Winter Storm

[Daren Todd]

The masses aren’t prepared, and that’s the scary part…

I discussed the Texas fiasco with a buddy of mine who lives in Vermont.

I pointed out to him that most people who own or owned houses have back up generators, heat sources and freezers packed.

Then I pointed out that the majority of people who had serious issues were the renters. Especially those in apartment complexes, As well as folks living in town homes and condos.

I probably wouldn't have an issue with my generator in the neighborhood we are currently renting in (house). But I would be willing to bet I would be in a fight with someone or flat out have it stolen if I lived in an apartment. During a power outage.

 

[Fordtech86]

I discussed the Texas fiasco with a buddy of mine who lives in Vermont.

I pointed out to him that most people who own or owned houses have back up generators, heat sources and freezers packed.

Then I pointed out that the majority of people who had serious issues were the renters. Especially those in apartment complexes, As well as folks living in town homes and condos.

I probably wouldn't have an issue with my generator in the neighborhood we are currently renting in (house). But I would be willing to bet I would be in a fight with someone or flat out have it stolen if I lived in an apartment. During a power outage.

as a millennial, not a lot of people I know my age own homes, or are prepared…

 

[Dieseldonato]

as a millennial, not a lot of people I know my age own homes, or are prepared…

Easy with that millennial stuff.... wish i wasn't in it.. own my house, only thing we owe money on is the house and solar system. Both should be paid off long before the full length of the loans.
I don't think I'd have to leave my house for quite a long time. Biggest issue I see it, is we live just out side of town, but Harrisburg isn't terribly far away. Those city folk arnt prepared for 6" of snow, let alone any major disruption to their normal way of life. I see that being the biggest issue if anything happens.

 

[D2Cat]

What's going to happen? I'm missing something! I'm calling in the dogs and peeing on the fire!

 

[Dieseldonato]

What's going to happen? I'm missing something! I'm calling in the dogs and peeing on the fire!

You never know, those people in Texas didn't have a clue last year. Lots of places talking about rolling blackouts, water shortages ect. Heck I've been with out power for a week already. Never hurts to have a back up plan, if something happens.

 

[D2Cat]

Yes, power supply control is in effect. Have a friend who works for the power co. in Durango, Co. and tried to call him today. He was at work and texted back can't talk power problems.

We're entertaining the idea of a whole house back up generator, but it still has to have fuel. If things go to crap maybe propane won't be delivered. No nat. gas lines nearby, so what's the option---diesel? It's usually available during weather related problems, but I'm thinking buy a couple hundred pounds of rice and live the the rest of the world!!

 

[Fordtech86]

What's going to happen?

Nothin

 

[Biker1mike]

I am more worried about heart attach and cancer.

 

[RBsingl]

I put in a diesel standby a few years ago, got it before Tier IV/DPF was an issue for these mid-power standby systems. Mine is a 40KW powered by a 3.3L Mitsubishi turbo with a 60 gallon fuel tank and I have additional diesel storage. It is mounted in a basement area of the barn which protects it and keeps it from dropping to ambient outside temperature; hot air from the radiator is ducted out a window.

I went with an ASCO commercial auto transfer switch that has a programmable timer that allows the generator to start and warm up for 4 minutes before it transfers the load, most standard units switch over 3 to 6 seconds after the generator starts which isn't great for a cold diesel engine although this has temperature controlled coolant and oil heaters. The delay also gives time for the compressors in the refrigerators and deep freeze to equalize before power is reapplied and the transfer switch does an in-phase transfer when commercial power returns. The capacity is a bit overkill but I liked the features of the 40KW diesel (direct injection, mechanical pump and governor with electronic fine tuning of RPM via the autostart/engine controller better than the available 30KW versions.

