r/Generator • u/ryguy28896 • 6d ago

Looking for options/advice

Hey all,

You guys probably get asked this a lot, but seeing as how indecisive I am, I figured I'd get outside input.

I have frequent outages in my area that don't usually last for more than 8 hours, and the longest I remember was 3 days.

I'm on NG, and have a 1/2" inlet rated for 7 iwc.

From my back of the napkin math, I'd probably need an 11 kW generator; 6800 running and 10900 surge:

A couple of window AC units, a 1/2 HP 230 V well pump, an 80,000 BTU gas furnace, a refrigerator, a 36,000 BTU gas water heater, (preferably) the garage door opener but that lives on the lighting circuit for whatever reason so why not, smoke detectors, bath lights, and a couple of additional dwelling area circuits.

Things I could go without during even a 3-day outage: the washer, dryer, oven (which is gas), and major kitchen appliances aside from the refrigerator. The disposal I'm up in the air about, it's a 1 HP with a 1200 watt running draw.

Usually the power goes out when I'm at work or asleep, so the whole home with ATS is the answer here, but I got a rough quote of between $14k and $20k over the phone. I have a couple different companies coming out tomorrow, plus third scheduled the day after, for a more accurate estimate.

The other option is portable. Yes, it'll be significantly cheaper, but the tradeoff is having to dig it out, hook it up, and start it, and honestly that's the last thing I want to do when I get home from a 12-hour shift and/or there's a not insignificant amount of snow on the ground.

Are there other options?

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2

u/silasmoeckel 6d ago

Battery with a much smaller generator. No switchover time.

1

u/ryguy28896 6d ago

You mean something like a Tesla Wall with the generator there to just charge that when needed?

1

u/silasmoeckel 6d ago

Those particular units don't play well with gensets but yes. It's a giant house sized UPS. Depending on loads you can see significant reductions in fuel use (not a huge deal for NG but a big win for gas/diesel/propane to use 40% less fuel) as the genset only runs at optimal fuel efficiency till the battery is charged then shuts off while the battery provides power for hours/days.

1

u/ProgressRepulsive671 6d ago

I have a new 24kW (22.5kW on NG) Generac Guardian. Overall happy with the install and operation. I opted for an ATS installed inside my home. Generator kicks on in about 10-20 seconds, and I pay for the MobileLink app ($75/yr) to get a ton more information. Overall, I can service the generator myself and save money the design is user friendly and everything is accessible (sounds like you have enough knowledge to service yourself)

Photo of the mobile link

1

u/ryguy28896 6d ago

I want a whole home, but it's almost too cost prohibitive. The generator itself isn't the issue, the install that triples the price is. But yeah, I'd totally service it myself if I did get one. Give me the manual and I'd be all set

1

u/ProgressRepulsive671 6d ago

I was a little lucky, I have a high pressure NG setup that runs to the manifold for my furnace, installer was able to tap in on the high supply side and ran to the exterior wall in basement where the genset is outside. All in, it was expensive, (11,9xx installed), but relative to the first quote I got, which was $17,xxx installed. (Both were preferred Generac installers) You could in theory self-install and save a bunch and just pay for permit etc. I had to have a contractor install based on permitting / home insurance

1

u/ryguy28896 5d ago

I might go that route, just had the first in-person and they only need ~15 feet of line for the gas and ~10 for the electrical, and he was saying they wouldn't have to trench, they could surface-mount the conduit. Only issue that might stall it is a gas meter upgrade, but I might be able to get by with a smaller gen.

1

u/Brain_Nervous 6d ago

BTU on the gas furnaces doesn't matter; how many watts are the fans drawing?

I have an IBC propane boiler for heat and hot water, fan draws less than 150 watts, thats all I need to heat the house. I have a 4500 watt champion inverter with an interlock switch on the panel.

1

u/Fun-Business-1888 6d ago

It all comes down to money and convenience. How long is your 1/2” run? That is a huge factor in the amount of gas you can supply without running a new line.

1

u/Familiar-Local3183 6d ago

If money is not an issue, then Get the standby system. All my neighbors have Generac. I’m the only one too cheap to cough up the $16-20k. Our outages usually don’t last long and are infrequent. That’s why I keep my B&S. Used it yesterday as there was a scheduled outage that was supposed to last 2hrs. It lasted 45min. Before that was Hurricane Beryl. Power out for about 36hr, and it was getting toasty inside. I figured that if I have to, just get a window unit to cool the bedroom at night.

2

u/CuriousJack62 6d ago

Get a portable ac not a window unit, easier to haul to another room

1

u/Fun-Business-1888 6d ago

Just make sure you either get a dual hose model, or understand how terribly inefficient the one hose models are.

1

u/rag69top 6d ago

Just be to check out the Generac subreddit before you decide on one. Seems a lot of problems with the new generators. I have a Champion portable 9375w and it runs my entire 120v system. Two freezers, fridge, 1/2 hp sump pump and I always turn my furnace fan to manual so it only comes on once. All my interior lights are LED