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Where did you see someone doing installs for $1000? After talking to several Cummins and Kohler dealers, they all seem to run between 3000 and 4000 just for the install. That dies not include the gas meter upgrade either.

 

Was going to have a family member do it. I was going to make the pad site myself, and I have a place on an outside wall where the gen will be literally 6 ft from my main panel/main meter, and only 15ft from the main gas line coming into the house. Once you start increasing distances, materials + labor go up tremendously.

 

3000-4000 is tremendously high if you ask me, but I suppose it heavily depends on the location of the critical components.

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Thanks to the couple of forum members that offered their services in ordering various generators!

 

Ultimately I have decided on a Subaru SGX5000. It is on backorder everywhere, so I ordered her up on Amazon, with free Prime shipping. Its no rush as I have my ETQ in the event we have another outage while I wait for it. Phase one will be to connect it up to the panel with an external L14-30 generator socket box, a 30amp 2 pole breaker, and the interlock kit (to keep things up to code). Phase 2 will be to convert the gen to tri-fuel with a US Carb kit , have a valve and quick disconnect piped from my NG gas inlet outside, and attach it with a flexible gas hose. I would only set it up when needed, and will have a lock box over the gas valve for safety.

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Thanks for the tip on the lockout devices Rob. Something like this looks good http://www.professio...valve-lockouts/

 

edit, just found the perfect valve, all set to take a lock.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-75-100-Series-Valve-Lockable/dp/B00634KAB6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1353042231&sr=8-4&keywords=lockable+gas+valve

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I picked up a genny the other night and was going to look at he NG kit. Does anyone know if a line run for a grill is large enough for a generator? If it is than i can just unhook the grill when the genny is needed, that would be great!

 

Check the chart on the bottom of the page. It is a good guide of hose ID size , length, and power/HP ratings on gens.

 

http://www.uscarb.com/hook-up_hoses.htm

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Did a lot of searching on generators recently, as most of us have.

 

Seems most of the lesser expensive whole house units, no matter whose name is on the front , are made by Briggs & Stratton.

Same goes with many of the transfer switch solutions.

 

The difference in the various manufacturers using the similar components is post sale, service and support.

 

Generac in the past has had a terrible reputation, especially with their foreign made engines. They have switched to their own USA made engine and seemed to have been much better.

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^^^^This ^^^^^for the reasons listed and because I heat with oil, so storing it and keeping it fresh is not a problem. Besides, I always have 100+gallons on hand.

 

Although diesel units are nice and tend to be real quiet, fuel is a consideration. All new small diesel enignes are meeting the Tier 4 mandated specs. That about eliminates using fuel oil for fuel.

 

Will the Tier 4 machines need special diesel fuel?

Yes, Tier 4 machines will only be able to use Ultra Low Sulfur Fuel (ULS F) and will require CJ-4 Low Ash Oil. It’s important to note that CJ-4 Low Ash Oil will run in all prior Tier machines, so owners only need to keep one type of oil on hand.

 

Diesel does have it limitations with storage (bacteria can proliferate in diesel fuel).

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3000-4000 is tremendously high if you ask me, but I suppose it heavily depends on the location of the critical components.

 

 

Just added up my self install costs which includes 70' x 4 of 4 gauge wire, about 60' of 1" gas pipe, 10' of CSST (stainless flex pipe).

I got the Genset and most electric supplies at contractor costs

 

Generator, auto transfer switch and battery - 4340.00

Permits - 284.00

Supplies - 1370.00

 

I already had a sub panel, so my transfer switch is tied into that and all the circuits I wanted were moved over.

I probably overspent approximately 200.00

 

About $1100 in parts, plus a markup on the stuff I got from the supply house and I could see my install costing 3K or more just for the install had I not done it myself.

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Where did you see someone doing installs for $1000? After talking to several Cummins and Kohler dealers, they all seem to run between 3000 and 4000 just for the install. That dies not include the gas meter upgrade either.

 

 

At least in New Jersey, the gas company has to supply sufficient gas to your house to run all your "stuff".

In my case, with NJ Natural Gas, I went online, filled in a questionnaire about my gas appliances and submitted it. NJ NG determined I needed a bigger meter and had it installed in less then a week. And that was just 4 weeks after Sandy hit. I went from a 400K @ hour meter to a 800K meter, 1" to 1 1/4" out

The gas company was nice enough to also tee, stub and valve the meter for my genny gas line at no extra charge.

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And one last note. I use the battery backups that Costco carries. The newest ones are very efficient and have no where near the heat output of the older units.

I have one on the computer, one for the main TV, cable DVD, receiver etc in the TV room and another in the bedroom for the TV, cable and DVD.

 

That eliminates the brownouts, surges, spikes and outages and the delay between power loss and generator transfer over. At $89 they are cheap insurance and last at least a year before needing batteries.I have gone as long as 3 years.

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Just added up my self install costs which includes 70' x 4 of 4 gauge wire, about 60' of 1" gas pipe, 10' of CSST (stainless flex pipe). I got the Genset and most electric supplies at contractor costs Generator, auto transfer switch and battery - 4340.00 Permits - 284.00 Supplies - 1370.00 I already had a sub panel, so my transfer switch is tied into that and all the circuits I wanted were moved over. I probably overspent approximately 200.00 About $1100 in parts, plus a markup on the stuff I got from the supply house and I could see my install costing 3K or more just for the install had I not done it myself.

 

Yup, that's why I said it depends heavily on the locations of the critical components. Looks like your equipment was far from your gas line and main panel judging by your pipe and wire lengths. Also labor goes up quite a bit depending if you need to trench the gas line. For me, everything , gas + panel are within 20ft of each other, so my materials cost would have been lower.

