TXTransplant said:

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AgLiving06 said:

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How big are the propane tanks you're running?

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Just the small ones you get for your grill at the grocery store. If you wanted to run off propane, you'd have to get the bigger tanks like they use in rural areas.

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Yes. 30-40 lb tanks are what you want to get + you can get an automatic switch that lets you hook 2 up at a time and the switch will seemlessly transfer tanks. Buying a couple of those, while expensive keep you going for a while.

You should still be able to get 3-4 hours per gallon if it's anything like my Generac 3500.

TXTransplant said:

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Welp, brand new duramax doesn't want to start this am. It struggled to start yesterday, but we thought we might have some issue with the propane tank.

This am it seems to be the starter. It's running now, but I will be contacting them as soon as this is over.

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Could be the spark plug. All the generators were using crappy ones that didn't last.

The recommendation is to move to an NGK BPR6ES.

aTm2004 said:

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Could the battery be the issue? I know it's new, but maybe the battery was weak?

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That's what we think it is, but the battery should have charged up over night when it was running. It was flashing low when we tried to restart this am. I think it's possible mine could have a bad battery.

TXTransplant said:

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aTm2004 said:

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Could the battery be the issue? I know it's new, but maybe the battery was weak?

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That's what we think it is, but the battery should have charged up over night when it was running. It was flashing low when we tried to restart this am. I think it's possible mine could have a bad battery.

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I'm honestly not sure the battery charges while running. Mine wouldn't push button start either, but pull started right up.

I'm running a trickle charger on mine right now to see if that solves it.

Smart.

Thanks for the tip! I'll tell my BF that so he can try it.

He has the same unit I do and his starts right up.

The low battery light isn't flashing anymore.

There is a red light with a battery symbol and the word charging that is solid red right now.

I'll tell him to check the spark plugs, too!

AgLiving06 said:

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jphjr said:

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Is a soft start needed for a variable speed AC unit? Does anyone know?

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No. You're good. the variable speed has a very low LRA.

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This is true if your call for service is for modest cooling. If you let the house get to 85F then select a set point of 70F, the system may kick on hard. At least that is what I read from Micro-Air on "learning mode" for their soft start equipment.

I live in a townhome with a backyard that's close to the back wall. Is it safe to have the generator going with carbon monoxide hazards?

I want to get one but worried about this hazard.

thank you

P.H. Dexippus said:

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AgLiving06 said:

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jphjr said:

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Is a soft start needed for a variable speed AC unit? Does anyone know?

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No. You're good. the variable speed has a very low LRA.

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This is true if your call for service is for modest cooling. If you let the house get to 85F then select a set point of 70F, the system may kick on hard. At least that is what I read from Micro-Air on "learning mode" for their soft start equipment.

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I'm fairly sure Micro-Air will say not to put a soft start on a variable. May be wrong, but I believe I read that.

P.H. Dexippus said:

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AgLiving06 said:

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jphjr said:

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Is a soft start needed for a variable speed AC unit? Does anyone know?

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No. You're good. the variable speed has a very low LRA.

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This is true if your call for service is for modest cooling. If you let the house get to 85F then select a set point of 70F, the system may kick on hard. At least that is what I read from Micro-Air on "learning mode" for their soft start equipment.

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My Champion 7250 inverter ran my 3 ton variable just fine with 2 fridges, tv, internet etc running at the same time. The dishwasher might have overloaded it Tuesday night cause the power gen cut off in the middle of the night.

aTm2004 said:

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AgLiving06 said:

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One thing I'd add is the recommends has to been to change out the capacitor at the same time you're doing the micro air since you're in there

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I think my capacitor went out tonight. Both units it's were running and the wife decided to cook dinner and turned on 3 burners and the oven, which caused the generator to really big down. I ran over and turned it off and the generator returned to normal. Left to go catch for my daughter and came back to downstairs being 80*. Called my step-brother who is a HVAC guy (not in Houston) and he had me do a few things. Unit in attic is working fine but outside unit is not coming on or even trying. He said capacitor, compactor, or compressor. I'm hoping one of the first 2.

I'll take it. Others have it waaay worse right now.

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what size capacitor do you need?

Ag_07 said:

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I have serious doubts about whether the nat gas supply and infrastructure will be able to handle the insane increase of all these whole home generators.

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Back in the freeze from a few years ago, this was definitely an issue. But this time, so far so good.

