Comment I want to make after the last week in Texas….whatever you do with oil DONT OVERFILL!! Just because some is good, that doesn’t always mean more is better! If you are watching this and reading comments because you are worried about the generator running out of oil…don’t. It will shut itself off before damage occurs. One other suggestion for anyone wanting to keep oil on hand….Schaffer and amsoil are pretty GREAT synthetics that I have seen do a phenomenal job in hot climate
That oil usage seems quite high. What does Generac say about that? It may be an issue that shortens the life of the unit and these are not cheap to buy.
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm in the south, these air cooled units can really go through oil when running under continuous load. Stick a thermometer in underneath the lid after a day or two of running under load…
During the tornados of May 16th here in Houston our 20kw Generac natural gas generator ran for 6 days. We figured the next month our natural gas bill to run it each day cost us $24.00 per day. Better than going to a $300 motel that used to charge $150 per day.
Yeah, if you have NG, it's the best. So much cheaper to run. Where I live, the only options are LP or car gas. But like you said, it's way better than going to a hotel, and you don't have to throw out hundreds of dollars worth of food. I create a line item in our budget every month for propane fuel so when we eventually lose power, I'm not upset when the bill comes.
My 18KW Generac used a little over $20/day in NG during the three day outage a couple of months ago in Houston after the Derecha storm. Just ran 11 days straight after Beryl. No food loss and no searching for a hotel to escape the Texas heat and humidity. Of course, very few hotels had power so folks were driving over a hundred miles away from the damage to find a hotel…if they could find a gas station with power to get gas for their cars or portable generators if they stayed home. Worth every penny spent and was able to house many family members and friends during the outage.
Houston here, too. We were lucky with the derecho and only lost power for 5 hours. Beryl put us down for nearly five days and at that point, the water pressure was gone and my tenants were going stir crazy (literally). I run a group home for the elderly and disabled with a focus on psychiatric disabilities. Within two days, screams echoed through the house, skin was being peeled with fingernails, and my little 5k gas generator was barely keeping the fridges and devices going. I have put off this investment for years now, but I'm currently in the market. My neighbors all have Generac, but 10% of them were let down by theirs during Beryl. From what I understand, they require more maintenance than Kohler and have many proprietary parts. How long have you had your Generac? Did you weigh other brands before buying or did you (like many) just get the most popular brand? I have a solo installer willing to set it up for
@@TexZenMaster mine is three years old and have had no problems. I did look at Koehler but went the route I did based on friends who had had good experience with Generac. One of my former coworkers recently installed a Koehler and are very happy with it so far.
Honestly, the most surprising part of this video is the amount of oil it consumers. I've heard of many who've had whole house generators and you're the first person I've heard of that stops the generator every 8 hours. That's insane. You might as well get a portable generator if you need to fiddle with it that often. Everything I've read says you should change the oil every 100 hours. Basically once every 4 days. I guess you can check to see if you have a leak? After that, I"m not sure what's the point of checking.
During Beryl up here in North Louisiana I was without power for about 29 hours. My Generac 24kw on NG ran the whole house without issue for that time and it raised my gas bill about $30. Very worth it for being able to stay home, not lose my food, have AC in the 100 degree hours that followed plus access to all my amenities, and be able to protect my property. Especially vs a 2-300$ hotel bill per night, which is what even the local dumps and rathole motels were charging during the outage.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead That's the one thing we have in abundance. We are right on top of the Hayneville Shale deposit so we have an endless supply of cheap natural gas in these parts.
I can answer that question... Way too much! Every time I use my generator I realize what a bargain I am getting from the power company. I used my generator for a week and it cost $300 in fuel. My normal electric bill is $90 dollars a month. I'll never complain about my electric bill ever again.
It all depends on the load and how much gas in your area and what fuel used! 200k BTU 1/2 load, 300k Btu full load. NG is inexpensive in MI. I just got mine installed 24kW a few months ago and only has needed to turn on besides cycling 1x since install and only for 2 hours, so unknown what cost will be. However, neighbors have 18kW units and we crunched the numbers after the first power outage a couple years ago and it was inexpensive, like $10/day or something, so yes, getting hotels for family is expensive, $300/wk is less but still expensive, but in our area, is even significantly south of that, which makes it even more worth it!!
@@RozsaAmplificationLLC I just googled and the national average for gas is $1.82/gallon. Assuming you have this guy's generator and it's consuming 1.8 gallon/hr, that's $78.70/day. $10/day on 18kW generators? How?
@@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403 It all depends on if you have residential or commercial service. It depends on your fuel, is it NG or Propane? It depends what state you're in. In Michigan, Natural Gas has been inexpensive. They raised the rates over the last year and so there is premium time and not, but in general, and current rates, Natural Gas Distribution Rate is Gas Distribution Charge 0.380690 per CCF. I have NO idea what you're talking about and per gallon. NG is not in gallons!! Regular gasoline at the pump is currently up to $3.759. Not sure what that $1.82/gallon is as gasoline prices are double that!!
Good honest review. Cost per hour is less with natural gas but it you do not have natural gas service then you have to go with propane. Still better than sitting in the dark. As for the comment on oil consumption the air cooled engine will use some oil and checking oil and topping off every 8 hours is very wise. Do not think of this as excessive but just the nature of the engine. The Generac stand by home generator is a really reliable piece and will last a lifetime with good maintenance.
