Posted: 7/23/2016 2:14:02 PM EDT
|
We've had some long term power outages due to some severe storms recently. I have a small generator that we can use just for the refridgerator and freezer but that's it. We want to get something that we can run the entire house off of.
When we built our house last year we had a quote for a Generac that would run off our propane tank. It would auto start when power is lost and once a month to make sure everything works. At that time we decided not to go with it because funds were tight due to building a new house. Last night I was kicking myself for not spending the money. I'm debating between the Generac and just getting a bigger portable that I can run to a switch at the breaker. I figured I would tap into the hive mind and see if that is still the way to go or if you guys have any other recommendations. We live in the country so I want to at least be able to run our well and lights but being able to run our AC would be nice right now. |
|
I went portable plug in since I can service it in my shop and we rarely have lost power for more than a hour here in pa. Besides a house gen is not a real good investment when selling, a prewired panel is since new buyers just plug and play.
10kw plus portable and run your well, ac, fridge and lights. Another option is a whole house fan and run that instead of the ac. |
| How big is your propane tank? Wanted to go the whole house route, but there's no gas service here and putting in a 1000 gal tank and burying ran the price up higher than we wanted to pay. We ended up getting a Generac 17.5kw gas generator wired into a breaker with mechanical interlock. Runs our geothermal system (with a 4 ton compressor), our well pump, and most other things in the house. No hot tub, and depending on what else is running, the generator protests when the geothermal starts. |
|
I'm a Journeyman electrician that has installed a few whole house generators.
Where the Generac is most beneficial is in its convenience. If you have constant power outages and need power at all times, then the whole house generator with automatic transfer switch is awesome; like if you have a fish tank, freezer full of food, extreme weather/temperature etc. and you are out of town for a day or two. Otherwise, if it is only for a few minimal things and you are not worried about doing everything yourself (will your spouse/kids be able to hook up a generator if you aren't home?) then a bigger portable generator would be better, and far cheaper. |
|
For a whole house unit you may run into code requirements that force a larger unit than for a selected load install. We had to go to a 22kw unit to get a hands free auto changeover partially due to starting requirements of a 5 ton heat pump.
Our 7 kw portable actually carried all essentials (except heat pump), but could not get a permitted install of a whole house interlock/transfer switch due to the need to limit the circuits it would power (throwing breakers off prior to transfer is not good enough for code). We went with the big install because the wife wanted something she could safely use if I was not available. We used a 5.5 kw for years, but the 7 let me leave the well pump on line all the time once the freezers & fridges caught up. The plus side of smaller is lower fuel consumption & purchase cost, but the code mandated transfer install is more involved as you have to add a second breaker box with supported circuits and interconnect it with the main box. (and you know you will find two more circuits you really want the week after the installer leaves) Nick |
| Two Honda EU3000iS portables with a parallel kit. Plugs right in to a transfer switch I had installed. Honestly, I don't really need them since all our power is underground and has never gone out. Having portables gives you options unlike a dedicated house generator. |
|
We had an ice storm a few years ago, and we didn't have power for 8 days. I have a 8000kw Generac portable which limited us to the fridge and oven and a light. We now have two 22kw Generac's with two automatic transfer switches hooked up to our natural gas line. The cost was right around $16,000.
We've lost power on a few occasions and they've been great. We can run everything in the house including heat and air. |
|
We have a 7 Kw portable generator that I just finished converting to tri-fuel. It'll power everything all of our essentials but we give up the luxuries like AC and hot water. Personally, I'd love a Lister 12/2 connected to a 14Kw head for a whole house generator. It's old school, burns diesel, used vegetable oil and it's easy to maintain and repair.
We looked at a whole house connected to propane. In the end we decided the extra expense of getting a propane tank as well as the consumption rates didn't fit our needs. |
|
Quoted:
Need more info.what size service on your house? What's the square footage of your house? How many AC units? Other large loads- wells, pool equipment, etc? Also how big is your propane tank? Our house is 2600 sqft. The quote we had was fora 16kW Generac. One AC unit, a well, refridgerator, and freezer pretty much covers the large loads. We have one 1000 gallong propane right now but we are thinking about putting in a second especially if the generator will use propane. Most of time we hardly use the AC since we're in Northern Wisconsin but our worst weather always comes when it is the hottest and most humid of the year. |
|
Quoted:
Our house is 2600 sqft. The quote we had was fora 16kW Generac. One AC unit, a well, refridgerator, and freezer pretty much covers the large loads. We have one 1000 gallong propane right now but we are thinking about putting in a second especially if the generator will use propane. Most of time we hardly use the AC since we're in Northern Wisconsin but our worst weather always comes when it is the hottest and most humid of the year. Quoted:
Quoted:
Need more info.what size service on your house? What's the square footage of your house? How many AC units? Other large loads- wells, pool equipment, etc? Also how big is your propane tank? Our house is 2600 sqft. The quote we had was fora 16kW Generac. One AC unit, a well, refridgerator, and freezer pretty much covers the large loads. We have one 1000 gallong propane right now but we are thinking about putting in a second especially if the generator will use propane. Most of time we hardly use the AC since we're in Northern Wisconsin but our worst weather always comes when it is the hottest and most humid of the year. 1000 gallons of propane is more than enough. I would install a 22kw and call it a day. Do you mind if I ask what your quote was for a 16kw? |
|
Quoted:
1000 gallons of propane is more than enough. I would install a 22kw and call it a day. Do you mind if I ask what your quote was for a 16kw? Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Need more info.what size service on your house? What's the square footage of your house? How many AC units? Other large loads- wells, pool equipment, etc? Also how big is your propane tank? Our house is 2600 sqft. The quote we had was fora 16kW Generac. One AC unit, a well, refridgerator, and freezer pretty much covers the large loads. We have one 1000 gallong propane right now but we are thinking about putting in a second especially if the generator will use propane. Most of time we hardly use the AC since we're in Northern Wisconsin but our worst weather always comes when it is the hottest and most humid of the year. 1000 gallons of propane is more than enough. I would install a 22kw and call it a day. Do you mind if I ask what your quote was for a 16kw? +1. |
