or do you just wait for it to come back on? How many have inventive ways to ride thru for 3+ days w/o endangering heating, food supply, darkness, security, ect? If you're running a generator w/o going off site, who long are you good for?
- Thread starter Gunfighter14e2
- Start date
@Gunfighter14e2
Back up for critical systems is cheap insurance. Repairing water damage from frozen pipes is expensive in both emotional toil for family and in cash money. As is losing a freezer full of meat. So generator power is a risk reduction tool.
I use a portable generator for work. We recently got a dual fuel propane/gasoline generator to replace a well used gas generator. Propane stores better than gas but is leas efficient. Convenience matters.
We can go about a week running essential systems with stored fuel. We have a disconnect and sub panel to keep heat and refrigeration going. It has been a good investment for us. Power goes off quite often our here during spring storm season and winter.
Backup power turns an emergency into an inconvenience.
Back up for critical systems is cheap insurance. Repairing water damage from frozen pipes is expensive in both emotional toil for family and in cash money. As is losing a freezer full of meat. So generator power is a risk reduction tool.
I use a portable generator for work. We recently got a dual fuel propane/gasoline generator to replace a well used gas generator. Propane stores better than gas but is leas efficient. Convenience matters.
We can go about a week running essential systems with stored fuel. We have a disconnect and sub panel to keep heat and refrigeration going. It has been a good investment for us. Power goes off quite often our here during spring storm season and winter.
Backup power turns an emergency into an inconvenience.
I have one of these:
Aside from testing, I have used it once "real life." Oddly enough, on Memorial Day, 2023, we took a Power hit in my neighborhood for about 3 hours. It worked perfectly. I also have installed a backup transfer switch that plugs into an outlet where I insert the generator cable. I have the transfer switch hooked up to the most important circuits including HVAC and my computer line. I did not run the HVAC during the Memorial Day Outage, but I did run everything else and it was fine. In a subsequent test later on, I did engage the HVAC and it took it just fine. I actually should test it shortly.
I run it with non-ethanol gasoline (I get that from Wawa) which I also condition with STA-BIl. I have about 4 5 galon jugs on reserve. But whenever I rent a car or a truck, I recycle the fuel and get new fuel, so it doesn't stay too long.
Aside from testing, I have used it once "real life." Oddly enough, on Memorial Day, 2023, we took a Power hit in my neighborhood for about 3 hours. It worked perfectly. I also have installed a backup transfer switch that plugs into an outlet where I insert the generator cable. I have the transfer switch hooked up to the most important circuits including HVAC and my computer line. I did not run the HVAC during the Memorial Day Outage, but I did run everything else and it was fine. In a subsequent test later on, I did engage the HVAC and it took it just fine. I actually should test it shortly.
I run it with non-ethanol gasoline (I get that from Wawa) which I also condition with STA-BIl. I have about 4 5 galon jugs on reserve. But whenever I rent a car or a truck, I recycle the fuel and get new fuel, so it doesn't stay too long.
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Yes. I have 2 gennys. I have a 220 twist lock plug outside that goes to my panel So I can set one genny there and just plug it in, then turn off my main breaker and feed the panel. It's not a big genny so I have another that I run cords into the garage with so it also is outside.
It depends on how your house is set up. I have gas heat and gas tank less hot water so it doesn't take much power to run both provided gas works, which it almost always does since it's all underground . Now if it's summer time I can run 2 of the split units in the basement with a genny and that's about it for cooling. The lights are all led so they aren't an issue. Micro can be run as well but just can't run it all at once.
We've done it in winter and having the gennys was a massive thing. We really didn't have that bad of a time because we had heat and had hot water to bath and we had some lighting .
It's not that expensive to do what I have nor is the genny and it's a huge thing.
You can also just make a plug for your genny and wire into your panel with it, which is what I used to do. It's a lot easier when the power is out and it's cold to just fire up the genny and plug it in though. Of course you do have to store some gas. I keep about 20 gallons of it and 10 of diesel though and just change em out each summer.