I called someone local this morning and he sent someone out who replaced it. It's a Trane unit from 1997 and the guy kept talking about how they don't make equipment like that anymore. I asked him about a soft start and he suggested I don't do it. His words..."I wouldn't mess with what's working on a 27 year old unit." He said he replaced the capacitor on a similar unit in my area last week that was built in 1992.

aTm2004 said:

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Those Hondas are something else. When we used to tailgate the Aggie games 10+ years ago, my dad bought 2 2000s, a parrell kit, and an extended run tank, and they'd power my uncle's camper like it was nothing. We'd always get to Reed at noon on Friday and those things would run from about 1 pm Friday until 8 am Sunday and never had an issue with them.

I have one of them now and loaned it to a neighbor to run her fridge and some lights and fans, and it's been flawless. She decided to bug out to her daughter's place in Dallas this morning, so I'll drain the gas that's in it, run it dry, drain the carb (and possibly change the oil, but that was changed in April) and it'll be good until needed again. They're expensive, but worth it. IMO, everyone should have a Honda 2000/2200 in their garage.

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And as soon as I was raving on it...

Went to start it today to let it run before changing the oil and I couldn't get it to start. Wouldn't even try. Seems like it isn't getting any spark, so I took the plug out and it was wet with gas. I'm guessing it's a foul plug. She would shut it down during the day and run it at night and needed me to come over to start it. She said she would try but it wouldn't start, and last night, it was a bit finicky, but it fired up and ran. Ordered a new plug and hope that's the issue because I think this is the original one.

Question about natural gas for a tri-fuel...My gas meter is on one side of my property and electric panel on the other. What is the best solution here? Can/should I run a gas line?

I have a 1/2 inch gas line near the electric panel, could that work to power the generator or will it not provide enough flow to the generator?

Thanks to all who take the time to answer, I don't know much about this so I'm learning as I go...

I'm in the same situation, but I do have an electrical panel on the exterior of my house, near the gas meter. But there is also a breaker box in my garage, on the opposite side of the house.

I'm not sure what my set up is going to be, yet, but my neighbor who has the same configuration, had the electrician run a drop from his box in the garage up through the attic, and down the outside of the house on the other side. It was not cheap (he said $3k), but it was cheaper than running a gas line. Also, you lose pressure/gas flow the longer you make the gas line.

He said he wanted the switch for the gen in his box in the garage rather than the one outside, but I'm not really sure of his reasoning for all this.

jphjr said:

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Question about natural gas for a tri-fuel...My gas meter is on one side of my property and electric panel on the other. What is the best solution here? Can/should I run a gas line?

I have a 1/2 gas line near the electric panel, could that work to power the generator or will it not provide enough flow to the generator?

Thanks to all who take the time to answer, I don't know much about this so I'm learning as I go..

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1/2 may not be enough.

How far is the meter to where you want to put your generator in feet? Typically under 100 feet the recommendation is 3/4 inch. Above that, you want to consider the 1 inch just so you have enough gas being pushed down the line.

How long will one last unopened in the box?

AgLiving06 said:

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jphjr said:

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Question about natural gas for a tri-fuel...My gas meter is on one side of my property and electric panel on the other. What is the best solution here? Can/should I run a gas line?

I have a 1/2 gas line near the electric panel, could that work to power the generator or will it not provide enough flow to the generator?

Thanks to all who take the time to answer, I don't know much about this so I'm learning as I go..

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1/2 may not be enough.

How far is the meter to where you want to put your generator in feet? Typically under 100 feet the recommendation is 3/4 inch. Above that, you want to consider the 1 inch just so you have enough gas being pushed down the line.

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Meet somewhere in the middle, 50a/30a 50ft cord and a 1-inch or 3/4" hose

I did not see this group referenced elsewhere in the thread. SIAP

Facebook Group - Generators: portable generators to power entire house

Yes, it's Facebook (one of the only reasons I keep my FB account) and it requires joining. One of the best all around forums for DIY home generator setup with guides and references. Standard setup is a DuroMax 13K with MicroAire softstart and Interlock on the panel. Covers NG setup and has recommendation for plumbers and electricians for those who need it.

My 13kw setup would not run my ancient(97) 5 ton AC unit but the compressor failed on July 1st and the entire system was replaced with a new unit last Friday (7-5). The generator has been running the whole house (with AC) since 6AM Monday with breaks for fueling (gas) and a few cooldown periods. I changed the oil today and will probably do so again next week. With Centerpoint saying it will be next Tuesday at the earliest I'm glad to have this working.

Amazon.com : Champion Power Equipment 10,000-Watt Electric Start Tri-Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator with CO Shield : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Kuz89 said:

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I did not see this group referenced elsewhere in the thread. SIAP

Facebook Group - Generators: portable generators to power entire house

Yes, it's Facebook (one of the only reasons I keep my FB account) and it requires joining. One of the best all around forums for DIY home generator setup with guides and references. Standard setup is a DuroMax 13K with MicroAire softstart and Interlock on the panel. Covers NG setup and has recommendation for plumbers and electricians for those who need it.