It sips fuel at my typical load but has no problem running the deep well pump, two electric water heaters, etc. Biggest issue was getting a good load on it for break-in and I was running both central AC systems along with some space heaters plugged in and showers running to load it to 65% of continuous rated power

The TS switch sends a start command to the generator controller after 3 seconds of commercial power failure and once it reads correct voltage and frequency from the generator, it starts its 4 minute countdown timer before transfer. It does a monthly 25 minute exercise cycle under load to ensure it is ready to go when needed.

It definitely beats my old method of going to the barn and starting the portable gas 10KW generator and wheeling it to the house and flipping breakers (generally in the middle of the night during heavy snow!). Now I can just look out my bedroom window and see the status lights on the transfer switch knowing that in a few minutes the lights will be back on while I stay warm and dry inside.

 

[D2Cat]

NICE !!

 

[RBsingl]

Thanks D2CAT. During retirement I have decided to make things as convenient and low maintenance as possible

Rodger

 

[Dieseldonato]

I put in a diesel standby a few years ago, got it before Tier IV/DPF was an issue for these mid-power standby systems. Mine is a 40KW powered by a 3.3L Mitsubishi turbo with a 60 gallon fuel tank and I have additional diesel storage. It is mounted in a basement area of the barn which protects it and keeps it from dropping to ambient outside temperature; hot air from the radiator is ducted out a window.

I went with an ASCO commercial auto transfer switch that has a programmable timer that allows the generator to start and warm up for 4 minutes before it transfers the load, most standard units switch over 3 to 6 seconds after the generator starts which isn't great for a cold diesel engine although this has temperature controlled coolant and oil heaters. The delay also gives time for the compressors in the refrigerators and deep freeze to equalize before power is reapplied and the transfer switch does an in-phase transfer when commercial power returns. The capacity is a bit overkill but I liked the features of the 40KW diesel (direct injection, mechanical pump and governor with electronic fine tuning of RPM via the autostart/engine controller better than the available 30KW versions.

It sips fuel at my typical load but has no problem running the deep well pump, two electric water heaters, etc. Biggest issue was getting a good load on it for break-in and I was running both central AC systems along with some space heaters plugged in and showers running to load it to 65% of continuous rated power

The TS switch sends a start command to the generator controller after 3 seconds of commercial power failure and once it reads correct voltage and frequency from the generator, it starts its 4 minute countdown timer before transfer. It does a monthly 25 minute exercise cycle under load to ensure it is ready to go when needed.

It definitely beats my old method of going to the barn and starting the portable gas 10KW generator and wheeling it to the house and flipping breakers (generally in the middle of the night during heavy snow!). Now I can just look out my bedroom window and see the status lights on the transfer switch knowing that in a few minutes the lights will be back on while I stay warm and dry inside.


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I worked on a lot of commercial and healthcare stand by systems. They all fired and took load right away. Coolant and oil were always fully up to temperature. The Healthcare side of things was some sort of requirement for life saving power. The commercial side of things were for refrigeration needs. They weren't quite as bad as healthcare. But after a certain time frame with no power the food ect had to be thrown out. Truthfully a few of these generators had thousands of hours on them and were in remarkably good repair, for what you would think of as abusive loading, but the homeowner sized generators were the ones that seemed to suffer the hardest, especially the air cooled engines. Fire up, go to 1800/3600 and get load.
I went the diesel route at home as well, just not a 40k unit. 6.5kw mosa. Actually it's enough to run the entire house except for the hot water heater. That circuit gets cut out when the transfer switch goes into generator mode. We'll pump and everything else is quite happy. Really easy on fuel. My wife has nagged a bit about going with a larger set up, but I don't forsee that for some time. Not untill the kids are much older, at any rate.

 

[Dieseldonato]

Yes, power supply control is in effect. Have a friend who works for the power co. in Durango, Co. and tried to call him today. He was at work and texted back can't talk power problems.

We're entertaining the idea of a whole house back up generator, but it still has to have fuel. If things go to crap maybe propane won't be delivered. No nat. gas lines nearby, so what's the option---diesel? It's usually available during weather related problems, but I'm thinking buy a couple hundred pounds of rice and live the the rest of the world!!

