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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Thoughts on home backup generators
    Posted: 26 Nov 2015 at 4:49am
Originally posted by fwunder


Thanks Doug. All good advice!
On a different note..Have a great Holiday!!



Ditto! Good write up & Happy Thanksgiving.

The thought of losing the power grid is a concern but, what worries me is the hysteria and mass calamity that would occur when everybody could not recharge their smart phones!       

Along these lines, a "Dilbert" cartoon showed the pointy haired boss saying he was buying up all the gold he could, for the possible meltdown. The "mean" gal (Alice?) replied: " Yes, and after 2-3 days, you'd trade all of that gold for a sandwich!"   
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Nov 2015 at 6:55pm
You, too!  I started cooking an hour ago!
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Nov 2015 at 6:20pm
Thanks Doug. All good advice!

On a different note..Have a great Holiday!!
2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6
Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 9:32pm
He will have to keep an eye on the oil over long runs.  Kohler may not be as bad as Generac but better to refill than rely on the low pressure shutdown.  Make sure he knows how to properly shut down and restart during an outage (main breaker off, wait 1+ minute, then shut down, etc), so he can check.  
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 6:36pm
Yeah, pic was just before finals. Checkbook is not an issue with these folks. The request was a system that would run whole house 24/7 for three to four weeks (Sandy) and was out of sight and sound. I think we accomplished that.

I do like the idea of buying fuel cheap and in bulk and not worrying about it "going bad". I rotate my 20 gal. supply of gas between machines and vehicles, exercise the gennies regularly, only store premium gas (debatable) and still use a little Sta-bil. Too bad you gotta rig an injector pump adapter or punch through anti-siphon to get gas out of cars now!

fred 

Here's a good pic of us dropping tank in place.
2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6
Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 6:05pm
Interesting. Solely due to LP cost or other reasons? Is that pic the new 20 kw installation? Wont hear that in the house, but ouch his checkbook will feel it.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 5:49pm
Good stuff, Doug. Just to add some figures from a recent install I GC'd for neighbor/friend...

20 RESA Kohler w/new 1000 gallon buried LP tank installed 75 feet from house. Including trenching, landscaping, transfer switch, wiring, tank (purchased) and burial and permits: $17,712.00.

It is a sweet system. Propane @ 800 gallons was $1.39/gal. Unit burns about 2.2 gph at half load.

Me? I got my 12KW Generac (gas) portable for whole house (transfer switch) and Yamaha 2400 for conservation as you noted above. I chose gasoline as it is the largest supply of fuel I have - cars, tractors, chainsaws, etc.

Knowing what I know now and based on current fuel costs, I probably would opt for one or two buried tanks of LP.

fred
2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6
Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 3:47pm
I use Sta-bil, but it only claims it is good for a year. Also I learned with my prior Yamaha that once you get near that year mark the gas really isn't "good" anymore. I could always start it in one or two pulls with fresh gas. Year-old gas I would crank on it 20 times before it would start. That is when I started rotating every 6 months (still using Sta-bil).
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 2:22pm
We are working our way along that same path.. we have a larger 8/12kw Generac also, and it will run everything. But it does suck the gas..

Most of the time though.. we don't have big load. So a 2000i for the camper can be used very economically to keep the reef and the fridges happy, and the big genny for water heater, a/c etc, if needed.

Also, you can avoid the fuel rotation hassle with PRI-G. It works.
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Posts: 4518 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 9:45am
Ditto!!
Leo & Melissa Bachand
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