It depends on how your house is set up. I have gas heat and gas tank less hot water so it doesn't take much power to run both provided gas works, which it almost always does since it's all underground . Now if it's summer time I can run 2 of the split units in the basement with a genny and that's about it for cooling. The lights are all led so they aren't an issue. Micro can be run as well but just can't run it all at once.
We've done it in winter and having the gennys was a massive thing. We really didn't have that bad of a time because we had heat and had hot water to bath and we had some lighting .
It's not that expensive to do what I have nor is the genny and it's a huge thing.
You can also just make a plug for your genny and wire into your panel with it, which is what I used to do. It's a lot easier when the power is out and it's cold to just fire up the genny and plug it in though. Of course you do have to store some gas. I keep about 20 gallons of it and 10 of diesel though and just change em out each summer.
I am good for at least a year . Water, food, heat, power , etc . . I could not imagine having to worry about that shit at the last minute . I store enough drinking water for two months, I can also filter water if need be . The reason I know it's two months of drinking water is from experience .
I've had a whole house backup (propane) for 14 years. A Coleman with automatic transfer switch. I've replaced the battery twice and tighten the belt once.
This summer I should remember to change the oil. It's made my life easy and worry free.
It's located right outside my bedroom window. Advantage: if the power goes out at 2:00 am I know it. Disadvantage: if the power goes out at 2:00 am I know it.
Decide if you need to be awoke to know the power is out when siting the genetic. Get somebody who really knows what they are doing to wire it in. Keep the manuals on top of the automatic transfer switch so you can find them when you need them.
This summer I should remember to change the oil. It's made my life easy and worry free.
It's located right outside my bedroom window. Advantage: if the power goes out at 2:00 am I know it. Disadvantage: if the power goes out at 2:00 am I know it.
Decide if you need to be awoke to know the power is out when siting the genetic. Get somebody who really knows what they are doing to wire it in. Keep the manuals on top of the automatic transfer switch so you can find them when you need them.
Cannot be over stated. We do a lot of gennys on houses because it's a popular thing to have on high end homes and that's what I do. The transfer switch and wiring it with auto and all can be tricky and is often done wrong.
I actually have one of those "Automatic starter/transfer" switches made by Westinghouse, but I haven't implemented it yet.
Supposedly, you connect it both to the generator and to a power outlet in your house. When it senses the power going out in your house, it kick starts the generator. And when the power is restored, it turns the generator off.
The problem with all that is that you must always keep the generator "at the ready..." switches turned on, fuel line open, etc. etc. I'd much rather not do that. When it's off, it's off, and I have the battery charging on the trickle charger. I would also have to keep it "outside" the house, rather than in my garage when being at the ready. I have a storage shed and the materials to build an enclosure for it (fans, inlets, mufflers, etc.), but I still must get it past the HOA to build/keep such a shed, even in my back yard, (highly unlikely... they don't like outdoor sheds). Furthermore, the above switch is 20amps max. Not that that matters much, because I can also stick in the 50 amp cable cord along with the switch (which would go into one of the 20 amp outlets on the generator and get a full compliment of power.
I'd much rather adopt a "5 minute drill" procedure. Upon the power hit, I manually open the garage door, wheel the generator just outside the garage door and connect the cable to the transfer switch outlet and then start it the right way, all within the first 5 minutes of the hit. Maybe 10 minutes, just in case it's a minor hit that gets restored quickly. I have a bunch of UPS boxes that cover all of my electronics, computers, etc. and can give power for like 20 minutes before running down. I can afford to wait 10 minutes before implementing the "5 minute drill."
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I’m on propane / LP for the furnace / gas range stove and can go for a few months on that. As batteries get more efficient, I’ll very likely do solar to run fridges / freezers etc. Geothermal heating / cooling is on the list too (probably before solar). We are on a well so drinking water isn’t an issue (can filter if something crazy happens)
What's your power source for the well pump? That one tends to mess with newbie generator owners. It kick starts really hard and the generator might not be able to cover it (and everything else). When I had my HVAC replaced 1.5 years ago, I had them put in a "slow start" capacitor so the surge wouldn't be challenged as much.
