What are y’all buying for the next grid failure?

[troph 24781]

44 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

I have NOAA weather radios, FM/AM, and 5 mile open walkie talkies (set of 4, basestation has to be plugged in). And a couple of these. One I keep in my jeep, the other in my aw fuck closet. 

https://www.amazon.com/Raynic-Emergency-Portable-Flashlight-Cellphone/dp/B07TXL4XJP/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=YBK4G36Q3Y08&keywords=noaa+weather+radio&qid=1636339632&sprefix=NOAA+%2Caps%2C235&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzVTdSSDFPWFVQSkJMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjIwMzQ0N0hUWjBGSkYwVDlQJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2OTY4MzE4V0dTQ0ZCVTBYUUsmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

I’m getting one of these. Super cool. Looks like a great camping item too.

[InkaUtexas 25874]

15 minutes ago, troph said:

I’m getting one of these. Super cool. Looks like a great camping item too.

Get two. I always keep one in my vehicle and if I need it at home I have a back up. Unlike a space heater we need these all year in Texas. 

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

22 hours ago, Lobo said:

If you didn't like last February..........you're really not gonna like what happens next. 

I don’t even give a shit if they have to have blackouts as long as they are planned , well communicated and short.  

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

Also this reminds me I need to figure out how to use the generator I bought a few months ago

[Guest Lobo]

6 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

I don’t even give a shit if they have to have blackouts as long as they are planned , well communicated and short.  

We’re still talking about energy, right?   

[utee94 15808]

10 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

Also this reminds me I need to figure out how to use the generator I bought a few months ago

I'd suggest reading the directions, but we all know that never happens.

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

3 hours ago, utee94 said:

I'd suggest reading the directions, but we all know that never happens.

I prefer just flipping switches and pulling the starter cord until it works

[InkaUtexas 25874]

26 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

I prefer just flipping switches and pulling the starter cord until it works

Don't forget to kick it a few times. 

[Goofyboy 3269]

You'll miss the winter storms and then miss your generator unless it's protected by a blue shed of some sort.

It’s a whole house generator. I don’t think it’s going anywhere.

[TexasEd 8066]

20 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

You'll miss the winter storms and then miss your generator unless it's protected by a blue shed of some sort.

I got a pool this year so I guess I'm going to get some outdoor heaters and a tarp that can cover the equipment.

I already have a bunch of the stuff listed in my hunting gear but should update my weather radio.  Old one does not work too well anymore. 

I put in gas logs a while back and can switch those out for firewood if the gas service stops.

We were the lucky ones that did not lose power last year.  Not going to count on that though. Seems like we were so close to everything going down last year, even the emergency spots.

[MissingInAction 25018]

Also consider if you have to go to foot for supplies or a better shelter. 

My go bag has everything I need for 3 days(5 if I stretch it).

Even the dog has her saddle bags stocked for a potential journey.

 

[Jkwellborn 6692]

It’s a whole house generator. I don’t think it’s going anywhere.

Lol a fucking crackhead will steal anything.

[InkaUtexas 25874]

2 hours ago, MissingInAction said:

Also consider if you have to go to foot for supplies or a better shelter. 

My go bag has everything I need for 3 days(5 if I stretch it).

Even the dog has her saddle bags stocked for a potential journey.

 

Go 7 for you and make the dog carry 4 on their own. And remember the portable grill and silenced .22. You can always add a week of protein off the dog. (I kid, well not really.) 

Another nice thing we keep in stock is USCG water. Here is a link for one of the products. Do that math. That is a lot of drinking water. Lets you use your storage for the shitter. 

https://www.amazon.com/73011-Mayday-Pouch-Water-4-225/dp/B06Y3K69D1/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=coast+guard+water&qid=1636422339&sr=8-5

Cuz, ya know. 

