Here's my experience:
Bought a 11kw regular / 12.5kw surge PTO unit to run our residence, thats 50A on each of 2 110V hot lines. My tractor is rated 25hp at the PTO. Make sure the main outlet for the generator is rated at full capacity, numerous generators allow only reduced amperage at several separate outlets on the generator panel and as such won't do for a residential back-up power plant. You want all the available juice to come from ONE outlet on the generator. Mounted the generator on a $60 3-point hitch carry-all which is now dedicated to the generator. Installed a 50A breaker in the main panel which is back-fed from the generator via a 100A bus drop cable and 60A power inlet mounted outside the house. Installed a mechanical lockout plate on the panel so utility and generator breaker cannot both be energized at the same time. Bought a panel meter and rewired it it so that it monitors voltage and frequency on each of the 2 110v lines independently (it has 2 110v regular plug-in cords on it, the regular idiot voltage meter on the generator was HOPELESS!) Rewired the internal panel on the generator isolating the ground/frame from the neutral to meet grounding requirements for the residence (floating neutral), if the generator is run for portable loads elsewhere I have a "dummy plug" with neutral and ground bonded to temporarily restore that connection (grounded neutral).

Tested the whole shebang and can run almost all appliances in the house on a regular but somewhat "managed" basis. Total outlay about $1600.00 of which $1100 was the generator (Northern Tool). I think the power meter / panel meter is an absolute must. Initially I use it plugged into the generator 110v outlets to set the throttle speed and then move it into the house and set it up somewhere prominent to monitor how loaded the generator is while different things in the house are turned off and on, if it looks like the throttle speed needs adjustment I take it back out with me. I also moved breakers in my main panel to better balance the regular loads as they were quite lopsided - that made a big difference.

Now the best part - since the "grid" knows I have backup power we have not had a power failure last more than 5 minutes. So no matter what system you have it does not matter because as soon as you have backup power you wont need it any longer - Murphy's Law.

Reply

Quote Reply

Digg It

Del.icio.us