This is a question seeking experience with use of a PORTABLE generator and Insteon, X10, and Elk M1G, ISY device and PC, or any combination of that. Also, wondering about conversion of this generator to run on propane.
Our new house is at the "end of the line" for the power company, with only 7 homes served by this line and hundreds of limbs hanging over the single overhead line that runs along the private road to our homes. Needless to say, we're not the top priority for restoration of power after a storm because there are so few homes on this road and the neighbors report being without electricity for several days on multiple occasions. There is no natural gas available, but many suppliers of propane in the area. We have a well (240V pump) and a septic system that requires a 120V pump to push effluent into the drain field, and the previous owners must have been major shareholders in the local electric supplier b/c the house as purchased is all electric, including an air-source heat pump. To begin to reduce our reliance on electricity we recently installed a pellet stove to provide supplemental heat to an especially cold room (yes, I know it requires electricity, but only ~ 60 watts), and that will allow us to obtain essential heat sufficient for a week of comfortable winter survival. We can also use a free-standing portable AC unit to cool the MBR if we lose power in the summer and that proves necessary. The heat pump is fed through a SEPARATE panel that is not a sub of the main panel, so the only major appliances (i.e., 240V / high amp) that are fed through the main panel are the stove, clothes dryer, well pump and hot water heater. I have completed mapping of all circuits in the house and find that our overall power demand outside of those major appliances and the heat pump is actually quite low (generally less than 2.5 kw even when three computers in the office are running).
Based on all this, I've ALMOST decided to purchase a PORTABLE generator of 8 - 10 KW (capable of handling a starting load of 10 - 12.5 KW) that I intend to convert to propane (seems easy enough using readily-available kits and should work well, but that's one of my questions). This will connect to a permanently installed power inlet box and an interlock switch to be installed on the main panel, allowing me to power any circuit that is part of that panel as long as we manage our power usage. This seems possible because we will NOT use the heat pump during an outage, and the well and septic pumps run only when we are using water, which we can control. The current hot water heater would draw a maximum of 4.5 KW, similar to the stove and dryer should we wish to use them when little else is on. We can leave each of these off until we consciously decide to turn them on during an outage. We also plan to change out each of these for propane in the future and install a geothermal heat pump in the next two years, so our future electric demands will be even less at that point.
We considered a permanent generator with an ATS, but the expense is much greater AND we would need to have a service technician come out to repair the unit should something happen to it. I like the idea of being able to take the unit to the repair shop or being able to swap it out quickly. Also, use of a portable generator means that we can take the generator with us if we want to work on a remote work site and if a friend that has a generator has power while ours is out we would have easy access to a backup generator should ours fail.
So, based on all this...
1) Does anyone have experience using a portable generator in the manner I describe, and if so, can you share it?
2) Has anyone converted a portable generator to propane, and if so, what has been your experience?
2) Most important: does anyone have a recommendation for a portable generator in the 8 - 10 KW range that produces CLEAN power, suitable for use with Insteon and other sensitive electronics, including an Elk, ISY and a PC?
I've searched the board, but can't find much about portable units rather than permanently installed units. Thanks in advance!
Joe
Our new house is at the "end of the line" for the power company, with only 7 homes served by this line and hundreds of limbs hanging over the single overhead line that runs along the private road to our homes. Needless to say, we're not the top priority for restoration of power after a storm because there are so few homes on this road and the neighbors report being without electricity for several days on multiple occasions. There is no natural gas available, but many suppliers of propane in the area. We have a well (240V pump) and a septic system that requires a 120V pump to push effluent into the drain field, and the previous owners must have been major shareholders in the local electric supplier b/c the house as purchased is all electric, including an air-source heat pump. To begin to reduce our reliance on electricity we recently installed a pellet stove to provide supplemental heat to an especially cold room (yes, I know it requires electricity, but only ~ 60 watts), and that will allow us to obtain essential heat sufficient for a week of comfortable winter survival. We can also use a free-standing portable AC unit to cool the MBR if we lose power in the summer and that proves necessary. The heat pump is fed through a SEPARATE panel that is not a sub of the main panel, so the only major appliances (i.e., 240V / high amp) that are fed through the main panel are the stove, clothes dryer, well pump and hot water heater. I have completed mapping of all circuits in the house and find that our overall power demand outside of those major appliances and the heat pump is actually quite low (generally less than 2.5 kw even when three computers in the office are running).
Based on all this, I've ALMOST decided to purchase a PORTABLE generator of 8 - 10 KW (capable of handling a starting load of 10 - 12.5 KW) that I intend to convert to propane (seems easy enough using readily-available kits and should work well, but that's one of my questions). This will connect to a permanently installed power inlet box and an interlock switch to be installed on the main panel, allowing me to power any circuit that is part of that panel as long as we manage our power usage. This seems possible because we will NOT use the heat pump during an outage, and the well and septic pumps run only when we are using water, which we can control. The current hot water heater would draw a maximum of 4.5 KW, similar to the stove and dryer should we wish to use them when little else is on. We can leave each of these off until we consciously decide to turn them on during an outage. We also plan to change out each of these for propane in the future and install a geothermal heat pump in the next two years, so our future electric demands will be even less at that point.
We considered a permanent generator with an ATS, but the expense is much greater AND we would need to have a service technician come out to repair the unit should something happen to it. I like the idea of being able to take the unit to the repair shop or being able to swap it out quickly. Also, use of a portable generator means that we can take the generator with us if we want to work on a remote work site and if a friend that has a generator has power while ours is out we would have easy access to a backup generator should ours fail.
So, based on all this...
1) Does anyone have experience using a portable generator in the manner I describe, and if so, can you share it?
2) Has anyone converted a portable generator to propane, and if so, what has been your experience?
2) Most important: does anyone have a recommendation for a portable generator in the 8 - 10 KW range that produces CLEAN power, suitable for use with Insteon and other sensitive electronics, including an Elk, ISY and a PC?
I've searched the board, but can't find much about portable units rather than permanently installed units. Thanks in advance!
Joe
