Comments for GENERATORS FOR HOME USE

Comment on Finding The Best Portable Generator for Your Needs by sentryacdoctor

sentryacdoctor — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 07:10:11 +0000

your owners manual should have a section that talks about maintenance. What to monthly yearly ect. If you lost the owners manual try to find one online, it should tell you what you need to clean, filters to change gaskets to replace and what to oil.

Comment on Large Generator by lostindiancamp

lostindiancamp — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:25:31 +0000

I want one so badly.

Comment on Large Generator by felixsheboudiac

felixsheboudiac — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:44:15 +0000

What did that bad boy cost, all in (i.e. installed)?

Thanks for the review.

Comment on Large Generator by upupaepops

upupaepops — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:08:46 +0000

Close to $20K, total installation. That was from nothing (no slab, no 2nd gas meter, etc) to finish. Having seen the install, and if I were to do it again, I’d feel comfortable doing the slab, buying the generator and transfer switch direct, and then contracting the electrical install. That route, you’d be looking at somewhere between $10k – $15k.

Comment on Large Generator by stretch34318

stretch34318 — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:09:47 +0000

Do you have a different natural gas price for the generator?

I think it would cost a small fortune to run it for a week in the event of a power outage.

Comment on Large Generator by upupaepops

upupaepops — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:53:26 +0000

@stretch34318 Same price. But the cost per hour depends on the generator load. On average over 24 hour day, even with AC units, I’m only pulling about a 50% load, which is about 200 cubic feet per hour on that unit. With nat gas running about just a little over a penny per cu/ft, that’s about $2.50 per hour, or roughly $60 per day. That’s a lot less than a gasoline or diesel gen. And you don’t have to refill it.

Comment on Large Generator by mjpokc

mjpokc — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:45:30 +0000

We had a local electrical company called Wiring Solutions install our Generac in Oklahoma. a week later we had an ice storm and ran for four days on the generator. Cost us about $45 per day and that was great considering I could not have put the family in a hotel for anywhere near that money. Probably one of the best purchases we have made since moving in to the new house.

Comment on Large Generator by alegoje

alegoje — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:25:16 +0000

Why 27KW? I am assuming all circuits. How big is your house? Thanks for an informative video.

Comment on Large Generator by upupaepops

upupaepops — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:24:41 +0000

@alegoje Yes, all circuits. The house is about 4500sqft. The biggest loads are, of course, the two AC units, a 5 ton downstairs and a 4 ton upstairs, which I wanted to ensure that we’d be able to run both. I could have gotten by with roughly 20-22KW, but I wanted a unit in their QuietSource, 1800rpm, liquid cooled series. Their entry level is a 22KW in that series, but for not much more I could step up to the 27KW. I’d rather have too much than not enough.

Comment on Large Generator by alegoje

alegoje — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:43:22 +0000

Great thinking, and it is a pretty large house too. May also add a little plus to the resale value of your property. I am considering doing this too. It was a pretty difficult week after the last hurricane and no electricity in Houston, some areas for 30 days!