Our house has a sub-panel that has three position switches. When you flip it to the center, no power goes to the outlets wired to it, the next position pulls power from the generator to those outlets. The other non-necessary outlets remain hooked to community power. When the power comes back on, those outlets then work, lights come on and we know power is back on. Pretty simple to do near your main breaker box. We use it at least once a year because of an outage.
Hello Russ, on your power grid indicator. I know this is an older video and you've probably already came up with a solution, but while I'm thinking about it, I'll give you an idea that just popped in my head. How about one of those little power detector pens thingys, the once that flash and been when the tip gets near power. One might power it from your off grid system, and have it strapped to your service entrance cable. then make a little circuit to operate a light or buzzer. I guess the same circuit could also work in reverse to let you know when power goes off. Just an idea, I have lots of bad ideas, but try to make it up in volumn. lol, Bear
Welcome to my shop, Bear, and thanks for the input. I think they make a unit that does that and is easy to install. Here is a link to it on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B003KREORA/?coliid=I2BBK37NZ0CDGQ&colid=1E2WVGCSWV31U&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_gv_ov_lig_pi_dp
I like your term "fogger". Does solar work very well for you in the winter? In your northern latitude, the sun doesn't shine well in the winter. The battery bank charged by a generator would give you a decent amount of continuous power without having a generator running constantly. Good luck!
I agree. I don't think solar will work here. I might get a smaller solar system that I just lay out in a pinch, maybe :>) I figure that if one day's use is 25kwh, that would run the generator for 4 hours max a day. 7000w generator @ 4 hours running should be 2 gal. of gas. Twenty hours of quiet :>).
Wood gasifier's are nice, they built one on the TV show Last Stop Garage in Labrador Newfoundland... Watch that show if you want info on how to have it not turn into a bomb. Wood can instantly make gas literally that fast.
If I ever decide to install a secondary heater in the house, it would be a wood gasifier. BTW, when the kids would have an outdoor fire, they would throw saw dust on it and watch the fireball it created.
Hey Russ! I’m a Milwaukee guy, and if I’m doing the math right it’s as cheap to make a battery bank out of power tool batteries as it is for bigger 100 amp/hour batteries?! Are you seeing the same thing?! Even after buying the battery adapters.
@@akbychoice I don’t think so because Milwaukee batteries are 18 volts, so 18x5 is 90 watt hours and a 100 ah 12 volt battery is 1200 watt/hr. And 1200/90 is 13.333. I was going to use 6 amp hr batteries and that’s 11.111 batteries! They are only $27 at tenhutt. That’s about $300 for the equivalent 100 amp hr 12volt battery. Is that correct Russ?!?!
I have noticed the price ratio of tool batteries vs. 100ah batteries. The biggest drawback I see is charging them at .25C rate. Charging is slow with tool batteries. Maybe I should do a video of this to share all our thoughts :>). I did build a 4 battery bank that can be up to 36Ah (with four 9Ah @18v batteries). 8 of them would be a 1296Wh battery. Ryobi generic batteries on Amazon are going for $50 a piece. It is close, but the 100Ah battery is still cheaper ($330?). Tool batteries are Lithium Ion and the 100Ah is a Lifepo4 chemistry. The charge rate on Lifepo4 is a 1C rating, so charging is faster, but the discharge rate of the tool battery vs the Lifepo4 is higher. I base my conclusions on the inherit settings of most BMS's of each type of battery. This subject is a bigger conversation than what fits it a single comment :>).
@@russveinot5754 thanks for the response Russ! Also just to add tenhutt sells two 6 ah batteries for $56 but they sell one 9 ah battery for $57?!?!?! I don’t understand why that is?! That’s why I’m thinking about going with more 6 ah batteries to get to an equivalent 100 ah battery at 12 volts. Also they don’t even sell a 12 ah battery yet?! Thanks for the info thou!
Welcome to my shop. Not sure which battery bank you are thinking about. If you look thru my "Portable Power" playlist, you may find which bank you are referring to.
Our house has a sub-panel that has three position switches. When you flip it to the center, no power goes to the outlets wired to it, the next position pulls power from the generator to those outlets. The other non-necessary outlets remain hooked to community power. When the power comes back on, those outlets then work, lights come on and we know power is back on. Pretty simple to do near your main breaker box. We use it at least once a year because of an outage.
