Whats your back up when you lose power

[mnkywrnch]

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200196674_200196674
This is what I bought for the money its not bad,and a friend who's a licensed electrician installed it for me.

Way too expensive...

$150.00 Brand new 30 amp transfer switch
http://cgi.ebay.com/6-CIRCUIT-EMERG...iewItemQQptZBI_Generators?hash=item3ca7765a9f

I bought mine from this guy. My licensed electrical friend saw the unit and bought 2 from this seller also. Goes for $275 + tax at HD

Your right it is a bit pricey,but it came with everything and I can plug it in outside the house yours you have to bring the cord in,plus you still have to buy the cord that goes from the gen to the panel and depenpending on the run that could get expensive.So in that sense its not to expensive.

 

[Romy]

Nothing runs like a Deere:

http://www.deere.com/en_US/parts/homeandworkshop/products/generators/hr_g1700i.html


Runs my stove, sump pump, internet, LCD TV and a couple CF lights.

 

[Deere10]

I have a 6500 watt generator. During power outages I only run what is needed (water pump,fridge,freezer,hate to say it oil fired water heater) NO to the computer,No to the big tvs due to power spikes from the generator. Does any one else do this or just me?? to expensive to replace these items. Just watch the small tv s Guess the laptop computer may be ok just not the desktop style that is plugged into the wall.

 

[velvetfoot]

Me too. Last time I ran it an hour at a time to warm up the place (although the place was okay, the small flush wood insert did not keep it toasty), take showers, flush toilets, store water, etc. When the deep well kicks in the 7500 W generator bogs a bit. I'm trying to conserve the life of the generator, not use that much fuel, keep noise down, etc.

 

[ChandlerR]

Jeez, why couldn't I have thought of that interlock kit! So simple. Oh well, I was rewiring my house anyways so the transfer switch was easy. Maybe I can use the interlock on the upstairs apartment.

Chandler

 

[amick780]

I have a Generac 8,000 running watt 12,000 starting watt portable(not really) generator. I run it thru a interlock feeding the panel. I can run most of my house with this unit. All but the bigger load circuts. Was glad I had it last year during the ice storm. We did not have power for 6 days.

 

[vgrund]

Kohler 12RES whole house generator. After 2 major power outages since 2005, I consider it a wise and essential investment.

 

[snikr]

My backup is a good ole Kawasaki 4k watt generator hooked up to some select circuits.

 

[teetah222]

Nothing runs like a Deere:

http://www.deere.com/en_US/parts/homeandworkshop/products/generators/hr_g1700i.html


Runs my stove, sump pump, internet, LCD TV and a couple CF lights.

How much $, and where is it sitting? Extension cords through the house? Would be my best option too if it's cheap enough, since power almost never goes out here, and then only for a few hours.

oh, never mind... just pulled the link. That's ridiculously overpriced IMO.

 

[mark d fellows]

That's why you shut the main off before you start the generator. I'd rather do it this way than using extension cords hacked into boiler switch's or outlets. I agree, the transfer switch is the safest way to go...but i'll bet of all the people w/ generators out there, only a small % are done that way.

I do it exactly this way at my house too. BTW, the guy on the pole isn't going to get shocked. If that were the case you'd be powering the whole block and the generator would turn off anyway because it couldn't handle the load because you'd be powering everyones pellet stove. The bigger reason to turn off the main is so when the main comes back on the rest of the house doesn't get double the voltage and more likely the generator itself gets cooked.

Yes the guy on the pole will get cooked. Happens numerous times year with power outages.

Also if the power does come back on while the generator is running it won't just get cooked. It will be like a stick of dynamite going off. Your generator will become a molten blob of metal, along with your entire electrical service. That is what happens when you cross different voltages and phases together.

A manual transfer kit is $300 bucks at depot. A simpler panel mount interlock can be had for as low as $45 bucks.

I second that, yes the guy would get electrocuted, and you would probably spend some time in jail. The voltage from your generator would get steped up quite a bit to line voltage. I think at the curb before step down transformer it is 600 volts, so that is what your little 120 volt generator would get stepped up to.

