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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 General Board Posts >> Anybody know anything about Generators?
        
(Message started by: LadyElaine on Jan 31^st, 2005, 8:16pm)

Title: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by LadyElaine on Jan 31^st, 2005, 8:16pm

I will not be in the cold again. If I have to sale all my funiture I am buying me a generator ! I know nothing about them.
I want one that will run the heat/air and well pump and the refridgertor and frezzer! I can live without lights.
Can someone tell me what I would need? I want one that runs on disel I know that much. I don't think I will ever thaw out LOL
Thanks in advance
Elaine

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by john_d on Jan 31^st, 2005, 8:26pm

pretty big Elaine, like 30 kW plus, it's the heat that is the is demanding. If it was not for that it would not need to be so big.

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by purpleydog on Jan 31^st, 2005, 8:34pm

Elaine, you want to have one that will run all your appliances with electricity to spare. The best thing to do is get a licensed electrician, and get one wired into your breaker box/ fuse box. That way when the power goes out, it will automatically kick on.

You need to figure the wattage of all of your appliances, and also figure for electrical surges, like when the pump and the refrigerator kick on. Add this all up, and that will tell you how many watts the generator needs to produce. Probably around at least 10,000 watts to 20,000 watts. You may as well have lights too... ;) You don't want to run it at maximum all the time, so be sure to have plenty of wattage.

Go to an industrial supply place, or some place that sells commercial equipment. Like Fastenal, or Grainger. The generators you will find at Home Depot, Lowes and places like that are generally too small for what you need. Then get ahold of an electrician to install it. The hard part is making sure it will be the right size, you don't want to get one too small.

Let me know if you have any questions, Elaine. I acquire these all the time, and I can steer you in the right direction.

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by BlueMeanie on Jan 31^st, 2005, 9:12pm

Damn Chris, You do know what you're talking about girl. :)

Elaine, she's right. But I can tell ya now it's gonna cost a bunch of moola for that. Maybe if you know an electrician to hook it up you can save a little.

In all honesty living where you do I don't think it's worth the cost though. You may just want a smaller Home Depot generator that will supply power for an electric heater and a few lights to hold you over until electric comes back on.

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by Rock_Lobster on Jan 31^st, 2005, 10:24pm

A Heat Pump, if that is what is heating your house, will EAT a smaller generator. I honestly believe you are speaking 5-figures for one that will handle that.

Yes... diesel is the ticket, albeit one that costs 2x+ what a non-diesel runs. A diesel gen can run on diesel or home heating oil.

The cost of a woodstove and a stainless 3-layer chimney is probably less than a diesel gen that will handle a heat pump.

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by cootie on Jan 31^st, 2005, 10:46pm

