Whole House Standby
Generator Info
After
losing power for a week in the freak Northeast 2011 October snow storm here in
Connecticut I realized I needed a permanent long term emergency power solution.
My house has well water, so when power is out I have nothing: no lights, water
or heat. Plus I live in a heavily wooded area with above ground power lines on
a long dead end street. When a tree falls over the street and power lines, not
only do I have no power, I’m trapped from evacuating. Thus, in December 2011 I
installed a 20kW standby generator. After the massive October 2012 Storm Sandy,
yielding a peak power outage of 8.5 million, I have been receiving many
questions about my generator setup. I figure the easiest way to address this
deluge of questions is to document my installation. Hopefully this answers most
of your questions.
My
goals for this installation:
1. Continuous 24/7 uninterrupted
power.
2. Automatic ON/OFF power
transfer. (When utility power goes out, generator automatically starts and
provides emergency power. When utilities come back ON, the generator
automatically turns OFF and switches to normal utility service.) One purpose of
the transfer switch is to avoid back-feeding power to the utility lines and
creating a deadly hazard for utility workers and the general public. (Not to
overlook that you’d be supplying free power to your neighbors and overload the
generator in the process.) The power transfer happens so quickly that I don’t even
need to reset my alarm clock. So if utility power goes out or comes back while I’m
sleeping, I don’t even know it.
3. Provide power directly
to the main panel without excluding any circuits with enough power to run all
appliances. Important note: I have a new propane furnace and on-demand propane
water heater so 20kW is more than enough for my situation. If you have electric
heat you will need a substantially larger unit than 20kW. Here are a couple of tools
to calculate your needs:
http://www.generac.com/Residential/Sizer/
http://www.powerequipmentdirect.com/stories/46-How-to-Size-a-Home-Standby-Generator.html
4. Final goal =
maximum power output for lowest cost. My generator can run on either propane or
natural gas. If you already have natural gas piped to your house, then that is currently
the cheapest way to go. Since I don’t have that luxury here, I run propane.
During a power outage, with the generator running all day, it uses about 30
gallons of propane which at the current price of $2.15/gal. = $65 per day. It’s
certainly not the cheapest power available, but it sure beats taking cold
showers and storing perishables in coolers with the never ending hunt for ice.
Not to overlook the convenience of flushing the toilet. Your use will vary depending
on size of unit and electrical demand.
My
installation:
Generac
Guardian Series 5875 - 20kW Smart Circuit Standby Generator System current
price $4497 + $50 lift gate service (free shipping). Unless you have a raised loading
dock at your house, you will need the lift gate service. Buy the required
battery locally as you can get a better battery than they are offering for the $100
they’re charging. If you’re in the Connecticut area, don’t waste your money on
the optional battery heater either. If the generator I purchased fits your
power needs, be sure to get the one I linked to which comes with the transfer
switch. They offer the generator without the transfer switch for $500 less, but
unless you’re replacing an old generator you will need it and purchasing it separately
will cost at least $700.
Here’s
a link for more information and choices:
http://www.powerequipmentdirect.com/stories/308-How-to-Pick-the-Perfect-Standby-Generator.html
From
this point it’s like any construction project. You can choose to be the
contractor and do the work that you’re qualified for and enlist the help of
qualified friends (Yes, you will need building permits for this). Or you can
hire one company to do the whole project, in which case you do not want to buy
the generator online. Let the company you hire provide everything so you don’t
miss out on any warrantees. Though I did not use them for my install, for one
stop shopping I recommend: http://www.generatorsondemand.com/
in Old Lyme. They travel all over the state of Connecticut. I have not done in-depth
research in this area, so there may be other equally qualified installers in
your area. To find them, go to the generator manufacturer’s website and search
for authorized resellers/installers.
Propane:
If
you don’t currently use propane, and don’t have access to natural gas, then I
strongly recommend buying (owning) the propane tank. This will allow you to buy
propane from any supplier as prices can vary greatly from one to the other. Plus,
if you check the rental fee vs. purchase cost, you’ll find that you’ve paid for
the tank within 3 years. (The lifespan of a tank is 20 to 30 years.) It is
illegal for a propane distributor to fill a tank that you rented from another
distributor (there is a $10,000 fine for this). In cases of emergency, the
governor may overrule this law. Do not sign any commitment to buy propane from
a specific dealer.
I
had a 500 gallon tank installed underground so I wouldn’t have to look at it.
If you are not heating with propane, you will not need a 500 gallon tank. Let
whoever you hire to do the propane to generator hookup determine the proper
tank size for you. Even though I have a 500 gallon tank, it is considered full
at 425 gallons (85%) to allow room for expansion. 85% figure applies to all
tank sizes. Conversely, do not let the tank go below 20% as government
regulations may require a leak test before filling. After getting several
quotes from local Propane suppliers, I highly recommend Daniels Propane for hookup service and
as a supplier (if they service your area).
Where
to place the generator:
Each
generator has its own placement requirements. Here’s a link to mine: http://www.powerequipmentdirect.com/manuals/Install%20Guidelines.pdf
See
page 4 of the owner’s manual for site preparation, here:
http://www.powerequipmentdirect.com/manuals/Generac%20Install%20Manual%208-20kW-rev-6-29-2011.pdf
I
dug out the entire area for the generator and used pressure treated 4x4 lumber to
build a frame. There are actually 2 layers of 4x4s in my frame. The first layer
is underground and secured in 3 locations at each 4x4 by 4 foot long 1/2” Dia. rebar
hammered flush to top of bottom 4x4 layer. The top layer of 4x4s are screwed to
the bottom layer – overlapping the corners for strength. At this point you can either
pour a cement slab or fill it with pea stone. I chose pea stone for its
drainage ability and ease of installation. Pea stone must be tamped before
placing generator. My pea stone bed is 8” deep. If you chose to pour a cement
slab you will need to secure the generator to the slab to prevent it from
moving due to vibration.
Where
to place the propane tank:
Visit
your town hall for this information, but generally they adhere to the rules
specified here:
http://www.amerigas.com/PDFs/AmeriGas-Installation-Brochure.pdf
If
you are burying a tank like I did, you will need and excavator who is
experience with this type of work as there are strict rules that must be
followed (also detailed in the above brochure).
If
you are assuming the role of contractor, you will need to provide the town hall
with a sketch showing where you are putting the generator and propane tank. The
easiest way to do this is to get a copy of your lot survey from the town hall
and sketch your plan on it. You will also need to provide the town hall will
the names of all the licensed contractors you are using and prices being
charged. Talk to your contractors first to find out if they automatically get
their own permits. If you use Daniels Propane, they always get their own
permits. This doesn’t mean you won’t still need to get a permit for the
electrician. I used http://www.laliberteelectric.com/
from Old Saybrook, who does very nice work and is an authorized Generac
installer.
Here’s
what everything cost me. Keep in mind that these are 2011 prices and I assumed
the contractor role. You should expect to pay more if you opt for one stop
shopping from a company that takes care of everything for you.
Generac
Guardian Series 5875 - 20kW $4,365
Excavator
to bury 500 Gal tank and provide pea gravel $1,600
Propane
tank purchase ($2,000), hookup & fill (400 Gals @ $2.89 = $1156) $4,087
Electrician:
Generator/Transfer Switch Hookup $1,110
Electrician: Replace Meter Socket & Service Riser (**mine was very old) $1,050
Pressure
Treated 4x4 frame, rebar and screws $ 100
Permit
Fees $ 107
Total $12,419