Depending on the type of engine and how uts emissions system is set up, a diesel can be ran on a lot of things other then diesel. Many types of oil, if filtered properly will let them chug along just fine. (Some will make you hungry as well.) Upfront cost is a good bit more then a nat gas/propane/gasoline generator. But beyond that they are very fuel efficient and last a very long time in a residential setting.

 

[RBsingl]

I worked on a lot of commercial and healthcare stand by systems. They all fired and took load right away. Coolant and oil were always fully up to temperature. The Healthcare side of things was some sort of requirement for life saving power. The commercial side of things were for refrigeration needs. They weren't quite as bad as healthcare. But after a certain time frame with no power the food ect had to be thrown out. Truthfully a few of these generators had thousands of hours on them and were in remarkably good repair, for what you would think of as abusive loading, but the homeowner sized generators were the ones that seemed to suffer the hardest, especially the air cooled engines. Fire up, go to 1800/3600 and get load.

I got my ham radio license as a teen and one of the radio club members was the chief engineer at the local TV station. They had a Detroit Diesel powered standby generator with an air starter that would take over when the power failed. Its cooling system was plumbed into the cooling system for the water cooled TV station transmitter output tube which kept the DD engine at normal operating temperature 24/7.

He loved to wait until a group of unsuspecting people were standing near the generator and then he would hit the changeover switch. The air starter got the very loud 2 stroke Detroit immediately singing and anyone nearby who wasn't expecting it got quite a surprise. Lucky he didn't cause someone to have a coronary.

I like giving the generator a little time to warm up but in the light service it sees with homeowner use, it would be fine with fast switchover. I am the same way with my cars and diesel pickup giving them a little warmup with moderate driving after a cold start which is easy since I live in a rural area and don't need to immediately merge into high speed traffic. My Corvette Z06 is factory programmed to show an ever increasing redline as it warms up starting at 3500 cold and gradually moving to the normal 6500 limit as the coolant warms up but I still take it pretty easy on it until the oil temperature is up in the 170--180 range.

Rodger

 

[D2Cat]

Depending on the type of engine and how uts emissions system is set up, a diesel can be ran on a lot of things other then diesel. Many types of oil, if filtered properly will let them chug along just fine. (Some will make you hungry as well.) Upfront cost is a good bit more then a nat gas/propane/gasoline generator. But beyond that they are very fuel efficient and last a very long time in a residential setting.

I've gotten a couple of quotes from Generac, but haven't come to any conclusions yet. I have a propane tank for the furnace, but the rest of the house is all elec. I would really like to have a diesel generator, partially because I like diesels, but also they come with the fuel reservoir already there, attached, hooked up and ready....nothing to attach or bury. Also, diesel engines are more adaptable, as you mentioned, and use less fuel for the same production. Then if a backup generator is REALLY needed for a long time diesel will be available for service crews working the area to get things back to normal whereas a propane delivery could be a problem, and some natural gas lines actually won't allow connection if they don't have the volume, be we're out to where no line is available anyway.

Saw this from a guy responding to a YouTube video,

"Here in the UK I think Lister Petter generator sets are the best most reliable. I have a TS3set producing 17KW bought new in 2005. It has now done 68 thousand hours run time, or 7.5 years!! without a single mechanical issue except to adjus tthe valves once every year or so, and it burn roughly 25 litres of diesel in 24 hours...."

I've got a Lister Petter diesel that was built for the Alaska Pipeline. I was told by LP engineer that if I changed the oil regularly I could give it to my grandkids. It's 12HP (I think) and use to run non-stop. They changed the oil in the with them running. It's setting in my barn on an air tank not being used.