Brad bought one after that ice and snow storm around the holidays. He bought one at "Rural King" store which is like a Farm and Fleet......he paid about $ 400.00 for it but they "can" be extremly PRICEY depending on how big of one you want and how much you want to run. You go by watts guess on how much it can run and how many watts the stuff is you WANT it to run add up......(don't quote me but it is sumthin like that) ours is like 4000 watts I think ? Brad rigged ours to run the furnace (that was most important and the fridge and we also ran the tv to keep up on weather and all and have a small satillite also). But at the time he couldn't go under the house to permanetly run the wireing cuz the sump pump wasn't workin cuz of no electric and under the house was flooded about 4 foot or more deep !!!!! So he ran wires directly out of our electric box (which scared me) but turned the MAIN OFF !!! He had wires comeing out of everywhere but had them hooked directly the breakers that ran certain things. If your not good with wireing or figureing all that out YES.....have an electrition do it for you cuz it is pretty intense !!! I had wires running out the box that is at the bottom of the stairs and he ran them behind the couch and thru a window to the back deck that has a roof where we sat the generator. We got one that has a tank that will run 9 hours on one tank of gas.....I think THAT is important to check on also so yer not haveing to run out to fill it every 4 hours. It worked great......what a lifesaver and GOOD INVESTMENT not to mention PIECE OF MIND !!!! I noticed when the furnace came on and fridge was running (and it's freezer compartment) the furnace sort of 'whined' a tiny bit and you could hear that generator on the deck change sounds so I turned the fridge down and made sure I unplugged other things that were on the surge protector the tv was on. Cuz I had a clock running and lamp and few other things that were pullin watts or amps whatever. We want to rig it to run the water pump also but were jus lucky we found a generator when we did dureing that bad spell and got it hooked up to run. When the power came back on he had to unhook all the wires and get the main back on. But he will have it wired soon to just drag it out of the garage and plug in and GO....if needed again. Our insurence won't permit woodburners unless TOP NOTCH with triple wall pipe ect (yeah ya can go ahead and install one but if somethin happens and ya have a fire of any kind YOU WILL BE VOID for coverage).....so the generator was the best route 'for now' !!!! Was a very nice feeling when it started up.....and so did the furnace after being without so long !!!! I think an 8000 watt generator would run ALOT of stuff.....but jus heat and not have food spoil was GOOD for us. It's well worth checking into. Sorry for the blab session Pam

Some near our area are still without power and houses flooded and frozen up and roads closed from the holiday storm.....we got it bad !!!

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by Rock_Lobster on Jan 31^st, 2005, 10:52pm

Cool link for generator sizing...
http://www.dom.com/products/generators/order.jsp

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by eddie on Jan 31^st, 2005, 10:56pm

on 01/31/05 at 20:34:24, purpleydog wrote:

im an electrician of 20 yrs,
im impressed!!! you go girl
yes you need the transfer switch.auto/ manual
yes its a little money for the whole project.
if i was to guess it can run $10.000 to $28.000
it just depends how you set it up

edit to add this.

.http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/electrical/article/0,16417,203387,00.html

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by cootie on Jan 31^st, 2005, 11:12pm

OUCH.....a big one to run everything would cost THAT MUCH ?? Guess I am happy with what we got and jus havein the furnace, fridge and tv was all I asked....in a crisis that will work for me !!! Neighbors also got one ( a bit bigger) and some other freinds and all did the wireing themselves. An electrician doin it for you is a GOOD idea tho even if it is jus a smaller generator !!! I think generators are the new trend Pam

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by eddie on Jan 31^st, 2005, 11:27pm

just get some prices and make sure you know what
they promise you. but you may get it done a little
cheaper if you do it a certain way. somthing like a
RV hook up. good luck , i wish i could come help ya.
eddie

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by ClusterChuck on Feb 1^st, 2005, 12:10pm

At the cost of 15 g's or more, you might do better with two Home Depot sized units, instead of the one unit to do what you want it to do. One to run the heat, that will stay on, and a second one to run the fridge and freezer, every now and then. If the freezer is a chest type, with care, it will last a long time before it starts to defrost.

Rethink what you REALLY need, and buy accordingly. Where you live, I don't think you need what you are asking for. Unless you have recently come in to MEGA bucks, and have not told us about it yet. If that is true, can I hit you up for a mil or two? ;;D

Luv ya, darling
Chuck

Title: Re: Anybody know anything about Generators?
Post by Major_Headcase on Feb 1^st, 2005, 5:46pm

With a electric heat pump for heating (no GAS, right?), it's likely (99%) that it runs on 220V/240V and not 110-120V; and that it needs at least a 30amp dedicated power line (maybe as much as 50amp depending on the size/model). I would definitely reconsider trying to run your heat pump off of a portable generator - it's gonna cost ya' a small fortune! ClusterChuck is on the beam with his comments.

For getting through the occasional emergency, I would consider buying one or two home duty generators and then use a few portable electric heaters - one GEN for the heaters and one GEN for your other stuff. Still, expect some "sticker shock" when you get prices.