My setup is that only the circuits I move to the generator are disconnected from the street power, so it would be easy to leave a light on for a house circuit, for a signal for when street power comes back online.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Gas generators for the home [MERGED]
- Thread starter maflynn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I did the same. I was on critical infrastructure until they installed a permanent industrial CNG Kohler at the waste water pumping station.
While I’m not a licensed electrician, I had to float the neutral on the generator to comply with US NEC to prevent two neutral bond points (panel and generator) and put warning labels on the generator that it is no longer configured for stand alone use.
Last edited:
Price is going to depend on multiple factors such as proximity to a gas source and the meter base so it hard to ballpark without knowing this.
When I had my generator put it in my old house, I had to run 100'+ of gas line, but the generator was close to the meter. At my parents, the generator ended up right beside the gas supply, but had to run 75'+ of wire to get to the meter.
At my current house, they are literally side by side so less than 10' of each.
And then there is the "how big do I need"?
Here is an example, when the Derecho blew through from Chicago to DC back in 2012, almost everyone in my area lost power. I had a small 5500 generator, but it was not enough to run the house in 95 degree/high humidity weather.
So while everyone else was at HD getting on the list for portables, I went straight back and got a big one: 17kW. It came with the 16 Circuit ATS. So I had to pick which 16 circuits I wanted to be on the generator. And some, like A/C, ovens, dryers, etc count as two. But we made it work for a couple of years. But it wasn't enough to fully run my house.
When when my dad had to go into assisted living, mom decided she wanted a whole-home generator, so we made a deal. She got my old one for what I paid ($4,400) and she would pay to have it installed at her house.
I then had them install a 30kW at my house. I paid around $16K for that, but they didn't have to run the gas line since I had already done that. I got the 30k@ and 2x200W transfer switches.
The big difference between the two was the 17kW that went to my mom's house was air-cooled and mine was liquid-cooled. Air-cooled generators are generally smaller and louder than liquid-cooled.
Mom paid like $4,000 to run the longer electric line and buy an ATS plus what she paid me for the generator.
My advice is get several quotes. The "generator" companies are most likely going to have the best price as they have a repeatable model vs a regular electrician who is able to install them as he may have to hire a plumber for the gas work where the generator company will have a licensed plumber on staff.
When I had my generator put it in my old house, I had to run 100'+ of gas line, but the generator was close to the meter. At my parents, the generator ended up right beside the gas supply, but had to run 75'+ of wire to get to the meter.
At my current house, they are literally side by side so less than 10' of each.
And then there is the "how big do I need"?
Here is an example, when the Derecho blew through from Chicago to DC back in 2012, almost everyone in my area lost power. I had a small 5500 generator, but it was not enough to run the house in 95 degree/high humidity weather.
So while everyone else was at HD getting on the list for portables, I went straight back and got a big one: 17kW. It came with the 16 Circuit ATS. So I had to pick which 16 circuits I wanted to be on the generator. And some, like A/C, ovens, dryers, etc count as two. But we made it work for a couple of years. But it wasn't enough to fully run my house.
When when my dad had to go into assisted living, mom decided she wanted a whole-home generator, so we made a deal. She got my old one for what I paid ($4,400) and she would pay to have it installed at her house.
I then had them install a 30kW at my house. I paid around $16K for that, but they didn't have to run the gas line since I had already done that. I got the 30k@ and 2x200W transfer switches.
The big difference between the two was the 17kW that went to my mom's house was air-cooled and mine was liquid-cooled. Air-cooled generators are generally smaller and louder than liquid-cooled.
Mom paid like $4,000 to run the longer electric line and buy an ATS plus what she paid me for the generator.
My advice is get several quotes. The "generator" companies are most likely going to have the best price as they have a repeatable model vs a regular electrician who is able to install them as he may have to hire a plumber for the gas work where the generator company will have a licensed plumber on staff.
My only advice, given your lack of details, would be to buy a name brand that has some backing. This is not the time to save a few bucks at Harbor Freight (not bashing HF as I have lots of their stuff). I own a Honda genny.