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So this is what I have (softstart is next on my list now). I got it after the 2021 freeze and this was its first time in action. What I learned this week:

-Keep the battery charged when not in use. Should have known better, having had a motorcycle. I had kept the battery disconnected but not charged, so I picked up a new one before the storm came.

-Practice running your system and teach your family how to use it.

-Have a fuel stock and think about just how much you could use in a day. I had 3 propane tanks and about 10 gallons of gas before the storm. Even though I was still able to find plenty of propane, more is better. I'll look into getting a 100lb tank and some more quality gas cans.

-I hesitated using gas the first couple of days b/c I didn't want to go through the winterizing steps if the outage was gonna be brief. I did switch to gas yesterday (details below), and found the post-use steps simple enough to follow.

-I have a 5-ton AC unit, and when I initially wired in my generator system a couple of years ago tested it with my electrician to make sure the genny would run it off propane. It did but was finicky once the outdoor temps climbed. Starting it in the morning was fine, but it just kept tripping when I tried to run it in the evening.

Once I switched to gas yesterday it had no problem running my AC, two refrigerators, a chest freezer, fans, and other stuff. And from what I'm reading about the soft start, that will make it even better.

-The manual says to change the oil every 20 hours. Fortunately I had some onhand, and changed around 35 hours. So I'll stock up on oil, as well as an extra spark plug.

All in all I am happy with my setup. I'm sure the "automated" nature (when it works) of a standby system is very convenient, but I like the control I have with the portable. And with the cost difference I can put a lot of $$$ into fuel storage. Certainly enough to last a few weeks.

Quote:

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-The manual says to change the oil every 20 hours. Fortunately I had some onhand, and changed around 35 hours. So I'll stock up on oil, as well as an extra spark plug.

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You may want to double check the 20 hours isn't during break in. Should be 100 hours between changes after that.

Oh, I'll double check. Oil was pretty dark at 35 so I was glad I checked. I started thinking, man if you're running this everyday for a week+ you'll be changing a lot.

Oil can be black and still good to go

I don't disagree, but the older I get the more anal I am about this sort of thing. I probably maintain my Honda mower more meticulously than my car lol.

Dill-Ag13 said:

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Amazon.com : Champion Power Equipment 10,000-Watt Electric Start Tri-Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator with CO Shield : Patio, Lawn & Garden

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It would probably run an AC, but it's probably a little small still.

Dill-Ag13 said:

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AgLiving06 said:

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jphjr said:

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Question about natural gas for a tri-fuel...My gas meter is on one side of my property and electric panel on the other. What is the best solution here? Can/should I run a gas line?

I have a 1/2 gas line near the electric panel, could that work to power the generator or will it not provide enough flow to the generator?

Thanks to all who take the time to answer, I don't know much about this so I'm learning as I go..

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1/2 may not be enough.

How far is the meter to where you want to put your generator in feet? Typically under 100 feet the recommendation is 3/4 inch. Above that, you want to consider the 1 inch just so you have enough gas being pushed down the line.

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Meet somewhere in the middle, 50a/30a 50ft cord and a 1-inch or 3/4" hose

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definitely a 50a interlock.

My setup is a 50ft nat gas hose with a quick connect to the meter and then a 25 ft 50 amp RV power extension cord from the generator to the interlock.

aTm2004 said:

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Gus88 said:

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I have a question regarding the reliability of a whole house generator. It seems to me these should be items that do not fail. You spend a lot of money for something you will probably only need a handful of days in your lifetime - so if it does not work that seems to be a bit of an issue.

Is unreliability a thing?

My mom put one in after my father ('61) passed away. This was the first time she needed. She purchased from the Generator Supercenter in Tomball, and had a service contract. It kicked on, but the tranfer to the house did not happen. She could not get a hold of the Generator Supercenter. Apparently they were inundated with calls - suggesting to me that these things are not working left and right.

She finally got someone out today. Dead battery and lose wire. Seems sort of fragile.

Any experiences?

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How often do they come service it and what exactly are they doing? These are an engine just like everything else, so if you neglect certain things (not saying she did) it will not run properly. Even when it's running, you still need to keep in mind hours run and when you need to change the oil.

Batteries die just like in everything else. Ever drive your vehicle one day and things are great and you get in the next morning and the battery is dead? Same thing. There should be a yellow warning light on the side to indicate when something needs to be checked or changed.

As to the number of calls, I'd think it's more of the frustrated people who are inquiring about getting one vs people with issues.

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It was less than one year old. She purchased a service package and I believe they were there monthly. Not sure what they were doing - she deferred to them.

After the freeze, I used that group to get my whole house portable setup up and running. Great group.