Back Up Home Generator Question

Dang! All this time I never realized I was one of "those certain kind of people" because I have a Generac. Don't know whether to have hurt feelings or feel proud LOL.

 

Right after we had it installed, we lost power for a full 24 hours. We never missed a beat powering our entire home including 2 AC units. We have also lost power a number of times because there is a lot of new construction going on around us and it seems that someone is always screwing up the utility power by cutting/digging.

 

I know it’s a rookie question, but how reliable is natural gas in an extended power outage?

We’ve never had NG until now so I’m used to dealing with propane tanks, but I’m more concerned about heating the house in the middle of the winter than running the AC in the summer (we have a basement that stays cool, and I’ve honestly never had AC until we moved a few years ago). Thinking about sizing a genset that will run off NG or LP; I have a buddy that works at the propane company and rental tanks are dirt cheap, but if NG is reliable might as well stick with that rather than get a conversion kit for the furnace and water heater in the event of a prolonged outage.

 

I did. Hell I was even thinking to bury one big one. Wife is against the idea of having a tank in town.Don't know the code on that either.

 

They can't say "no" if you don't ask for permission.

 

I've lived much of my life by that credo....I've realized that I've spent more money in the subsequent aftermath

 

nothing personal

it’s for those that want a turnkey solution

there is better equipment out there, but generac flooded the market with Chinese grade material. So there is only one viable solution these days

I have a 22kw generac. And a 12yr old brigs and Stratton 20kw

the b&s has been near flawless. The generac has failed twice. Not the motor or genset. The janky Chinese electricals failed

 

I’ll add- if I had my druthers, I’d use a brigs and Stratton. Or Koehler nat gas gen set

and use a simple transfer case

get a unit that can power all your shit. Forget about all that load shedding crap. That is what has failed me.

use upc’s on all your important crap.

 

Thanks. That's good to know. I wasn't sure how widespread a power outage had to be for the NG system to suffer, but assumed it would need to be a very large region considering the basics of how the NG distribution system works.

I've also been looking at Koehler and B&S gensets. 20KW ought to suit my needs just fine, even if I decided to kick the AC on. My house came set up with a 60 amp interlock kit at the panel for smaller generator use in a pinch, but I'm thinking a dedicated automatic NG/LP setup would be great.

 

Do you use that during a power outage?

 

Yeah I know. My Dad uses a 200-250 gallon tank at his place and it ain't that big

 

Well I think during the next outage, a pic of you in that thing with a glass of whiskey and a cee-gar would be appropriate

 

Yeah but if you own it it's just your nastinesses

 

Are you trying to see @ColoradoTJ 's nastiness?

 

Well that took a turn.

 

Our grid only gets short on electrons when the wind stops blowing, but that’s another story.