Show off your backup power thread

[somegirl]

Honda EM6500SX



Shares a garage with the bikes

[mitt]

I have a lot of experience in back-up systems, since I work in the electrical distribution industry, and was part of a project to do a whole house backup system integrated with the main load center, not a sub-panel.  

I did a ton of research on my own when I went to buy, and I settled on a " Chonda" (chinese honda knockoff).  I have a sub-panel in my garage that feeds 6 outlets in my basement - it is completely separate from my utility fed household wiring. The generator and outlets are enough to run a couple lights, my furnace, and the fridge, all with extension cords.



I found a cool single circuit transfer switch for the furnace that is hardwired in - so anyone could connect a drop cord to it, just like an appliance, and switch between utility and generator feed.



I will dig up a presentation I did, and post it if anyone is interested.

mitt

[angler]

I will dig up a presentation I did, and post it if anyone is interested.

mitt

consider me interested.  The street behind me had power throughout this last storm.  I thought about wiring a plug and second cutoff/transfer into the cutoff switch for the furnace and running an extension cord to a plug in my neighbors house.  I probably have enough extension cord to reach, but I was worried about the length of that run (probably 150 feet)

[ducpainter]

consider me interested.  The street behind me had power throughout this last storm.  I thought about wiring a plug and second cutoff/transfer into the cutoff switch for the furnace and running an extension cord to a plug in my neighbors house.  I probably have enough extension cord to reach, but I was worried about the length of that run (probably 150 feet)

I'd be worried about the wire gauge with extension cords if you have a hot air furnace.

The fan draws quite a bit, and you would have a bit of line loss from cords.

[mitt]

consider me interested.  The street behind me had power throughout this last storm.  I thought about wiring a plug and second cutoff/transfer into the cutoff switch for the furnace and running an extension cord to a plug in my neighbors house.  I probably have enough extension cord to reach, but I was worried about the length of that run (probably 150 feet)

Yea, a few amps over 150' on 12 or 14 awg drop cord, and you are going to loose some voltage.

mitt

[mitt]

I'd be worried about the wire gauge with extension cords if you have a hot air furnace.

The fan draws quite a bit, and you would have a bit of line loss from cords.

Yep - I have some data I took from my house when I was working on the project about peak in-rush (less than 1 second) and peak steady state (2 or more seconds) current draw for misc. electrical loads.  On my gas furnace, the hot glow igniter draws the most "steady state" current if I remember right, for about 10 seconds, while the squirel cage has a bigger peak in-rush, but lower steady state use.

Once your gas furnace is lit, it doesn't take that much electrical power to run it.  Same goes for compressors, like fridges and freezers, only times 10.  My fridge takes over 20A in-rush to start, but then less than 2A to run.


mitt

[angler]

The furnace is natural gas forced air.  It is brand spankin' new. 

That is what I thought.  I've got enough of the beefy gauge cords, but I was worried about loss and the cords getting warm.  

We have another decent storm headed our way and if it is wet, we will loose power.  It sounds like it will be wet.  I can do 48 hours without heat, but then it gets a little uncomfortable.  I couldn't find a single generator in the DC Metro today......

[il d00d]

Thanks to hurricane Ike, I've got me one of these:  Briggs and Stratton XL4000



The paint matches my bike.  Yellow is the voltage regulatingest color 

If I had to do it again -that is, not scour the city for days and pay a hurricane-refugee-in-your-own-home price for one - I would get a multi-fuel (including natural gas) pedestal unit.

[ducpainter]

That is what I thought.  I've got enough of the beefy gauge cords, but I was worried about loss and the cords getting warm.  

It really depends on the equipment and the gauge of the extension cords.

If you have 12 g cords 150' is not an issue.

If you have 16g cords it may be if your furnace draws 20 amps when the blower starts.

If I was freezing I'd probably try it.

[lethe]

Damn, now someone makes a thread like this.

I got rid of my oddball '89 Hyundia Excel engine belt driven 10kw generator last year.
I can't find any good pictures of it either, you can just see it in the background of some unrelated ones.  

[Popeye the Sailor]

Yellow is the voltage regulatingest color 

Red melts a microwave faster. 

[angler]

It really depends on the equipment and the gauge of the extension cords.

If you have 12 g cords 150' is not an issue.

If you have 16g cords it may be if your furnace draws 20 amps when the blower starts.

If I was freezing I'd probably try it.

I'll check the gauge and the amps on my blower. After two nights without power, the house was 43 degrees, which was manageable for me but the GF was getting worried.  If we hadn't gotten power yesterday afternoon, I was either going to run the extension cords or go camp out at a friend's house with power.

[mitt]

I'll check the gauge and the amps on my blower.

1 HP = 750Watt (steady state).  Watts/120V = current draw for (120V devices).   Add a factor of 2 to 3 X for non-compressor motor starts, or 3 to 10X for motor on compressor starts, and you get an idea of peak draw.  My furnace is a 1/3 HP, but I measured around 600W running, so the rating on the motor may be without much load.

An easy way to measure current draw is buy a clamp on meter, they are pretty cheap anymore.  The cheap ones can measure steady state loads, but not peak, they are not fast enough and do not use an accurate peak rms calculator.

Sucks to hear so many people without power - good luck.  The first time I got really interested in this, I was without power for about 1.5 days in cold weather, and I rigged up a 750W black and decker inverter from Wal Mart to run my furnace off my car.  It was at the very limits of getting the furnace started, but it was better than being cold.


mitt

[ducatiz]

I'd be worried about the wire gauge with extension cords if you have a hot air furnace.

The fan draws quite a bit, and you would have a bit of line loss from cords.

electric or gas?

my gas furnace fan only pulls about 3A

[ducatiz]

Once your gas furnace is lit, it doesn't take that much electrical power to run it.  Same goes for compressors, like fridges and freezers, only times 10.  My fridge takes over 20A in-rush to start, but then less than 2A to run.


mitt

what the hell kind of fridge is that?

I have a brand new LG fridge (the french door model).  it pulls 6 A on running and only 7.5 on startup. 

i know the old old school fridges pull hard on startup, but sheehs, 2 to 20? wtf?