Mark

 

[seige101]

I second that, yes the guy would get electrocuted, and you would probably spend some time in jail. The voltage from your generator would get steped up quite a bit to line voltage. I think at the curb before step down transformer it is 600 volts, so that is what your little 120 volt generator would get stepped up to.

Mark

The secondary voltage (120/240) is what is at your house. The primaries vary from 5,000 volts in say a city block, to 13,800 in a more rural setting. High tension lines run from 138kv to 750kv

 

[fluemasterjr]

not done yet but for my Mt. Vernon i am planning to run the 12 volt wires for the battery back up down to my basement and outside where it will plug into the 7 wire on my pickup so i can run it off the 2 1000 amp batteries under the hood that should keep us going as long as I am home plus i have a wood stove. i am also looking it to a generator but the money isn't there for that yet.

 

[krooser]

We've had maybe three power outages in the last 22 years... none lasting more tha a few hours. That said, I'd like to get a small NG standy generator if, for no other reason, than to keep the lights on when I don't pay my electric bill!!

 

[krooser]

Nothing runs like a Deere:

http://www.deere.com/en_US/parts/homeandworkshop/products/generators/hr_g1700i.html


Runs my stove, sump pump, internet, LCD TV and a couple CF lights.

Same unit... slightly smaller output... without the JD price...
http://www.generatorsforless.com/products/R1100_Subaru_Robin_Portable_Generator-1148-2.html

 

[teetah222]

Yeah, that's a better price. I'm holding off for now because a friend of mine has a small generator that needs a little work that he may sell me for cheap.

 

[Leland]

Thelin Parlour 3000

Just bought it in January. Apparently, just in time for the untimely failure of my 15 year old heat pump, and the Great East Coast blizzard. We got the bad news about the heat pump on Friday afternoon, and by evening we were on the "emergency power" feature of our heating system (the feature where it barely keeps up, and causes your electric meter to spin wildly), when it began snowing. We were using the Thelin to supplement the electric heating system. Then, we lost power at 4:00 AM. Even though the Thelin has a battery back-up system, I had not yet purchased the necessary cables from the company, so I had a car battery and 300 watt voltage inverter standing by. Fortunately, I got it switched over before the house got smoked up, and before the flames went out. This gave me time to fire up the ...



Honda EU2000i Generator

We bought the generator last summer for when we go camping in our little Airstream trailer. One of the best investments I've ever made. It has always started on the first pull, quiet, and dependable. In fact, right now, it's powering the Thelin (only 27 watts), a light, the heater in the Airstream, and the laptop w/air card I'm using to type this. Earlier, I even had the HDTV hooked in for the Super Bowl.

Now, we're in our third day without power, and I haven't even seen a snow plow. We live well outside of civilization (in more ways than one), so we're not exactly a priority with the road crews or the utility company. Having plenty of time on my hands, I decided to make up my own cables for the Thelin's back-up system, using two battery clamps, three feet of # 10 wire, and two banana plugs. After I connected the battery to the stove, I tested it by unplugging the Thelin from the generator. It worked flawlessly. It came to the real test when some idiot (me) forgot to fuel up the generator, and woke up in the dark, but with one fully functioning pellet stove.

I'm glad I made these two investments. Both have made surviving this ordeal comfortable.

 

[Whimpster]

My backup is a SR3 3 cylinder Lister diesel with a Stamford 13.5 KVA generator.
Came out of a lighthouse in Nova Scotia.
Also have a 1600 watt UPS with two batteries that run my stove for 10hrs on batteries.