[mchookem 16322]

this thread is bananas. you know, in an infuriating 'i cant believe we actually have to plan for this shit now' kinda way. i mean i've lived in Texas my entire life, wtf.

anyways... we're planning a move out-of-state in the spring so we declined to purchase anything. if we have another 100 year event this winter, i have learned my lesson regarding our pool! that was our only catastrophe last year. gas fireplace ftw 😊

[TTU13 108]

My neighbor learned how to flush his pool out in a pinch and rescued a couple other neighbors to save on damage. Ended up only having to replace 2-300 worth of easy to get parts.

I recommend doing some pre-study to know the process in case it’s needed.

[Chewbacca 7767]

You guys need to invest in some wood stoves.

[MissingInAction 25018]

4 hours ago, InkaUtexas said:

Go 7 for you and make the dog carry 4 on their own. And remember the portable grill and silenced .22. You can always add a week of protein off the dog. (I kid, well not really.) 

Another nice thing we keep in stock is USCG water. Here is a link for one of the products. Do that math. That is a lot of drinking water. Lets you use your storage for the shitter. 

https://www.amazon.com/73011-Mayday-Pouch-Water-4-225/dp/B06Y3K69D1/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=coast+guard+water&qid=1636422339&sr=8-5

Cuz, ya know. 

The dog is  in tuned with my insanity I think she's good with it 

Edited November 9, 2021 by MissingInAction

[DonkeyCigars 144]

Ecobee might not be as big a player in smart homes as Google or Amazon, but it’s turning up the temperature on its efforts.

Last week, the smart-thermostat company announced it will be acquired by Wisconsin–based Generac Holdings Inc., which specializes in backup generators and energy storage. The deal is worth $770 million and is expected to close by the end of the year.

Why it matters: Ecobee hopes to use the acquisition to expand beyond smart thermostats and embrace a wider goal of creating products that enable “net-zero” homes that can run on renewable energy. Generac’s work on backup generators is essential to this goal, as they can help store solar power when it’s not daytime, which Ecobee’s products can then help distribute.

Up until this point, the company’s key product was a smart thermostat that adjusted temperatures based on when users were home and away from home, and managed energy consumption to save customers money with their utility.

In an additional push beyond smart thermostats, it recently announced a professionally monitored home-security service that integrates with its thermostats and sensors.

“We get to take the best of what we put together, from our thermostats, our user experience, the relationships we have with grid operators, and [Generac’s] experience in backup generation, resiliency, solar, and storage,” he said.

Ecobee, which will operate as a subsidiary of Generac, is based in Toronto and was founded in 2007. Between then and Generac’s acquisition, it has raised $149.4 million.

Lombard told us the company boasts over 2 million customers across North America.

For comparison, in 2018, Google said it had sold over 11 million Nest devices since 2011.

[kevwun 15766]

On 11/8/2021 at 7:47 PM, InkaUtexas said:

Go 7 for you and make the dog carry 4 on their own. And remember the portable grill and silenced .22. You can always add a week of protein off the dog. (I kid, well not really.) 

Another nice thing we keep in stock is USCG water. Here is a link for one of the products. Do that math. That is a lot of drinking water. Lets you use your storage for the shitter. 

https://www.amazon.com/73011-Mayday-Pouch-Water-4-225/dp/B06Y3K69D1/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=coast+guard+water&qid=1636422339&sr=8-5

Cuz, ya know. 

I saw a little boy dressed like this for Halloween.  He was pulling a wagon that had been fixed up to look like an RV.  It was the greatest costume I have ever seen and his parents deserve some kind of award.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

Hey @Lobo you enjoying boiling your water over there in district 10?  Lol. 

[Guest Lobo]

I don’t get it.  I don’t live in district ten. But I guess I’ll check to see if there’s any water notices in my area.  You laugh out loud at strange things.  

[Gatorubet 30186]

Hey [mention=2691]Lobo[/mention] you enjoying boiling your water over there in district 10?  Lol. 

That’s Panem for ya

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

On 11/13/2021 at 8:36 AM, Lobo said:

I don’t get it.  I don’t live in district ten. But I guess I’ll check to see if there’s any water notices in my area.  You laugh out loud at strange things.  

