 SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1
2 edits | reply to cowboyro
Re: Portable Propane Generator Project- Complete! said by cowboyro:Sounds right.
Side note: you won't draw 50% average. That's 3500W.
See your bill and divide the usage by 30*24 to see the actual average draw. For reference 1000kWh/month means 1400W average, so you're probably looking at under 25% load - so probably 70% of the usage at 50% load (keep in mind that 0% load doesn't result in 0 usage).
70% of 250 is 175... see I just saved you 75, you can paypal me half of that and call it a deal...
I just averaged my last 18 months of data and came up with 1131 kWh monthly, so....
1131000 watts / 720 hours = average 1570 watts per hour.
That average takes my summer central A/C use into the equation, which obviously won't be running during an outage... as well as other unnecessary appliances and devices that are baked into that number... so the average is probably a bit more skewed than it should be.
Even still, it seems that I can power my house with relative ease with 6000 watts as long as I am careful in my circuit selections at any given moment. Now that I'm looking at the numbers, I consume less on average than I really thought... very interesting  |
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Very nice installation and thanks for taking the time to share what you have done. You know, that storm at the end of last October could have turned out much worse if the temperatures had plummeted below freezing for an extended period. I keep thinking about all the damage frozen pipes cause in a house...
At any rate, you have protected your home very nicely from that scenario! Well done!
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Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. (Charlie Reese) |
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SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | Thanks! CL&P's fall 2011 double meltdown is what primarily prompted me to invest in a backup power system. If that October snowstorm had resulted in freezing temps over those few weeks, damage would have been much more severe.
I didn't want to be in a "woulda coulda shoulda" situation for the next meltdown (which I hope never comes to pass, but one must realize that history usually repeats itself).
I hope my install helps others to think of their own circumstances and design a system that helps protect them... and who knows.. copying my design template would be pretty cool!  |
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SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | reply to SwedishRider
One final note on my generator project...
I ordered a replacement regulator hose kit (5') for my generator, which allows me to use a 20# to 100# tank (or multiple tanks at once if ganged together) in addition to my modified hose that can plug into the 500 gallon house propane tank.
Now, I have both a home power replacement generator as well as a true field portable. Project completely finished now! |
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 IowaCowboyWant to go back to IowaPremium
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA
 ·Comcast
 ·Verizon Broadban..
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When the power went out last October, I went to Lowe's which had a shipment of about 800 generators because of widespread power outages. They only had 42 left after I waited an hour in line.
The Lowe's itself was running on generator power. The neighboring Stop & Shop had to move it's perishable inventory to refrigerated trucks and Big Y ended up writing it's perishables off as a business loss.
I was barely able to fit the generator in my 2001 Dodge Stratus and when I came home, the lights came back on an hour later. Had I not bought the generator, I would have been out for a week like most people were. I was out three days. |
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| said by IowaCowboy:I was barely able to fit the generator in my 2001 Dodge Stratus and when I came home, the lights came back on an hour later. Had I not bought the generator, I would have been out for a week like most people were. I was out three days.
I'm confused... are you saying that the lights came back on when you brought the generator home because you ran the generator? Or because some mystical force decided to laugh in your face and turn the lights back on because you bought a generator? |
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said by Jack_in_VA:said by Mr Matt:You won't appreciate having a standby generator until you loose power for 4 1/2 Days, like we did after a Hurricane, when we lived in South Florida. What really sucks is not having AC and the outside temperature is 90 Degrees. We did not install one here in Central Florida because we were not certain we would remain in this house long enough to justify the $12,000.00 cost. The worst power outage we had so far lasted about 6 Hours.
How about 17 days after Isabel, 7 days after Irene and many events 1 day or more. I don't care what it costs, how much trouble it is I am going to have some power. Yep. I don't regret one bit getting a generator.
We got it after Irene. Even a day without power was MISERABLE. Without power it felt like a third world country. So enough was enough.
And sure enough, in October the snowmageddon came... knocked out power for 24 hours, during a major amateur radio contest to boot. I was so glad we got it. Kept the lights on, water running and things went on as usual. |
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 Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | said by fifty nine:Yep. I don't regret one bit getting a generator.
We got it after Irene. Even a day without power was MISERABLE. Without power it felt like a third world country. So enough was enough.
And sure enough, in October the snowmageddon came... knocked out power for 24 hours, during a major amateur radio contest to boot. I was so glad we got it. Kept the lights on, water running and things went on as usual.