Worked 40+ years for a lawn Mower MFG that was bought out by B&S, one day we got a shipment in our Ga. warehouse straight from the Savannah port, we opened the trailer door and there was OVER 5 well known U.S. brand names on the boxes of ALL generators, and the kicker was they ALL came out of the same MFG plant in CHINA
AC is a real energy hog. I live in Northern Michigan and run my House on a 9000 watt portable. We run all the appliances in our House ,our well, outdoor wood boiler and propane furnace. Our Hot tub is switchable 240 to 120 so it runs also. Close dryer And microwave is a hard no. 6 gallons of gas per 8 hours So 18 gallons a day. I keep 50 Gallons on hand. It's also pricey But the alternative is frozen pipes, frozen boiler, frozen hot tub. But..... We don't need 24 kw.
Running a 20kw propane generator here and on average consuming 0.6 gal/hr. Which makes sense when I see the average output load at 5%. We avoid running heavy loads - electric dryer, and such. And shut down the generator overnight as long as the outside temperature is predicted to stay above freezing. I'm more concerned about the wear/tear on the generator and less about fuel usage. If the outage is going to be days on end, which it has, I'll alternate by running a portable generator. On the downside is all the maintenance. Beats being cold, having food spoil and pipes bursting.
Good to know, thanks. In Texas with a 300 gallon propane tank, no choice in electric company (the big one that got in trouble during a freeze) and we lose power at the drop of a hat mainly with transformer blowouts. Of course because we have hellacious rain storms I can lose power for a week. Don't get me started on the price of propane. LOL Thanks for your information.
We run the same temps in Southern California. Doesn’t sound crazy to us!!! We will be comfortable. Been considering getting one of these. Did your property value increase with the purchase?
I have operated/ relied on generators for decades.... checking oil level/ inspecting equipment periodically is what a smart person does.....let the dummies do as they plz
I can live without a generator...but then again I'm not scared of the dark being without my cellphone...and have lanterns and know how to eat canned soup and canned stew...you sissy's..
Good. I have a wife and small children and it’s 100°+ every day in the summer here in northern Florida. I’m not having them sit in the killer heat. Some of us think of others and not just ourselves. 😉
Out of this entire video, I'm only shocked by the 50 gallon HWH with having 12 kids and 2 adults! And elec HWH at that, with poor/slow recovery vs gas. I have myself and my wife and a large home and have an 80 gal gas LOL.
I'm on a lot of natural gas.... My dryer, stove, hot water heater, fiurnace are gas... I average $28 a month.... just the two of us in our home... but, ya know the evil petroleum products rule. I have a small window unit for the bedroom to run and a generator that cost me $500. Runs what I need. This last storm, just cycled between the frig and at night the 6200 BTU window unit to keep us cool... Worked like a champ.
Running fossil fuel appliances is way cheaper during an outage, but more expensive the rest of the time. The other negative regarding running NG appliances during an outage is if they shut the lines off, which is not uncommon, then your appliances are SOL and if your generator was using that NG, hopefully it can run on another source!
@@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403I never seen natural gas cut off, this must be a earthquake thing on the west coast. I worked for a Consumers Gas contractor for 4 years, and a Detroit Edison contractor for 30 years, and never seen it, or heard of it, the only time I seen gas shut off is for a broken gas main, or a service cut where the property is on fire. The statement that natural gas appliances are only cheaper during a power outages can't be further from the truth, a natural gas stove is always cheaper than a electric stove to run, same with a dryer, hit water heater, and heat, natural gas beats them everytime.
How many refrigerators and freezers does a family with 12 kids have? Lord, I have 3 refrigerators and two freezers with two little kids plus mom's wine fridge. These units are good for 4-5 days. Of course, if you change your own oil and can adjust valves if warranted you can get them going again for another 4-5 days. I have the portable 17500 Generac but I think I'm going to get a standby probably 26KW or perhaps liquid cooled.
This Was A Helpful Video. The First Company We Called (Kohler) Recommended A 38kw Unit. I'm Going To Get A Couple Of More Bids Before Making A Decision But I Think We Could Easily Get By With A 30kw That Uses Less Fuel Per Hour. Fuel Consumption Is Something That Needs To Be Considered. We're Installing A 1000 Gal In Ground Propane Tank But Fuel Costs Are The Same No Matter The Tank Size. Thank You.
The fuel usage is entirely dependent on the load. A 24kw generator with a 10kw load has almost the same fuel usage as a 10kw generator with the same load. When my buddy installed a 25kw system, it was just 10% more expensive than the 15kw system the company was selling at the time.
That generator is both natural gas and propane by the flip of a switch. More rural people such as myself dont have access to natural gas so we are stuck with the more expensive propane (that needs to be refilled)
I'm planning a new kitchen in my old house, going from all electric cooking to a gas cooktop with an electric wall oven. I have gas central heat but summers become unbearable when the central A/C stops due to grid failure, surprisingly frequent and seemingly random. Since I'm upgrading gas service fo the gas cooker, a gas gennie just makes sense.
