Generators for home back-up

[scrapdaddy]

I bought a Government Surplus generator(s) Two 10,000 W gen. on a 1 1/2 ton trailer. They are 4 cly. Onan diesels. I have my house wired with a transfer switch and a plug in the house garage. Back the trailer up to the garage and run the cable. I can run everything I need to, including the shop. Mep003

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

transfer switches just switch the hot legs...break before make...the genset nute and ground can be tied direct to panels nute and ground busses...

 

[Koffer]

Just picked up a older Onan 30kw propane unit with a ford 300 6 cly on it. I couldn't beat the price so thats the next project for home ( The power will never go out again once its all hooked up since thats the way it works )

 

[Koffer]

FU darkness

Its ugly but only has 475 hours on it has been serviced every year and after any real run time till taken off line. Charged the battery and hooked up some propane and ran it for about 1/2 hour . Next will be a long load test to make sure nothing else needs doing before moving it into its new home behind the garage.
It will do single and 3 phase so that will open up some possibilities on shop equipment down the road it needed
No more 12 days without power BS

 

[Junk]

Its ugly but only has 475 hours on it has been serviced every year and after any real run time till taken off line. Charged the battery and hooked up some propane and ran it for about 1/2 hour . Next will be a long load test to make sure nothing else needs doing before moving it into its new home behind the garage.
It will do single and 3 phase so that will open up some possibilities on shop equipment down the road it needed
No more 12 days without power BS

You can run a heater to the chicken coop

 

[Alaska Ranger]

Hey KOFFER (check your PM, too!) :

My own main generator (no "stand-by" here - there IS no grid where I live) has been close to the same as yours. It was a late '70s era Kohler 45kW, powered by that same Ford 300 I-6. Fortunately, I've rarely had to use it, since I have 4,500 watts of solar panels as well.

Anyway, I had a ^&@!# of a time with the mechanical governor on mine. I'd be really interested to know whether Onan did something different, but probably not, as the govvy is of course only on the engine side and has nothing to do with the generator head. I had converted mine from gasoline to propane with a full Impco system; I'd also be interested to learn what kind of propane delivery yours has.

BTW, just yesterday in another forum (the "Hardcore" section) I noted that I'm now looking to do something else and a lot more fun with that Ford engine..... It is a GREAT engine! Just that little problem of keeping it at exactly 1,800rpm was tough.

Replaced it, by the way, with a marine 30kW Northern Lights diesel generator. A fun project; may talk about it in a while.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

alright, I just got another throw away hooked up the new Kohler and took the old Onan. Gunna try to fix it(if there's anything wrong) and keep it on the flatbed...I have been thinking for a while now about putting the old 77 2F back together with a spit and shine and tying it to a nice 30KW alt, maybe a splitter box in order to drive a compressor too, fit it with a propane kit and an electric govner and a DSE controller, mount it on a pho set of frame rails surrounded by 40 series front clip and half doors with a tow jig on the front bumper. don't laugh. it'll happen

 

[warpdriv]

alright, I just got another throw away hooked up the new Kohler and took the old Onan. Gunna try to fix it(if there's anything wrong) and keep it on the flatbed...I have been thinking for a while now about putting the old 77 2F back together with a spit and shine and tying it to a nice 30KW alt, maybe a splitter box in order to drive a compressor too, fit it with a propane kit and an electric govner and a DSE controller, mount it on a pho set of frame rails surrounded by 40 series front clip and half doors with a tow jig on the front bumper. don't laugh. it'll happen

Pics man!!!! Pics!!!

Sent from my DroidCruiser

 

[MoGas]

I have a little 3.5 Kw pull start gasoline unit. When I was remodeling my house, I ran three outlets that are hooked only to the generator. One is behind the refrigerator, one is behind the chest freezer, and one is in the furnace room to run the natural gas forced air heat. If the power is out for an extended time, I just unplug the appliances from the service outlet and plug into the genny outlet. It will run each item as long as everything isn't starting at the same time. It is purely for essentials. I have had to use it a few times in the past years from power outages.

 

[kybishop]

More info please.

transfer switches just switch the hot legs...break before make...the genset nute and ground can be tied direct to panels nute and ground busses...

Do you have more detailed information on doing this? My brother has his wired where he can just throw the main breaker to keep from back feeding but it sounds
like the ground has to be isolated too? He does not want to risk getting anyone hurt.

Thanks

Redmon

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Do you have more detailed information on doing this? My brother has his wired where he can just throw the main breaker to keep from back feeding but it sounds
like the ground has to be isolated too? He does not want to risk getting anyone hurt.