Harman P61A

 

[kdp7462]

This has been a great thread...thank you to the starter of it! I never really thought too much about a generator since we have only lost power once in about 6 yrs living here(in maine, thats not bad!) However, you've got me thinking that "just in case" I should have some sort of back up. Would something like this work for the pellet stove and maybe a light or two? We have electric hot water, but I don't think we would be able to run it with something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ETQ-Portable-Ga...iewItemQQptZBI_Generators?hash=item1c100af0e7

 

[Leland]

This has been a great thread...thank you to the starter of it! I never really thought too much about a generator since we have only lost power once in about 6 yrs living here(in maine, thats not bad!) However, you've got me thinking that "just in case" I should have some sort of back up. Would something like this work for the pellet stove and maybe a light or two? We have electric hot water, but I don't think we would be able to run it with something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ETQ-Portable-Ga...iewItemQQptZBI_Generators?hash=item1c100af0e7

Check the wattage of the devices and appliances you want to run, add them up, and match them to the wattage capability of your generator. Each electrical device should have that information printed on a label, or stamped somewhere on the appliance. Keep in mind that some devices, such as compressors, refrigerators, etc. require more power on start up than when they are actually running. The better generators can compensate for this brief power surge. Devices that heat by resistance, such as water heaters, typically have high wattage requirements, and many are 220 volts. Something else to consider is whether or not the generator has the type of inverter that produces electricity suitable for sensitive equipment, such as computers or televisions. Because of the circuit boards, I wouldn't run my pellet stove on anything that didn't have inverter technology. Wattage is only one consideration. Not all generators are created equal.

This is the first time we have ever lost power for more than a few hours. If we hadn't got the generator for the camper, it would have been ugly. The 2 feet of snow we just got was on top of a foot that we still had from last week. We're expecting 3-6 inches more snow tomorrow, possibly more. I've never seen anything like here in Delaware. I would imagine it's far worse in Maine.

 

[exoilburner]

I have a 5500 watt generator. Back fed through the dryer outlet.......

Aren't you afraid of backfeeding through the incoming feed lines, and possibly electrocuting a power company lineman trying to fix the power outage?

Not saying that you aren't being careful, but mistakes do happen. Why not just do it the right way and install a manual transfer switch?

Right on mac! Wow...........NOT SAFE for people or equipment!!

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Coleman suitcase 1700 watt generator.

Will run a pellet stove for about 3 hours on a tank of fuel.

Sleep for 3 hours at night, get up, fill the tank anf go again.

Not perfect but it works.

The times we lose power are with big wind and heavy ice or snow and have tree s fall across the wires.

Would like a wood stove backup but am not going to install any more stoves.


Snowy

 

[BIGISLANDHIKERS]

My Quad has battery backup. Last winter when we lost power for 2 days I used an extra car battery. When that ran a bit low I pulled it off and switched it out with the battery out of my car and drove around the country to recharged it. I swapped these back and forth until the power came back on. Each recharge ran the stove for about 6 hours. It would have gone longer but I tried to make sure I didn't run them down too much before switching. It wasn't ideal but it got us through.


BIH

 

[rickwa]

Have the stoves on a UPS for the short term blinks in the power which is common
for us during winter storms.

We have a 10K portable gas generator for long term outtages and hardwired
transfer switch lets us pick and choose which circuits we want to run.

EDIT: Got it before the stoves mainly to keep the deep freezer running along
with the furnace if needed.

What are you using for a UPS?

 

[rickwa]

8K Gardian whole house. $!900 Installed it myself . Very easy. Comes with the transfer switch also. Wife complained it was the biggest waste of money until the last snow storm we had. We were stranded in the house when the power went out. Everyone looked at me, the generator fired up, the computer came back on, the tv came back on, the stove kept burning. Then I was the smartest man on earth. I don't think she knew what the thingie did.

Tony, How did you come up with this for 900? was it used?

 

[tinkabranc]

Have the stoves on a UPS for the short term blinks in the power which is common
for us during winter storms.

We have a 10K portable gas generator for long term outtages and hardwired
transfer switch lets us pick and choose which circuits we want to run.

EDIT: Got it before the stoves mainly to keep the deep freezer running along
with the furnace if needed.

What are you using for a UPS?

Both stoves use APC XS1300VA- 780 watts.
Gives me approx 45 mins to get out the generator if needed.