[CTSARA] Fw: Generators

Mon Mar 22 12:30:09 EDT 2010

The size depends on how much you want to do with load management. It is possible to do a lot with a small generator if you shift loads. My heating system uses less than 400 watts for the burner and circulators and the refrigerator uses 150 watts most of the time and 950 watts during defrost, the tough one is the well pump as nothing else can be on when it's running. Note all of these loads are intermittent so you can get by with a generator the will run the largest load or at least get one that will supply the heating system and your computer. What I suspect is usually not the stated wattage but the max current when you have loads with low power factors, that limit what you can get away with in a generator.  Back in the 1973 ice storm I was able to go a week on 1500 watts and although I wouldn't want to do that long term once every 40 years I can live with. For the cost of some of the larger automatic systems you can go co-generation and save all the time. There are sump pumps with their own back up system and non electric sump pump systems if you have city water.
Bottom line: You can get away with 2 kw but get 5 kw for some semblance of normality unless you are very clever. The bigger units are for the idle rich. I'm leery of 2 cycle and cheap imported units. An interesting problem would be to see what cost effective steps hams can come up with to reduce the size needed. 

Fred

> To: jon at giciman.com; ctsara at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:51:23 -0400
> From: jonsolomon at techie.com
> Subject: Re: [CTSARA] Fw: Generators
> 
> 
>  When all is said and done, this is the IDEAL way to run a genny (except maybe in earth-quake prone areas where gas may be shut off).  A self starting, auto-transfering, natural gas powered (large) genny will always save the day and you never have to worry about refueling.  I know a couple of people who are lucky enough to have natural gas, and far enough out that the often lose power that have either executed this or looked into.
> 
>  
> But you can't bring them to field day ;)
> 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jon at giciman.com
> To: ctsara at mailman.qth.net
> Sent: Sun, Mar 21, 2010 9:41 pm
> Subject: [CTSARA] Fw: Generators
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jon Perelstein <jperelst at yahoo.com>
> Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:36:59 
> To: Jonathan Shapiro<jon at giciman.com>
> Subject: Re: Generators
> 
> One cylinder at 7kVA??  Wow.
> 
> You may want to resend this to everyone, it's very interesting and might wake up 
> some of the people who think that they can work with 2kVA.
> 
> Jon
> KB1QBZ
> 
> --- On Sun, 3/21/10, Jonathan Shapiro <jon at giciman.com> wrote:
> 
> From: Jonathan Shapiro <jon at giciman.com>
> Subject: Re: Generators
> To: "Jon Perelstein" <jperelst at yahoo.com>
> Date: Sunday, March 21, 2010, 8:37 PM
> 
> I installed a one cylinder Winco generator, 7 kVA, which I bought from North 
> East Generators 24 years ago. It runs on natural gas. It is installed on 
> concrete blocks in my basement and exhausts outside via stainless steel piping. 
> A window exhaust fan kicks on when the generator is running via a solid state 
> relay in parallel with the fan switch.
> I would like to get a larger unit outside- 20 kVA to run the whole house. If 
> they get too big they will outstrip the gas supply.
> 
> It is hard wired into my house with a built in transfer switch and a sub panel 
> for the protected circuits.
> It was primarily to protect the basement and power the sump pumps, which would 
> only be needed in a big storm.
> There are folks who install sump pumps, and forget the power goes out when the 
> pumps are needed most
> This generator has saved me numerous times and while it runs when the lines come 
> down, it ran for 6 days after a Northeaster about 1995 or so.
> During this storm it ran for 30 hours.
> 
> It runs:  2 sump pumps, 1 refrigerator, bedroom and hall lights, outside lights, 
> and I can turn on the toaster oven or the coffee maker as well. It also powers 
> the furnace.
> Survival was easy.
> 
> Stay Dry
> Jonathan  Shapiro
> AB1HI
> 
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