I thought you lived over by Lost Creek for some reason.  Was reading about the boil water notice there.  And the laughing wasn't at you, it was at our 3rd world infrastructure.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Judge Roybeanbag

[Guest Lobo]

Please feel free to laugh at me, just don’t put me in fitlump’s district. 
 

but yeah, our water situation in Austin is getting pretty shitty 

[BabaYaga 15289]

On 11/8/2021 at 2:34 PM, TexasEd said:

I got a pool this year so I guess I'm going to get some outdoor heaters and a tarp that can cover the equipment.

I already have a bunch of the stuff listed in my hunting gear but should update my weather radio.  Old one does not work too well anymore. 

I put in gas logs a while back and can switch those out for firewood if the gas service stops.

We were the lucky ones that did not lose power last year.  Not going to count on that though. Seems like we were so close to everything going down last year, even the emergency spots.

What I did for the exposed equipment.  Tarp and a heat lamp (power was intermittent, but it helped).  If you have an exposed tankless water heater, took off the cover and taped over thick foil that I use for smoking.  Cut a small hole in the bottom and ran a hair dryer in there.  Hot water in less than five minutes.  Also bought a sump-pump to descale and flush it out.  

My hunting/camping gear was great.  We camped inside and burned continually logs in the gas fireplace.  Even went to a construction site with my chainsaw and filled up the back of the truck with downed semi-green trees.  They burn too, just take longer to catch.  

Side of the house now lined with big oak logs that have been curing all year for smoking.  Will burn them if needed inside, but be a shame to waste

[BabaYaga 15289]

On 11/10/2021 at 11:30 AM, DonkeyCigars said:

Ecobee might not be as big a player in smart homes as Google or Amazon, but it’s turning up the temperature on its efforts.

Last week, the smart-thermostat company announced it will be acquired by Wisconsin–based Generac Holdings Inc., which specializes in backup generators and energy storage. The deal is worth $770 million and is expected to close by the end of the year.

Why it matters: Ecobee hopes to use the acquisition to expand beyond smart thermostats and embrace a wider goal of creating products that enable “net-zero” homes that can run on renewable energy. Generac’s work on backup generators is essential to this goal, as they can help store solar power when it’s not daytime, which Ecobee’s products can then help distribute.

Up until this point, the company’s key product was a smart thermostat that adjusted temperatures based on when users were home and away from home, and managed energy consumption to save customers money with their utility.

In an additional push beyond smart thermostats, it recently announced a professionally monitored home-security service that integrates with its thermostats and sensors.

“We get to take the best of what we put together, from our thermostats, our user experience, the relationships we have with grid operators, and [Generac’s] experience in backup generation, resiliency, solar, and storage,” he said.

Ecobee, which will operate as a subsidiary of Generac, is based in Toronto and was founded in 2007. Between then and Generac’s acquisition, it has raised $149.4 million.

Lombard told us the company boasts over 2 million customers across North America.

For comparison, in 2018, Google said it had sold over 11 million Nest devices since 2011.

That's great and all, but if you want to save money and waste, focus on upgrading older homes weak spots first:  windows/doors, attics, insulation, etc.  If the house doesn't seal well and contain both heat and cool, nothing else really matters.  

[Brisketexan 105079]

15 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

That's great and all, but if you want to save money and waste, focus on upgrading older homes weak spots first:  windows/doors, attics, insulation, etc.  If the house doesn't seal well and contain both heat and cool, nothing else really matters.  

Our house is both great and bad in the "retain heat" department (which actually is helpful in Texas most of the time).  Both floors have a gas-start fireplace, which is also part of our plan no matter what.

Downstairs (contains kids bedrooms, guest room, and rec room) is built literally into a canyon wall.  It retains temp -- both hot and cold -- incredibly well.  It is absolutely going to be our lifeboat next grid failure.  Updtairs, on the other hand, has very high ceilings, and bleeds off heat very well.  Nice in August.  Not nice in the winter storm.  We will be getting some new windows in a remodel we're working on, but that won't happen for a year or so.

