My emergency PS

[w1vtp]

Just tho't I'd put up some pics of my emergency generator hookup.  Does the whole house except for the elect.. stove. 

a tankfull lasts 6 hours

Al

[W1JS]

Hey Al! 

Ya got that wired right in to the old knob and tube wiring??      

[w1vtp]

Hey Al!  

Ya got that wired right in to the old knob and tube wiring??      

No -- that's dead wiring.  The house is 200 years old but has modern wiring.  That is the transfer box that switches the house between the generator and the grid.  That big armored cable takes from the panel and goes back into the panel.  The electrician really had a time putting it in.  Did a great job.  Thanks for asking

Al

[W2PFY]

Hey Al, I wonder if you have any of the tubes that went through the 2/4 etc. Some are only about 4 inches long but, my brother told me that the porcelain tubes make a great honing stone for the final sharping of your favorite knifes. I tried it and they do a beautiful job on the old edge of the knife.

I may be wrong again, but it worked for me

[w1vtp]

Hey Al, I wonder if you have any of the tubes that went through the 2/4 etc. Some are only about 4 inches long but, my brother told me that the porcelain tubes make a great honing stone for the final sharping of your favorite knifes. I tried it and they do a beautiful job on the old edge of the knife.

I may be wrong again, but it worked for me

Yep - I have a few left.  Hafta rescue one or two -- Stick one on a dowel and glue it in place with a handle as a sharpening tool.  Thanks for the idea  You wrong?  Naah

Al

[WA1GFZ]

Al,
My Brother and Sister gave me a compressor like yours for Christmas. It works great with a floor nailer.

[w1vtp]

Al,
My Brother and Sister gave me a compressor like yours for Christmas. It works great with a floor nailer.

It's a nice one - really handy.  I use it for tires and have a air chuck for blowing off the mower.  Further back in the garage, I have a beast of an air compressor that I use for sandblasting, painting and the power air tools that I have. It galls me that I'm getting too old to do a lot of the stuff I used to do with it.
Al

[WA1GFZ]

Yup, I got the air tools for cleaning and blowing up tires also. Construction people use this nice small light hose on air nailers. I just have a length of the larger stuff.
My brother is trying to get me into air tools. I guess I will break down when I get to trim.

[W1JS]

Code:

No -- that's dead wiring.

I figured it was not in use, but I couldn't resist... 

A few years ago, I had a 200 amp service installed to replace the old 100 amp service and I have the transfer switch built right into the main panel.  I did not have to pick and choose circuits and can literaly run anything in the house ... within the limits of the generator. 

I see you got a generator with an electric starter.  Smart move.  That was my big mistake.  Next generator will have an electric starter...  Not much fun when it's damn cold and fighting with the pull starter.   

[W1RKW]

Al,
That's just like my setup.  Got the same transfer switch.  I have a 10KW genset on wheels. I can run everything including the well but can't run stove and dryer. Don't need them anyway.  Got the important things; heat, frig, lights, waterpump, TV and ham station

Had a power outage a month or so ago when it got pretty cold. It was off for about 11 hours.  Indoor temp got pretty cold during the night before I broke down and turned the generator on in the middle of the night to bring the heat back up. 

[Opcom]

Good on y'all for having emergency power. I don't know how I would live without it. except by sweating alot in the dark and reading by candles. 

Don't overlook the occasional chance to salvage an oversized diesel set from a company that is moving and won't be taking it with them.. It is cumbersome but I can share with the neighbors to keep their fridge alive and a light bulb on. They get a 15A breaker and supply the extension cord at their own peril and like it. This is the cause of the neighbors not bothering me about certain things like starting my army truck at 5 AM and causing electronic disturbances from time to time. They also don't mind paying me a little something, such as dinner or a few bucks etc., each day for fuel cost.

So good on yall for being prepared! I am proud of yall. Be sure to keep plenty of gas. It would be worth it to keep 50-100 gallons and use the fuel conditioner. If you have a chance though get a diesel, the fuel lasts longer per KWH. I would trade the 40KW for a smaller one, like a 20K as the 40K uses almost a gallon an hour. Diesel was $1.60 per gallon when I got it in 2004. I am disgusted by the fuel cost now but it is still more efficient costwise today than generating by gasoline.

