Generator During Power Outage - semi-portable whole house 10kW generator used during a power outage
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- Опубліковано 20 лип 2024
- In this video I share my manual portable 10,000W generator setup as demonstrated when experiencing a power outage. Demonstration of how the electrical panel is configured, how the generator is connected, and how the system works together.
Today, I would buy this version of generator (same brand) because its slightly more capable for about the same price -- DuroMax XP12000EH Generator-12000 Watt Gas or Propane Powered Home Backup: amzn.to/3heMO7u
Note: I am not an electrician; just a homeowner sharing my setup in hopes it might benefit someone. Please do as I did and hire a licensed electrician to review your plan and install the switch and plug.
Just ordered the Wgen9500DF, replacing a 6800w generator. Looking forward to having the whole house, even the well pump, electric water heater, clothes dryer and even the electric range powered. This unit has some great features like the FOB and duel fuel. Will be installing a 500 gallon tank as I’m converting some of the heavy consuming appliances to LPG. Thank you for sharing.
⚠️Portable Generator Safety Tips:
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have carbon monoxide detectors if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Also please never use your generator in your deck or balcony. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. It’s also not safe to move your generator while it’s running.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords.
Portable generators need maintenance so it’s important to follow the safety instructions.
Hope this helps
@@The_Happy_Aviation_Enthusiast legend
i enjoyed the play by play demonstration of everything involved. thanks
Thanks for the kind words!
Thanks for the video. I just bought the 7500DF setup and parts to install the interlock kit and power inlet box. My nephew is a master electrician so he will be doing the work. I have a small house with natural gas so the generator shouldn't have any trouble running the fridge, freezer, and the 3T AC or the heat (nat gas fired). Much cheaper that the whole house solutions.
You should look into running your generator on Natural gas. That way you don’t have to worry about refueling during long outages!
Another great option for wiring into your house is to have a quick disconnect installed so that you don't have to manually do it in your electrical box. You just plug your generator into it and flip a master arm breaker and you're all set. At least that's how we do it down here in Florida. I have a concrete pad next to the disconnect that I just wheel my generator out to when I need it.
⚠️Portable Generator Safety Tips:
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have carbon monoxide detectors if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Also please never use your generator in your deck or balcony. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. It’s also not safe to move your generator while it’s running.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords.
Portable generators need maintenance so it’s important to follow the safety instructions.
Hope this helps
Well aint you special...
Great job
That metal sliding plate the the panel is called an interlock. It’s NOT a transfer switch.
I have the same setup at my house. The only thing I did extra was I installed a powerback alarm at the main panel. This way it beeps when the power from the street turns back on.
⚠️Generator safety tips:
All generator safety rules need to be followed carefully whenever you use your portable generator. This is only a safety reminder.
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have a carbon monoxide if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Not even at your porch and your deck. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords.
ua-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/v-deo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators and also about our family’s safety.
Hope this helps
Very thorough video. I would try something other than a tarp over the generator. Maybe a 4x8 sheet of plywood extending out from the pickup bed would provide sufficient rain cover.
Good advice. I will try that.
Just be aware that if your battery goes dead you can NOT use the generator on gasoline. It will not start and run because there must be enough power from the battery to run a celluloid for the gas. You can start and run it on the propane side without a battery. I found out the hard way but in the end it was a learning experience. I brought my 5300 out to run as I do once every other week and I had left the battery switch on and it drained. I called Westinghouse Customer Service and they explained this all to me. You just need to get enough power in the battery to sustain the celluloid. I can do that with the AC outlet in my pickup truck or my small Honda generator. The manual start duel fuel generators do not have this issue.
This is helpful info thanks for sharing. I thought I could pull start if the battery is dead, but sounds like you found that to not be true for gas?
I'm not saying you're wrong, especially since you heard it directly from Westinghouse. For whatever reason though, my WH9500DF has always started with a single pull whether the battery is dead or not. You could argue that my battery wasn't completely dead, but in my situation it didn't seem to have any power at all. Still started first pull.
@@thehorsepowerhour hes wrong... Manual starter and thats it. Battery is essential in automated systems with ATS panel
You might want to install an Emporia Vue to see how much power you really need. I found I can run my entire home off of a much smaller WGen5500, which includes the well pump, refrigerator, freezer, and central A/C. I suppose there could be an issue if all the motors decided to start up at exactly the same time and create a huge surge, but this has never happened in the 2 years I have data for.
Thanks for the suggestion! I looked up the device you mentioned; it looks like it would be very useful for this and other reasons.
how big is your AC unit. 4 ton?, if it is, then you need at least 5,000 running watts, and you also need to install an Easy Start Micro Air X48, this reduces the AC amp kick in from 70 amps to about 40Amp, enough for the gen to help the AC to kick in.