Bottom line, almost all of our "what are you doing" plans revolve around what we'll do when we lose power.  I'm going to buy a decent-sized generator (maybe 3500W or so) that I can put on the back porch outside, run a power cord inside, and can power phone chargers, tv, etc., AND a small electric space heater (it's just a lot safer indoors than any propane model).  Between that and a gas fireplace in the rec room downstairs, we can use that room as a lifeboat and probably at least keep it in the 60 degree range during single digit temps.  That's it.  That's our survival plan (well, laying in a lot of firewood, stockpiling water, etc.).

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

29 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Our house is both great and bad in the "retain heat" department (which actually is helpful in Texas most of the time).  Both floors have a gas-start fireplace, which is also part of our plan no matter what.

Downstairs (contains kids bedrooms, guest room, and rec room) is built literally into a canyon wall.  It retains temp -- both hot and cold -- incredibly well.  It is absolutely going to be our lifeboat next grid failure.  Updtairs, on the other hand, has very high ceilings, and bleeds off heat very well.  Nice in August.  Not nice in the winter storm.  We will be getting some new windows in a remodel we're working on, but that won't happen for a year or so.

Bottom line, almost all of our "what are you doing" plans revolve around what we'll do when we lose power.  I'm going to buy a decent-sized generator (maybe 3500W or so) that I can put on the back porch outside, run a power cord inside, and can power phone chargers, tv, etc., AND a small electric space heater (it's just a lot safer indoors than any propane model).  Between that and a gas fireplace in the rec room downstairs, we can use that room as a lifeboat and probably at least keep it in the 60 degree range during single digit temps.  That's it.  That's our survival plan (well, laying in a lot of firewood, stockpiling water, etc.).

Regarding the generator, one interesting thing I discovered this last go round was that if you have a deep freezer in a cold garage (ours is a small chest freezer), and when you lose power you insulate it with blankets or whatever you have, it will be fine for 3 or 4 days.  I was surprised and happy we didn't lose all that food, especially the venison.

[BabaYaga 15289]

30 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Our house is both great and bad in the "retain heat" department (which actually is helpful in Texas most of the time).  Both floors have a gas-start fireplace, which is also part of our plan no matter what.

Downstairs (contains kids bedrooms, guest room, and rec room) is built literally into a canyon wall.  It retains temp -- both hot and cold -- incredibly well.  It is absolutely going to be our lifeboat next grid failure.  Updtairs, on the other hand, has very high ceilings, and bleeds off heat very well.  Nice in August.  Not nice in the winter storm.  We will be getting some new windows in a remodel we're working on, but that won't happen for a year or so.

Bottom line, almost all of our "what are you doing" plans revolve around what we'll do when we lose power.  I'm going to buy a decent-sized generator (maybe 3500W or so) that I can put on the back porch outside, run a power cord inside, and can power phone chargers, tv, etc., AND a small electric space heater (it's just a lot safer indoors than any propane model).  Between that and a gas fireplace in the rec room downstairs, we can use that room as a lifeboat and probably at least keep it in the 60 degree range during single digit temps.  That's it.  That's our survival plan (well, laying in a lot of firewood, stockpiling water, etc.).

Luckily, new house and we splurged for all the energy saving upgrades:  radiant barrier.  Insulation upgrades.  Double-pane windows filled with unicorn fart gasses, etc.  Not going to go in on a generator just yet as we didn't really need last year, but we'll see.  Our blackouts were rolling, so we were fine.  Cooked a lot on the egg.  Have patio heaters (propane) that were awesome.  That and we burned a crap-ton of wood and the house smelled amazing.  I was just worried about the pool and having hot water, both of which I've addressed.  

[SHOOTER12 8800]

Well I've been thinking. Last time the worst part was boredom. No power, nothing to do, too damn cold to be outside for any length of time...so I'm buying lots and lots of pussy, something awesome to do and it helps you keep warm...win win.