Interesting to read the comments. I have a few of my own based upon experience as well as a few questions: 1). What was high temp both days after the hurricane ? 2) How long did it run continuously before your shutdown? 3) What was your oil level at the points you checked (before/during/after) 4). Are you monetized at all by Generac? Now to the comments: everyone with critiques of this fella…he has his family with 12 kids sleeping in this house. Seriously doubt he took any shortcuts or bribed any officials. He also wasn’t going to shortcut even if he could. For those running off NG, be aware this Gen he is using only produces 21kw with a corresponding amp drop on NG. IMO only, the generator functioned as designed and matches the fuel load. With the design of the baffles and airflow, along with oil capacity, the Generac air cooled is designed to run for limited term emergencies. Lights went out for almost a million people in Houston 40 hours ago. Yesterday was a high of 74, today will be 94. 500k plus still without power. In the morning and through the day tomorrow folks who bought this unit with the belief it would run as long as it has fuel will be sadly disappointed. Moral of my comment is if you think you know what you are talking about with generators, 80% don’t. Mr Maynard clearly understands the limitations of the unit and his fuel setup and is showing folks how to maximize the value of a similarly set up system . Well done to him
I really appreciate the kind words! To answer your questions, if I remember correctly it was in the mid 80’s after the storm passed. We ran it about 16 hours before I stopped it and checked oil. After that I believe I did 12 hour increments. It used between 1/8 and 1/4 quart of oil per 12 hr shift. I am in no way associated or receiving any compensation from Generac. We bought this generator for our farm because we have several freezers full of food and babies that need A/C (mom and dad too lol!) I am a “retired” journeyman electrician and thought sharing my personal home generator installation might help others. There are a few things that I did that were not current code approved, none of them safety concerns for sure. Codes change yearly, so everything done in the past will soon be “against code”. Thanks again for watching!
Wonder how long those China engines will last, IF I bought one of those new I'd require a COMPLETE parts Illustration & list & then do research on the MOST FAILED parts, then take that list and buy THOSE parts to keep on the shelf, those things are NO GOOD if you can get those overseas parts for whatever reason & I'd bet my SS check that NO distributor / seller keeps all parts in stock
1.8 gallons per hour! That is about 115$ per day at my gas prices of 2.67$ per gallon where I live. For me that generator is ovekill, but if you need that much power it may be good value for your situation. I have a smaller 9500 Watt inverter generator, but my house if pretty small. It should go about 12 hours or so on 6.6 gallons at half load. 18ish hours at 25% load, but it puts out a lot less power than that.
9500 watts can run hot water heater/ well pump/ microwave/washing machine....you can make it on a lot less wattage....4000 requires you to pick and choose....it can run the hot water heater just make sure the hot water heater does not require more watts and cut all other breakers off....focus on heating tank...want take long
South Texas-I just had a Honeywell 22KW which is identical to a Generac. Generator, 250 gallon propane tank, 185 gallon of propane, new 200amp breaker panel box (needed upgrading due to age) two 50amp soft start modules for my two AC systems, whole house surge protection, trenching 70 feet, electrical wiring 60 feet run, generator pad, Sheetrock wall repair after installing larger panel breaker box, labor, permits and inspections, $16,300.
Love your video and this is the second time watching. One dealer states they would not and was told by Generac to lock out a heat pump because it would cause problem with the generator. They won't even do a delay start for a heat pump. What are your thoughts, was looking to get 24kw? Thanks.
okies those are some good numbers im in Canada not so prone to power issues but we do get them for sure um im just trying to warp my brain around the 12 kids as in holy carp good for you sir thanks for the vid though you filled in some blanks (you are not shooting any) we can get the generacs here hooked right to our gas mains i had doubts about that but in the big picture .... 2 years ago we had a huge power outtage 3 weeks living off of my camp stove and bbq very much like a post appoclyptic issue it was good pratice for me and my family but now me thinks time for some sort of generator i do have one its a small honda its enough to keep a few lights on and the fridge running but in winter -30c um it would be nice to have a back up plan thanks for posting
@@WilliamMurphy-b6v Who said anything about bothering my neighbors?? I just didn't want it too loud for me. If it was, I was going to buy a more quiet one from another company.
@maxwellthepig4419 Noise canceling headphones or ear-buds might help. But positioning the generator on the property really carefully can be most helpful. Remember, generators of old ran at full blast all the time. Really loud. Newer inverter models only run fast enough to meet the electrical demand. MUCH quieter most of the time.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead I'm not trying to be noisy or all in your business, I promise. I'm trying to see what size its going to take for my home. My pool is 44,000 gallons and I have (2) 200 amp panels that supply my home with power. Its 3800 sq ft.
We recently got geothermal, so the portable generator we used to run won't cut it anymore. I'm also getting older and don't enjoy all of the work involved with a portable setup. Yeah, it's expensive to run a whole house generator, but to me, it's worth it. And remember, for anyone that says, "I only spend $12 a day to run my generator", you're probably using a portable generator and are on all gas appliances, so you're actually paying the same amount, just in different ways.
I've heard lots of people say it is a lot more economical if you also have battery storage, you can run the Generac for 2-4 hours to power your home and charge your (solar type storage batteries) and then shut off the Generac and run the home on batteries and inverter for hours or even an entire day (if you have enough kwh's of battery) so you burn 1/3 to 1/2 the fuel and you give the generac a break from running each day. Some solar inverters will auto start the Generac when the batteries get low and you do it all over again.
I can't imagine the cost of a battery bank that would store enough power to run central air and a electric hot water heater, and one that big would be hard to charge in 2 or 3 hours, I see no way that you would save enough money to pay for this system if you are only effected for 5 days or so every couple of years. But I'm with the portable crowd, my brother in law is looking at a full house generators, but he has money to burn, he figures it will cost 10k, for some that is not much money, but he lives near me, and I think I have been out of power for a total of maybe 10 times that lasted 24 hours in the last 30+ years, my small 3500 watt inverter generator will not run any of my 240v appliances, but I can run it for 24 hours on 4 gallons of gas, so under $15 a day, the only thing I will miss is AC, and that's only 3 months out of the year that I really need it.
