Generac Generator Blizzard Advisory

[AA/FC]

Hey guys.... This video was posted this morning by Juan Brown on his "Blancolirio" YouTube channel.

He normally does videos about accidents and incidents in the aviation industry. He owns a few of his own private airplanes and he flies the 777 for American Arlines.

He lives in Nevada County, California in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They're having one of the biggest snowstorms in the last decade right now and most homes in the area are without power.

Here is his short video about Generac home stand-by generators being used in this blizzard. (Just over 1 minute long)

I thought some of you guys would enjoy the video.

.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Yup these winter storms have been narly bere in cali... and theres more coming including a prediction from the NOAA for 18 addl feet of snow

I live about 2.25Hrs south of nevada county in the valley so no snow here. But we can see it on the mountains

 

[Jeepster04]

Additional 18 FEET? That's hard to comprehend.

 

[P0234]

Those guys marketing the whole home backup generators are geniuses.

Steps:
1. Scare people a tad that they'll surely die if their power goes out
2. Sell generators for just over costs, cheap enough most will buy
3. All but require a yearly service that is $400-600 for about an hour of work
4. Profit!!!!

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Additional 18 FEET? That's hard to comprehend.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Additional 18 FEET? That's hard to comprehend.

donner summit national park, where the first emigrants passed over and perished in the 1800s is nearing the 22' mark, the same level of snow the emigrants experienced back then.... its like to far surpass that in the coming weeks.... this is an epic storm...

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Those guys marketing the whole home backup generators are geniuses.

Steps:
1. Scare people a tad that they'll surely die if their power goes out
2. Sell generators for just over costs, cheap enough most will buy
3. All but require a yearly service that is $400-600 for about an hour of work
4. Profit!!!!

yeah theyll freeze to death. not everyone has a means to heat a building without power.

then theres the issue of propane delivery even when a person can heat the building without power....

 

[4xdog]

donner summit national park, where the first emigrants passed over and perished in the 1800s is nearing the 22' mark, the same level of snow the emigrants experienced back then.... its like to far surpass that in the coming weeks.... this is an epic storm...

Indeed -- this is a big 'un.

I used to date a girl who lived in Incline Village. I've seen a lotta snow around Lake Tahoe and Truckee, but never close to the height of the Donner Party memorial's pedestal.

Friends near North Fork (east of Fresno) sent me some video of their cabin in the foothills over the weekend. Even at their c3500 ft altitude, they had feet of snow.

 

[TobeyA]

A friend's in-laws in Louisiana have one for hurricane season. It's hooked up to natural gas. When the first hurricane knocked out power, it fired right up. Ran for a few minutes, then died.

Turns out that everyone on the cul-de-sac has a generator. The utility gas line couldn't keep up with demand. They all got together and worked out a schedule for using the generators.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

A friend's in-laws in Louisiana have one for hurricane season. It's hooked up to natural gas. When the first hurricane knocked out power, it fired right up. Ran for a few minutes, then died.

Turns out that everyone on the cul-de-sac has a generator. The utility gas line couldn't keep up with demand. They all got together and worked out a schedule for using the generators.

guess that gas company wasnt paying attention when they were upgrading everyones' meters to handle the increased flow

 

[P0234]

yeah theyll freeze to death. not everyone has a means to heat a building without power.

then theres the issue of propane delivery even when a person can heat the building without power....

True, but there are lots of better/more cost efficient solutions that don't require a yearly upkeep of $500. What happens when the generator doesn't run or there are issues with fuel?

 

[Norcal]

There was snow here in the Sacramento Valley the other day & I live at around 240' elevation. Was 30° this morning, 50° now, & only supposed to get to 52°, go a little ways to higher elevations it gets real cold instead of uncomfortably cold.

 

[Imatk]

True, but there are lots of better/more cost efficient solutions that don't require a yearly upkeep of $500. What happens when the generator doesn't run or there are issues with fuel?

What would those be? Been looking into generators.

 

[P51Mustang]

The company that I got my backup generator system from does not require a service fee of any kind. They are a local to me company. They do offer an optional check up and oil change service for around $200 a year. I went with a stand alone 500 gal propane tank for the generator system just to be sure that I was covered for a week or so if needed.