[Brisketexan 105079]

12 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Regarding the generator, one interesting thing I discovered this last go round was that if you have a deep freezer in a cold garage (ours is a small chest freezer), and when you lose power you insulate it with blankets or whatever you have, it will be fine for 3 or 4 days.  I was surprised and happy we didn't lose all that food, especially the venison.

Shit.....we had similar success with our fridge and freezer IN THE DAMNED HOUSE.  Temp inside was 37 degrees when we finally bailed (we did transfer some stuff to coolers outside, packed with snow and kept out in the cold air, and everything in there did great).  But we didn't lose anything in either our garage or indoor fridge/freezer just because there was no heat sink making the freezers heat up.  The external temp just wasn't much warmer.

[Pods 7551]

The best electric heater to get is one of the oil filled radiant models. Once fully hot, you can unplug it and run something else for a while and it will still release heat from the hot oil. 

 

[ChickenNuggets 1623]

On 11/8/2021 at 6:49 PM, Jkwellborn said:

Lol a fucking crackhead will steal anything.

and they have the strength of an ant too

[ChickenNuggets 1623]

On 11/15/2021 at 3:33 PM, SHOOTER12 said:

Well I've been thinking. Last time the worst part was boredom. No power, nothing to do, too damn cold to be outside for any length of time...so I'm buying lots and lots of pussy, something awesome to do and it helps you keep warm...win win.

by pussy you mean a fleshlight, right?

[crash_davis 23101]

i haven't read all 10 pages. can someone kindly tell me how to set up a generator for my house.

what size generator do i need to run AC during summer or heater during the winter (natural gas furnace)? have natural gas for cooking.

how do i set up the generator with my breaker board to seamlessly run and plug in generator?

do i need a natural gas generator?

what is the ballpark cost for all of this shit?

[kevwun 15766]

Depends on how big your home is and how many AC units you have.  A 20 kw will power a small to medium home.  You want a propane one.  You need a transfer switch wired in to your house panel.  I got a price for a Kohler this year.  With a maintenance contract and a 2nd propane tank which is what they recommend so it's always full, it would have cost $20k over a 10 year period.  The average lifetime of a generator is around 12 years, less if you live on the coast.  I couldn't pull the trigger.  We never lost power during the last event and have a propane wall heater in the house for emergencies.  I will probably end up getting a 3 or 4 kw generator that will keep the fridges, freezer and water running.

[Jkwellborn 6692]

i haven't read all 10 pages. can someone kindly tell me how to set up a generator for my house.
what size generator do i need to run AC during summer or heater during the winter (natural gas furnace)? have natural gas for cooking.
how do i set up the generator with my breaker board to seamlessly run and plug in generator?
do i need a natural gas generator?
what is the ballpark cost for all of this shit?

If you have gas heat, you won’t need much of a generator to run the blower. It’s gonna take a bigger one to power the house. If nothing else, get a window unit and you can live with less than a 10kw generator.

[crash_davis 23101]

2 minutes ago, Jkwellborn said:

If you have gas heat, you won’t need much of a generator to run the blower. It’s gonna take a bigger one to power the house. If nothing else, get a window unit and you can live with less than a 10kw generator.

i'm thinking we only need the generator to run the AC/heater and keep power to the tankless water heater so that it doesn't freeze. just don't want to die in summer with no AC and freeze our asses off again in winter if no heater. we have natural gas stove for cooking. just need power to the tankless so we have hot water.

10kw generator it is.

[utee94 15808]

 

7 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

i'm thinking we only need the generator to run the AC/heater and keep power to the tankless water heater so that it doesn't freeze. just don't want to die in summer with no AC and freeze our asses off again in winter if no heater. we have natural gas stove for cooking. just need power to the tankless so we have hot water.

10kw generator it is.