It’s in standard electric right now but would ideally have it hooked to the battery power if needed. We are less than 10 yrs from probably needing a new well and I’ll keep that capacitor in mind, thanks!
Just to be clear, my "capacitor" thing was specific for the HVAC compressor only. I don't know if they make them for a well pump, but I'm sure that could be easily researched. I don't have well water. I'm on city water/sewer so that's not an issue.
Years ago, a hurricane took out our neighborhood power for 2 weeks.
I had a generator, with careful use we made it through.
Our well provided water for us and the neighbors w/o a way to power their wells.
Couple years ago, put in some solar panels & electronics to run the well pump and some
basic electrical loads in the house.
Have enough batteries to run some basic house power overnight.
If there is Sun, we are good for a long time.
If not, the generator is connected to the solar electronics so the house loads can be supported by
solar
or batteries
or genset.
I had a generator, with careful use we made it through.
Our well provided water for us and the neighbors w/o a way to power their wells.
Couple years ago, put in some solar panels & electronics to run the well pump and some
basic electrical loads in the house.
Have enough batteries to run some basic house power overnight.
If there is Sun, we are good for a long time.
If not, the generator is connected to the solar electronics so the house loads can be supported by
solar
or batteries
or genset.
Reduced starting systems are made for larger motors, but soft starts are made for all motors & applications. Or you can field fabricate one if you know how. Unless you know where to source the Cap/s ect cheaply you're better off just buying off the shelf. All you need is the motor specs, or in most home applications just the motor size or HP & voltage. The smaller home usage ones can be found on Gay-Bay or Amazon. Many electrical supply houses carry them as well.
re: soft start
I put one of these on the heat pump compressor.
www.microair.net
Dropped the starting LRA (Locked Rotor Amps) from 132A to 38A.
Now the genset and solar can start the thing easily.
I put one of these on the heat pump compressor.
EasyStart™ 368 Soft Starter
The EasyStart™ soft start motor starter supports 115 & 230V A/C motors & employs a 4-part start ramp sequence that offers the lowest possible start-up current.
www.microair.net Dropped the starting LRA (Locked Rotor Amps) from 132A to 38A.
Now the genset and solar can start the thing easily.
It’s a catch 22 but the fuel source is a tough one.
Propane is great because you might have a big tank but its use is much higher than liquid fuel. Instead of burning 1 gal a hour your burning 3 gallons a hour of propane (just rough numbers for the convo)
Gas is great but we know that’s the first to run out.
Diesel is even better because it’s what trucks and oil burners run in so you’ll always find it somewhere, but the gen sets are 3/5x more expensive if not more.
NG is great as it’s piped in and the gen sets are smaller and cheaper than diesel but…
During sandy the south shore if long island was fucked
They had to turn off the NG lines for repair etc. so if you made it through you had no fuel.
Propane trucks were all down there keeping the important stuff running so you weren’t getting a delivery for weeks.
And no repairs so if you had a leak because a tree root moved a fitting in the wind , and the neighbor smelled gas…you got turned off for safety…and your little fitting was less important than a town that was under water.
First hurricane I got through with a gas genset, just had to fill it and change oil etc
Second hurricane gas was out, hard to find. Lots of gas in the ground but no 220 service from the street to pump it up. State since mandated back up he sets for pumps because there was so much underground.
I wound up getting a diesel over 100 gallon tank craned in over my fence to the backyard.
It big and loud compared to a normal set but it’s a 3 cylinder Perkins marine engine. Made for off grid primary power supply.
Most residential /non primary power source gen sets have a very limited number or hours rated. Of course they will last longer but they aren’t made to run 10-12 days straight under heavy load….and we were out 12 or 13 days the last one.
