[HoosierDaddy]

I've been considering a stand-by generator for our home...Our Newell is stored about 200 yards from the house. I'm wondering about utilizing the Newell generator to act as a stand-by for the home. I'm curious if anybody else has engineered such a set-up.

[Ozarkguy]

I've been considering options.. 200 yards would be a healthy wire run $$$ and when you are traveling.. then no power.. In NW AR I've been told to prepare for power outages for days not hours.. so... this is what we're looking at....http://www.norwall.com/products/Generac-Guardian-10kW-Standby-Generator-Pre%252dPackaged-w%7B47%7D100-Amp%252d12-Circuit-ATS.html This will keep the homested up and running...

[tuga]

Would it be possible to park the Newell closer to the house?

If not, maybe you could just "full time in the Newell" until the power is restored!

We just park the Newell in front of the house and transfer food into the Amana; it only takes a few minutes. Using the inverter, we can live in the Newell for about 3 weeks on one tank of diesel. Using the generator for 10/hrs per day (sleeping with AC) we use about 8 gallons/day. That gives us 22 days of usage!

This method gives you many more days of usage than if you just plugged in a 200 yard power extension.

Just my .02

[ron skeen]

I built my bus barn about 8 years ago and I had the electrician to run a feed back to my house. I can run the essential for my home from the 20kw generator in the coach. Have never had to use but do keep the coach full of diesel just in case

[Fulltiming]

The Uniform Electrical Code requires a positive disconnect from the public power grid prior to connecting to an auxiliary power supply so that the public power grid is not energized.

Tuga has a good idea. When our power has gone off for a couple of hours during the hot summer (rolling black outs but the power company doesn't like to admit it), we have fired up the generator in the coach, turned on the air conditioners and were prepared to go out there if the power was off longer than expected. However, the thought of trying to get the food from our 27 cubic foot and 20 cubic foot household refrigerators into our little 8 cubic foot RV refrigerator is interesting. Those of you with the 21 cubic foot refrigerators in your coaches would be in much better shape.

[folivier]

Of course you could just run (heavy) extension cords from the coach into the house for the fridge and freezer, then live in the coach.

[ron skeen]

[quote='folivier' pid='2428' dateline='1352852040']
Of course you could just run (heavy) extension cords from the coach into the house for the fridge and freezer, then live in the coach.

I built my bus barn 8 yrs ago and ran a feed from it to my house. Don't really understand electrical good but I think it will work if I learn what to do. I have enclose picture of what they did but can not explain.

[Erniee]

Of course you could just run (heavy) extension cords from the coach into the house for the fridge and freezer, then live in the coach.

YUP- thats what we do- works like a champ and you don't have to do some fancy electrical work- which I don't have a clue to do- and you got power to keep the fridge, etc running. at 12,500 watts- you could power the neighbors- for a modest fee

[HoosierDaddy]

Thanks for the response , guys. We have 4 refrigerators and 3 freezers plus our water pressure depends on the well pump. I suppose the right thing to do is a complete stand-by system like Jimmy is looking at. It just seems like a waste to have (2) 20k generators setting here not running most of the time. It would probably cost as much to wire in the Newell as a stand-alone system would cost. Our power outages have most often been the result of somebody sliding off the road into a power pole. Of course this happens in the winter when the Newell is snowed in out in the bus barn. However as coal fired powerplants face more regulations and unpredictable wind power is employed it may make sense to have a more robust off-grid system. I wish I could afford a 20kw LPG generator and 5000gal lp storage so I could buy LP by the semi-load.

[bestgenman]

Please consider "Fulltiming's" advice! The 20KW set will provide emergency power easily from your "Buddy outlet" however it will be limited by the circuit breaker feeding the outlet, about 15KW. Install a manual or automatic transfer switch in your home system to preclude back feeding the utility's system and endangering the lives of their workers.

The use of range outlets etc as inlet devices are not approved by the national electric code and the authority having jurisdiction.

Be safe!!