This doesn't address your question exactly but people have installed external tanks for more runtime.
Natural Gas Generators
- Thread starter IReallyLikePizza2
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This doesn't address your question exactly but people have installed external tanks for more runtime.
Alright, well its pretty much settled at this point. While I'd like to compare Kohler vs Generac vs Cummins, the real kicker is the installation and support
So far, the Generac seems better for that. I just contacted a company my Neighbor got one installed by, and they were fast to respond and seemed great so far. He's pleased with them so I'm sure I will be
I'm getting the 27kw Generac QS Liquid Cooled
So far, the Generac seems better for that. I just contacted a company my Neighbor got one installed by, and they were fast to respond and seemed great so far. He's pleased with them so I'm sure I will be
I'm getting the 27kw Generac QS Liquid Cooled
bigredfish
Known around here
FWIW we bought a Generac portable 8000/10000 back in 2017 before the big hurricane. We were out of power for 7 days and put 130 hours almost continuous on it without a hiccup. Now has 160 hours and runs great.
Generac gets a bad rap, but what's at everyones house? A generac.
Search for issues with anything popular and they are out there. I do think they worse than Kohler and worse than the Liquid cooled Cummins, but I think its a pretty fine line
Search for issues with anything popular and they are out there. I do think they worse than Kohler and worse than the Liquid cooled Cummins, but I think its a pretty fine line
Mike A.
Known around here
- May 6, 2017
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I bought a portable generator about 10 years ago after we had a big storm here take out power for ~10 days. Since then I've lost power long enough to use it once for about 3 minutes before power came back on. lol
Not a great payback on that one but I'm still glad to have if I ever need it.
Not a great payback on that one but I'm still glad to have if I ever need it.
I have a 22KW Generac with an automatic transfer switch. It is 2 years old and has been used several times for 4 or 5 days each. Living along the gulf coast (Alabama) a whole house generator is a necessity if you want AC during the summer hurricane. It worked great! It takes about 10 seconds after power is lost for the generator to automatically crank up and switch over to power the house. All of my computers, NVR, network equipment have battery backup that powers the equipment for a few seconds until the generator is up and running. The generator cost $5,500 and $1,800 for the installation. It does cost around $25 a day for natural gas when it is running, but well worth it.
Thanks for sharing. I actually have one on a small 2,000 watt generator.
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guykuo
Getting comfortable
Another tidbit to tuck in your head is the earthquake valve that should get installed along with the generator.
We have one for the house and another for the generator.
Post minor tremors, those valves may shut off the gas supply. We had one partially shut after nearby heavy earth mover work. It didn't look obviously shut off, but the little ball was a bit off center - shut enough to starve the generator.
We have one for the house and another for the generator.
Post minor tremors, those valves may shut off the gas supply. We had one partially shut after nearby heavy earth mover work. It didn't look obviously shut off, but the little ball was a bit off center - shut enough to starve the generator.
Here In Upstate NY, I bet 5 out of 10 houses have whole house Generators Including Mine, about 12 years ago we lost power for like a week in the middle of winter, I survived with my wood stove and a Honda portable generator. We were having constant issues with the power here. In 2011 I went with a Generac 17,000 K whole house system and transfer switch. Had it shipped in, I had to upgrade my gas meter first. Did most of the Install myself minus the natural gas piping and hookup. I think I got it at Ziller. It had a major failure in 2015, seems a factory defect, The rotors were not pressed on the shaft correctly and brushes never lined up proper and just ground down to dust and destroyed the ring. Generac at first said so sorry but it out of time on the warranty, Then admitted that the issue did exist and paid for the parts but not the labor.
I had a local dealer do the work on that one, They knew the issue right away and said it was a manufacturing defect, all in all after that its been pretty good.
Good luck trying to get a generator now, I bet there will be a run on them nation wide. As far as the natural gas supply failing here, we never have has any issues with that considering the failures, when the power goes out, thats all you can here is generators running around here and driving around so many houses with lights on.
If I had to do it again, I might have buried a propane tank in the ground but I got what I got and it has served pretty well for my needs. One thing I would have done different is turned it 90 more degrees away from the house so the exhaust was pointed away, I built the deck after the fact and it bounces a bit. Might be a project for this spring.
Would like to see another view of the piping and electrical as it goes into the home. That is one hell of a long pipe run there.
I highly recommend looking into Tesla Powerwalls as another option. I have 4 power walls as a whole house back up which are charged by 48 solar panels. My system was installed in October of 2020 and I love it. I lost grid power 11 times since install and my power walls have ran amazingly without issue.
We lost power on Christmas this year for 8 hours. I had no clue our house lost power until the Tesla app notified me and without hesitation my entire home was ran seamlessly with no hiccups.
We lost power on Christmas this year for 8 hours. I had no clue our house lost power until the Tesla app notified me and without hesitation my entire home was ran seamlessly with no hiccups.