You and I are thinking the same except I did not have a Amateur Radio contest but I had to feed my internet addiction.
Seriously though after Isabel when we were flooded out the generator was a godsend providing power for the night and day cleanup. |
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IowaCowboyWant to go back to IowaPremium
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA | reply to fifty nine
I believe it's some force above us. |
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 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:8 | reply to SwedishRider
I always (jokingly) tell my customers after a generator install that the power will probably never go out again now that they are prepared.
It always seems that way though.
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...because I care. |
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 dosdoxiesPremium
join:2004-12-15
Wallingford, PA | reply to SwedishRider
I bought my 5500 watt Coleman from a friend who got it for Y2K. (  ) I got in 2003 and have only used it when I was having my electrical service replaced in 2008. Sparky was glad I had it so he didn't have to work in the dark basement. |
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garys_2kPremium
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI | reply to nunya
That works for snow blowers, too. There's no better way to have a dry winter than to spend $1200 on one the previous fall. |
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SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | reply to nunya
said by nunya:I always (jokingly) tell my customers after a generator install that the power will probably never go out again now that they are prepared.
It always seems that way though.
I just got the June issue of National Geographic, which focused on solar flares and the potential disruption to our electronic way of life.
It said that one solar storm similar to one in 1859 "could take out the entire grid, sending hundreds of millions of people back to a preelectric way of life for weeks or perhaps months on end." They go on to say that late 2012 through 2013 is shaping up to be a particularly active time for the sun.
Maybe I got this thing up and running just in time. |
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Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | said by SwedishRider:said by nunya:I always (jokingly) tell my customers after a generator install that the power will probably never go out again now that they are prepared.
It always seems that way though.
I just got the June issue of National Geographic, which focused on solar flares and the potential disruption to our electronic way of life. It said that one solar storm similar to one in 1859 "could take out the entire grid, sending hundreds of millions of people back to a preelectric way of life for weeks or perhaps months on end." They go on to say that late 2012 through 2013 is shaping up to be a particularly active time for the sun. Maybe I got this thing up and running just in time. The gloom and doom crowd seems to be increasing. They said the same thing about the past flares especially the "monster" flare we just had and guess what? Nothing happened. |
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dosdoxiesPremium
join:2004-12-15
Wallingford, PA | reply to SwedishRider
Shades of Y2K. |
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Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | YEP |
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 John GaltForward, MarchPremium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
kudos:5 | reply to SwedishRider
A financial system collapse is a far more likely scenario...
Sadly, no auroric event will accompany that. |
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SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | reply to Jack_in_VA
said by Jack_in_VA:The gloom and doom crowd seems to be increasing. They said the same thing about the past flares especially the "monster" flare we just had and guess what? Nothing happened.
Yeah, but this time it's different because I read it on the internet AND in National Geographic, so it must be true. |
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 djtim21It's all goodPremium
join:2003-12-22
Lake Villa, IL | reply to fifty nine
said by fifty nine:said by IowaCowboy:I was barely able to fit the generator in my 2001 Dodge Stratus and when I came home, the lights came back on an hour later. Had I not bought the generator, I would have been out for a week like most people were. I was out three days.
I'm confused... are you saying that the lights came back on when you brought the generator home because you ran the generator? Or because some mystical force decided to laugh in your face and turn the lights back on because you bought a generator? The same exact thing happened to me. Power in the Northeast areas of Illinois (I'm in the Gurnee) area had been out for almost 48 hours. ComEd was predicting that it could be as long as 72 hours before repairs. I drove about 1.5 hours north into Wisconsin and purchased a generator. I drove it back home, and started to assemble it - the power came back on. The folks across the street were without power for another day or so.
About 2 weeks later, power goes out again - fired the generator up and ran it for almost 48 hours. Purchasing the generator was worth every penny, even if fate slapped me in the face on the first day when I got it home...
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"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” - Edmund Burke |
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 Subaru1-3-2-4Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT | reply to SwedishRider
yep I picked up my genny for something other then power going out (lighting and audio equipment) but I did get to use it during the storm we had in the NE last year.. and JUST as I was getting to plug in the last connection (I had both ends in my hand) the power came back on lol..
I ended up testing the stuff anyways to see if my genny could do the load, which it did without breaking a sweat.
CL&P has been going crazy cutting back trees and stuff but I don't know how much that is going to help.
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It's NOT Ni-kon It's NE-KON!
LG is NOT Lifes Good It's Lucky Goldstar!
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