@@Bowhunters6go8xz6x i looked at Solar and wall batteries, both LG and Tesla…cost was going to be $93k. Decided on the Generac..$7k plus install. I live in AZ and the temps exceed 125 f in the summer. Had power go out for 12 hours…Generac was a life saver..saved all our food and freezer, plus ran two 5 ton heat pumps to keep cool. No issues at all.
You “heard” lots of people say it’s more economical? 😂 Those same people probably never even looked at the price of a battery bank and installation cost. Smh.
2 days 😂. I was out for over two weeks. Now what you need to ask yourself. Do you have enough gas on hand for more then a week or two? I had enough, but after that I made sure I had enough for 2 months. But now that I have solar and just use the generator to charge the batteries when there’s not a lot of sun out. I recommend to look into solar if you can. Remember, the nail that sticks out gets hammered.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead if you know your way around electricity, then you should make your own system and save yourself thousands. With the system I got that I built. From the batteries to the solar, I got everything a little at a time. Price was around $7000. If I brought the batteries already set up and looks neat. Plus have someone install the solar. Everything would had cost me closer to $20,000 and I have 99% of my house on the system. So you see how much you can save on doing it yourself. Just UA-cam DIY off grid or DIY Powerwall .
That’s awesome! I’m definitely not a solar guru, but I did hook one system up back in my electrician days. It was featured in Solar Pro magazine, but we’re talking at least 10-12 years ago. It was a simple, grid back feeding system, so we hooked the panels right into the inverter and back into the grid. We also hooked up a generator that was run by waste of a horse farm. The Tumblr system turned horse poop fuel, which was dried using the generator exhaust. It was a pretty neat system. The guy we did it for, his name was Chris Morrison, he did a lot of neat stuff.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead oh really, then you got this. I’m far from being a pro. But I did watch a lot of UA-cam and it helped a lot. But you got this.
Solar and wind are not viable energy backup power options. Generators are old, expensive technology. Imagine running your car to power your home. I can share a simple solution with you if you're interested.
Fuel consumption is in the owner's manual and usually expressed as gallons per hour at 50% and 75% load. Ballpark on these is around 2 gallons per hour, which is 50% load, and is typical when sized correctly for a home. The extra capacity is for start loads on motors, like well pumps, AC, etc. Yeah, it's only a second or two, but the life of the unit will be greatly extended if you are not running it flat out all the time. Think about that from the perspective of your car, which will go over 100 MPH, but you usually drive about half that speed. The rest is for climbing hills and hauling a heavy load from time to time.
I HAVE BEEN USING A GENERAC SINCE 1998 NEVER A PROBLEM.......A RELIABLE / QUALITY BUILT ENGINE/ GENERATOR SO MUCH OF THE POPULATION MECHANICAL ILLITERATE.....DO NOT KNOW HOW TO MAINTAIN OR SERVICE THERE EQUIPMENT.....UNABLE TO READ/ COMPREHEND
1/4 of a quart of oil consumption every 24 hrs. for my Generac 22kW, about 9 oz from add to full on my dipstick
Comment I want to make after the last week in Texas….whatever you do with oil DONT OVERFILL!! Just because some is good, that doesn’t always mean more is better! If you are watching this and reading comments because you are worried about the generator running out of oil…don’t. It will shut itself off before damage occurs.
One other suggestion for anyone wanting to keep oil on hand….Schaffer and amsoil are pretty GREAT synthetics that I have seen do a phenomenal job in hot climate
That oil usage seems quite high. What does Generac say about that? It may be an issue that shortens the life of the unit and these are not cheap to buy.
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm in the south, these air cooled units can really go through oil when running under continuous load. Stick a thermometer in underneath the lid after a day or two of running under load…
@@BrianD-ds4dx So is the heat evaporating the oil or are the engine tolerances so sloppy that it is an oil pig?
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm can I say a combination of the two ? That’s probably the most accurate answer….
During the tornados of May 16th here in Houston our 20kw Generac natural gas generator ran for 6 days. We figured the next month our natural gas bill to run it each day cost us $24.00 per day. Better than going to a $300 motel that used to charge $150 per day.
Yeah, if you have NG, it's the best. So much cheaper to run. Where I live, the only options are LP or car gas. But like you said, it's way better than going to a hotel, and you don't have to throw out hundreds of dollars worth of food. I create a line item in our budget every month for propane fuel so when we eventually lose power, I'm not upset when the bill comes.
My 18KW Generac used a little over $20/day in NG during the three day outage a couple of months ago in Houston after the Derecha storm. Just ran 11 days straight after Beryl. No food loss and no searching for a hotel to escape the Texas heat and humidity. Of course, very few hotels had power so folks were driving over a hundred miles away from the damage to find a hotel…if they could find a gas station with power to get gas for their cars or portable generators if they stayed home. Worth every penny spent and was able to house many family members and friends during the outage.
Houston here, too.
We were lucky with the derecho and only lost power for 5 hours. Beryl put us down for nearly five days and at that point, the water pressure was gone and my tenants were going stir crazy (literally). I run a group home for the elderly and disabled with a focus on psychiatric disabilities. Within two days, screams echoed through the house, skin was being peeled with fingernails, and my little 5k gas generator was barely keeping the fridges and devices going. I have put off this investment for years now, but I'm currently in the market.
My neighbors all have Generac, but 10% of them were let down by theirs during Beryl. From what I understand, they require more maintenance than Kohler and have many proprietary parts. How long have you had your Generac? Did you weigh other brands before buying or did you (like many) just get the most popular brand? I have a solo installer willing to set it up for
@@TexZenMaster mine is three years old and have had no problems. I did look at Koehler but went the route I did based on friends who had had good experience with Generac. One of my former coworkers recently installed a Koehler and are very happy with it so far.