Propane is great because you might have a big tank but its use is much higher than liquid fuel. Instead of burning 1 gal a hour your burning 3 gallons a hour of propane (just rough numbers for the convo)
Gas is great but we know that’s the first to run out.
Diesel is even better because it’s what trucks and oil burners run in so you’ll always find it somewhere, but the gen sets are 3/5x more expensive if not more.
NG is great as it’s piped in and the gen sets are smaller and cheaper than diesel but…
During sandy the south shore if long island was fucked
They had to turn off the NG lines for repair etc. so if you made it through you had no fuel.
Propane trucks were all down there keeping the important stuff running so you weren’t getting a delivery for weeks.
And no repairs so if you had a leak because a tree root moved a fitting in the wind , and the neighbor smelled gas…you got turned off for safety…and your little fitting was less important than a town that was under water.
First hurricane I got through with a gas genset, just had to fill it and change oil etc
Second hurricane gas was out, hard to find. Lots of gas in the ground but no 220 service from the street to pump it up. State since mandated back up he sets for pumps because there was so much underground.
I wound up getting a diesel over 100 gallon tank craned in over my fence to the backyard.
It big and loud compared to a normal set but it’s a 3 cylinder Perkins marine engine. Made for off grid primary power supply.
Most residential /non primary power source gen sets have a very limited number or hours rated. Of course they will last longer but they aren’t made to run 10-12 days straight under heavy load….and we were out 12 or 13 days the last one.
Fuel can be an issue, depending type usage.
Compression ignition engine (100% diesel) can be supplemented w/mineral oil in a 50/50 ratio. All home utility transformers have ruffly 4-5 gallons, so if it all goes to shit there is that.
Spark ignited engine/s will run just as well on wood gas as they do on N/G.
I manufacture diesel generator sets, so I always keep a "demo unit" at the house as a backup to my trailer mounted solar generator (LiFePo4 battery bank, inverter/transfer switch, and solar panels) system. The generators I tow home are always way overkill at 40kw to 100kw size, but knowing I have power on top is just a simple comfort.
EPG was my life's work, Commissioning, Designing ect. What engines, alternators & control packages (engine & speed) are your using?
We, due to HOA regulations, would not be allowed to have a fuel tank of any variety in our yards. Certainly not one "above ground." Hell, I'm lucky my neighbors haven't seen my 4 5 gallon cans of gas and reported me. I keep them hidden from day-to-day view. We are "all electric" in my neighborhood (electric stove, etc. etc.). No "piped in" NG.
Now, we also have most of our electrical utilities "underground," so there is that. We tend to take power hits only when the power company needs to shut us down deliberately for maintenance. Not sure what happened on Memorial Day, but the "maintenance" things is the primary reason.And, TBH, I'd much prefer to run gasoline in the generator than propane. It seems to generate more (12500 running watts w as opposed to 9500 with propane).
That is because Gasoline has more BTU per gallon that a gallon of LP. The same reason Diesel gen sets use less fuel Per KwH. Diesel runs between 130 & 145K BTU per gallon. The only thing better is bunker C which is higher yet, but it comes with its own issues. All prime movers (engines)have heat rate numbers, which equates to btu input to KwH output. As all engines are rated in KW (true power)only.
My family would travel every summer from the NY/NJ area to Martha's Vineyard for vacation. Of course, we'd have to take the ferry across from Woods Hole.
In the earlier days, the "Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority" ("Steamship Authority") actually still ran steamers back and forth (they're all diesel powered now). The last steamer in service (the SS "Naushon" , formerly the SS Nantucket), was fueled with #6 Bunker C. It had to be heated to 135˚F before it could be pumped off the truck. I happened to be there once as the Naushon was preparing to leave port for the first time that day and saw the #6 Bunker C truck delivering fuel to the vessel.
These days, the terminal itself gets a delivery of diesel fuel from the "Diesel Direct" truck 3 times a week. It appears to be delivered to a central storage tank underground. I am therefore curious as to how the fuel gets from that storage tank to the boats. I never see any of them fueling. Furthermore, for the boats that stay overnight on the islands, how do hey get fueled?
