On 1/21/14, 5:53 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/20/2014 11:16 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 19:03:48 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:
Since we had our genny installed, we haven't had a power outage that
lasts more than a couple of minutes. We take credit for that! 
Me too, since I bought a generator, I have not had anything worth
going out and flipping the transfer switch.
(not automatic)
I am glad I saved that $5000 ;-)
The only way I could justify a whole house generator is if there was a
permanent and direct fuel supply to it, like natural gas. Otherwise it
doesn't make sense to me.
A short term (meaning 1 or 2 day) loss of power is manageable using a
small generator like the little Honda.
The problem I'd have with a large, whole house generator is fuel. We
don't have natural gas coming up to the house so the generator would
have to be propane, gas or diesel. We have a 100 gal propane tank that
feeds a Hot Dawg garage heater but a whole house generator would drain a
full tank of propane in a couple of days. Since long term power outages
up here are due to winter snowstorms, it's unlikely we could get a
propane delivery every other day. Same with diesel.
I learned that lesson in Florida following Hurricane Wilma. I had just
purchased the little Honda and had also purchased a 12KW gasoline
powered generator and wired it into the main panel. It wouldn't power
everything, but I could selectively turn on what was needed (well pump,
water heater, certain room outlets, refrigerator, microwave, etc.)
I thought I was well prepared with about 6, five gallon gasoline
containers. Not so. That 12kw generator burned far more gas than I
expected and it was clear that my supply would only last two or three
days at best. So I used it sparingly and had the little Honda running
24/7 to power a refrigerator, couple of lights, the Direct TV box and a
TV. The Honda sips fuel, running almost 24 hours on two gallons or less.
We were powerless for just over a week following Wilma and gas, if you
could find a station with aux power, was scarce.
When we installed our pool eight years ago (up here in MA) the
electrical contractor tried to sell me a whole house generator, telling
me it could be fueled by the propane tank we use for the garage heater.
He specified a 20kw generator for our house. I doubt a full tank of
propane would last 2 days.
We ran underground conduit and wiring for one, but I held off on the
generator. In the eight years since, we've only experienced two longer
term power outages, both due to winter storms. Each lasted about 3 days
and the little Honda got us through them both.
We have a 500 gallon buried tank, so it gets filled to 400 gallons. I
think our genny burns about 1.75 gph at half load, so at any time during
the month between tank top-offs, we should have at least a week of run
time, probably more if it is winter, because the larger of our two heat
pumps primarily runs off propane anyway, so if the power goes out, the
only additional load for heat from the generator will be to run the
compressor and furnace fan. The smaller heat pump is not on generator
backup.
The longest power outage we have had here to date was five days. It was
hot outside and it was miserable.