The A/C compressor is an energy hog.  From the interwebz:

Quote

If you have a 3-ton (30-Amp, 36,000 BTUs) air conditioner, you need at least a 14 KW generator. If you have a 4-ton (40-Amp, 48,000 BTUs) air conditioner, you need at least a 17 KW generator. If you have a 5-ton (50-Amp, 60,000 BTUs) air conditioner, you need at least a 20 KW generator.

https://happyhiller.com/blog/backup-generator-buying-sizing-guide/#:~:text=If you have a 3,least a 20 KW generator.

 

[Jkwellborn 6692]

i'm thinking we only need the generator to run the AC/heater and keep power to the tankless water heater so that it doesn't freeze. just don't want to die in summer with no AC and freeze our asses off again in winter if no heater. we have natural gas stove for cooking. just need power to the tankless so we have hot water.
10kw generator it is.

Again, that’s just for a window unit. If the tankless is gas, then it should just need 120v as well.

[Amos Moses 795]

23 minutes ago, utee94 said:

 

The A/C compressor is an energy hog.  From the interwebz:

https://happyhiller.com/blog/backup-generator-buying-sizing-guide/#:~:text=If you have a 3,least a 20 KW generator.

 

That info needs some context, imo, in that those sizes are for running the whole house with that capacity A/C unit running.  You can get by with a smaller generator if you're willing to stage larger loads, i.e., don't run your fridge the entire time or while you're running the A/C.  A 4 ton unit will require 8500 W so a 10kW generator can handle it alone as long as the startup surge doesn't kill it.  A hard start kit on the compressor can help with that.

[crash_davis 23101]

Thanks for the great advice. Just need to decide on a temp gas 10k kwh unit or a fixed natural gas unit like Generac. first cost about 1000k, 2nd costs about $3000+.

[Brisketexan 105079]

Thanks for the great advice. Just need to decide on a temp gas 10k kwh unit or a fixed natural gas unit like Generac. first cost about 1000k, 2nd costs about $3000+.

Wouldn’t it be so much cheaper to pick a room or two as a lifeboat, and use a smaller generator and a cheap window unit you keep on hand? You could have that package for under $1,000.

That’s my winter plan: a lifeboat room with a small generator on the patio and a space heater/radiator in the room. I can do that for around $500. Just need a coupla extra gas cans, and that will get us through at least 48 hours.

[High Plains Drifter 11033]

On 2/22/2021 at 2:37 PM, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Don't build the cabin around the well - you'll never be able to service it.  Design a room off the cabin that is heated or climate controlled, but can be de-constructed so that a new pump can be dropped in or a re-drill if necessary.  I've seen a lot of really nice well houses have to get torn down replace a pump, or when the well goes dry and they have to bore it another 100' or so.

 

Yeah this. Pumps and casings don't last forever. Put a space heater in it with a thermostat set to kick on at 32 degrees. Should be fine.

 

[next2naus 439]

4 hours ago, kevwun said:

Depends on how big your home is and how many AC units you have.  A 20 kw will power a small to medium home.  You want a propane one.  You need a transfer switch wired in to your house panel.  I got a price for a Kohler this year.  With a maintenance contract and a 2nd propane tank which is what they recommend so it's always full, it would have cost $20k over a 10 year period.  The average lifetime of a generator is around 12 years, less if you live on the coast.  I couldn't pull the trigger.  We never lost power during the last event and have a propane wall heater in the house for emergencies.  I will probably end up getting a 3 or 4 kw generator that will keep the fridges, freezer and water running.

Propane is the most "self sufficient" but connecting to your homes NG line is the most hands free free / automagic option. 

[phdhorn 6224]

Bump.  Just did an upgrade of my outside panel to allow for interlock switch, and installed a plug for the generator - wanted to upgrade since panel is > 25 years old and needed a better layout for today's standard and we're flipping much of the house this year anyway.

