Remember kids, never service your "new-to-you" generator until you need it.

[ebinmaine 67,277]

On 8/18/2020 at 8:54 PM, echris said:

Service that new-to-you equipment BEFORE the ************

What?

Why?

So I should be mounting the plow before snow hits, not in the storm at 2 am when I can't leave the house?

 

No sense of adventure?

 

 

 

 

Some great info and ideas above folks. Thank you. 

 

We've been mulling over getting a generator big enough to power the well and water heater with fridge and a lamp or two.  

Hoping to do so soon. 

 

[peter lena 8,580]

IF you live in an area that has a regular storm related power issue , the opportunity to correct that problem is not that difficult, my wake up call came in a winter storm , 4 days and no power , did an insurance claim , on food and related problems , took the money and bought a generator , added the money to get that gentran switch , making a safe power source to go to for close to 20 years. the time to set this up is before you need it , i also run the gen thru the house a couple of times a year , for water pump or related trimming / cutting , power , all at the slide of that centran switch , it works for me, by the way i regularly keep STABIL FUEL TREATMENT  in my gen and snow blower for instant starting ,  THE REPETITION OF A PROBLEM IS YOUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITY , TO MAKE THAT PROBLEM GO AWAY , that's unless you like problems , my experience, pete    

[peter lena 8,580]

ebinmaine, a 10 k generator will easily handle that well pump . water heater , fridge , microwave , furnace , tv , lighting , having said that , are you going to run a series of extensions cords to each  unit? i have a single outside weather proof plug in to my generator, to my gentran switch , making it easy to power back up. i also picked up a used " calf hutch  "  that gives me total weather proof generator protection , basically a flo/thru ,small quonset hut . you have a lot of options , hope you get it done , pete

[ebinmaine 67,277]

1 hour ago, peter lena said:

single outside weather proof plug

10K is about what I was thinking so thanks for confirming that. 

 

I'll have to check with our electrician friend to see how he wants to wire it. 

It won't be a pile of cords. It'll be wired into the breaker box by whatever Maine code applies. 

 

I DO know it'll be separated from the street power. 

 

If we have to turn off some breakers to conserve electricity that's ok. 

 

 

[echris 1,425]

I have a 5500W continuous. I can pretty much run anything, except my well pump (my choice). Wells around here are 800-1000' feet deep. Our well pumps are freakin' expensive at that depth. Mostly labor for a pump pull.

I'm lucky that my house came with a 250 gal holding tank for potable water, so all my well pump does is fill that tank. Separate, easily serviceable surface pump for pressure.

When on generator, when the potable water tank gets low, I wait until everyone else is asleep, shut off all other breakers, turn on the well pump and wait until the tank is full ~20 minutes or so.

If I had a 10kw, I wouldn't have to bother with that.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

You all got me thinking I should at least fire mine up... First pull of the rope and away she goes been sitting since winter