Buy a generator AND a Gas Station

[DanKellFla]

Ohhh, just a rant about wanting to help, but being ignored.
So, my sister and her husband moved to Corpus Cristi, Texas. Her husband has some medicines that need to be refridgerated. So, I call them and ask if they had bought a generator yet. I have been through many hurricanes and seasons. Maybe they would call for some advice. Nope, he went out and bought the biggest portable generator that you can get. It will power the whole house, including the A/C. (The 17500 Watt generator) Well, I have used that particular generator. I know that it uses 3/4 to 1 gallon of gas an hour. So, I asked if they had natural gas or propane. Nope. After that, I tried to explain that they needed to get a a lot of gas cans, but was cut off. My sister wasn't interested in my help. OK, they will have a days worth of power, then the fun exercise of trying to buy gas.
Some people, you just can't help.

[Dionne]

Not to mention that a 17500 is prolly a battery start. Did they put it in the spare bedroom? (Sorry.....couldn't resist!)

[DanKellFla]

It is in the garage. And, they have a battery charger since they own a Harley. But, I expect the generator to be a problem since my brother in law won't read the manual. "Oil? I need to replace the oil???"

[coriolis]

A 17.5 KW generator is definitely in the "industrial" class. That's about 150 amps at 120V. The gasoline engine is probably at least 25 HP.

I hope that they got a proper transfer switch, did all the wiring correctly, that their home wiring is adequate, that the exhaust is properly vented to the outside with heat shielding, and that there's an air supply for cooling. This is no toy. If it's not installed correctly it could kill them before that first day is over. It's probably as big as a car!

I also hope that they got a good sound reduction package too. Did they check the local ordinances and building codes? Depending on the state and locality, the might be required to get it inspected. They should check with their local authorities.

This is not something to do on a whim.

[brunota2003]

Yeah, I hope it will be properly disconnected from the outside power grid as well, lest they kill a repairman working on the lines.

[coriolis]

I got curious about this and googled around. It seems that a building permit may be required to install generators in some cases. Generators may require placement on a pad, and if a house is in a flood zone, the generator may have to be elevated above the flood elevation!

There's probably some criteria for a cutoff i.e. when this applies. I would advise anyone considering a generator to check with the local building officials.

Here's a link to a page on the Miami-Dade building department page:

http://www.miamidade.gov/building/popup ... obtopop=53

http://www.miamidade.gov/building/home.asp

[Dionne]

Even the garage is the wrong location. I have a new Troy built generator. As a result of this discussion, I realized I had not changed the oil. So yesterday afternoon, I changed the oil. While doing so I noticed all the warning tags on the equipment. The most profound was in large letters. CARBON MONOXIDE IS COLORLESS AND ODORLESS. IT CAN KILL YOU IN MINUTES.

[brunota2003]

We keep our genny in the garage when it is NOT in use...to protect it from the elements...but when it comes time to using like say after a hurricane? It gets pulled out onto the back deck. We never hook it up to the house, we just hook up what needs to run for a few hours at a time (ie the fridge/freezer, and maybe a tv too so we can watch the news and see what is going on).

[MGC]

We looked at a whole house generator at the last home and garden show. The salesman was touting the advantages of such a machine. Gasoline would be impractical since you would need a tanker truck to keep up with it. Only option are natural gas or propane. Natural gas was disrupted after Katrina, the uprooted trees destroyed the gas lines along with the water lines. IMO propane would be the way to go. Only drawback would be the large quantity of propane that would need to be stored on site. Not that happy to have a couple of hundred gallons of propane sitting next to the house. Just can't see the investment in such a large unit to use on occasion. I think a small portable generator that can power the refridge and perhaps a small one room A/C would be a better option.....MGC

[DanKellFla]

MCG, that is what I did.

Turns out that it is the 15KW generator from Home Depot. It has a 30Hp engine. I haven't asked, nor will I, about a transfer switch. But, I assume they have one.

[coriolis]

Just for the record. It appears that all the above criteria apply to PERMANENT generators and not portable generators. But still, I would question whether a 15 kw generator would fall into that category.

[DanKellFla]

It has wheels and is sold as a portable model. I still think it is a dumb purchase for them. Neither are in good enough shape to lug around large amount of gas.
Maybe he will use this as a welder too?

[LSU2001]

I actually own a generac 17,500 watt portable generator. I originally bought it to power a trailer I had set up as a fishing camp. I'll tell you it burns lots of gas. It uses about 16 gallons per 10 hours of run time and is quite loud. I have since downsized to a 5,200 watt for storm usage and the new home I am currently building will have a whole house natural gas genny.

While good for a lot of things the big 17.5 kw genny is NOT good for use after a storm.
Tim

[coriolis]

I wonder if you could use one of those to power an electric car. Would it fit in the trunk?












just kidding