Can anyone offer an opinion on a brand of standby generator, 7k to 10k to be used in a residential setting. The reason I am looking is that I need to have a backup sump installed and I find that they are expensive. I know gens are not cheap but the gen will serve the home much better during a power outage.
Thanks
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Replies
I keep hearing about Guardian as being a good one. You may consider having it propane fueled, if it just sits there most of the time. A timer normally would bring it on perhaps once a week for a few minutes, just to keep the thing lubricated and moisture out. No personal experience, just what I've read and been told.
I installed one for a client a few years back. An electrician wired it up. I ordered a 13kw Guardian, and tied it into the clients LP gas tanks. It is wired to auto start on a loss of power, as well as perform a test run at idle (no load) once a week, which is programmable. Annual maintenance includes oil/filter change. It is used automatically about a half dozen times a year, and hasn't had a problem in the three years it's been installed.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Generators aren't as expensive as they once were (due to little copper in the generator unit), so I find them pretty reasonable.
As others have said, the normal set-up is propane fueled and most of the gen sets are set up for self testing.
Guardian is pretty common and has a good record: The ones I've installed were powered with Onan engines which are top notch, IMO.
You do have to install a separate panel with an automatic transfer switch so, in the event of an outage, you aren't backfeeding into the grid and possibly electrocuting line repairmen.
I have a Kohler unit and I'm very happy with it. Coming up on 3 years of service.
Onan, Kohler, Guardian are all good. Honda makes a good generator as well, but I think the largest one they sell is 6500 or 7000 watts. Caterpillar has a line of high quality small generators called Olympian that I often see in industrial applications, but I believe their smallest one is 12kW.
The generator should be sized according to the load. There are some good sizing sites on the Web, check off what you need to run while the power is out. Then you will have an idea as to the correct size unit to purchase. The biggest problem with most generators is lack of use, particulary with the portable gasoline powered units. Having an adequte amount of fuel stored is a also a problem for gasoline fueled units. I would recomend that you look a propane fueled unit. The fuel can be stored indefinetly. Permanent generator units should be installed to maintain adequate clearance between the generator and dwelling unit and fuel tank. Be sure to include the cost of installing a transfer switch. Roger
Oversize it if at all feasable. It will only spool up to the load demand placed on it.
If he is figureing the total house load right now, it will be to small ten years from now.
I agree with your reccomendation to oversize the generator unit. For a permanently installed unit you should have 25-30% excess capacity of your calculated load. Roger
We have a Guardian. Nice unit. Starts and runs once a week automaticly. Automatic transfer switch handle the load change during the outage. We had our sized to run the furnace or central air, the family room, master br, master br bath, sump pump, freezer, fridge, water pump and microwave.
That is enough to keep us quiet comfortable and still use a medium sized unit. Cost was $4700 installed. That is connected to the natural gas line and wired in to a seperate panel. As everyone else mentioned you need to have them sized to the load you require. I wanted the central air to still work because I hate sleeping in the heat. My cost was a little more as I wanted the unit on the other side of the garage so the factor electrics had to be extended along with a longer gas line. DanT
If you are really handy, do a gen set like mine. $300 10 kW generator from HF or Northern, hook it to a 4 cyl small engine from an old car, under $500 total not counting your labor. When it is cold outside, will run my 4T heat pump even plus nominal lighting and fridge, etc. .
Mine is installed on an old truck chassis also so it is portable if needed. Nice and quiet with muffler. I used a 1965 1200 cc Datsun engine running at 1200 rpm and geared up to 3600 rpm with a chain drive and old chrysler speed control to stay at 60 Hz.. You do have to be a little bit handy........<G> (and know some feedback stability theory)
Got an old ford propane carb, but need to run it so seldom even gas at $4 is no problem.
Just a few hundred watts will run just your sump though????
handy ?
that's the hardest i laughed all day.
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