Woods Hole Terminal. The Diesel Direct truck usually gets there between 7:30a - 8:00a, MWF.
Heat is applied depending line size and a few other factors. At the reverse end of the scale, Delta Air lines Atlanta years back was fueling their 3516 Cats Gensets with Jet-A. That is all well and good until the lubricity adder tank runs out & no one adheres to that alarm. They put much food on my table over the years for being that stupid. As 16 injectors + labor, miles ect was not cheap. Happening 1-3 times a year was normal back then.
I also have a collapsible fuel bladder in the garage. I think it’s 40 gallons.We, due to HOA regulations, would not be allowed to have a fuel tank of any variety in our yards. Certainly not one "above ground." Hell, I'm lucky my neighbors haven't seen my 4 5 gallon cans of gas and reported me. I keep them hidden from day-to-day view. We are "all electric" in my neighborhood (electric stove, etc. etc.). No "piped in" NG.
And, TBH, I'd much prefer to run gasoline in the generator than propane. It seems to generate more (12500 running watts w as opposed to 9500 with propane).
I filled it up last storm just in case. Then I dumped it in my oil tank
What company?
UMS Power Generation.
We're little nobody's with a niche customer base of Concrete Cutting and Spray Foam trucks mainly.
Whole house as long as the natural gas is pumping, I'm good to go.
That is an understatement even in the commercial & to some extent industrial side. I was in the field for over 50 years on rope to compressed air start. Mostly all black start but some otherwise. Some things I would find on commissioning would curl your hair, and just when you think you had seen it all, along came a new papered E/E or E/contractor that would prove you wrong.
I installed offgrid solar last year so yes. It cost me 35k and I am saving 300+ a month on electricity.
If no sun and we conserve I am good for a week but so far it hasn't been an issue.
last summer I would come home from work and find the doors open and the AC on and for the first time not yell the barn statement at the grandkids...
If no sun and we conserve I am good for a week but so far it hasn't been an issue.
last summer I would come home from work and find the doors open and the AC on and for the first time not yell the barn statement at the grandkids...
Same here. Panels on the roof and a pair of Tesla Powerwalls.
I have a flat roof so I went with a low angle so it can't be seen but went with rack batteries.
We have a back up generator that we have to plug into the house when power goes out but it’s super easy. Usually have a few cans full of gas. Longest we had to use it was about 5 days strait a few summers again when we had a really bad wind storm come through and knock down all the power lines.
Like someone above mentioned, much cheaper to get a generator and hook it up than deal with freezing pipes or spoiled food. I usually have a large chest freezer filled with meat. We’re also on a well so need the water pump to work. I do have a bunch of “survival food” and water cases stored on the basement for that “what if” scenario but usually if our power goes out it’s only for a day tops.
Like someone above mentioned, much cheaper to get a generator and hook it up than deal with freezing pipes or spoiled food. I usually have a large chest freezer filled with meat. We’re also on a well so need the water pump to work. I do have a bunch of “survival food” and water cases stored on the basement for that “what if” scenario but usually if our power goes out it’s only for a day tops.
I got one for you.
I did the electrical on the Fire Station #1 in Melissa, Texas. They had a portable (on wheels) generator.
And a manual transfer switch. That may sound hick or stupid but I think it is excellent. What if power problems were fluctuating? No automatic TS to mess things up. Also a good idea because that fire station is also the Emergency Command Center when needed.
A properly set up ATS will not return to normal until the power is stable for X time target that is set on the return to normal timer. Also many ATS's and especially the 4 pole's that break the neutral have a demand or preferred source option. This allows the facility to be completely off the grid when bad storms are coming or passing threw. EPG (electrical power generation) has a level technology than most out side of the industry are unaware of. Even if all the control's are smoked in an automatic transfer switch, quality units can still be used as a manual switch. Service entrance rated switches, and many others have a ton of options to include Automatic load shedding/adding, phase sequence, power factor, all the voltage & hertz target safety's, reverse current, neutral current set points, elevator call ect. When buying EPG gear its like buying hay for a horse, you can buy it before it goes thru the horse or after. When people buy based upon a price point, get the shovel out you're going to need it, normally at the worst time.
