portable generators or other emergency power type things

[DougW]

Something not mentioned was what else you can do .

For deep freezer chest type keep room temp as low as possible and cover with blankets and sleeping bags.
for refrigerators if below freezing outside put freezer stuff outside in coolers and use snow or freezer packs refrig section

Found melting snow was pain in ass so next time would just open up well, have shallow culvert type, and fill up containers. But most people don't have that option.

[Snow Dog]

I have a 5000W 120/240V Honda generator and I put the well pump and gas boiler on plugs so I could plug them into the generator. I plug in the well pump (in the barn) with a custom extension cord and run an extension cord to the house to power everything else. I keep planning to put in a sub-panel and transfer switch but a few power bars and extension cords is easier and has worked for 25 years.

[bodywhomper]

Your generator has 2 "circuits". Your well pumps need both. Its a math game but either way youre "running" amps are 6.5 but the starting is higher, so you need some spare wattage to get those going.

You gotta do the math, but you dont mention the type of heat you have.

The math for the well system: two pumps at 230v. One max amperage is labeled as 6 and the other is 6.5. To me, the math is 12.5A max and a little under 3000W max. That sounds like it would work on the 240v 22.9A circuit of my generator, right or am i missing something?

i think i was missing something. i have been reading a bit more about my generator and found this doc (i have an earlier model of this genie): http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/...e/EU6500iS.pdf

redoing my math: two pumps with SF Amp of 6 and 6.5 -> 12.5 A (max - from what i've read) on the 240V, which uses both circuits out of 22.9A @240V available; leaving 10.4A @ 240V or 10.4 @ 120V for circuit A (one available receptacle) and circuit B (2 available receptacles).

that all seems to add-up to me. now am i missing something?

snow dog, putting your pumps on a plug is an interesting idea. that'd take a bit of changing things around for our well, but i hadn't thought about that.

other general power outage strategies with no well pumps: have drinking water and large buckets of water at the ready. turn off toilets immediately and use bucketed water to flush the toilets to preserve water pressure in the pressure tank for things like washing body parts and dishes. extra batteries. filled firewood containers in the house. extra filled (and stabilized) gas cans. i'm also running seafoam engine treatment with every tankful; northern CA gas is pretty bad.

in december, a tree fell across the one-lane dirt road that accesses our property, which one of the neighbors took care of. from this past storm, 2 homes in my neighborhood had large trees fall onto them !
cheers

[bodywhomper]

I finally got a manual switch installed and plugs to power the house. It works really well and seems like it'll run everything except the e-dryer. Pretty happy

[LightRanger]

Re: trees, I hope you have a big Stihl? You're looking into the right vehicles.

[SB]

Getting my outside gen plug and inside panel set on Tuesday along with a dedicated 20A circuit for my brewing equipment.

[bodywhomper]

Re: trees, I hope you have a big Stihl? You're looking into the right vehicles.

Got a land crusher yesterday. Need a come along type device for tree stuff. Also a small hauling trailer. My saw is an older medium of the road that's finally running great with a 20" bar.

Might get to use the new genie system this week, depending on winds with this incoming weather. Definitely get to use it next week with a schedule full day outage.

My electrician was pretty clear that i scored on the used honda genie that i found last fall.

[teledad]

Bump. Total generator JONG here but in the market after our second multi-day outage this month.

Looking for a portable unit around 4-5KW. Just looking to power lights, fridge, radiant heat (propane boiler but has a control board and a pump). Want something with minimal hassle that my wife is going to be able to start and refuel if I'm not around. Are the Hondas still the best option?

Thoughts on gas vs. propane? LNG isn't an option.

[bodywhomper]

Nice bump.

My Honda’s been great and is very simple to fire up. Inverter generators are very fuel efficient and less noisy. Generators will burn more propane vs gas for the same power, apparently, but lots of benefits to propane (cost, emissions, non-carb issues).

I suggest calculating your usage of the things that you would have powered so that you are not buying too big or too small. The most simple system uses a automatic transfer switch and a propane generator. It’ll automatically switch back to and from the utility power depending if the lines are carrying electricity. Generac is a brand that seems to have that market dialed around here. I don’t think there’s a way to not feed your whole house with an auto switch. You can also toggle the generator to turn off and back on with a generator on an auto transfer switch.

With a manual transfer switch, you can have it wired to specific fuses in your house. Manual switches require more user interface.

