Putting time home to good use clearing land and building a shed

outdoors4evr":3031n3xg said:
Tell us about the dual fuel generator! What two fuels does it take? Propane or Natural Gas and Gasoline?
I've heard that running off propane reduces output performance.
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I’ve been on the lookout for a generator since Hurricane Sandy knocked our power out for nearly two weeks. During that time gasoline supplies ran out. I saw it coming though and filled every tractor, every boat, every vehicle and gas can, anything that could hold gas before it hit. That and FEMA filling my pickups tank (being a first responder) got me through it with my little Coleman generator.
Here are the reasons I went with a dual fuel unit.
I saw that while gasoline wasn’t available propane was.
Propane can be stored indefinitely without its souring too. If the generator is run on propane it doesn’t foul the carb from storage between uses.
If I run gas through it I’ll mix marvel mystery oil in the gas then drain the bowl after use. That has worked well for me in the past.
Your right about a performance drop when running propane. Running on gas it’s rated at 9400 peak watts, 7500 running watts.
Running on propane it’s 8450 peak and 6750 running watts.
I will have a transfer switch installed into the panel which will cost about $400-$500 over the cost of a panel upgrade I’ve also got planned ($1,600 for that alone).
A friend told me about a cheap alternative back feeding power through the drier outlet but there’s enormous risk in that I’m not willing to take.
This thing is on wheels and it’s a good thing because it’s big and weighs a ton!
When the need arises I will wheel it out of storage in the garage around to the meter and plug it in, go to the panel switch the transfer switch from line to generator, turn off nonessential breakers and go start the generator which had an electric start. Guess I’ll need to keep its battery on a battery tender.
I’ve been pricing them since Sandy and it’s hard to find them under $1,000. I saw it at Costco while shopping for pandemic supplies and they had it on sale for $599 from $699.
I figured it was time to jump.
Won’t miss putting my shoulder out pulling that cord on the Coleman, filling it with gas ever 1-1/2 hrs ( this runs for 12 hrs), or tripping over extension cords.
It’s off sale now but keep an eye out it’s bound to go in sale again.

https://www.firmanpowerequipment.com/sh ... -electric/
 
....When the need arises I will wheel it out of storage in the garage around to the meter and plug it in, go to the panel switch the transfer switch from line to generator, turn off nonessential breakers and go start the generator which had an electric start. Guess I’ll need to keep its battery on a battery tender.
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Mike,
I would reverse the order of how you do this so the generator can get up and running, smoothed out, etc. before putting a load on it.
Also, not sure what transfer switch you're getting, but with the GenTran unit I installed, the circuits I want to power off the generator are wired through the transfer switch then to the breaker.
I wheel my generator out of the garage, start it up, plug in a 10' cord that goes into a junction box and is hardwired back to the transfer switch, walk down the stairs into the basement and flip each of the circuits on the transfer switch to generator from line. I allow each circuit to load the generator with the input voltage required to run the appliance/lighting on that circuit before flipping the next switch otherwise the voltage drop is significant.
Circuit 1 = furnace
Circuit 2 = refrigerator
Circuit 3&4 (paired) = well pump
Circuit 5 = some 1st floor lighting
Circuit 6 = some kitchen outlets

54cb17fdcd176_-_transfer-switch-0813-mdn.jpg
 
Depending on the transfer switch I choose it can cost from $400-$1,400.
With a basic set up it can interrupt the power to the pole replacing it with generator power.
Kill all the main panel breakers and turn on only the essentials in order as marked in color coding and numbered on the panel.
That would also allow me to divert power to a nonessential circuit like my barn/shop if I need to do service work. If that wasn’t an option on the generator I guarantee Murphy’s law would cause something to breakdown and I’d need my shop.
Also we have small things like fish aquariums in different rooms that’d need power. They could be the only thing drawing power on those circuits.
We would need to prioritize and maintain discipline in power use for sure.
One other thing on generator power is that unless it’s an inverter generator like the super expensive Honda’s the power produced is not “clean”.
Some appliances like smart refrigerators and computers can be damaged by the spikes they can produce. Some things you take a risk with but I wouldn’t suggest running a computer on generator power.
What sized generator are you using?
 
I have a 5,000 watt Coleman with a 7hp B&S OHV engine.
Not big enough but it was all that was available when I bought it.
Yes, the “dirty” power is an issue. I need to monitor load. If we lose power in the winter, the furnace has priority over the fridge. If the well is going to be pumping water I’ll flip the fridge and furnace off.
Had to have the furnace control replaced a few years ago. The tech seemed to think it went due to brownouts or generator power.
Computer gets shutdown and doesn’t get turned on until line power is restored. Unplug the TV.
If we’re out for an extended period of time I’ll run an extension cord to the freezer in the basement and run it by itself for a few hours.
Sure would like a bigger generator!
 
Another thing for your wish list is a woodstove.
A week into our power failure after Sandy hit we got hammered again with a nor’easter snowstorm.
It was like a one two punch. We had our woodstove cranked up and it kept the house toasty warm. Ours is an old Upland 207 but doesn’t have the glass door so we can’t see and enjoy the firelight. It does a really good job warming the house but I’d love to find the retrofit glass door for it.
Wait for Costco to run another sale and give a woodstove a thought. ;)
 
Mike,
We have two woodstoves, one fireplace insert on the main floor and a freestanding unit in the basement. A normal winter we will go through 4-6 cords of firewood.
 
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