Next stop is to buy a generator.  Opting for either a 13k or 15k "gen on wheels" most likely DuraMax dual (gas + gasoline).  17K is about the biggest you can get on wheels; after that you get into big leaps in price and much fewer (and therefore more expensive!) options. The ones I want run about $1,000-$1,500 depending on capacity.  15K should run all of our stuff with little interruption, and I will get as big as I can in that style (archetype).  I want big enough to run the whole house more or less (thinking more of summer than winter) and dual so if we're stranded for 4-5 days due to ice or whatnot I can use both as resources  Don't want Generac, very nice and cushy, but not worth the $5-$7 (well at least up to now in civilization) to run it very scarcely, and these things wear out in 10 years anyway.  Plus, much beyond 15K and you get into stationary platform-mounted systems.  Nope, not worth it IMHO.  A bit of a hassle to wheel it over and plug in, but again these things wear out even with little/no use and I want the portability. 

FWIW, total cost will be around $3.5K.  If your panel can fit an interlock switch, more like $2K.  You want advice I can provide.

[TKthunder2 4985]

Just got new windows, roof and tankless water heater on our entire house, and spray in insulation on our addition which will have its own AC unit and gas heater.  Added a 500 gallon propane tank to power a future generator and made sure to wire the addition so it will be our go to location when we lose power.  Once this remodel is over I’ll be looking at solar, power walls, and generators but I’ll need to wait on the market to recover some before I dive head first into that world.

[StruggleBus 3922]

1 hour ago, TKthunder2 said:

Just got new windows, roof and tankless water heater on our entire house, and spray in insulation on our addition which will have its own AC unit and gas heater.  Added a 500 gallon propane tank to power a future generator and made sure to wire the addition so it will be our go to location when we lose power.  Once this remodel is over I’ll be looking at solar, power walls, and generators but I’ll need to wait on the market to recover some before I dive head first into that world.

[Grimas 669]

10 hours ago, phdhorn said:

Bump.  Just did an upgrade of my outside panel to allow for interlock switch, and installed a plug for the generator - wanted to upgrade since panel is > 25 years old and needed a better layout for today's standard and we're flipping much of the house this year anyway.

Next stop is to buy a generator.  Opting for either a 13k or 15k "gen on wheels" most likely DuraMax dual (gas + gasoline).  17K is about the biggest you can get on wheels; after that you get into big leaps in price and much fewer (and therefore more expensive!) options. The ones I want run about $1,000-$1,500 depending on capacity.  15K should run all of our stuff with little interruption, and I will get as big as I can in that style (archetype).  I want big enough to run the whole house more or less (thinking more of summer than winter) and dual so if we're stranded for 4-5 days due to ice or whatnot I can use both as resources  Don't want Generac, very nice and cushy, but not worth the $5-$7 (well at least up to now in civilization) to run it very scarcely, and these things wear out in 10 years anyway.  Plus, much beyond 15K and you get into stationary platform-mounted systems.  Nope, not worth it IMHO.  A bit of a hassle to wheel it over and plug in, but again these things wear out even with little/no use and I want the portability. 

FWIW, total cost will be around $3.5K.  If your panel can fit an interlock switch, more like $2K.  You want advice I can provide.

Don't buy more generator than you need.  See my post 394 in this thread.  

Don't buy more generator than you can use - if you put in a 30A connection, a generator larger than 7500W is useless. 

• The max power you can put into a 30A switch is 7200W.

If you get a larger generator like 12000W, you've better off going with a 50A transfer switch...

Watts / Volts = Amps

• A 7200W Gen is only really capable of feeding 30 Amps @ 240V (7200W/240V=30A) If you get a bigger generator like a 12000W unit, go for 50A @240V transfer switch. (12000W/240V=50A)

 

[Grimas 669]

I can run my 4k sqft house with a 5 and 3 ton a/c pluse everything inside (but oven and dryer at the same time) on 13000w including the pool pumps (vsp motors). Already had hard start kits on my a/c. Cost me around 2500  - 1300 generator, 900 for locking switch on fuse box including 50a connector and 20' cable (installed by an electrician), 200 connector from generator to dryer gas line in case propane runs out..

Edited May 29, 2022 by Grimas