 

I in the end decided on a portable solution with a manual panel interlock and back-fed 30amp breaker leading out to a 30amp 240V gen outlet outside. I then converted my portable 5KW gen to tri-fuel (NG, LPG, gasoline), and use a 3/4" flexible NG hose with quick-disconnects to hook up to my gas line outside right after the meter. I pull it out when I need it, otherwise it will stay in the shed. After all was said and done, my cost was $3K soup-to-nuts including the $1100 for the gen.

 

Not as nice as a whole home 10KW and up model, but was more suitable for my budget and fills my needs rather nicely. :)

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Not as nice as a whole home 10KW and up model, but was more suitable for my budget and fills my needs rather nicely. :)

 

 

I can agree to that. I still have my portable and it was a tough decision ($$$). After all is said and done, the convenience is nice, but it was a PITA with the whole process - and I still haven't landscaped the silly thing yet. Won't get my final until I do. Being able to do all the work myself was a serious consideration. Having friends that are plumbers and electricians is also a tremendous help.

 

For me one of the considerations was my work schedule. I am away for 26-30 hours at a time. My wife can't pick up a 5 gallon gas can to keep the portable running and the cold snap we had. If my portable was capable of 220 I would have used that. I can do without AC, that heat stuff is an issue though. 2 cats and 2 dogs means sheltering in place for the most part.

 

"If" I was to do it again, I would seriously consider the Honda 6500 IS model with a transfer switch. With a portable tote style gas tank to keep it topped off.

 

I do expect though that the installation has added about 12K to the house value. If not - it will go with me when I leave.

 

My Honda 3000IS ran 24/7 for 13.5 days. Only shut down in the morning to check the oil, and I never added any.

 

Those IS models are pricey, but you get what you pay for, and with that you get a quiet, clean, efficient, heavy portable.

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My Honda 3000IS ran 24/7 for 13.5 days. Only shut down in the morning to check the oil, and I never added any.

 

 

Can't argue with the Honda's. I went Subaru myself. :)

 

Ack, you never changed the oil during that stint? My manual states a 20hr first change, then every 100 hours after that. I'm not sure on Honda's reccomendations, but at a minimum you should have had a few changes in there.

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Can't argue with the Honda's. I went Subaru myself. :)

 

Ack, you never changed the oil during that stint? My manual states a 20hr first change, then every 100 hours after that. I'm not sure on Honda's recommendations, but at a minimum you should have had a few changes in there.

 

100 hours is also the number I think for the Honda.

Mine is about 5-6 years old, well past the break in. And no, I didn't change the oil. I figure it ran for about 320 hours.

Recommendations are just that. They also take into consideration the start up - shut downs, intermittent use. Mine never cooled off.

 

It gets Mobil 1 and the oil was still relativity clean at the end.

 

It is like autos. Lot of stop and go = more frequent changes. All highway = less changes. Figure my use was all highway.

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I have the EU6500iS and they recommend 50 hour changes. I change every 50 hours or 6 months. Start it every month and always keep a full tank with stabil marine formula to deal with the ethanol/moisture. I keep 30 gallons on hand, stored in a shed away from the house. That's enough for a few days. We had no problems when Sandy screwed up the gasoline supply.

 

Portable is no big deal here. We start it up, set and forget. When it's time to refuel (10-14 hours later) I just shut it down and refuel. My wife can do that too if she was home by herself.

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I picked up a genny the other night and was going to look at he NG kit. Does anyone know if a line run for a grill is large enough for a generator? If it is than i can just unhook the grill when the genny is needed, that would be great!

That was my plan! I bought a general 10,000. Talked to the guys at US CARB, got ready to order the tri-fuel kit, then I found out I need a 2" NG line to feed this thing. Not an option. I spent over $2k without doing enough homework. Generator is now for sale (or trade for something interesting). Don't make my mistake, research until you're blue in the face, the research some more!

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Looking to get an inverter generator. Is the low price harbor freights any good? Or am I better off crying once and just get the Honda 2200i and be set for life? Thoughts?

For the use, want the inverter clean power, very quiet operation, and the excellent fuel consumption. May only use it for a few days, once a year, in the summer in FL if a storm knocks out power. Only need to run one appliance at a time, so fridge during day, small portable ac at night, tv or laptop, and occasional microwave. The 2200i has plenty of power and maybe I would use 2 gallons of gas per day. 

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30 minutes ago, SW9racer said:

Looking to get an inverter generator. Is the low price harbor freights any good? Or am I better off crying once and just get the Honda 2200i and be set for life? Thoughts?

For the use, want the inverter clean power, very quiet operation, and the excellent fuel consumption. May only use it for a few days, once a year, in the summer in FL if a storm knocks out power. Only need to run one appliance at a time, so fridge during day, small portable ac at night, tv or laptop, and occasional microwave. The 2200i has plenty of power and maybe I would use 2 gallons of gas per day. 

People say good things about the Predator hf line.

Ive had a Honda 3000i( the older quiet one) for 12 years now. No issues other then a new battery. The Honda you’re thinking about is uber quiet, not sure bout the hf one. 

Buy once, cry once

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I'm a big fan of Generac...mine has been bulletproof, and the price point was good.  I ordered through Amazon some years ago.   Big heavy box was to be dropped curbside, but it came with a wheel kit. so I just unboxed and installed the wheels where it sat, then pulled it around into the garage.

Honda does have an amazing reputation, and they're oh, so quiet.

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During sandy I was out of power for 13 days. All I had was an eu2000. it ran cable, fridge, a couple of lights and the flu for my NG heat.  I went through about 2 gallons a day and it ran constantly except while sleeping.

I now have a champion dual fuel 9000peak watt one cause my new house has a well pump ect.. it's loud and isn't as fuel efficient as the Honda but it's solid for my needs now.

if I could get away with a smaller generator I would go with a Honda inverter no question.

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