Standby Generators

[MBgrower]

With all the power outages in MB, got me thinking of installing a Standby generator for the house. I was thinking of having a transfer switch installed to my main panel, so that when the power goes out i can swap over to the generator to power my main panel and selected circuits (some lights, tv, cooktop, fridge, sewage pump, etc just the basics). I dont have NG hooked up, and propane wouldnt be practical, so was thinking of a diesel generator. Any experience out there, and advice or recommendations?

[farmaholic]

Solar and wind.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Apologies to anyone without power now.

Some farms around here have standby generators. Automatically cut in when power is out. Hooked up in permanent structures. Not portables. Guys I know are running diesels.

Would be good to have enough capacity to comfortably selectively run the house and prevent any out buildings from freezing.

There were lots of generators available at auction when the wheels fell off the oil industry.

Different sizes and voltages. There were some monsters that we're probably 3 phase.
A high kW single phase 240(?)volt good would be nice.

[helmsdale]

Have a 14.4kw surge/ 12kw continuous run by a 24hp Honda.

Kill the breaker at the pole and backfeed into the yard.

Requires someone to be around obviously, but it's gotten me out of some pretty serious jams.

As long as your genset is big enough I'd set up a transfer switch for the whole yard rather than just certain circuits

[bullshead]

We have a generator now that is hooked into NG and comes on after the power is out for 15 seconds, before that we just had the cutout put in the breaker box to switch over to a portable generator. It was fairly easy and cheap to put in the tempary one.

[dmlfarmer]

Have you considered a PTO driven generator? Saves on the cost/maintenance/upkeep of the power unit. Have one to power entire farm yard in outages. Have to be around to hook it up to available tractor4 and have to have tractor likely in heated shop for winter outages but is much cheaper way to go if you do not need auto cut-in when outage hits.

And if you mount it on a small trailer, you can take power to where ever needed.

[farmaholic]

dml, a small portable generator could be used to plug that stubborn diesel tractor in if there isn't a heated shop.

There.used to be a lot of dairy farmers around here. Most had a generator in case the power was out at milking time.

[dalek]

Still have a 35 kw Winco PTO generator. Used to be able to run all the milking equipment as well as fans and a couple big electric motors on the silo unloader and conveyor as well as keeping the house going

[Gofer]

Have a 14.4kw surge/ 12kw continuous run by a 24hp Honda.

Kill the breaker at the pole and backfeed into the yard.

Requires someone to be around obviously, but it's gotten me out of some pretty serious jams.

As long as your genset is big enough I'd set up a transfer switch for the whole yard rather than just certain circuits

FYI it is illegal to use a generator without a transfer switch, at least in AB.
Too easy for sh... to happen and blow some poor lineman off a pole when he is trying to restore power to you and your neighbors !

[Guest]

With all the power outages in MB, got me thinking of installing a Standby generator for the house. I was thinking of having a transfer switch installed to my main panel, so that when the power goes out i can swap over to the generator to power my main panel and selected circuits (some lights, tv, cooktop, fridge, sewage pump, etc just the basics). I dont have NG hooked up, and propane wouldnt be practical, so was thinking of a diesel generator. Any experience out there, and advice or recommendations?

just buy a good size light stand with a diesel generator . its the cats ass at harvest time . use it every morning and night
they will start at -40
done it lots in my previous life in the patch
loads of them at every auction sale since numbnuts is killing anything that creates wealth
best harvest tool we have
for yard hook up can get a meter socket with 220 inlet , completely safe and legal or go redneck and feed it with to 110 volt suicide cords , one from each side of your panel , this will run anything you want 110 or 220 volt until genset maxed out
this is not recomended or legal because of the danger of forgetting to shut main off and killing a lineman. not many people know that transformers work both ways and your little honda generator will step up 13000 volts
anyways anyone who doesn't have a light stand at harvest doesn't know what there missing !
have a pintle hitch ring on hitch and just pick it up and move it with 3 point hitch quick hitch on 2320 j.d. utility tractor(yes, sf3 we have something green) , never let lights down . its a beautiful thing

[15444]

PTO generator likely the way to go. Much cheaper than standby. Can get 8% off any new generator from Baumalight if you give them 8 weeks lead time.

[Guest]

FYI it is illegal to use a generator without a transfer switch, at least in AB.
Too easy for sh... to happen and blow some poor lineman off a pole when he is trying to restore power to you and your neighbors !

I'm pretty sure the new meter socket with the 220 inlet is legal everywhere

[FarmJunkie]

Gofer is correct. U can’t hook a genset up in your yard without the proper switches to cut the power from leaving your yard. MB hydro don’t want any linemen dying from a back feed. Switches aren’t cheap.

[fjlip]

$750 installed by SaskPower.

[helmsdale]

FYI it is illegal to use a generator without a transfer switch, at least in AB.
Too easy for sh... to happen and blow some poor lineman off a pole when he is trying to restore power to you and your neighbors !

Shhh...

[Guest]

$750 installed by SaskPower.

Meter socket ?