable runs underground about 40ft to their big shed. When they need it, after throwing the inside breakers to the correct position, they just have to plug the other end into their generator and start it up They leave the shed door open for ventilation. No wheeling around the generator and it is protected from the outside elements. The fuse panel interlock is a must. Don't want to send current back through the main line. Not only will neighbors pull your power, it may cause a risk to any lineman. This video explains the process. This is a lot less expensive then a Generac whole house system. I know a couple people that have a Generac installed. You would be looking at between $8K and $20K including install, at a minimum, depending on size. You can buy a 9000W Generac thru Lowes for under $4K. We were looking a 22000W system a few years ago and the estimate was around $12K total. You also have a cost associated with ongoing maintenance. I went with the gas generator. For elderly/disabled/health issues and frequent power loss, it might be worth the extra cost. As we get older, we will probably revisit. When we first moved into our house, outages were frequent and we had little kids at home, but didn't have the extra money at the time while building to do the install. My first generator didn't have wheels and was pull start. But I was much younger. Wheels and battery start make things a lot easier....provided you keep the battery charged! https://www.google.com/search?q=connecting+a+generator+to+the+main+fuse+panel&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS770US770&oq=connecting+a+generator+to+the+main+fuse+panel&aqs=chrome..69i57.7516j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_u_u0Y_2BI7KzytMP-p6OwA4_49 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fedup Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 11 hours ago, old3dogg said: Backup heat source installed. Powered by a windmill or a solar panel????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 19 hours ago, Illiterate said: My sister has their generator wired in the main panel. However, the connector cable runs underground about 40ft to their big shed. When they need it, after throwing the inside breakers to the correct position, they just have to plug the other end into their generator and start it up They leave the shed door open for ventilation. No wheeling around the generator and it is protected from the outside elements. The fuse panel interlock is a must. Don't want to send current back through the main line. Not only will neighbors pull your power, it may cause a risk to any lineman. This video explains the process. This is a lot less expensive then a Generac whole house system. I know a couple people that have a Generac installed. You would be looking at between $8K and $20K including install, at a minimum, depending on size. You can buy a 9000W Generac thru Lowes for under $4K. We were looking a 22000W system a few years ago and the estimate was around $12K total. You also have a cost associated with ongoing maintenance. I went with the gas generator. For elderly/disabled/health issues and frequent power loss, it might be worth the extra cost. As we get older, we will probably revisit. When we first moved into our house, outages were frequent and we had little kids at home, but didn't have the extra money at the time while building to do the install. My first generator didn't have wheels and was pull start. But I was much younger. Wheels and battery start make things a lot easier....provided you keep the battery charged! https://www.google.com/search?q=connecting+a+generator+to+the+main+fuse+panel&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS770US770&oq=connecting+a+generator+to+the+main+fuse+panel&aqs=chrome..69i57.7516j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_u_u0Y_2BI7KzytMP-p6OwA4_49 Excellent idea! Too bad we burned down our old shed this summer. We may have to build another one to house a generator! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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