@@TexZenMasterhello any chance would be able to share the contact information for the generator installation technician
About matches what we saw, around $20 in NG when it ran for 22 hrs. Of course it depends on the load, but yeah it wasn't too bad.
Damn 12 kids! Y’all getting it in 😂
Thanks for this info.
12 kids. Wow. Youve been busy. Lol
ya no doubt wow.
Honestly, the most surprising part of this video is the amount of oil it consumers. I've heard of many who've had whole house generators and you're the first person I've heard of that stops the generator every 8 hours. That's insane. You might as well get a portable generator if you need to fiddle with it that often. Everything I've read says you should change the oil every 100 hours. Basically once every 4 days. I guess you can check to see if you have a leak? After that, I"m not sure what's the point of checking.
During Beryl up here in North Louisiana I was without power for about 29 hours. My Generac 24kw on NG ran the whole house without issue for that time and it raised my gas bill about $30. Very worth it for being able to stay home, not lose my food, have AC in the 100 degree hours that followed plus access to all my amenities, and be able to protect my property. Especially vs a 2-300$ hotel bill per night, which is what even the local dumps and rathole motels were charging during the outage.
Man that’s awesome. I wish we had NG here, propane is around $3/gallon.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead That's the one thing we have in abundance. We are right on top of the Hayneville Shale deposit so we have an endless supply of cheap natural gas in these parts.
Appreciate your honesty, very helpful in deciding to build a similar dual fuel solar backup system.
Wow, mine runs on Natural gas. We lost power for 12 hours. When I figured out the cost, it was cheaper than the power company.
I can answer that question... Way too much! Every time I use my generator I realize what a bargain I am getting from the power company. I used my generator for a week and it cost $300 in fuel. My normal electric bill is $90 dollars a month. I'll never complain about my electric bill ever again.
Just imagine what the cost would be to put your family up in a hotel for 5 nights….you would be begging to pay $300.
It all depends on the load and how much gas in your area and what fuel used!
200k BTU 1/2 load, 300k Btu full load. NG is inexpensive in MI.
I just got mine installed 24kW a few months ago and only has needed to turn on besides cycling 1x since install and only for 2 hours, so unknown what cost will be.
However, neighbors have 18kW units and we crunched the numbers after the first power outage a couple years ago and it was inexpensive, like $10/day or something, so yes, getting hotels for family is expensive, $300/wk is less but still expensive, but in our area, is even significantly south of that, which makes it even more worth it!!
@@RozsaAmplificationLLC I just googled and the national average for gas is $1.82/gallon. Assuming you have this guy's generator and it's consuming 1.8 gallon/hr, that's $78.70/day. $10/day on 18kW generators? How?
@@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403 It all depends on if you have residential or commercial service. It depends on your fuel, is it NG or Propane? It depends what state you're in. In Michigan, Natural Gas has been inexpensive. They raised the rates over the last year and so there is premium time and not, but in general, and current rates, Natural Gas Distribution Rate is Gas Distribution Charge 0.380690 per CCF. I have NO idea what you're talking about and per gallon. NG is not in gallons!! Regular gasoline at the pump is currently up to $3.759. Not sure what that $1.82/gallon is as gasoline prices are double that!!
I know this is not a hard sale, but don't move to Ca. 90 dollars a month, my June bill was 500. 1300sq ft single story.
Good honest review. Cost per hour is less with natural gas but it you do not have natural gas service then you have to go with propane. Still better than sitting in the dark. As for the comment on oil consumption the air cooled engine will use some oil and checking oil and topping off every 8 hours is very wise. Do not think of this as excessive but just the nature of the engine. The Generac stand by home generator is a really reliable piece and will last a lifetime with good maintenance.
Great info, thank you! And thanks for watching.
Worked 40+ years for a lawn Mower MFG that was bought out by B&S, one day we got a shipment in our Ga. warehouse straight from the Savannah port, we opened the trailer door and there was OVER 5 well known U.S. brand names on the boxes of ALL generators, and the kicker was they ALL came out of the same MFG plant in CHINA
Is that really a surprise? Seems like everything is made in China now.
AC is a real energy hog. I live in
Northern Michigan and run my
House on a 9000 watt portable.
We run all the appliances in our
House ,our well, outdoor wood boiler and propane furnace. Our
Hot tub is switchable 240 to 120 so it runs also. Close dryer
And microwave is a hard no.
6 gallons of gas per 8 hours
So 18 gallons a day. I keep 50
Gallons on hand. It's also pricey
But the alternative is frozen pipes, frozen boiler, frozen hot tub. But..... We don't need 24 kw.
Running a 20kw propane generator here and on average consuming 0.6 gal/hr. Which makes sense when I see the average output load at 5%. We avoid running heavy loads - electric dryer, and such. And shut down the generator overnight as long as the outside temperature is predicted to stay above freezing. I'm more concerned about the wear/tear on the generator and less about fuel usage. If the outage is going to be days on end, which it has, I'll alternate by running a portable generator. On the downside is all the maintenance. Beats being cold, having food spoil and pipes bursting.
Good to know, thanks. In Texas with a 300 gallon propane tank, no choice in electric company (the big one that got in trouble during a freeze) and we lose power at the drop of a hat mainly with transformer blowouts. Of course because we have hellacious rain storms I can lose power for a week. Don't get me started on the price of propane. LOL Thanks for your information.
I hope you’re income it’s at least 250,000 to 300,000 a year.
We run the same temps in Southern California. Doesn’t sound crazy to us!!! We will be comfortable. Been considering getting one of these. Did your property value increase with the purchase?
