Generac home standby generators

[Pat]

Gary, Don't you just love it when someone walks up and immediately sees the problem and solution that has eluded you for a frustrating period of time? Ever had someone suggest plugging in the equipment you were trying to signal trace/T-shoot?

I need to get of my duff and figure out what sort of x-fer switch I want for my as of yet undetermined size, style, and brand of standby generator so It can be "seamlessly" integrated into my house wiring from the begining.

I'm still in the "thinking about it" stage of generator selection but am leaning toward a portable combo welder/generator with a "docking station" to permit its being easily removed to transport by truck or trailer for remote welding and or power generation and then being easily reinstalled at the house to await a power outage. I suspect, since our extended power outages typically stem from ice storm damage, that the likelyhood of my wanting to be afield welding during a power outage is pretty low.

I hope to find a place for the genset where there is overhead structure to allow lifting it with a comealong, winch, or something and clearance to allow backing a truck or trailer under it. My experience is that this sort of thing needs to be made as convenient as possible or it tends to not be done much. I will probably put it under the 21x48 ft shed roof on the side of the garage/shop. The steel trusses will take the load near the inside columns and with the genny aout 20 ft from the open wall it will be about the same as being indoors except for the ventilaltion. I will probably use a flex hose to route the exhaust ouitside through a wall and depend on the 8 1/2 x 21 ft opening on the side of the shed for air exchange. If that doesn't work out, I can install a louvered panel in the exterior wall next to the genset and put an exhaust fan in it if needed. Of course different manufacturers have their cooling air exit in different places around the welder-generator so I may have to turn the unit end for end or whatever between the truck/trailer and the shop docking position.

Without creating a safety hazard, I hope to add a stationary fuel tank that can be coupled to the genset when "docked" and easily disconnected to facilitate load and go welding ventures. There are lots of "fancy" quick connects available but I have no experience with them so am favoring a valve on the aux tank to seal its fuel line outlet. To avoid warranty issues, I expect I would buy a "spare" fuel tank lid which I would modify to have a fuel line passing through it. I'd swap lids depending on whether I was going portable or at the house where I might want an extended run time. I still have some details to work out. I want a foolproof system, probably depending on gravity for transfer. If I am not saisfied with the safety aspects, I can always just mount the aux tank higher than the genset's tank and manually top off the genset from it. I have a nice 20 gal welded aluminum tank that I removed from my wife's MB turbodiesel's trunk to increase trunk capacity before we sold it. That should do OK as I don't envision 24-7 genset operation during loss of grid power.

Running the genset in support of meal preps and evening entertainment should keep the freezer and friges happy. I don't think we will be running the heat pumps off the genset since we will have 3 separate propane fired backup heat sources.

Pat

[Inspector507]

Pat,
You might want to look into some of the equipment that Square D has available. They have a meter box called a Combination Service Entrance Device (CSED) that is a meter box with integrated service main breaker. You can get a generator kit that bolts in. It allows you to shut off the main and then switch on the generator power. It's all manual though, no auto transfer.
Here's a link to the bolt in kit
CSED Generator kit from Square D

[GaryM]

Tunnel vision is waht I've heard it called. So focused on the problem trying to feed those wire though the ring, that you can't see it's the wrong ring. I can't tell you how many times I've soldered connectors on coax cable without sliding the connector ring on first. And sometimes it's facing the wrong way!

A portable combo unit as you describe would be nice, but I'd have no need for it. And that usually means I don't buy it. but not always.

[Slamfire]

Been there, done that, don't want to remember. Glad you made it, now you'll be taking pills, every day for the rest of your life. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Inspector507, I had a squint at the PDF on the Square D, pretty neat box. Mechanically impossible to have both breakers on at the same time. Should make the utility guys safe. I didn't see any rating as regards the breaker size on the grid side. I am instaling 325 amp service but will be using 2 each 200 amp boxes (at about $100 each vice a 400 amp box at about $1500).

If I organize the branch circuits such that all the ones to be powered by the genny are in one box, then I could use something like the Square D unit. Thanks for the lead, this unit is now a contender.

Pat

[Pat]

Gary, U 2? I thought I was the only one who found more wrong ways to assemble a coax connector. Luck was when you messed up on one end of the coax but the other end wasn't terminated yet so it was an easy "mechanical" fix. Did you know that there were "push on" PL-259 shells (similar to F push on F connectors on home electronics) and that they can be screwed on and off of the PL-259 at will. Not the best solution but good in a pinch. I used them sometimes on jumpers with my Bird wattmeter (VSWR unit).

COAX STORY FOLLOWS: I recall a time down in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico installing, among other things, a multiband vertical HF antenna at a tuna cannery. I selected a nice elevated hilltop location with an underground (gravity feed) water tank as a counterpoise. Trouble was, there was no A/C up there or extension cord combo that would reach to enable soldering coax with my Weller two speed gun. I wired the coax as an extension cord and since the Weller was transformer isloated, I could solder the wires that ran the gun. The little Mexican helper they loaned me was saying NO NO SENOR, MUY MALO and stuff like that. He thought I'd be electrocuted or something and he would be blamed for the installation not being completed. When I was done without so much as a small spark, he thought I was el Gringo Magico and could probably walk on water and spit lightning.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Can't recall the source to credit for that. Isac Asimov??

Of course, we have different needs, so our soutions are diferent.
If you don't need a portable generator or welder, my proposed setup is a bad idea. I may not need portability very often but considering the relatively small difference in cost between a genset installation for backup AC and my multipurpose installation, I think the cost is justified, in my case. I find that if I have a capability it tends to get used more than it would be missed if I didn't have it.

Maybe I'll have to design a single integrated modular welding "package" to carry the genset, gas bottles and their torches, my lilttle MIG wire feed gun, grinders, and the other acoutrements of fine welding. I'm tempted to build a little trailer to do the job but not sure which would be handier, a welding trailer or a package that was as easy to load on to a pickup as it would be to hitch a trailer. I'd just park the trailer in the equipment shed and plug it into the transfer switch so it would be rigged for emergency power production.

Oh well, no rush. I have plenty of time to decide as we are many months away from occupancy.

Pat

[Inspector507]

Actually this is my third one.......been taking pills for years.

[GaryM]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Can't recall the source to credit for that. Isac Asimov??

[/ QUOTE ]

The late Robert Heinline is the creator of that remark, if I remember correctly. Or not!

One of my fellow hams says the PL in PL-259 means you need to use Pliers to tighten them up! And that's a good thing to remember. Not much fun when they start to back off on an antenna that's up in the air.

I have a Bird myself. Bought it at a hamfest in Macon Missouri about 2 years back. Guy was asking $125 and I jumped on it. It has a US Navy tag on it. It came with a 5KW HF slug and a 250 watt VHF slug. I need to do some trading as I have limited use for the 5KW but could use a 250 or 500 watt HF slug.

[Pat]

Gary, My apologies to Bobby H. He was my second choice. Way back in my checkered past, for a couple years I was a field service engineer in marine electronics (Commercial radio lisc with ship's RADAR endorsement) and a Bird was a standard tool of the trade.

If I did commercial broadcast stations (or illegal rigs for 18 wheelers CB) I would try to trade you out of the BIG slug. I have a "spotty" collection of slugs from 1W VHF to a Killerwatt HF but in general it covers my ham needs.

Of course the PL is for plug and the SO of SO-235 (chassis mount female UHF connector to mate with PL-259) is for socket but I wonder what your buddy thinks the SO stands for.

Pat

[GaryM]

Probably "Son Of A "

Driving to Boonville on the 17th. How much further are you. Might make a visit.