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I live out in the country alone, about 35 minutes from a large city. Water from well,(with a large holding tank); septic system, propane tank for heat, stove, water heater.
I want to get a generator because the electric goes out approximately 3 times a year. Usually for less than 12 hours, but still....one never knows if it could be out for days or weeks.
All I really want to be able to run is the refrigerator, a couple of lights, and maybe the tv and/or home computer. Oh, and the well pump. I've got a (propane) b-b-que grill to cook on, and a fireplace for heat if necessary.
I worry about a gasoline powered generator, the danger of storing lots of gasoline, and of course getting more gas once you run out! I would assume it would be the same issues with diesel(??)
Propane would probably be good, maybe be able to feed off my 500 gallon tank, but no clue how to do that.
What about solar powered generators? Has anyone used them? Do you think they could power what I need for days or weeks at a time?
To run anything from solar, you would need a lot of clear skies, and enough storage batteries, and solar panels to rapidly recharge, or keep up with the draw to run what you want to run. Could get pricey, real quick.
IMHO, you need a modestly priced gasoline generator, converted to run on propane. Run it from the same source as your other propane appliances. Do a search online for propane conversion kits for generators, they are reasonably priced, and easy to install in the gasoline carburetor.
Check the wattage draw on all of the things you want to run, combined, and buy a generator that is rated to run that wattage, and you'll be OK.
Since propane is already on your property to run many of your other house systems why not considering a propane powered whole house generator? Consider adding another 500 or 1000 gal. propane tank to get you through in "emergency" situations.
Since propane is already on your property to run many of your other house systems why not considering a propane powered whole house generator? Consider adding another 500 or 1000 gal. propane tank to get you through in "emergency" situations.
Yes, a propane (or natural gas) gen will do just fine (not quite as powerful as gasoline or diesel but ok anyway) plus will require much less standby maintenance when compared to either diesel of gasoline.
In fact, in my many years of building & installing generator sets ,for a major maker, both propane and nat gas were always best for home use.
I found solar to not be practical in my situation, both on a cost and hassle basis. I just had a whole house 14 KW propane generator installed for my home, along with two 100 gal. (net) tanks. At half load (a real world typical consumption level) its good for everything in my house except the electric range, washer/dryer and dishwasher for at least 10 days. Everything else, including central air, well pump, microwave, boiler, etc is covered and it has an automatic transfer switch - 10 seconds after the power is down I'm back on line, whether I'm home or not. I researched generators extensively and decided that propane was the best choice for me (suburban Maryland location in a development), storing any serious quantity gasoline is not permitted in my development and diesel is problematic for long term storage. I went with a permanent as opposed to portable set-up after considering the cost/benefit and hassle factors in my situation (we travel a lot and I didn't want to have to be concerned about power outages when we're away, pipes freezing, etc.). Based on your presumed load requirements, you could probably get by with one of the larger portable units (you definitely want to error on the high side in load demand calculations) but they are not as convenient as the permanent setups and require more attention to maintain them unless you set them up as a permanent unit (by that I mean automatic weekly running - necessary to keep them in good condition) and don't have concerns about it turning on automatically if you are not home when the power is down, that requires an ATS (automatic transfer switch, about a grand retail plus installation costs). As you already have a 500 gal. propane tank on site, your costs for taping a line for your generator would be fairly minor except for the generator package (gen and wiring). The smallest permanent generator is usually an 8 KW unit which will buy you lights, well pump, refrigerator and miscellaneous, they tend to run a little less than two grand for a decent unit. If you want to cover central air you need at least a ten KW unit. I went with the 14 KW because after looking at the engine specs the 14 was a much better piece of machinery. The 10KW was an 18 horsepower engine, the 14 is 32 HP. My reasoning was that for less than $500 difference I got a much better setup. I would suggest you avoid the lower priced units as you really want more than a cheapo lawn mower engine for reliability. As I said, your load requirements are pretty small - I'd suggest checking out a portable unit if you don't have concerns about automatic transfer issues and plan to be home when you need the power. Feel free to contact me for any additional details, like I said - I just went through the whole gig. Your local electric company should be an excellent source of information on what would be best for your needs.
PS: There are some very slick power management options with some portable units that allow you to use a smaller unit if you don't mind not having everything running all the time.
Last edited by Pilgrim21784; 12-30-2009 at 01:01 AM..
Reason: Additional information.
Pilgrim, why does a generator need weekly maintenance? Do you mean you have to turn on the generator and run it once a week? Why? What happens if you don't? (sounds like a hassle )
You mentioned propane probably working best for me, I agree. However, I do not own the 500 gallon propane tank, but lease it from a company. Do you think I will still be able to tap into it?
Plus, my well pump is about an acre away from the main house/propane tank. It is currently on it's on separate electric line, I get a separate electric bill for it. Wouldn't I have to then buy another portable generator just for the well pump?
Pilgrim, why does a generator need weekly maintenance? Do you mean you have to turn on the generator and run it once a week? Why? What happens if you don't? (sounds like a hassle )
You mentioned propane probably working best for me, I agree. However, I do not own the 500 gallon propane tank, but lease it from a company. Do you think I will still be able to tap into it?
Plus, my well pump is about an acre away from the main house/propane tank. It is currently on it's on separate electric line, I get a separate electric bill for it. Wouldn't I have to then buy another portable generator just for the well pump?
The better whole house propane generators, like those by Generac, have a "self-test" mode and will turn themselves on to test weekly. The homeowner does not need to do anything except decide when they want the test to be run.
Why test? Because you don't want to find out that your generator doesn't work when you need it the most.
If your well pump is on a separate line then yes, you would either need a seperate generator for that line, or you would need to have the service re-configured so that everything runs off the same meter (not realistic). If you do not have problems with your well pump as a rule then a small portable generator would probably work best for that use. Someone posted a link to a Honda unit that would accept a variety of fuels I believe in another thread.
Pilgrim, why does a generator need weekly maintenance? Do you mean you have to turn on the generator and run it once a week? Why? What happens if you don't? (sounds like a hassle ) Yes, it's a necessary hassle if you want you gen set to be ready when you need it. Fuels gunk up from sitting (not propane or nat gat) and the oil needs changed on a regular basis after you use the gen set for a while. Plus running the gen set on a regular basis keep the birds and squirrels out of it. It's just like you & me...we get stiff and grumpy from sitting to long.
You mentioned propane probably working best for me, I agree. However, I do not own the 500 gallon propane tank, but lease it from a company. Do you think I will still be able to tap into it? Propane is kinder to the internals parts of the engine and don't gunk up from sitting. Yes, but you "may" have to pay road tax on some of the fuel.
Plus, my well pump is about an acre away from the main house/propane tank. It is currently on it's on separate electric line, I get a separate electric bill for it. Wouldn't I have to then buy another portable generator just for the well pump? YEP, you sure will.
On another note: IF you decide to install a gen set pay to have it installed by a professional. It's way more dependable that way.
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