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Wilbur:
So a few years ago we had a nice big blizzard that hit the NE. I was heading for a business trip to SF when we lost power at 2AM. I called the power company and they said it would be back on in an hour or two so said good....left a note for the wife and I left. (yeah....you know what's coming.... ::)) Um....they lied. Power was not on for the entire 5 days I was on the west coast. The wife was not to *bleeping* happy with that one. The kids loved it....they all moved into the FR and my son kept the fires burning all day every day (it was February after all) to stay warm.

But since then I knew I needed to get a backup generator for the place. I just haven't been able to of yet. But I am now looking at them and here's my question(s)- I've looked at my electric bill and the "high water" mark over the past few years for usage was 2044 kWh for a month. That was a 32 day month (didn't know we had those didja!  ??? ya me either....) So that gave me an average of 2.66 kWh....a lot of what I have read suggests adding 5 to that # as the "avg" doesn't tell the "peak use" #. Okay so now I'm at 7.66.

I have looked at Generac standby units and can get an 8kw Standby unit for $2400 but that has a 50 amp pre-wired transfer switch. If I go with the 11kw Standby it comes with a 200 amp transfer switch. Both of these run on LP which works as I am switching my stove from elec to LP and will have a tank put in anyhoo.

But as an alternative to this I can also get a portable generator that has 12.5K surge and 10K rated gas powered unit for $2100. With that I would need to buy my own transfer switch ($460), plug in box ($100) and I am guessing a higher electrician bill to wire it all versus the pre-wired unit that comes with the standby generator.

I am confused about one thing with the portable unit if I was going to use it to run the whole house- the outputs on the side of the generator are 4- 20A 120 plugs, 2- 30A 120 plugs and 1- 50A 120/240. But is the 50A 120/240 enough if I am running a house? I get that 240 volts x 50 Amps = 12,000 watts so in theory it is. But if my service panel is 100 Amp (or 200?) is that just bc home service panels are always oversized? Or do I need a way to transfer 100 Amps in which case the outlet may not be large enough? 

On the one hand I like the idea of the portable one as I could use it anywhere for a variety of purposes - but at 350 lbs this is not as "portable" as some and its not like I have a tremendous need for a portable one now anyway so may be overkill. At the same time its gas versus LP, would require me to be there to get it going and throw the switch to isolate the house.

The true standby units self test 1x per month and automatically isolate the house and fire up when needed.

Just curious what you guys would do or think. I'm definitely having this installed by an electrician so no worries I will kill myself, burn down my house or backload the grid....or all of the above at once.  :o 

ETA- These prices are at Northern Tool....I use them for comparison purposes here but haven't shopped around as of yet....

rpar86:
Wilber,
The first thing to ask yourself is, what do I absolutely need to power during an outage? Fridge, freezer, heat, a few lights. You wouldn't probably want to run a stove or clothes dryer off a genset.

No, you do not need to supply a full 100 (or 200) amp just because that is what the house has. It is always about what you're actually going to connect and use at any given time. Keep in mind having some 'reserve' space so you can turn on a few extra lights, or when the fridge compressor kicks in.

The 8kw standby unit is a nice choice for no reason other than it is automatic -- easy for the wife (not knowing how technical she is). Portable is nice if you need to use it elsewhere at times.

Transfer switches are not hard to wire in if you are comfortable working on electrical (though you plan to have an electrician do it anyway) -- you select the 6-8 circuits you want to power and re-route those wires to the transfer panel. The transfer panel then connects to the main panel with a 50 or 60amp breaker, maybe larger (essentially becomes a subpanel), that you turn off when using the genny. There is some degree of know-how needed here to make sure the correct breakers are shut off as to not back-feed to the power lines. A step-by-step document posted next to the panel is a good idea. **Automatic transfer switches make this a lot simpler.**

FWIW, i'd almost go with two smaller units, like the Honda, that can run parallel to provide mo-power. Quiet, easier to start (bigger ones have electric start so this becomes a moot point), easier to move, etc.

With all the low wattage bulbs and more efficient appliances today, you COULD probably run an entire house off of 8000W no problem. I had a 5500W that ran my furnace fan, two fridges, microwave at times and various lights no problem. Water heater, range, and furnace heat are all NG though.

If you're having an electrician do the install anyway, you may ask if he can provide a pre-install recommendation for what you need.

I would NOT recommend running sensitive electronics (TV, computers, etc) off of a generator unless it were an inverter style generator.

Bear9350:
I've been starting to think about doing this also.  It seems like every winter there is a snow/ice storm coupled with winds that could potentially knock a large section of the grid out.  To this point I have always lucked out and never had an issue.  Up until now it has also only been me and the wife.  With my baby girl being here now I am thinking it might be time to invest in a generator.  Something to run some lights, fridges, freezers, etc..  If power is going to be out for an extended period it would be nice to run the oven/ cooktop.  Not sure if that would be ok though.  The cooktop seems relatively dumb, but there is a lot going on with the oven.  The dryer wouldn't be needed though.

rpar86:
You would probably be OK running a burner or two on a cooktop. I've never tried it though.

Flyin6:
From strictly a fuel perspective, it's hard to make an argument against Propane.
Last forever, multiple uses, you can store large amounts which you'd buy during the warm months...

Diesel would be a decent second choice assuming you had a good storage system and you added to it every once in awhile to keep the mixture a bit fresher.

Gas, well, I think it's a no-go for survival purposes because the gas goes away too fast, and with today's crappy alcohol/gas blends the stuff doesn't last very long at all...Just ask the mikuni carb on my DR-650!

Size wise, I concur with the above. Transfer panel with just the essentials makes good sense. Then sizing a unit from as low as your 8K, upward to maybe a 16KW unit if your needs are higher (Electric heater, essential life support equipment, or things like that)

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