2:44 what time is football practice?
Haha we have our 12th man!
I have operated/ relied on generators for decades.... checking oil level/ inspecting equipment periodically is what a smart person does.....let the dummies do as they plz
Run it an hour and off an hour. You'll get twice the run time and not be too uncomfrotable.
try adding a propane tankless water heater to cut your electric usage. You will save money (even if you don't think so).
It is so much cheaper to run a gasoline portable generator with a couple of window units.
There are people who are willing (and rich enough) to pay for convenience. Why do you think Door Dash is making so much money?
Thanks for sharing..!
Thanks for watching!
I can live without a generator...but then again I'm not scared of the dark being without my cellphone...and have lanterns and know how to eat canned soup and canned stew...you sissy's..
Good. I have a wife and small children and it’s 100°+ every day in the summer here in northern Florida. I’m not having them sit in the killer heat. Some of us think of others and not just ourselves. 😉
Out of this entire video, I'm only shocked by the 50 gallon HWH with having 12 kids and 2 adults!
And elec HWH at that, with poor/slow recovery vs gas.
I have myself and my wife and a large home and have an 80 gal gas LOL.
I switched to a tankless water heater years ago. I'll never go back to a tank heater.
I'm on a lot of natural gas.... My dryer, stove, hot water heater, fiurnace are gas... I average $28 a month.... just the two of us in our home... but, ya know the evil petroleum products rule. I have a small window unit for the bedroom to run and a generator that cost me $500. Runs what I need. This last storm, just cycled between the frig and at night the 6200 BTU window unit to keep us cool... Worked like a champ.
Running fossil fuel appliances is way cheaper during an outage, but more expensive the rest of the time. The other negative regarding running NG appliances during an outage is if they shut the lines off, which is not uncommon, then your appliances are SOL and if your generator was using that NG, hopefully it can run on another source!
@@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403I never seen natural gas cut off, this must be a earthquake thing on the west coast. I worked for a Consumers Gas contractor for 4 years, and a Detroit Edison contractor for 30 years, and never seen it, or heard of it, the only time I seen gas shut off is for a broken gas main, or a service cut where the property is on fire.
The statement that natural gas appliances are only cheaper during a power outages can't be further from the truth, a natural gas stove is always cheaper than a electric stove to run, same with a dryer, hit water heater, and heat, natural gas beats them everytime.
@@Michael-Joseph123 Only time I've had Consumers turn off the gas is when they changed the meter. Once.
How many refrigerators and freezers does a family with 12 kids have? Lord, I have 3 refrigerators and two freezers with two little kids plus mom's wine fridge. These units are good for 4-5 days. Of course, if you change your own oil and can adjust valves if warranted you can get them going again for another 4-5 days. I have the portable 17500 Generac but I think I'm going to get a standby probably 26KW or perhaps liquid cooled.
Hahaha not enough! Two large chest freezers, about to add a third.
You didn't need so much emergency power early in life. You needed a vasectomy.
Thanks everyone for giving the cost you incurred. I am in Houston too and just installed a 24kw Generac so had no clue what to expect.
Wow -24 hrs should be $144 one day expensive yes but better than not having power.
This Was A Helpful Video. The First Company We Called (Kohler) Recommended A 38kw Unit. I'm Going To Get A Couple Of More Bids Before Making A Decision But I Think We Could Easily Get By With A 30kw That Uses Less Fuel Per Hour. Fuel Consumption Is Something That Needs To Be Considered. We're Installing A 1000 Gal In Ground Propane Tank But Fuel Costs Are The Same No Matter The Tank Size. Thank You.
Why do you even need a 10KW generator? That's 240KW per day. Not sure I use that much electricity in a month.
The only and the best Farm family keep it up brother. Awesome video keep it up.
Thanks brother!
The fuel usage is entirely dependent on the load. A 24kw generator with a 10kw load has almost the same fuel usage as a 10kw generator with the same load. When my buddy installed a 25kw system, it was just 10% more expensive than the 15kw system the company was selling at the time.
Love that inverter technology.
Where is this 250 gal fuel tank of yours?
wouldn't a natural gas generac be better?
That generator is both natural gas and propane by the flip of a switch. More rural people such as myself dont have access to natural gas so we are stuck with the more expensive propane (that needs to be refilled)
Very helpful!!!!!!
Are you using propane?
I wish more people looked into diesel way more efficient
Great job going through the comments!
Thanks!
run rotella t1 sae 30 oil in it and it will probably stop using oil. multi-grade oils can't take the extra heat of air cooled engines.
I use 20w50 in mine.
Used this oil in a dozen of air cooled race motorcycle engines with no issues.
Just buy a premium brand.
I'm planning a new kitchen in my old house, going from all electric cooking to a gas cooktop with an electric wall oven. I have gas central heat but summers become unbearable when the central A/C stops due to grid failure, surprisingly frequent and seemingly random. Since I'm upgrading gas service fo the gas cooker, a gas gennie just makes sense.
You won’t regret it! I love cooking on gas much better than electric too.
Interesting to read the comments. I have a few of my own based upon experience as well as a few questions:
1). What was high temp both days after the hurricane ?
2) How long did it run continuously before your shutdown?
3) What was your oil level at the points you checked (before/during/after)
4). Are you monetized at all by Generac?
Now to the comments: everyone with critiques of this fella…he has his family with 12 kids sleeping in this house. Seriously doubt he took any shortcuts or bribed any officials. He also wasn’t going to shortcut even if he could.