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I'd love a system that can link everything together and figure out the best (and most cost effective way) to get power
If there was a fancy box I could link Solar, PowerWall, Generator and the Grid into.
Then you could also set it to do things like charge the PowerWalls from the Generator if needed to have power at night, and have the generator turn off. Don't think anything like this exists though
If there was a fancy box I could link Solar, PowerWall, Generator and the Grid into.
Then you could also set it to do things like charge the PowerWalls from the Generator if needed to have power at night, and have the generator turn off. Don't think anything like this exists though
That’s a hybrid charging system. Exists now and can be incorporated with planning and proper selection of hardware.
I don't believe Tesla will allow you to charge your powewalls through a stand by generator. That idea seems like it would be very burdensome on the standby generator too. The way my powerwalls charge is two ways. First is through my solar panels. Second is through the electrical grid system when my system is placed into Storm Watch. Once a incoming storm is rated as a "warning" by the National Weather Service Storm Watch is activated and if my powewalls are at 0% charge the grid will charge them to 100% if power is not lost.
My four powerwalls will easily run my entire house without any grid or solar power approximately 5 days. Very nice peace of mind
SouthernYankee
IPCT Contributor
in Texas the natural gas grid deliver system almost collapsed last week. The next time this shit happens it will more than likely fail.
With the current long term low price and over availability of natural gas, producers are closing in wells, to drive the price up.
I have written natural gas trading software and the pipeline delivery software. If the company can sell its gas at $15.00 MMBTU to northerner or to you for $4.00 MMBTU who going to get the gas ? So there is a long term contract for gas, what is the penalty for breaking the contract, The bidding and supply software job is to make money.
Dual fuel generators. Also mount the generator up, above the flood plain. In a hurricane the generator does on good if it is underwater.
With the current long term low price and over availability of natural gas, producers are closing in wells, to drive the price up.
I have written natural gas trading software and the pipeline delivery software. If the company can sell its gas at $15.00 MMBTU to northerner or to you for $4.00 MMBTU who going to get the gas ? So there is a long term contract for gas, what is the penalty for breaking the contract, The bidding and supply software job is to make money.
Dual fuel generators. Also mount the generator up, above the flood plain. In a hurricane the generator does on good if it is underwater.
I don't believe there will be an NG outage, and at the worst situation in over 100 years, there was no outage. If anything, I would expect it to get better next time
The natural gas issues were with 45GW of power plants, the amount of gas they use is monumental compared to everyone's furnaces, hot water heaters, generators etc.
The natural gas issues were with 45GW of power plants, the amount of gas they use is monumental compared to everyone's furnaces, hot water heaters, generators etc.
The reality is everyone in Texas and elsewhere must be better prepared for any disaster. Every year there's tornadoes, flooding, scorching heat waves in Texas. Just these three weather events are A Typical and yet every year people act all surprised when power & water goes out?!?
Growing up a large garden, canning, smoking, hunting, having multiple resources and methods to create heat was base one. Fast forward to the year 2021 people call this new wave of people Preppers?!?!
If you grew up with nothing you know first hand about how to manage your resources and the methods to provide food & water, shelter, heat, etc. I can guarantee you all if you walked down the street right now and audited the people down your street. As to how many of them have at least 3~5 days worth of food and water that number would be less than 15%. If you asked the same people how many of them have at least three ways to generate heat the answer would be 5%.
Ask the same about generating electricity it would be less than 2% . . .
Growing up a large garden, canning, smoking, hunting, having multiple resources and methods to create heat was base one. Fast forward to the year 2021 people call this new wave of people Preppers?!?!
If you grew up with nothing you know first hand about how to manage your resources and the methods to provide food & water, shelter, heat, etc. I can guarantee you all if you walked down the street right now and audited the people down your street. As to how many of them have at least 3~5 days worth of food and water that number would be less than 15%. If you asked the same people how many of them have at least three ways to generate heat the answer would be 5%.
Ask the same about generating electricity it would be less than 2% . . .
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I'm not even a "prepper" and I didn't prepare for this cold at all, and even I have well over a weeks food in the house no issue. I don't understand how on MONDAY there were people saying they had no food
I guess extreme poverty, but there were people driving "nice" cars to the drive through saying they didn't have food at home
I guess extreme poverty, but there were people driving "nice" cars to the drive through saying they didn't have food at home
That is exactly my point and for a moment lets assume this isn't a person who isn't financially well off. Right now where I am you can walk into a Safeway, Walmart, Costco and pick up a pack of 48 bottled water for under $8.00. Those who use those super huge water coolers the same bottle to be filled is less than $3.XX and a filled one at Costco is $5~6.XX.
In the worst case scenario (showing my age) a box of 48 of Mr. Noodles cost under $10.00! Anyone who was a starving student knows Mr. Noodles and KD! A 10 lbs bag of rice depending upon brand and type is less than $11~13.XX!
