Ready for power outage

[NS whitetail]

We have had a few big storms here in the past few years that have caused wide spread power outages. Two weeks ago I invested a bit of money and I am now prepared for the next one. I had a generlink installed on my home, it’s a device that is put in behind the power meter and a generator can be plugged into it, once this is done, the generator can control the whole home. I also bought a 10,000 watt generator which is powerful enough to run everything in my home. I used to have a 3500 watt generator and used to run extension cords inside to run a few essential but decided I’d rather run my whole home. 

[Ravin R10 man]

you will use it Im sure. Im hooked to run entire house also, like you, just gotta plug in. I have a box with a throw switch to by pass putting current back on line.  

[wtnhunt]

That's cool Lewis.  I planned on doing a 21kwatt generator here but have never gotten to it for other stuff that always seems to come up.  Could never decide on whether I wanted a fixed system or something portable either.  I would have to get a propane tank if i did the fixed system too. Already have a 200 amp disconnect I could wire into.

Does that plug setup have an auto disconnect to keep power from feeding back into the line?

[NS whitetail]

If the power goes out, I have to plug the cord into the generlink and generator then start the generator ( it has a key start ). It then takes over my whole electric panel and I can use everything in my house. When the power does come back on, the generlink will automatically shut itself off so the power can take over again. I was told if it’s night time just keep an eye on the street lights so I’ll know and turn the generator off. 

[Maine Hntr]

nice. I bought a generac 6500W generator a couple years ago and had a transfer switch installed, it won't quite run the whole home but close to it, with the transfer I can pick and choose which breakers I want on or off. They way I've got it installed mine can't backfeed the grid if power is restored. 

[Strut10]

You'll be glad you did it.

I got sick and tired of the crap service of Larry, Moe and Curly's rural electric co-op where I'm at.  Power has been going out 1-4 times a week for no particular reason here for 20 years.  THEN there's the weather related outages...……    So, when we moved into our new place, one of the TOP priorities was backup power.  We installed a 16KW Generac natural gas unit on a 200A ATS.  Now...……….when the power goes out, you count to 5 and the Generac is up and running automatically and we can give the electric company the bird.

The 16KW runs EVERYTHING in a 3150 sq/ft house EXCEPT...……………..in the summertime, if the central A/C units are BOTH running when the power goes out, the generator won't roll them both over while they're still at full capacity on the compressor side.  I think it's as simple as putting a couple minutes of staggered start-up time on the units so when the generator kicks on, the A/C units get a couple minutes to "decompress" before they start up again. 

[NS whitetail]

I have a few friends who did the same thing strut , they love them, like you said you just sit there and bam you have power ?. When hurricane dorian rolled through town last September there was major wide spread power outages across the whole province of Nova Scotia and that’s when lots and lots of people decided to go with back up power. The Nova Scotia power company basically only did patch repairs and since then every time we get a decent breeze the power goes out. There are so many trees laying on the lines everywhere that they never got cleaned up that things are only going to get worse, that’s why I decided to invest the money for it. 

[Ravin R10 man]

19 hours ago, Strut10 said:

we can give the electric company the bird.

wondered what you did with all those Gobblers?