Thanks, Just bought this unit, did not pull start, battery low 10v, lights on unit for electric start came on anyway even though battery was low , using propane, did all the required on label to start, now charging battery, wish there were common troubleshooting videos for things like this explain how to charge battery and settings on charger etcetera, also fuel valve explanation for propane use..
Get a battery tender to keep your battery charged. You have to plug it in to an electrical outlet.
Thanks, very informative, are you happy with the Duromax
Is that a 50ft or 100 ft power cord? And did you have to buy that interlock box yourself or did the electrician provide that to you for a fee? Thanks
Thank you for posting this. I wish I could have seen what the ends of the plugs look like and learned more about what plugs you used. I see the plug already in but don't see what kind of plug it is. Thank you.
What i have is a Ss2-50r for the house, ss2-50p for the cord that connects to the house. Then the other side of the cord will depend on your generator.
@@darrenmessick4971 Thank you for getting back. Have a blessed day.
This is cool and affordable. I recently bought this unit from ebay factory reconditioned
.”what a deal”
have not yet bought the switch. the generator feeds my electric service viva 12g wire.Don’t understand how will that feed everything?
I see you are considering the Duromax gen as alternative. They seem to be gensets but has lower THD specs (10-30%). I still haven't been able to determine when this spec is critical. I know the higher priced units are
23%
Thanks for sharing, question about your generator, the one you tested is a Westinghouse, but the link you include points to a DuroMax XP12000EH Generator-12000 Watt.......is that so?, do you still have the DuroMax?, is it reliable?...in addition, how long is the cable from the circuit breaker box to the inlet box?. Thanks
Love the video where did you get the stickers for the panel I like how organized your system is
thanks. i had fun labeling the panel. it had hand written labels from the 1980's previously :-)
My 50-foot 50A extension cord weighs about the same as my wife. 😄 I’m putting together a similar system, but will run it on natural gas.
⚠️Generator safety tips:
All generator safety rules need to be followed carefully whenever you use your portable generator. This is a reminder.
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have a carbon monoxide if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Not even at your porch and your deck. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords.
ua-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/v-deo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators and also about our family’s safety.
Hope this helps
I have the same one and just got the same 50 amp setup for about the same price and this video confirms-this is a loud generator. I will build a temp shed to contain it. Does the tarp reduce the sound?
unfortunately the tarp does not help with the sound. agree its very loud. a small shed would really help.
I'm keeping my generator in my detached garage. Also installing an exhaust fan that will run with the generator.
Hi, that breaker that the generator is on is a dual pole 50 amp?
Hi all! Question, Were you able to have hot water? We’re looking into this generator but my only concern is it not having enough power for well pump, hot water heater, and a sub pump for our basement bathroom. We don’t need AC we only have a window AC anyways. If anyone knows anything about if this wattage I’m trying to find out if this one will run well pump, sub pump, hot water heater and some lights. We’re in a small town in the northeast and none of the hardware stores know what generator size we should get. Thanks for posting the video extremely helpful!
Your electric hot water heater could cause you problems. If it is 20 amps and 230 volts you may be ok. Pay an electrician for one hour to come out and tell you what can be done.
Hi. How can I do to automatically stop the generator when the power comes on? Which wire of the smart connection i have to use?
Thanks.
Thanks for the question. The manufacture has a kit to address that, but i haven't used. I have seen other YT videos out there that show the auto start/stop kit, you might keep searching.
How has this generator held up now ~3.5 years later?
how long did you have to charge the battery? my electric start is not working after charging, and yes, I put the battery switch on when trying.
Do the lights all come on with the power switch flipped on? If the battery has power but wont crank, you could have a short somewhere or a problem with the starter itself. No other reason why the electric start wouldn't woek
Why does the description say whole house when you said you have to turn most stuff off? That is not a whole house generator!
Since the plug your using only has 50 amps how can you use the other ones for your breaker box ? What I mean is how can you use the generators full potential for your house ?
Load diversity is the key. Turn off big 230 volt loads.
I have the DFc version
Othe people say it can power up the well pump did you try it
Yes. It can. Just not everything at once (well, water heater, HVAC) + rest of house. My well is 300ft so pump is a big draw. So we just make sure the big 3 draw items are not on simultaneously.
You shouldn't need to worry about being able to run your well pump. A 3000 watt generator will run most residential wells and you have power to spare, even if your pump is bigger than most.
Those dual fuel generators give you great flexibility, though they are a bit more pricey. The nice thing about having a propane option is the fuel won't go bad in storage like gasoline does. Of course if you can run a natural gas line to it, you're set. The disadvantage of using propane or natural gas vs. gasoline is you get about 10% less power from the engine so the generator's capacity is limited (see the green numbers on your gas tank).