I've never heard of such a panel. What is the brand name>
Hey Russ! I’ve been thinking of doing the same thing! Thanks for the great video!
Hello Russ, on your power grid indicator. I know this is an older video and you've probably already came up with a solution, but while I'm thinking about it, I'll give you an idea that just popped in my head. How about one of those little power detector pens thingys, the once that flash and been when the tip gets near power. One might power it from your off grid system, and have it strapped to your service entrance cable. then make a little circuit to operate a light or buzzer. I guess the same circuit could also work in reverse to let you know when power goes off. Just an idea, I have lots of bad ideas, but try to make it up in volumn. lol, Bear
Welcome to my shop, Bear, and thanks for the input. I think they make a unit that does that and is easy to install. Here is a link to it on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/dp/B003KREORA/?coliid=I2BBK37NZ0CDGQ&colid=1E2WVGCSWV31U&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_gv_ov_lig_pi_dp
I like your term "fogger". Does solar work very well for you in the winter? In your northern latitude, the sun doesn't shine well in the winter. The battery bank charged by a generator would give you a decent amount of continuous power without having a generator running constantly. Good luck!
I agree. I don't think solar will work here. I might get a smaller solar system that I just lay out in a pinch, maybe :>) I figure that if one day's use is 25kwh, that would run the generator for 4 hours max a day. 7000w generator @ 4 hours running should be 2 gal. of gas. Twenty hours of quiet :>).
Wood gasifier's are nice, they built one on the TV show Last Stop Garage in Labrador Newfoundland... Watch that show if you want info on how to have it not turn into a bomb. Wood can instantly make gas literally that fast.
If I ever decide to install a secondary heater in the house, it would be a wood gasifier. BTW, when the kids would have an outdoor fire, they would throw saw dust on it and watch the fireball it created.
Hey Russ! I’m a Milwaukee guy, and if I’m doing the math right it’s as cheap to make a battery bank out of power tool batteries as it is for bigger 100 amp/hour batteries?! Are you seeing the same thing?! Even after buying the battery adapters.
Unless I’m missing it, wouldn’t it take 20- five amp hour batteries? That would be expensive.
@@akbychoice I don’t think so because Milwaukee batteries are 18 volts, so 18x5 is 90 watt hours and a 100 ah 12 volt battery is 1200 watt/hr. And 1200/90 is 13.333. I was going to use 6 amp hr batteries and that’s 11.111 batteries! They are only $27 at tenhutt. That’s about $300 for the equivalent 100 amp hr 12volt battery. Is that correct Russ?!?!
I have noticed the price ratio of tool batteries vs. 100ah batteries. The biggest drawback I see is charging them at .25C rate. Charging is slow with tool batteries. Maybe I should do a video of this to share all our thoughts :>). I did build a 4 battery bank that can be up to 36Ah (with four 9Ah @18v batteries). 8 of them would be a 1296Wh battery. Ryobi generic batteries on Amazon are going for $50 a piece. It is close, but the 100Ah battery is still cheaper ($330?). Tool batteries are Lithium Ion and the 100Ah is a Lifepo4 chemistry. The charge rate on Lifepo4 is a 1C rating, so charging is faster, but the discharge rate of the tool battery vs the Lifepo4 is higher. I base my conclusions on the inherit settings of most BMS's of each type of battery. This subject is a bigger conversation than what fits it a single comment :>).
@@russveinot5754 thanks for the response Russ! Also just to add tenhutt sells two 6 ah batteries for $56 but they sell one 9 ah battery for $57?!?!?! I don’t understand why that is?! That’s why I’m thinking about going with more 6 ah batteries to get to an equivalent 100 ah battery at 12 volts. Also they don’t even sell a 12 ah battery yet?! Thanks for the info thou!
Just subscribed..... do you have any videos on the battery bank build? If so can you give me a link?
Welcome to my shop. Not sure which battery bank you are thinking about. If you look thru my "Portable Power" playlist, you may find which bank you are referring to.
@@russveinot5754 will do.... Thank you
I'll be here (in my shop) if you have any questions.