Thanks

Redmon

grounds and neutrals are always gunna be bonded between the genset-emergency source, and the utility. the 2 hot legs are what need to be locked out from each other between the genset-emergency source and the utility. shutting off the main will keep the backfeeding of the utility line from happening -until someone forgets or until someone who doesn't know better shuts it back on while the genset is on. best to wire those legs thru a break before make type of switch. classic transfer switch has 3 termination points- the utility(top), the common-output(goes to loads(house)), and the back up source(bottom) the switch is bonded to the common middle portion of the switch. when the switch is closed to the top, it is in utility; switch closed to bottom, when in back up mode. you can never be connected to more than one source at once via the mechanics, and therefore, no one will be electrocuted by a mistake. at 24KV, it only takes a split second.....

 

[kybishop]

Ahh.

grounds and neutrals are always gunna be bonded between the genset-emergency source, and the utility. the 2 hot legs are what need to be locked out from each other between the genset-emergency source and the utility. shutting off the main will keep the backfeeding of the utility line from happening -until someone forgets or until someone who doesn't know better shuts it back on while the genset is on. best to wire those legs thru a break before make type of switch. classic transfer switch has 3 termination points- the utility(top), the common-output(goes to loads(house)), and the back up source(bottom) the switch is bonded to the common middle portion of the switch. when the switch is closed to the top, it is in utility; switch closed to bottom, when in back up mode. you can never be connected to more than one source at once via the mechanics, and therefore, no one will be electrocuted by a mistake. at 24KV, it only takes a split second.....

Ah, excellent. I forwarded to my brother and he sends thanks. We live out in an area that is only about 15 minutes drive from town, 8 miles. However it is isolated in a river valley. If it floods the road in and out gets cut off for a time. Also snow and ice storms if bad enough can cause extended power outages.

I hope to get a decent home backup generator setup so this info will be helpful.

Redmon

 

[Junk]

Any thoughts on the Subaru gens? Picked one up today that only needed a new fuel line. Seems to run fine. Will look at it more over the next few days, but was wondering what the quality was on these.

 

[TheJackRabbit]

Diesel or LPG is the way to go, IMHO, since a lot of fuel needs to be stored and above ground. I do not like bulk gasoline stored above ground.

Some day, when the Tooth Fairy pays off, I hope to buy a PTO generator for my tractor.

 

[alia176]

Diesel or LPG is the way to go, IMHO, since a lot of fuel needs to be stored and above ground. I do not like bulk gasoline stored above ground.

Some day, when the Tooth Fairy pays off, I hope to buy a PTO generator for my tractor.

I agree, storing petrol long term in a genie is a bad thing. However, it's easy to enough to add a LPG kit to just about any generators. Search online for these kits. This will allow one to run both LPG or Petrol.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

I agree, storing petrol long term in a genie is a bad thing. However, it's easy to enough to add a LPG kit to just about any generators. Search online for these kits. This will allow one to run both LPG or Petrol.

you ever try to actually buy one of those kits? Its like pulling hens teeth for some reason...

 

[alia176]

you ever try to actually buy one of those kits? Its like pulling hens teeth for some reason...

Hmm, i bought one from this outfit, I think: http://www.propane-generators.com/

it was pretty painless for me at that time. Kit was complete, instructions were easy to follow and the gen works like a treat. I don't use petrol anymore so it basically is on standby on propane from the house.

It is important to distinguish between a high pressure (from a 20lb bottle) or a low pressure (from a 500g tank) before ordering. Call them up to verify before ordering.

 

[shfd739]

Any thoughts on the Subaru gens? Picked one up today that only needed a new fuel line. Seems to run fine. Will look at it more over the next few days, but was wondering what the quality was on these.

We've got one but it only has about 25 hours on it.

My parents have one with more time on it with no problems.

FWIW after Katrina a large refinery on the coast bought a bunch of the Subarus instead of Hondas due to the Subs being cheaper. They had no problems with them and experienced Honda levels of reliability.

 

[Junk]

We've got one but it only has about 25 hours on it.

My parents have one with more time on it with no problems.

FWIW after Katrina a large refinery on the coast bought a bunch of the Subarus instead of Hondas due to the Subs being cheaper. They had no problems with them and experienced Honda levels of reliability.

Thanks

 

[scrapdaddy]

A tractor trailer rig took out a few poles and line yesterday and with it power to our whole town. I backed up the generator and forgot about it. No grid, no problem...I have a 250 gal fuel tank mounted on it and a remote cart with different receptacles and circuit breakers mounted in a box and can move it around 40 feet from the gen. set. She ran the whole house and didn't break a sweat.