|
Quoted:
1000 gallons of propane is more than enough. I would install a 22kw and call it a day. Do you mind if I ask what your quote was for a 16kw? Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Need more info.what size service on your house? What's the square footage of your house? How many AC units? Other large loads- wells, pool equipment, etc? Also how big is your propane tank? Our house is 2600 sqft. The quote we had was fora 16kW Generac. One AC unit, a well, refridgerator, and freezer pretty much covers the large loads. We have one 1000 gallong propane right now but we are thinking about putting in a second especially if the generator will use propane. Most of time we hardly use the AC since we're in Northern Wisconsin but our worst weather always comes when it is the hottest and most humid of the year. 1000 gallons of propane is more than enough. I would install a 22kw and call it a day. Do you mind if I ask what your quote was for a 16kw? It was $5900 for the generator and install. The reason for two propane tanks is that all our hot water is heated with it. With 2 tanks we can fill in the summer when propane is cheap and be good for the year. We have been in the house since December and we're on track for around 1500 gallons per year. |
|
Quoted:
It was $5900 for the generator and install. The reason for two propane tanks is that all our hot water is heated with it. With 2 tanks we can fill in the summer when propane is cheap and be good for the year. We have been in the house since December and we're on track for around 1500 gallons per year. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Need more info.what size service on your house? What's the square footage of your house? How many AC units? Other large loads- wells, pool equipment, etc? Also how big is your propane tank? Our house is 2600 sqft. The quote we had was fora 16kW Generac. One AC unit, a well, refridgerator, and freezer pretty much covers the large loads. We have one 1000 gallong propane right now but we are thinking about putting in a second especially if the generator will use propane. Most of time we hardly use the AC since we're in Northern Wisconsin but our worst weather always comes when it is the hottest and most humid of the year. 1000 gallons of propane is more than enough. I would install a 22kw and call it a day. Do you mind if I ask what your quote was for a 16kw? It was $5900 for the generator and install. The reason for two propane tanks is that all our hot water is heated with it. With 2 tanks we can fill in the summer when propane is cheap and be good for the year. We have been in the house since December and we're on track for around 1500 gallons per year. That is a good price. But honestly I would get a price on a 22kw. The 16kw will most likely be operating at max output. The 22kw will run everything you have with some in reserve. |
|
Quoted:
It was $5900 for the generator and install. The reason for two propane tanks is that all our hot water is heated with it. With 2 tanks we can fill in the summer when propane is cheap and be good for the year. We have been in the house since December and we're on track for around 1500 gallons per year. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Need more info.what size service on your house? What's the square footage of your house? How many AC units? Other large loads- wells, pool equipment, etc? Also how big is your propane tank? Our house is 2600 sqft. The quote we had was fora 16kW Generac. One AC unit, a well, refridgerator, and freezer pretty much covers the large loads. We have one 1000 gallong propane right now but we are thinking about putting in a second especially if the generator will use propane. Most of time we hardly use the AC since we're in Northern Wisconsin but our worst weather always comes when it is the hottest and most humid of the year. 1000 gallons of propane is more than enough. I would install a 22kw and call it a day. Do you mind if I ask what your quote was for a 16kw? It was $5900 for the generator and install. The reason for two propane tanks is that all our hot water is heated with it. With 2 tanks we can fill in the summer when propane is cheap and be good for the year. We have been in the house since December and we're on track for around 1500 gallons per year. Why not stay with the one tank and get on a monthly delivery plan? With your plan above, you could get caught with your pants down if you have an extended outage and low tanks(s). |
|
Quoted:
That is a good price. But honestly I would get a price on a 22kw. The 16kw will most likely be operating at max output. The 22kw will run everything you have with some in reserve. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Need more info.what size service on your house? What's the square footage of your house? How many AC units? Other large loads- wells, pool equipment, etc? Also how big is your propane tank? Our house is 2600 sqft. The quote we had was fora 16kW Generac. One AC unit, a well, refridgerator, and freezer pretty much covers the large loads. We have one 1000 gallong propane right now but we are thinking about putting in a second especially if the generator will use propane. Most of time we hardly use the AC since we're in Northern Wisconsin but our worst weather always comes when it is the hottest and most humid of the year. 1000 gallons of propane is more than enough. I would install a 22kw and call it a day. Do you mind if I ask what your quote was for a 16kw? It was $5900 for the generator and install. The reason for two propane tanks is that all our hot water is heated with it. With 2 tanks we can fill in the summer when propane is cheap and be good for the year. We have been in the house since December and we're on track for around 1500 gallons per year. That is a good price. But honestly I would get a price on a 22kw. The 16kw will most likely be operating at max output. The 22kw will run everything you have with some in reserve. I was thinking while looking at the quote that the 16 kW might've been sized without taking into account the AC. After this latest round of weather it would be nice to be able to run the AC system. |
|
Quoted:
I have a 15,000 watt that runs on natural gas. It does 50% of my house , and that is good enough for me About the same for me though I'd say 75% in my case. More than enough in an outtage. All the criticals fire right back up within 15 seconds, which is a no brainer to me I happen to be on natural gas and so wondering about a propane tank isn't an issue. I've had my Generac for over 10 years and can't say anything bad about it. It is always just there when needed. routine maintenance and it just keeps going. |