Salty, broomer and other Junkyard Warriors

[stacy]

If you want to have it tied into the house then you will need to get a certified electrician to do this. Most typical setups have the generator wired with a switch box that you can flip to change where the electrical feed is coming from. Also your local power companies have regulations regarding what needs to be in place before you can hook a generator up to your main feed.
Beth, I called my partner last night and he will call me back sometime today with more info on the generator and cost as well.

 

[beth]

Thanks, Stacy!
This one is really nice too, but so pricey!
<a href="http://www.kohlerpowersystems.com/residential/generators.html" target="_blank">11KW-er</a>

 

[beth]

Good site, but I'm looking for something quiet, so neighbors won't get mad....remember, I will have the power, and they won't, so I don't want to give anybody the excuse of too much noise in the middle of the nite to make them even madder.

 

[stacy]

Beth,
That is a nice setup. The reason that it's so pricey is that it has the enclosed housing, Battery backup, and the auto transfer switch. All of this allows the system to automatically switch your power over in the event of a powerloss. The honda that your looking at does not have any of these extras. If you only plan on running a few things, and not the entire house the Honda will be the cheaper way to go. If you want to have it wired into the house with the auto transfer switch, and battery backup device, then the Honda may run you a little more. I've used the setup both ways and eventually had the Honda wired into the building. I'm still waiting on my partner to call me back with the info on the Honda. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something.

 

[squidworth]

If you are going to tie into your house system you MUST GET AN ELECTRICIAN. If you feed power into your house system and dont shut it off from the outside, you will be feeding power outside into a line that may kill someone.
You will need a BIG one to run you stuff and your central ac. Maybe a room ac if the amp draw is not to great.
The switch gear to make them automatically start is a great thing, but I know for a fact it is very risky to hook this up to a gasoline gen. There is way too much risk of explosion from leaky tanks and fumes. A major manufacture of switchgear for generators (SQUARE D) will not back their products for this application. If you want to go with auto start type set up you should go with a natural gas or propane gen.

 

[beth]

Yes, the 11 KW generator I linked above is propane not gasoline. And I do know that if I hook a generator up to my house, that I will need to have an electrician do that.

 

[stacy]

Beth,
I finally got some info for you. Wholesale on the 5500 is $3100 and retail is $3995. He suggested looking at the 6500 model. The wholesale on this model is $2800 and retail is $3599. The 6500 can handle more of a load than the 5500 for less money. If you have any more questions let me know. HTH

 

[beth]

Thanks, Stacy! However, I believe the reason the 55 is more expensive is because it is quieter, which is what I'm looking for. Geez, these things are expensive!

 

[stacy]

Beth,
I'll do some checking on the differences between the 2. I don't think that one is louder than the other. The only noticable diff. that I can see is some options such as electric start, and a fuel guage. I believe that the pricing I gave you included the electric start option, but I'll double check.

 

[beth]

<a href="http://www.generac.com/consumer/support/guardian_1215W.asp?sub=2&sub2=0&sub3=3" target="_blank">Generac</a>
The local Home Depot is selling this one [12KW] for $2,699...that's a good price for the size!

 

[marc42fe]

That way you can also run your welder and table saw and your overhead crane and.... 3000 watt is fine for the purposes stated here. running the tank, no lights after a power outage.

 

[stacy]

Beth,
That is a good price. Especially since it already includes the wiring harnes, and auto transfer switch. It shouldn't cost much to have an electrician wire it into your house. Plus it can handle a big load. Also with the enclosure and padding it should be very quite.

 

[beth]

Yes, I thought it was a very good price, especially considering that the smaller units are in the same price range.
However, what size gas tank would you need for something like that? Probably too big. Pretty soon my back yard will look like an industrial warehouse. Howver, I did do some checks with the local propane company, and their generator, same size, was $8,000! I think Genertac also has smaller units in the 8KW range; don't know if the Home Depot is offering it though.
Do you know what the difference is between air cooled and water cooled?
Firefish, I don't want to operate a crane, but it would be nice to keep my fridg going as well as my AC. It is miserable not having cool air post-hurricane. Also, if the 5KW Honda unit costs $3,000, why would I get it over the 12KW when the price is the same?
Anyway, I'm just reserching and considering at this point, so all input and considerations from you guys and gals, is appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[stacy]

Liquid cooled is prefered over air cooled. It's like a radiator in your car. It runs water through the system to help maintain a low temp. Ever have a hole in your radiator? Car won't run very long without water. Of course generators won't run as hot as car engines, but it does help when running extended periods of time. That is the downside of the home depot model. You probably wouldn't be able to run non stop for extended periods with an air cooled unit. You'd have to shut down to let the motor cool from time to time.
As far as a gas tank is concerned you'd have to see how long it will run on a gallon and decide what size tank you will need.