I'm thinking in about 12 months or so I may be in the market for a natural gas stand by generator.

Currently I own a gasoline genny that carries an 8600 watt surge rating and a 5600 watt run rating. It's putting out a fairly decent amount of power and it does a good job. But it's finicky as hell and near impossible to start when it's really cold in the winter time. This is the time frame that concerns me the most.

So, in all honesty, we don't lose power much at all here in SE Virginia. However, we are impacted with the threats of hurricanes and Nor'easters as well as some winter time ice.

If I go this route, I'm going big enough to power the whole house, ac and all.

I'm looking for input, experiences, opinions, etc. All feedback is welcome. Things to consider and look out for, best brands, etc.

 

name brand, like Onan. NOT generac.

 

 

I'm rural so I have a 13KW PTO generator. Runs off my tractor. Diesel is cheap ( no road tax) for me. Not sure if that's an option. This will take care of a 4 ton AC and my static loading. I also use a dual fuel Inverter generator from my travel trailer for sensitive electronics.

If possible... a multi fuel generator is ideal. If you go NG only, and assuming you have 200 amps service, I would look at a minimum of 10KW- 50 amps @ 240 volts. Typical demand loading (manual off and on stuff) needs to be measured and static loading (refrigerator, pumps, freezers) identified. Keep in mind AC units are manually off and auto on.... so do your math accordingly.

Auto transfer switches are great until the don't work. VSR (voltage sensing relays) often fail, so if you go that route, get a ATS that can be manually operated with mechanical interlocks. I prefer a manual switch. I would also get a generator that can measure cycles (60 Hz under load) so you don't damge motors. Power factor is important for capacitor start motors and motors in general.

 

One thing to consider is a backup, Backup generator...

Recently in MA we had the gas explosions and they shut off the gas and electric in much of the towns effected

My SIL has a natural gas backup generator, but it was rendered useless in this scenario..

Luckily this happened when it was warm out.. Would have been worse in mid winter

 

Very interesting thoughts guys, thank you. I've been doing a ton of research and I've come up with some very helpful information that will guide me going forward.

My single biggest concern about my gasoline genny is that the automatic igniter for my furnace will not get my furnace running. I need heat more than ac. Apparently the standby genny will surge less and provide more consistent power for tings like igniters and other electronics to operate.

 

1800 RPM for the long run but cost more, 3600 RPM units are for the short runs and most available.

 

Inverter generators are the best choice for such consideration/items, however it's a good idea to include/have a cycle measuring meter on a standby generator.

 

I agree with Don on having a couple of backup generators. If that big 17kW doesn't start in the cold you can use a smaller generator to run a couple of space heaters and get things sorted out. I have a couple of magnetic block heaters that are great for starting equipment in cold weather. When it's 35 below and I can't even pull the cord on the snow thrower I just put the heat on for a bit and were in business.

For the house I have two generators. A 3000 running watt Champion and an 800 watt Predator from Harbor Freight that I picked up for $80.

I actually use the 800 watt generator the most because it's easy to carry and uses very little fuel. It's big enough to run the fridge, a couple of LED's, laptop, tablet, modem and cell phone. And it runs for hours on a gallon of gas. In a real emergency you might have to ration your fuel. So a little inverter generator that can power the basic essentials and is small enough to carry would make a good backup imo.

For heavier loads I got the 3000 watt so I can do laundry or run a portable ac. That's enough for me. When the power's out I cook on the bbq or the camp stove and use that to boil water for bathing. And I've only used it a couple times. I keep it filled with high octane gas that contains no ethanol. It doesn't go bad even when it's a year old.

 

Great thread! I'm sorry if my post is highjacking, but I think this thread is exactly what I'm looking for. Out here in Cal, we now have PGE blackouts. These occur when they decide that having power on is too dangerous during high winds and fire making conditions. I experienced this yesterday and have now been looking into generators. I am more partial to a stand in place generator with the ATS, since these blackouts can last days, instead of hours and I would like to power the whole house High winds mean no BBQ or outside cooking for me. The recommendations on here have been great. My questions, can I have a portable unit tap into the line where a standby unit would, so that I have a back-up for my back-up? This unit would not be running unless I turn it on and the ATS is triggered due to the blackout. Finally, how often do you run your generators as a maintenance measure?

 

Natural Gas and LP Generators are the best, as you found out when PG&E shuts the power off, nobody cannot buy gasoline or even get close to a station if they have electric. New generators that are automatic exercise themselves and come on when no power is detected. I run my genset once a month, new plugs and oil every season.

 

I'll be researching this a lot more thoroughly in the coming months, I'm thinking Generac unless someone can tell me why I should go a different route.

 

ATS switches are notoriously a high fail component. However, if you do not have any experince with electrical devises and how to trouble shoot and repair, then I'd recommend ATS with a service contract.

Once a week start 'till warm, is the recommended interval, for most stationary generators with electric start. The unit should have a test switch which will (when activated) swap the unit for a timed run cycle. I'd recommend propane or if you have NG available.

 

generac residential units are not reliable. they are china made, and have real issues.
if you can find a generac mechanic and ask him what he thinks about them, he will tell you he loves them because they always break and keep him in business. then ask him what brand he owns, and he most likely will say not a generac.
most people that deal with residential and portable gensets call them genercrap.

 

As Tom mentioned.

You get what you pay for, Generac is in the main stream, Lowes, Home Depot and installers are everywhere. Research the head unit more, 3600rpm is actually for short intervals, 1800rpm heads will go for weeks, months, years without a hitch but you pay for them. Do the best for your application and budget. I would rather have something than nothing.

A must do: Purchase a Kill-A-Watt meter to monitor the unit so you don't blow things up.....