----- On Feb 3, 2023, at 9:59 PM, Mark Tinka mark@tinka.africa wrote:
On 2/4/23 07:48, William Herrin wrote:
https://www.costco.com/honeywell-18kw-home-standby-generator-with-transfer-s...
and:
https://www.amazon.com/Honda-2200-Watt-120-Volt-Portable-Generator/dp/B079YF...
understanding that an electrician will cost you $2000-$3000 for the labor with any genset modification to the house wiring.
I'd say I have something in between. I have a WEN GN875i: https://www.amazon.com/WEN-GN875i-Transfer-Switch-Ready-8750-Watt-Generator/... That's 7kw rated and 8.75kw peak. More than enough to support my home. I previously had one of those smaller 2200 watt generators. The problem with those is that you're now limited to 1600 watt running, which barely powers the fridge, lights, internet, and maybe some tv. Our power usually goes out when it's very warm, so I like some AC.
What I mean by "pre-wired" is that, perhaps, the generator is pre-setup and wired into the house, but is not in standby mode to manage costs, and perhaps, to be reliable since ATS's are often dodgy.
Maybe a manual start is required. Maybe a changeover switch has to be flipped. That sort of thing.
Mine is electrical (but not automatic) start, I have to flip the main and a circuit breaker, which is protected by an interlock switch. Similar to https://www.amazon.com/Generator-Interlock-Compatible-panels-Professional-In... The interlock switch ensures that I'm not backfeeding to the grid, and was necessary to pass inspection. Usually I have it up and running within 10 minutes. That's how long it takes for my UPS script to kick in and start shutting down servers. Thanks, Sabri