There’s potential that with gas generator, your wife would need to refill the fuel tank. I wrote out instruction for my wife or older kid.

[Todd Zander]

auto does not mean the whole house

dont cheap out on chinese junk, ive fixed plenty that were probably never overloaded.

sounds like youll have minimal draw, with gas hot water youre only lookig at a handfull of circuits

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Reliance-Controls-30-Amp-250-Volt-7500-Watt-Non-Fuse-6-Circuit-Transfer-Switch-Kit-3006HDK/202213700

this involves wheeling the gen over to your outdoor receptacle, starting the gen, plugging it in and going back inside to the subpanel and flipping the breakers from utility to generator. simple and cheap

[SumJongGuy]

I recommend getting one that runs on LP. I don't have to worry about keeping a bunch of gas on hand that goes bad after a year or having to siphon fuel out of a vehicle I could be using in said vehicle. I have 5 twenty pound LP tanks that never go bad but do get cycled through my grill then refilled at the LP place that fills them ALL the way to 20 pounds instead of the 15 pounds you get when exchanging them. Always having 90-100 pounds of LP on hand has us always ready to run a few things standalone for 3-5 days, maybe longer if we only run things a few hours per day.

[teledad]

A fixed propane system (e.g. Generac) with auto switch would be nice but probably isn't workable given snow loads and county codes around propane appliances at altitude (basically need to be fully enclosed). Hence the plan for a portable I can just pull out of the garage when needed.

Planning to get a manual transfer switch installed if I can ever get an electrician to call me back (I'll do simple 120V wiring but don't want to mess around with panels).

Propane definitely seems easier from a fuel storage standpoint. I've been managing the "old gas" issue for the snow blower but that only needs a few gallons.

[bodywhomper]

there are kits for converting gas generators to propane: https://genconnexdirect.net/honda_ge...opane_kits.htm

Dealing with ethanol-ed fuel is a PITA. We have been using AV Fuel for over 100hrs of running time over the past several years. Happy/not happy about that, but there are no issues with the carburetor or concerns about fuel going bad. I haven’t had any other genie problems (yet) running that fuel. being nearish to an airport, it’s a pretty popular option. For the last few outages, there’s been a queue of people lined up waiting for the biz office at the airport to open.

The method of wheeling it out of the garage (or leaving it outside ready during dry periods in the fall) is a pretty simple and works for many.

My mechanic is of the opinion that a diesel genie is the best option, the fuel (apparently) doesn’t go bad, it’s the most fuel-efficient system, and you can (possibly) run biofuels. I do not know much else about diesel generators.

You can always do the lots of cords coming out of the generator method before installing the transfer switch. With the manual transfer switch you are setting yourself up for having other future supplemental power source for at least part of your home, like solar/battery system.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Fully enclosed isn't hard.

When I lived in the Nor Cal mountains, the standard off-line set up was a fireplace, a genset running off the propane, and a 5,000 gal cistern uphill from the house that could gravity feed the domestic water supply and also had a FDC for wildfires. I never did the math but I figured we could live a long time without power if needed.

If you don't have room for a cistern, the water "pillow" bladders that you can put in crawlspaces are pretty bitchin'.

[BCMtnHound]

We have Honda 3000is and a 2000i. The 3000 is 110lbs so not portable by the wife. The 2000 is 40lbs. Both on gas, and I have no issues cycling the gas as needed. Premium fuel only. They run quiet and start easily. They can be linked to run together, but still no 220V so the larger appliances are out. Dad has a honda 5000 for the farm, with 220V option, mainly to run the well pump. He's got the house on a manual switch, and has hooked up only once in 25yrs.
Just installing a 20Kw cummins on propane at the SAR HQ. It will be on an auto switch. Can't wait to turn it on and hear it purr.

[bodywhomper]

Double post

[LightRanger]

TD,

For your use, I'd definitely be looking at a dual-fuel. If I thought we were going to be out more often at our place in GB, I'd probably be looking at that (or a Powerwall, or both). The ability to just buy a couple of 20 gallon tanks and have them on hand is enormously appealing, IMO. Supposedly good for like 12 years before the pressure needs to be checked. Versus gas going bad and fouling the carb...

I think I saw on local Nextdoor yesterday that I lady wrote that her usual electrician said he was getting 50 calls an hour about transfer switches, wiring generators, batteries, etc. So you may definitely be waiting a bit.

Were you guys out at both houses, or just the SR house?