 

[sheepfarmer]

I've gotten a couple of quotes from Generac, but haven't come to any conclusions yet. I have a propane tank for the furnace, but the rest of the house is all elec. I would really like to have a diesel generator, partially because I like diesels, but also they come with the fuel reservoir already there, attached, hooked up and ready....nothing to attach or bury. Also, diesel engines are more adaptable, as you mentioned, and use less fuel for the same production. Then if a backup generator is REALLY needed for a long time diesel will be available for service crews working the area to get things back to normal whereas a propane delivery could be a problem, and some natural gas lines actually won't allow connection if they don't have the volume, be we're out to where no line is available anyway.

Saw this from a guy responding to a YouTube video,

"Here in the UK I think Lister Petter generator sets are the best most reliable. I have a TS3set producing 17KW bought new in 2005. It has now done 68 thousand hours run time, or 7.5 years!! without a single mechanical issue except to adjus tthe valves once every year or so, and it burn roughly 25 litres of diesel in 24 hours...."

I've got a Lister Petter diesel that was built for the Alaska Pipeline. I was told by LP engineer that if I changed the oil regularly I could give it to my grandkids. It's 12HP (I think) and use to run non-stop. They changed the oil in the with them running. It's setting in my barn on an air tank not being used.

I just replaced my old (30+ year) old Dayton propane 8.5kW standby generator. Two factors entered into the decision to stick with propane, ease of keeping it fueled in a wintry climate, and ease of operation.

I already have 2 500 gal propane tanks that are not allowed to get below 50%. They are used for furnace and hot water. I think I am older than you, and have reached the point where babysitting and maintaining a generator are more difficult, and probably impossible for say a caregiver or employee. Hauling fuel is out. The old Dayton didn't use much propane but didn't run the whole house, just the essentials, and required some thoughtful use.

I chose a 22kW Generac, not because I think they are necessarily the best, but so far it has run through two outages seamlessly. It runs everything but the heat pumps, which are normally run off the solar panels..It lacks the backup oil reservoir that the Dayton had, so the only thing I have to do is check the oil. It has low oil sensors etc, and an externally visible green light to indicate it is ready to run. So at least in theory will run for any future occupants of the house that don't know anything , or if i get too crippled up to maintain it. Anyway my thought is to think ahead about ease of use as well as fuel availability. Hard to choose.

 

[WFM]

My whole house/ welding shop 15,000 watt china generator needs to be moved into place to use. Handles on one end. Pick it up and roll it. I've been meaning to get four 5" all swivel castors(german made) that I use on customers projects and make a steel frame, add the castors, remove the generators wheels. Put generator in the frame. Wheel in and out with ease.
I only have a 60 gallon propane tank and would need a much much larger tank to run a Generac. Lots of folks here have the Generac. The only downside to the Generac I've ever heard was they burn thru the propane. One local guy has a torpedo tank I'm not sure of the capacity ? 300 gallons maybe. Its as long as a car but not a huge tank. Power was out for three days. Before the end of the third day the tank was empty. Just a typical house. No business or anything.

 

[Dieseldonato]

Generac is a good name as well as kohler in residential and light commercial gensets. I actually have a generac ats at the house. Pretty dependable. Local dealer has any parts I may need, but keeps telling me it's a life long switch.

 

[Dieseldonato]

My whole house/ welding shop 15,000 watt china generator needs to be moved into place to use. Handles on one end. Pick it up and roll it. I've been meaning to get four 5" all swivel castors(german made) that I use on customers projects and make a steel frame, add the castors, remove the generators wheels. Put generator in the frame. Wheel in and out with ease.
I only have a 60 gallon propane tank and would need a much much larger tank to run a Generac. Lots of folks here have the Generac. The only downside to the Generac I've ever heard was they burn thru the propane. One local guy has a torpedo tank I'm not sure of the capacity ? 300 gallons maybe. Its as long as a car but not a huge tank. Power was out for three days. Before the end of the third day the tank was empty. Just a typical house. No business or anything.

That seems like excessive usage to me, but I didn't work on a lot of lp/ng get sets. Mainly diesel or landfill gas. Any idea what kw his set up is?

 

[WFM]

I honestly don't know his KW. I do know it starts on its own on a schedule to make sure everything is working.