For those running off NG, be aware this Gen he is using only produces 21kw with a corresponding amp drop on NG.
IMO only, the generator functioned as designed and matches the fuel load. With the design of the baffles and airflow, along with oil capacity, the Generac air cooled is designed to run for limited term emergencies. Lights went out for almost a million people in Houston 40 hours ago. Yesterday was a high of 74, today will be 94. 500k plus still without power. In the morning and through the day tomorrow folks who bought this unit with the belief it would run as long as it has fuel will be sadly disappointed.
Moral of my comment is if you think you know what you are talking about with generators, 80% don’t. Mr Maynard clearly understands the limitations of the unit and his fuel setup and is showing folks how to maximize the value of a similarly set up system . Well done to him
I really appreciate the kind words!
To answer your questions, if I remember correctly it was in the mid 80’s after the storm passed. We ran it about 16 hours before I stopped it and checked oil. After that I believe I did 12 hour increments. It used between 1/8 and 1/4 quart of oil per 12 hr shift.
I am in no way associated or receiving any compensation from Generac. We bought this generator for our farm because we have several freezers full of food and babies that need A/C (mom and dad too lol!) I am a “retired” journeyman electrician and thought sharing my personal home generator installation might help others. There are a few things that I did that were not current code approved, none of them safety concerns for sure. Codes change yearly, so everything done in the past will soon be “against code”.
Thanks again for watching!
Wonder how long those China engines will last, IF I bought one of those new I'd require a COMPLETE parts Illustration & list & then do research on the MOST FAILED parts, then take that list and buy THOSE parts to keep on the shelf, those things are NO GOOD if you can get those overseas parts for whatever reason & I'd bet my SS check that NO distributor / seller keeps all parts in stock
1.8 gallons per hour! That is about 115$ per day at my gas prices of 2.67$ per gallon where I live. For me that generator is ovekill, but if you need that much power it may be good value for your situation. I have a smaller 9500 Watt inverter generator, but my house if pretty small. It should go about 12 hours or so on 6.6 gallons at half load. 18ish hours at 25% load, but it puts out a lot less power than that.
9500 watts can run hot water heater/ well pump/ microwave/washing machine....you can make it on a lot less wattage....4000 requires you to pick and choose....it can run the hot water heater just make sure the hot water heater does not require more watts and cut all other breakers off....focus on heating tank...want take long
Exactly what i was looking for! Thank you !
How much did the project cost you to set up including the electrical work? Thanks
South Texas-I just had a Honeywell 22KW which is identical to a Generac. Generator, 250 gallon propane tank, 185 gallon of propane, new 200amp breaker panel box (needed upgrading due to age) two 50amp soft start modules for my two AC systems, whole house surge protection, trenching 70 feet, electrical wiring 60 feet run, generator pad, Sheetrock wall repair after installing larger panel breaker box, labor, permits and inspections, $16,300.
I'm reading up on clearances? What did you use for your cleances? thanks.
A 24kw Generac uses nothing as many of them break.
Much cheaper than hotel rooms for 14 people.
Las ganas mías 🙄😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Diablos, ya no encuentras de que agarrarte.
Love your video and this is the second time watching. One dealer states they would not and was told by Generac to lock out a heat pump because it would cause problem with the generator. They won't even do a delay start for a heat pump. What are your thoughts, was looking to get 24kw? Thanks.
12 kids! Buy a TV to occupy spare time
2:34 Ca has left the chat.
😂
Wow, two days and $27,000 or more I would just go on vacation
I assume you need access to natural gas to operate that generator even cheaper.
12 kids, is like 3 families living in the same house
okies those are some good numbers im in Canada not so prone to power issues but we do get them for sure um im just trying to warp my brain around the 12 kids as in holy carp good for you sir thanks for the vid though you filled in some blanks (you are not shooting any) we can get the generacs here hooked right to our gas mains i had doubts about that but in the big picture .... 2 years ago we had a huge power outtage 3 weeks living off of my camp stove and bbq very much like a post appoclyptic issue it was good pratice for me and my family but now me thinks time for some sort of generator i do have one its a small honda its enough to keep a few lights on and the fridge running but in winter -30c um it would be nice to have a back up plan thanks for posting
66???? OMG....
200A. Should be more than enough to run the house as if the power never went out.
Wow how many rooms in house
Very informative. Thank you! I am thinking of getting this exact model. Did you think it was loud or too noisy when it was running?
It’s not bad at all. It’s quieter than a standard portable generator because of the enclosure.
I have a Generac 16kw. I only hear it when I'm in the room nearest to the generator. Even then it doesn't bother me.
In an emergency, life or death situation, you are worried about the sound perhaps bothering your neighbors?
@@WilliamMurphy-b6v Who said anything about bothering my neighbors?? I just didn't want it too loud for me. If it was, I was going to buy a more quiet one from another company.
@maxwellthepig4419 Noise canceling headphones or ear-buds might help. But positioning the generator on the property really carefully can be most helpful. Remember, generators of old ran at full blast all the time. Really loud. Newer inverter models only run fast enough to meet the electrical demand. MUCH quieter most of the time.
i saw the install video on the install and was wondering how much u paid the a.h.j. to pass line and loade wires u the same conduit.
How can i low the engine
Do you have one or two 200A panels in your home?
Just one.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead How large is your pool? How many gallons?
@@scothubbard532326,000 gallons.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead I'm not trying to be noisy or all in your business, I promise. I'm trying to see what size its going to take for my home. My pool is 44,000 gallons and I have (2) 200 amp panels that supply my home with power. Its 3800 sq ft.
