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Across the Fence:  Generators?  |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 21 2012 : 06:30:12 AM
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We are looking to get a generator to help if the power goes off. We have a well that has an electric pump and 2 small freezers and 2 fridges that I would like to put on it just in case. Does anyone have any ideas how big of one we need to get. Or how I go about calculating how much wattage we need to power these things?
Thanks
deborah
now we are on our forever farm. God has blessed us. |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Oct 21 2012 : 07:36:03 AM
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Deborah, you can go here and put in what you have and it will figure it for you but doesn't include heating and cooling: http://www.poweredgenerators.com/wattage-calculator.html We have an 8000 KW Propane Generac to power the well, two friges, the freezer, a few 110 air conditioners and the washing machine with room to spare. We can flip the breaker to the well in order to use the 220 plug stove and oven to cook, but we have a wood stove and propane camping stove and oven and usually use that when our electricity goes out. Ours is not a portable generator but is stationary and is hardwired into the electric box outside with a special switching box that keeps any backfeed into the electric lines that could electrocute an electric company worker trying to restore power down the lines. That is something everyone with a generator needs to think about. We could have gotten a larger gasoline powered portable generator, but figured out that the 8000KW was big enough and it meant we wouldn't have to worry about trying to find gasoline to run it. Also, the gas powered ones die pretty quickly because of the gas byproduct buildup in the engine. The propane one means that you can keep a large tank of propane on hand at all times. We have pretty bad ice storms here and always lose electricity in the winter!
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Oct 21 2012 : 10:46:37 AM
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I would also consult and electrician and have him install it and teach you how to run it properly as a generator can back feed into power lines and could electrocute a power line worker.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Oct 21 2012 : 10:48:26 AM
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Ours is diesel and we don't have to many problems with it
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Oct 21 2012 : 5:52:23 PM
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Mary Beth thanks...we will look into the kind you have. My brother-in-law who is staying with us is a commerical electrican and do anything like that for us Lorena.
Thanks Ladies
now we are on our forever farm. God has blessed us. |
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rough start farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3331 Posts
marianne
The Beautiful Pacific NW
Washington State
USA
3331 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2012 : 03:25:28 AM
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Our Honda generator from Costco is very easy to start. A big consideration.
Marianne |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2012 : 05:27:59 AM
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Deborah, we found the cheapest price for the Generac at norwall.com and the cheapest price for the switching box to keep backfeed into the lines from happening (which is terribly expensive too but absolutely necessary) at Global Power Products. The name of the switch box is Generlink and the number to Global Power Products is 770-736-8232. Their price was over $100 cheaper than the cheapest place we found and then accidentally found them. My hubby and I just put the generator into place last evening (THAT was fun since it weighs 400 lbs) but fortunately, he has a special lift that helped. You are lucky to have an electrician in your family!! We have to have the electric company come out to install the box for backfeed and a plumber to come install the lines for propane.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2012 : 4:29:29 PM
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When I was considering the same question, I found out about the relatively inexpensive (and easily installed) manual pumps that fit right into your well head beside the pipe that goes from the well to the electric well pump. When you lose power, you just go out to the well head, pump manually, and you get your water just fine. In winter snow, you'll want to keep a path to the well head clear so you don't have to do your Nanook of the North impression to get out to the pump. ;) Naturally, that's only one electrical issue solved, but it sounds to me like it would be well (no pun intended) worth it.
My husband borrowed a brand-new, good-quality generator from a friend last time we had a lengthy outage -- during the worst heat spell in local history -- and it was awful. So noisy! Also, it was difficult to start (Marianne is right about what a huge issue that is). And maybe we were doing something wrong, but we couldn't really run much off of it, only some fans and lamps. Even so, it only ran for about three hours without a refill of gasoline. We decided we wouldn't pursue purchasing one for ourselves. Now, I'm not so sure. All these comments are giving me something to think about.
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2012 : 09:13:00 AM
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Ladies yall are GREAT...I am so thankful for all your input. I love how anytime i have a question there is always someone with the answer. My DH always says...why dont you ask the ladies on you Mary Jane Farms blog....and I do...I will get on this right away...
Thanks
Again
Deborah
now we are on our forever farm. God has blessed us. |
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Across the Fence: Generators? |
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Generators?