Yeah I like that a lot. That's basically what my set up is I just do it with a twist lock plug and of course they have a much bigger genny but there's a LOT less to go wrong with a manual switch.
Yeah, the hvac units that we put in our super high efficiency homes have the ability to detect genny power vs reg power and only run at 20% or whatever you set it to. There's lots that can be done but there's not a lot of folks that know how to set up the bigger transfer switches and all that stuff correctly. They are really cool when they work correctly but every added feature or programing ect is another thing to break or go wrong when you need it to be right too, so I have some mixed feelings on it all
Naw, setting up a ATS is easy. The one that is in my home has been here for over 30 years and its never given trouble, even with up dated controls. Then again its a quality switch, also. The biggest issue with any ATS is improper or improperly installed lightening protection. You'll see three surge units on the bottom of mine, one each for Normal power, Load, & Generator power. These need to be changed out at least every 8-10 years, or when the status indicators read a fail. They should be tested each ATS service but most people never service their ATS let alone the surge units. What most power company's install on their poles are just about worthless. A quality switch gives little trouble, even if set somewhat wrong, but the cheap stuff even set per spec is trouble some even with quality service.
Attachments
I don't know which ones you'd call quality and which you wouldn't but of the major ones I've seen lots of issues with them over the years. Generac especially
That is nothing more than a price point mfg. They are not even allowed to bid on most projects. The only reason they stay in business is they are cheap.
For real quality the field is getting small these days depending your application & budget. Bottom end would be and this excludes their home lines.
Onan, Kohler, Cuttler/Hammer, Zenith, & Asco. The other end of the spectrum is Russell Electric and a few others but you'll need your banker & specifying engineer when dealing at that level. Their options are endless, to include but not limited to isolation bypass switches on the lower end of their gear, to utility grade to whatever level you require. One thong most forget you can have the best gear but installed or set up improperly it will give issues as well. The lower end stuff always has issues.
Maybe so, I've certainly not been impressed with them and as of the last 4 or 5 years I practically beg home owners not to get a generac. We've used several including some of the ones you mentioned but for residential people aren't familiar with them and it's a royal pain in the butt to deal with inspections dept and the owners on em because of they way they force you to size them. So, people end up with a 40, or 60 (I've had one 80kw) when they could have been fine with a smaller one that's a better unit.
With my ATS I also have a big twist lock tied into my panel in the garage which I can back feed if the ATS shits the bed.
I can take 75amps 220 from the front of the enclosure and plug it right in., there is some smaller stuff too but that the biggest plug in there
And a fuck as all heavy length of s cord to go from genset to garage spooled up and tied up.
Close off the street power and still pull enough to do almost anything you need with in reason.
Yea even most E/E's have trouble with gen set sizing. I can tell you a huge plant in Savanna Ga learned that lesson the hard way, to the tune of 2.5 million do to their so called EE not understanding inrush, or why a simple in phase monitor should have been installed in their ATS.
I did the commissioning on a 300KW Cummins at a home in Miami long ago & when first handed the paper work thought an extra zero was a mistake. The load was 270kw, wired 120/240 high leg delta. Heated pool's (3) w/ HVAC running, 2 elevators, huge cooking area ect. Luckily it had a remote radiator set up and @ 3' was 58dbA under full load. She was installed into a Prichard Brown housing which cost more than the genset. Never met the owners or knew who they were but I'm sure Grey Poupon is in one of the 6 fregs.
The bad thing is many home genset mfgs w/a home line, are now tying their engine controls into their ATS, which makes it costly to use a quality ATS. It can be done but not w/o some major control changes.
