advice on a generator

[wiam]

I am training officer for the local fire department.  We had a power company safety guy come in to talk at a meeting.  He showed a video of a meter blowing up when it was pulled under load.  We are firefighters with special training.  WE DO NOT PULL METERS. We wait for the power company to come and pull the fuse.

Will

[beenthere]

Guess that makes good sense. Must be some gas that is ignited from a spark when pulling them out under load and they sometimes explode.  Don't expect they always do that, otherwise they'd have a huge warning sign on them, I'd think. 

But.....if one is out of power, and going to hook up a generator to get power in the home, and pulling the meter protects the lineman........ : : : ??? ???
Me thinks I'll pull the meter.....but not when the house is under load. 

If I was a fireman, and killing the power in a house was important to my safety, I'd figure a way to pull the meter safely from a distance rather than wait for someone else to show up 'after awhile'.  But I'm not a fireman, and not qualified to make those important decisions. :

No offence meant to the hardworking volunteer firemen here. 

[Part_Timer]

Beenthere

Don't hold me to this but if I remember right the spark actually makes the air conductive and allows the phases to short together.  At least it does at 4,000 volts.  That's why I hate working on it.

[theonlybull]

beenthere ,  i've never even seen the power company pull a meter for us.  they do everything at the pole.  they have no interest in getting close to a building we're working at  :.

i've seem some pretty nice shorts when the mains burnt off, and i've worked a fire with live lines on the front lawn...  ya gotta be safe, know the risks, and watch your back.  but in no way, do we touch power lines, or meters..   

[sbishop]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

It looks like I need 2 generators for 2 different needs...a bigger one for the house in emergencies and one for the camp..smaller one as I only need to run lights and tv.

my plan is to purchase the bigger one first, use it during construction at the camp. once it's finish purchase a smaller one for the camp as it would save on fuel cost!

but i'm having a hard time forking over 3k for a nice honda generator..I know they are really really good but I don't have 3k to fork  ;D

i'm kinda eyeing a briggs and stratton 6500W with electric start for the house and  a small 2000W honda for the camp when its finish!

any thoughts on the B&S?

Sbishop

[sawguy21]

The Briggs is a very decent generator and should serve you well for your intended purpose but you may find it too noisy for extended use.

[sprucebunny]

I built my house with a 5500 watt generator. Honda 11 hp with a Dyna generator. Have to be really careful selecting a compressor to go with it as it won't start the compresser ( I have now) when it has air pressure : Makes filling the backhoe tires at a remote location interesting.

When the power goes out, my main box has TWO disconnects, one indoors and one outdoors.

I also have a little Honda 1000 that I love ;D When the power is out in the summer I just put it out on the porch and run a cord to the 'fridge, computer and a light.

[sawguy21]

We sell a lot of generators to building contractors and find 6500 is the minimum required for most compressors. Does your unit not have an unloader to release pressure in the head when the unit shuts off?

[sprucebunny]

Sawguy, The compressor has no unloader. Unless it's me ;D I run over there and let ALL the air out of it and turn it on again. I used a different compressor to build the house.

If I build another house, it's not going to need a nailgun.

[sawguy21]

An unloader is easy to install. You will need a check valve with a 1/8 weatherhead fitting in the line to the tank. Get a pressure switch with an unloader fitting, hook the two with a copper line and you are good to go.

[Bro. Noble]

I thought I'd bump this thread back up------it's that time of the year and snow is on these Ozark hills.

We have a 25 KW generator that we run the dairy barn with.  It is a pto unit so we use it around the farm for welding,  spray painting,  and construction.  We have a double pole transfer switch at the barn and at two of our houses.  We usea 3500 portable unit when the larger isn't needed or when the power is out and the larger one is used elsewhere.  My wife and I are thinking ablut getting one to leave at our house so we don't have to spend so much time jockying generators around during long outages.  We priced some last week at a local hardware.  They were priced cheap ranging from about $400 to $1400  for 2.5 KW to 10,000 with electric start.  They were boxed up and no indication of the make of engine.  Thje clerk didn't have any literature and didn't know anything about them.  He didn't want to open a box,  but did say that they had sold a bunch of them with only one return and they had a place to send them for repairs.  The brand name was Steele.  I expect they are junk,  does anyone know for sure?  My wife said she thought that was a well respected brand.  She asked if I didn't have a bunch of chainsaws made by them :D :D

[Gary_C]

I've seen the same ones at various farm supply stores. Plus Sam's club has one you can order that is real cheap for it's size.

But two things about these China made things are troubling. One is they do not run test most items. So then you become the quality control. Hopefully the store would take them back if they are defective from the start. But you never know.

Second thing is they do require some repairs occasionally. So how long would it take and how much would it cost to send it back to some far away repair shop, even if it is in the US? Could you afford to be without it for a month or more?

I did not buy one because of those reasons.

Also you must consider the noise factor and run time. I have an older 6500W Briggs one and I get real tired of the noise after about a half hour. And it is not very economical for extended run times. I think a four or five gallon tank will only last for about 4 hours. As compared to those small and quiet Honda generators with load sensing that will run for about 12 hrs on a gallon or so of gas. For long time running they are the best but pricey and with only 2000W capacity. But they can now tie two together for twice the capacity.

Bailey's has them in their catalog but you have to call for the price.

[Fla._Deadheader]

To effectively wire a generator into a house, you NEED to pull the main breaker. Down here, there ARE NONE, until maybe VERY recently. We have a knife switch at the meter and also at the house, on the outside wall.

  To do it correctly, you NEED a double pole, double throw Switch, between the meter and the house breaker panel. You HAVE to throw it one way to use Power Co. and you HAVE to throw it the other way, to use the generator.

  There should NEVER be a reason to have to pull the meter, although, I have done that, on occasion, being I youster work for a Power Co.  : :

  What makes the fire ball is, AMPERAGE from the full load in the house. The pulling of the meter, will allow that electricity to bridge the gap, from the meter prongs, to the meter pan, (where it plugs in). YEP, done that too.  : : :  Only way to stop it is, shove that sucker back in the pan. Once the meter is completely out of the pan, the ARC will burn until something burns away and breaks the circuit.

  Had it happen on a pole one night. Missed the socket throwing the fuse door back in, and actually melted the Porcelain box housing. Passed the Hard Hat through the flame, trying to break the arc, and melted that baby, like nothing.  : : ;D ;D :D :D :D  Weren't funny at the time, though.  : : : ;D ;D