I have a Generac electric or manual start 5200 KW portable generator which connects to a transfer switch next to the main power panel in the house through a cable temporarily coiled near the back garage door where the generator is stored in the garage. It replaced a B&S which failed after three years. Our local dealer sells hundreds of Generacs to apparently pleased customers. Generac also markets whole house automatics if you can afford one.
When power fails, we give Maine Power Company an hour or so and then we wheel the generator out the door into the back yard, start it up and plug in the cable, manually switch the power to the household circuits connected by the electrician that installed the transfer box and we have power to our well pump, furnace/hot water heater, freezer, two freezer/refrigerators, the master bedroom and one kitchen outlet. The wall outlets for the refrigerators and freezer can also be used temporarily for small appliances or lamps when needed.
Total cost about $1,200 for the generator, installed transfer box and cable. The Generac starts electrically instantly, or easily manually if the battery has lost its charge on which we keep a trickle charge occasionally.
The Generac uses about ten gallons of standard octane gasoline a day. We keep about 12 gallons stored in plastic containers which can be replenished from local gas stations if power is out longer. You have to use stabilizers in the fuel in both the generator tank and stored containers for long term storage.
This system has performed flawlessly like new so far here in Mid-coast Maine for five years during power failures varying between several hours to five days. We place a card table over it when it snows or rains. A carport would prevent needing to do that. The thing might not mind the precipitation but I prefer to protect it. Power failure in Maine winters for more than a few hours is an emergency, particularly if you are on a well as we are.
A neighbor across the street has an automatic, whole house propane powered system which I greatly envy, but can't afford. My system works, but is a pain in the a-- because Maine chose to put their power lines up amongst the huge and gorgeous forests we have instead of underground, resulting in lots of power failures.
If I had it to do over again, I'd have put in a system like my neighbor's and skimped on the Miller's for a while.
They take up very little space. The propane tank is bigger than the generator unless you already have the propane or natural gas installed. They are also a lot quieter than the portables.
When power fails, we give Maine Power Company an hour or so and then we wheel the generator out the door into the back yard, start it up and plug in the cable, manually switch the power to the household circuits connected by the electrician that installed the transfer box and we have power to our well pump, furnace/hot water heater, freezer, two freezer/refrigerators, the master bedroom and one kitchen outlet. The wall outlets for the refrigerators and freezer can also be used temporarily for small appliances or lamps when needed.
Total cost about $1,200 for the generator, installed transfer box and cable. The Generac starts electrically instantly, or easily manually if the battery has lost its charge on which we keep a trickle charge occasionally.
The Generac uses about ten gallons of standard octane gasoline a day. We keep about 12 gallons stored in plastic containers which can be replenished from local gas stations if power is out longer. You have to use stabilizers in the fuel in both the generator tank and stored containers for long term storage.
This system has performed flawlessly like new so far here in Mid-coast Maine for five years during power failures varying between several hours to five days. We place a card table over it when it snows or rains. A carport would prevent needing to do that. The thing might not mind the precipitation but I prefer to protect it. Power failure in Maine winters for more than a few hours is an emergency, particularly if you are on a well as we are.
A neighbor across the street has an automatic, whole house propane powered system which I greatly envy, but can't afford. My system works, but is a pain in the a-- because Maine chose to put their power lines up amongst the huge and gorgeous forests we have instead of underground, resulting in lots of power failures.
If I had it to do over again, I'd have put in a system like my neighbor's and skimped on the Miller's for a while.
They take up very little space. The propane tank is bigger than the generator unless you already have the propane or natural gas installed. They are also a lot quieter than the portables.