And that's my problem. We have no such continuous "piped" fuel source in my neighborhood. We're "all electric" in my neighborhood,,, I guess to minimize the potential for fires breaking out and having a fuel source. The best we could do is get an external propane tank and have a fuel delivery, every month or so.. But you have to get the propane tank past the HOA. Very unlikely. And "fugghetabout" a Diesel tank.
I have 20 gallons total in my four 5 gallon containers, I'm not sure I'd want a 40 gallon bladder because I don't know that I could use all of that before the gasoline goes bad, even with STA-BIL protecting it. It helps to rent a car/truck occasionally, as I can put the gas from the containers into that rented vehicle and then refill the containers and get fresh gas in them..
I installed 15K of Solar with 20KWH of batteries. Solar is installed to generate same amount of power at any time of year. I redid the panels in the garage to isolate the A/C so the solar can run everything else in the house if we don't have much sun, which it has a few times. Full sun and A/C can run.
Backing that up is a 10KW gas generator. We also have natural gas range and fireplace. Both trucks have aftermarket inverters that can run a microwave or space heater.
Nothing like being able to work or get kids off the school while the rest of the hood is in the dark.
If something really bad happens, we'll be the only home with power in the area which will make us popular.
Last summer I built a deck and angle the roof perfectly for another 15KW of solar. That is a project for next summer. I am told new battery tech is coming so I should wait for that.
Backing that up is a 10KW gas generator. We also have natural gas range and fireplace. Both trucks have aftermarket inverters that can run a microwave or space heater.
Nothing like being able to work or get kids off the school while the rest of the hood is in the dark.
If something really bad happens, we'll be the only home with power in the area which will make us popular.
Last summer I built a deck and angle the roof perfectly for another 15KW of solar. That is a project for next summer. I am told new battery tech is coming so I should wait for that.
Decades ago, I had a WINCO (Ward Leonard controls) ATS connecting the house/grid/genset.
When parts for repairs (contactors & related) became crazy expensive,
I replaced it with a Square-D manual transfer switch.
For a small residential application, sometimes simple is good!
When parts for repairs (contactors & related) became crazy expensive,
I replaced it with a Square-D manual transfer switch.
For a small residential application, sometimes simple is good!
That is an issue many of us have tried to resolve. Genajunk ATS's (& a few others) have such cheap coil clearing contacts its only a matter of when not if they fail then smoke the linear motor. Or fail to close electrically and the ATS does nothing when told to. Genajunk will not sell you those contacts even if your in the industry or a dealer for them, but will sell you a complete mechanism for more $ than you can buy the complete switch for. However you can buy a replacement set of contacts off gay-bay that have a 5X current rating for 98 cents a piece if you know what your looking for.
The other thing genajunk does is try to make you think the prime mover (engine) was made by them which is total B/S. If you know anyone in the auto or lawnmower business have them look at the block castings. They will tell you what car/truck or lawnmower uses that same engine. Junkarack has even gone as far as having valve covers & intake manifolds stamped/cast with their name on it to make people think that is the only place to get replacement parts. And their parts side markup is criminal like most all oem's.
One can source parts for all mfgs in the aftermarket world if you know where to look. I still buy many parts from Gay-Bay, Amazon, Parts for techs, & a slue of other places. If your control board/voltage reg, ect gets smoked a place called Flight Systems can either repair it very cost effectively, or sell you a stouter replacement way cheaper than most an OEM. They also have boards others tell you that are obsolete.
Information is key in the EPG world and with holding that from the end user to me, is beyond criminal.
22kw dual fuel NG/propane geni here. Good for as long there’s NG. Really should ad propane tank for backup to backup but haven’t.
The question likely will be if there’s wide spread power out for more than a week do we really want to be at home? Depends on where you live, neighborhood, farm, country. Lots to think about.
The question likely will be if there’s wide spread power out for more than a week do we really want to be at home? Depends on where you live, neighborhood, farm, country. Lots to think about.
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