All this talk of generators

[billtool]

Yep - we just bought a 24kw last weekend. Installing in late July. I'm gone too much to have my bride put up with the really good original plan I hatched. Not a cheap experience - dammit.

 

[oldag]

How bad are the Generacs hitting the pocket book these days?

 

[Brains]

Seems like every place I've searched sells them for the same price, which is a couple hundred off the price on generac.com The variable is always the install. Depending on how big you go and how difficult your install will be, the range tends to be between 7k to 15k.

 

[billtool]

Plan on a spicy 13K for a regular size house and a reasonable placement distance from the regulator and elec service.

 

[motorcarman]

I got a 12KW that fits the PTO on my Ford Tractor. (40HP size)

Pain it butt to go out in the rain and hook up but it is portable between the shop building and the house.

I have a 'plug-in' 50 amp panel on the shop and house so I just drive the tractor between them depending where the power needs to be.

I bought a 8KW gen head and a 16HP engine that runs on propane, natural gas or gasoline.(3 fuel)

Built an angle iron frame and aluminum removable sides/top and coupled the gen/engine together to set next to the house with propane fuel.

The good thing about the PTO unit is I can plug in a welder, power tools etc. in the middle of a pasture.(or a remote fence-line)

Portable power for my goat ranch.

 

[Brains]

I always wondered about the PTO gensets, I assume you have to be reasonably close on setting the engine RPM to get 60Hz out?

 

[motorcarman]

I always wondered about the PTO gensets, I assume you have to be reasonably close on setting the engine RPM to get 60Hz out?

I have a Hertz meter on the genset AND inside the garage on the breaker panel.

The 12 KW PTO unit says it needs 24HP to work MAX so 35HP to 40HP does not drag the Diesel engine down much if more load comes on while operating.

I don't care about the Voltage,(245V to 255V average) I just keep it as close to 60Hz as possible.(a little over 2200 RPM on the tractor tach)

Wise Electric Co-op is usually 59.5Hz to 61Hz at about 250V when I look at the meter a few times a day.

I use a 25 foot 8 gauge thee plus ground cable with a twist-lock plug/socket.

 

[motorcarman]

I bought and built the frame around a 24HP Ford 1710 tractor I had. I sold the tractor and got a bigger Ford tractor.

I found an old washing machine sheet metal cover that fit perfect.(keeps the rain out)

 

[BuzzinSATX]

Congrats on the generator. I bought a 22KW and had it installed in Sep 2021z. Since then, it’s got about 5 hours on it, primarily from exercising once per week. But it is peace of mind…

I bought mine from Home Depot and had it delivered to the house for free. Install was steep at $4500 but that was running lines from the opposite side of my house.

No complaints…

 

[Davetex]

I would love to have a standby generator. But costs associated with the ATS is what kills the deal for me. I can find 22kw generacs on marketplace all day long for 5 - 6k. After you add in the ATS and the cost for wiring and plumbing you're at 12 - 13k minimum.

What I want is a standby generator that doesn't have the ATS. Lights go out, I want to go outside flip a switch, turn the genny on myself, have it power my entire breaker panel and save that 7k for something else. If you travel a lot, or physically incapable or turning on the genny, I can see the value of the ATS.


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You want a generator interlock, a power inlet box on the main panel, and the proper cable running to the generator. An ATS is not needed.

Duramax 12kw generator. $1200
Power inlet box $100
Generator interlock $100
Power cable $300
Electrician labor and an additional breaker $500

YouTube search generator interlock.

 

[andre3k]

You want a generator interlock, a power inlet box on the main panel, and the proper cable running to the generator. An ATS is not needed.

Duramax 12kw generator. $1200
Power inlet box $100
Generator interlock $100
Power cable $300
Electrician labor and an additional breaker $500

YouTube search generator interlock.

That's my current setup, except I have a 8kw gas generator. I want the extra power of the standby generator and not having to wheel out the portable. I don't want the complication and expense of the ATS.

Think 20kw standby generator that's wired to my panel with no transfer switch, only the interlock, just like a portable setup.

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[gll]

I would love to have a standby generator. But costs associated with the ATS is what kills the deal for me. I can find 22kw generacs on marketplace all day long for 5 - 6k. After you add in the ATS and the cost for wiring and plumbing you're at 12 - 13k minimum.

What I want is a standby generator that doesn't have the ATS. Lights go out, I want to go outside flip a switch, turn the genny on myself, have it power my entire breaker panel and save that 7k for something else. If you travel a lot, or physically incapable or turning on the genny, I can see the value of the ATS.


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I went with a Miller Bobcat 250, because especially back when I bought it, I used a welder a lot more than I needed a generator, but it would do both...

Generator is only 10kw, but that is more than I would ever need for house loads and enough to start and run my 3hp well pump.

 

[gll]

Finally just bit the bullet and bought this:

View attachment 395236

Hopefully will get it all buttoned up before our next extended power outage. Pad is poured and cured, and working on getting the trades lined up for the electrical and gas hookups. Thought about going the portable route, which would be fine if I'm home to fire it up but if I'm at work or something it'll be nice to know it's in place and automatic.

Buy once, cry once right?

That's really nice! Glad you could do that! Peace of mind!

 

[Whistler]

Mine uses a manual transfer panel for 10 individual circuits.
To use it you plug in the generator cable to the connection on the side of that garage, start the generator then switch each circuit from Line to Gen on the panel in the garage.

 

[G O B]

Ordered a X-fer unit for the service panel. Need to build a small retainer wall and pour a slab. Doing this a bit at a time.
Last house I had a panel like the post above. This time I am going whole house and auto X-fer.

 

[andre3k]

Amazon has a deal on the Duramax xp13000eh. Duel fuel portable with 9500(13k startup) running watts for 899.

My coworker just offered to sell me his 17kw generac with ATS and all wiring for 2500. He bought it used from another guy we work with and never installed it.

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[Brains]

That's a pretty killer deal, even if you just used the generator with a manual transfer switch. You could probably sell the ATS to recover some of the cost too.

 

[leVieux]

I would love to have a standby generator. But costs associated with the ATS is what kills the deal for me. I can find 22kw generacs on marketplace all day long for 5 - 6k. After you add in the ATS and the cost for wiring and plumbing you're at 12 - 13k minimum.

What I want is a standby generator that doesn't have the ATS. Lights go out, I want to go outside flip a switch, turn the genny on myself, have it power my entire breaker panel and save that 7k for something else. If you travel a lot, or physically incapable or turning on the genny, I can see the value of the ATS.


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When we built in 2018, we built a generator pedestal same height as our elevated home’s floors, ~ 4’ above grade, have a 22KW air-cooled Generac running on natural gas.

As we are rural & depend on a nearby small town’s antiquated electtic system, which often fails, we just LOVE the auto-start feature.

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[DACMagic]

$5k to $6k + install + fuel + maintenance to power your whole house? Why spend that when instead you get a perfect excuse to take a stay-cation and a perfect excuse to go on an extended camping trip at your own house. It might actually be nice to be disconnected for a few weeks. Also a good time to grill up those steaks that have been in the back of your freezer for 6 months.

 

[no2gates]

$5k to $6k + install + fuel + maintenance to power your whole house? Why spend that when instead you get a perfect excuse to take a stay-cation and a perfect excuse to go on an extended camping trip at your own house. It might actually be nice to be disconnected for a few weeks. Also a good time to grill up those steaks that have been in the back of your freezer for 6 months.

That wasn't too fun in Feb 2021 when our power was out for 5 days and it was below 20 degrees outside.