Looking for a natural gas set on the cheap, maybe 5-10KW. I got gas here and would use it as the first fuel when the power goes out, using less air conditioning and only going to the diesel if it's 100 degrees at night or there is an issue with the natural gas, which is just about never, once in 20 years.

[W2PFY]

Opcom

That unknown tube you have on your web site may be one of these.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dekatron_top.jpg

[w1vtp]

Hi Jack – yes the starter is a must for me.  I’m getting too ancient to pull on a rope starter.  It saved my bacon during the big ice storm I was off the grid for 9 hrs.

Gee Bob next time don’t wait so long.  The only thing I messed up on is I didn’t get either a diesel or propane generator.  I have to keep a couple of 6 gal cans in the garage so if there was to be an extended outage, I’d be casting about for fuel.

Gotta say that the transfer box is important.  It keeps us honest and wont allow power from the generator to go back into the grid and electrocute a worker.

Al

[Opcom]

Opcom

That unknown tube you have on your web site may be one of these.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dekatron_top.jpg

It is one of those. I recently got a military frequency counter that uses them.

[Opcom]

Just tho't I'd put up some pics of my emergency generator hookup.  Does the whole house except for the elect.. stove. 

a tankfull lasts 6 hours

Al

Where did you get that transfer switch?

[WA3VJB]

Gensets are cool.

I have a small solar panel in a garage window to keep the starting battery topped off.

Here, seen wheeled out for use !

[k4kyv]

Ya got that wired right in to the old knob and tube wiring?? 

I wish my house had been wired with knob and tube.  Instead it was wired in the 1930's with the forerunner of modern romex, the stuff with tar-impregnated cloth and paper insulation.  IMO knob and tube is much safer, since the old insulation becomes very brittle when it dries out with age. I have to be extremely careful when disturbing our old wiring, for example to install a new fixture. Replacing the old wiring would require tearing out walls and ripping up floor planks in every room of the house. Even if the insulation gets flaky on knob and tube, it is still safe if it was installed correctly and is left undisturbed.  You don't want to come in contact with the wires while standing barefooted in the cellar, though.

The greatest problem with the old knob and tube is that the wiring was usually too light for modern residential use, since in those days electricity was used only for lighting and maybe a couple of small appliances like an electric fan or a radio.  A refrigerator would have been considered a "heavy duty" appliance, and things like hair dryers and electric heaters were unknown.  #14 wire was the norm, although I have seen industrial grade knob and tube, with #10 wire and little ceramic insulators that made it resemble open wire feeders.

[n2bc]

If you have a Square-D panel there is a mechanical interlock that allows the installation of a "backfeed" breaker.  The interlock will not allow the backfeed and the main to both be closed (on) at the same time. 

The kit is pricey for what it is (a couple of stainless steet plates and a handfull of screws - $60ish), but lots less than a transfer switch.  In addition you can choose any circuit in the house to connect to the generator - no limitations other than the generator itself.

Another point:  I bought my generator after a flood took out our substation in 2005, no power for over a week.  Prior to that we probably averaged at least 3 or 4 2+ hour outages per year.  Since I got the generator we have had one outage over an hour.

I would mention Murphy's Law at this point but I fear the power would go out...

73, Bill  N2BC

Here's some info on the interlock:  (I see the 'sticker price is now $105! - sheesh)
http://www.schneider-electric.us/products-services/product-detail/?event=productDetail&countryCode=us&partNumber=HOMRBGK2

[W1RKW]

I got the genset because of outages several years ago that varied anywhere from a couple of hours to 12 or more hours at least 2 or 3 times a month for the period of a year and a half when I moved out here.  One day the power went out when my wife and I were having a big gathering at the homestead. It didn't do me any good going ballistic on the power company. It was a fruitless effort.  I did get a call from the area manager the next day who apologized for the problems caused by the outage and advised me of their solution.  They upped the size of the transformer and the breakers along out power line.  That was 5 years ago and we've only had 2 outages since.  And of course bought the genset too at that time.  I've toyed with the idea of unloading the genset but Murphy will probably show up at the door step soon after.