Where did you get the panel labels
I just made them with hand-held label maker.
Better chain up that generator
GONNA TAKE A WALK
Would this power a 5 ton ac unit home
sorry not likely. it depends on the unit you have but many 5 ton units need a 20kW generator to power them. but to be sure you can get the exact specs for your AC unit.
It may work if you put in a soft start kit (e.g., Micro Air Easy Start or Hyper Engineering Sure Start).
I like the Westinghouse however it is made in China, The Doromax, however is made in the USA
They are made in the same factory in China.
12:20 ouch!
Easy to install yourself. We'll if you are mechanically inclined. I'm going with a reliance transfer switch.
Unfortunately the THD is to high on these generators I know because I have on
Why can’t the well pump be run with it?
It can run the well pump but my deep well pump pulls about 3,000w so I have to be careful about the spike loads. For that reason not sure if I would leave the well on all the time. Might try it sometime.
@@danr97123 I think for a extended grid down situation with no get well date you may be able to get away with running just the well pump (which would be most important for me). I did the math, 4 100 lb propane tanks, if you ran your water for 15 minutes every 3 days for your needs that would give you just over 10 years of water.
@@martinwagnerproductions that is helpful. same here. the well is most important. more storage the better for water too.
@@danr97123 before we have anticipated power loss I normally fill up the bathtub for the shitter, it’s about 15 minutes, thus why I did the math for 15 minutes of generator time. I can also fill up a few gallons of drinking water as well.
Can it power you your AC unit
yes
@@danr97123 thanks last question did you have to add anything to you AC unit? Hard start, soft start kit
@@Cenlalowell No. You will want to check the power draw of your AC unit and blower and make sure its less wattage than your generators peak and sustained power rating. These are labeled on my outdoor AC unit and might be for yours as well.
You most certainly can run your AC. I have a 2 ton and works like a champ as well as everything else in my house at 2800 sq ft.
@@richardpope71 I brought this generator and added a hard start to my AC everything works as advertised. Thanks for everyone's help
Something is off about this setup... 9500 running watts should run everything on your house. Now you probably lose 2k watts running the propane vs gasoline but it should almost do what you're asking. I run 2 AC units 3 freezers and 3 refrigerators and and a 220v well pump without a light dimming. On 9500 running watts.
It’s a great unit but I have a 5 ton heat pump, a 3-phase deep well pump and electric hot water. It can’t power all of that as I can with grid power. If I carefully sequence what is running and when, then it would get me by fine.
@@danr97123 what total watts is it rated at on propane? Do you lose 2k ?
@@MrSteve8511 8,500W
$ 1140 us
neighbors must hate you with that noise
it is not quiet that is for sure. they can not hear my generator over their own :-)
Do not cover that generator with a tarp
⚠️Generator safety tips:
All generator safety rules need to be followed carefully whenever you use your portable generator. This is a reminder.
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have a carbon monoxide if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Not even at your porch and your deck. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords.
ua-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/v-deo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators and also about our family’s safety.
Hope this helps
a 10KW generator will produce 41.6 Amps @240v On Gasoline But on Propane about 37.5 amp so it will power a well pump But maybe not a Elec Range which can draw up to 50amps if you turn on the 4 eyes and the oven or a Large Elec Hot Water Heater that will draw around 40 amps , When a Generator company says there Generator will power your Whole House if the gene is smaller then a 25KW if you look in the fine print it will most likely say if you have a GAS Store & GAS Water Heater & Gas Cloth Drier ! If you think a 10KW Generator would POWER your Whole House which is only 41.6 amps @ 240 Volts then think about this why do you need a minimum of 200amp Service from the Power Company ?? IF you have a Gas Stove & Gas Water Heater & Gas Cloth Dryer & a AC no bigger then 3 tons a 5500 KW Running watts not Surge should power your house , If you have Elec Store , Elec Water Heater , Elec Dryer and don't intend to use those appliances when using a Generator just Lights , Frig , TV , Fans or Small heater then a 5000KW geneset will be all you need . Just Make Sure to By a Generator with a AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulator) NOT a Brushless one there horrible at controlling the Voltage output or a gene that uses a Capacitor to control the Output Voltage when a load is placed on the Generator and the Engine RPM's Drops and Raises back up the Voltage will Drop and Raise too , But a Gene with a AVR the Output Voltage is Stable .
I believe you had the generator running inside the garage which is against the guidelines.
It was outside on the driveway. I would never run a generator in the garage.
@@danr97123 ⚠️Portable Generator Safety Tips:
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have carbon monoxide detectors if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Also please never use your generator in your deck or balcony. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. It’s also not safe to move your generator while it’s running.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords.
Portable generators need maintenance so it’s important to follow the safety instructions.
Hope this helps. Good you were safe.