@randalhubbard4932 you might want to look at the 48KW, that will definitely run everything.
We recently got geothermal, so the portable generator we used to run won't cut it anymore. I'm also getting older and don't enjoy all of the work involved with a portable setup. Yeah, it's expensive to run a whole house generator, but to me, it's worth it. And remember, for anyone that says, "I only spend $12 a day to run my generator", you're probably using a portable generator and are on all gas appliances, so you're actually paying the same amount, just in different ways.
I've heard lots of people say it is a lot more economical if you also have battery storage, you can run the Generac for 2-4 hours to power your home and charge your (solar type storage batteries) and then shut off the Generac and run the home on batteries and inverter for hours or even an entire day (if you have enough kwh's of battery) so you burn 1/3 to 1/2 the fuel and you give the generac a break from running each day. Some solar inverters will auto start the Generac when the batteries get low and you do it all over again.
Hmmm, that’s actually a cool concept. I like it! I do know the generator isn’t very efficient, I might look into that.
I can't imagine the cost of a battery bank that would store enough power to run central air and a electric hot water heater, and one that big would be hard to charge in 2 or 3 hours, I see no way that you would save enough money to pay for this system if you are only effected for 5 days or so every couple of years. But I'm with the portable crowd, my brother in law is looking at a full house generators, but he has money to burn, he figures it will cost 10k, for some that is not much money, but he lives near me, and I think I have been out of power for a total of maybe 10 times that lasted 24 hours in the last 30+ years, my small 3500 watt inverter generator will not run any of my 240v appliances, but I can run it for 24 hours on 4 gallons of gas, so under $15 a day, the only thing I will miss is AC, and that's only 3 months out of the year that I really need it.
@@Bowhunters6go8xz6x i looked at Solar and wall batteries, both LG and Tesla…cost was going to be $93k. Decided on the Generac..$7k plus install. I live in AZ and the temps exceed 125 f in the summer. Had power go out for 12 hours…Generac was a life saver..saved all our food and freezer, plus ran two 5 ton heat pumps to keep cool. No issues at all.
To do what you are talking about, is probably going to cost at least $15000, but probably more. He is better off just doing what he is doing now.
You “heard” lots of people say it’s more economical? 😂 Those same people probably never even looked at the price of a battery bank and installation cost. Smh.
2 days 😂. I was out for over two weeks. Now what you need to ask yourself. Do you have enough gas on hand for more then a week or two? I had enough, but after that I made sure I had enough for 2 months. But now that I have solar and just use the generator to charge the batteries when there’s not a lot of sun out.
I recommend to look into solar if you can. Remember, the nail that sticks out gets hammered.
Yeah we were blessed to not be without power very long. I do want to get some solar for sure.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead if you know your way around electricity, then you should make your own system and save yourself thousands. With the system I got that I built. From the batteries to the solar, I got everything a little at a time. Price was around $7000. If I brought the batteries already set up and looks neat. Plus have someone install the solar. Everything would had cost me closer to $20,000 and I have 99% of my house on the system. So you see how much you can save on doing it yourself. Just UA-cam DIY off grid or DIY Powerwall .
That’s awesome! I’m definitely not a solar guru, but I did hook one system up back in my electrician days. It was featured in Solar Pro magazine, but we’re talking at least 10-12 years ago. It was a simple, grid back feeding system, so we hooked the panels right into the inverter and back into the grid. We also hooked up a generator that was run by waste of a horse farm. The Tumblr system turned horse poop fuel, which was dried using the generator exhaust. It was a pretty neat system. The guy we did it for, his name was Chris Morrison, he did a lot of neat stuff.
@@MaynardFamilyHomestead oh really, then you got this. I’m far from being a pro. But I did watch a lot of UA-cam and it helped a lot. But you got this.
@@iiinsaiiiwhere did you get your panels from if you don’t mind me asking? I’ve seen a few sites but don’t know which ones are legit.
What kind of "Fuel"? Propane, gas, Diesel???
Propane
No solar/wind? with all that land and roof top
Installing solar panels would have been beneficial even for a family of a dozen.
👌👍
Bronco Power Boost
Solar and wind are not viable energy backup power options. Generators are old, expensive technology. Imagine running your car to power your home. I can share a simple solution with you if you're interested.
@Nikky-io6yv I would like to have my own nuclear reactor, but I don’t think that’s gonna fly.
Fuel consumption is in the owner's manual and usually expressed as gallons per hour at 50% and 75% load. Ballpark on these is around 2 gallons per hour, which is 50% load, and is typical when sized correctly for a home. The extra capacity is for start loads on motors, like well pumps, AC, etc. Yeah, it's only a second or two, but the life of the unit will be greatly extended if you are not running it flat out all the time. Think about that from the perspective of your car, which will go over 100 MPH, but you usually drive about half that speed. The rest is for climbing hills and hauling a heavy load from time to time.
More & more class action law suits...50% failure rate. Real junk. As per the Better Business Bureau complaints.
That's because of people like you who complain about everything.
@@dmor5556 Not even close! I'm motivated by experience with a vast verity of equipment & that I don't like to see people being taken advantage of!!
I HAVE BEEN USING A GENERAC SINCE 1998 NEVER A PROBLEM.......A RELIABLE / QUALITY BUILT ENGINE/ GENERATOR
SO MUCH OF THE POPULATION MECHANICAL ILLITERATE.....DO NOT KNOW HOW TO MAINTAIN OR SERVICE THERE EQUIPMENT.....UNABLE TO READ/ COMPREHEND
@@1969CampEvans You R one lucky SOB 😂