 

[jblnut]

I can't imagine getting 18' of snow .... I mean it snows a fair bit here in Central MN but 18' ..... Wow.

I've got a PTO generator here on the farm and have run it for 30hrs once and it did it like a champ. We've got enough fuel around here to run it for a couple months at the 2gal/hr the good ol' International 886 takes while running it. I keep my eye open for a decent used LP Genny but most homeowners ****** them up before I even hear about them.

18' more snow ...... Good grief !!

 

[P0234]

What would those be? Been looking into generators.

Portable generator and a simple interlock.

 

[P0234]

The company that I got my backup generator system from does not require a service fee of any kind. They are a local to me company. They do offer an optional check up and oil change service for around $200 a year. I went with a stand alone 500 gal propane tank for the generator system just to be sure that I was covered for a week or so if needed.

$200 a year is a perk of where you live. In a metro area you can't get someone to show up for under $500 for anything.

 

[justsam]

I assume these Generic generators at this level have some form of monitoring, and also would have some form of high temp shut down. Doesn't fix the issue, but at least it should not sneak up on you!

 

[Jeepster04]

Its very easy for some of us to wheel out a generator, plug it in, continuously add fuel, etc. Some people simply either physically cannot do that or do good to figure out how to unlock the front door to get in their house...

 

[P51Mustang]

$200 a year is a perk of where you live. In a metro area you can't get someone to show up for under $500 for anything.

There is something to be said for living in the boonies.

 

[P0234]

Its very easy for some of us to wheel out a generator, plug it in, continuously add fuel, etc. Some people simply either physically cannot do that or do good to figure out how to unlock the front door to get in their house...

Agree some can’t but the large majority just don’t want to do anything that might get a little dirt under their fingernails.

 

[Drunkonunleaded]

Its very easy for some of us to wheel out a generator, plug it in, continuously add fuel, etc. Some people simply either physically cannot do that or do good to figure out how to unlock the front door to get in their house...

You're not wrong. Going with the portable setup vs. a standby system is not exactly an easy task. You need to have the room to store the generator(s), you need to maintain them, and you need to ensure you have fuel on hand that is rotated out frequently.

I have two inverter units that I parallel to run my house. Yes it works, but it is a colossal PITA. My next home will have an automatic standby unit. The last thing I want is for me to be away from the house and my family to be without heat or electricity.

People here overlook the fact that we're a small subset of the population. Most people lack the motivation and the knowledge/skills required to maintain something like a portable generator. Go look at how many are bought in an emergency by people who think they can gas and go without following the break in procedure.

Standby generators are overpriced compared to the alternatives, but only if you believe that you're buying a generator. What Generac et al. are selling is piece of mind.

 

[Metal-Marc]

Mine is installed on a 3ft pedestal.

 

[dcg9381]

Those guys marketing the whole home backup generators are geniuses.

Steps:
1. Scare people a tad that they'll surely die if their power goes out
2. Sell generators for just over costs, cheap enough most will buy
3. All but require a yearly service that is $400-600 for about an hour of work

The issue to me is that the installation costs for a "whole home" generator double or triple the total costs, based on estimates I've seen. Even if you're capable of doing the work, I've found that Generac in particular does not want to support end consumers (even though they authorize the sales of their generators to end consumers).

 

[P0234]

You're not wrong. Going with the portable setup vs. a standby system is not exactly an easy task. You need to have the room to store the generator(s), you need to maintain them, and you need to ensure you have fuel on hand that is rotated out frequently.

I have two inverter units that I parallel to run my house. Yes it works, but it is a colossal PITA. My next home will have an automatic standby unit. The last thing I want is for me to be away from the house and my family to be without heat or electricity.

People here overlook the fact that we're a small subset of the population. Most people lack the motivation and the knowledge/skills required to maintain something like a portable generator. Go look at how many are bought in an emergency by people who think they can gas and go without following the break in procedure.

Standby generators are overpriced compared to the alternatives, but only if you believe that you're buying a generator. What Generac et al. are selling is piece of mind.

Wow, you make it sound hard, I mean most people are capable of maintaining a lawnmower, a generator isn't much more work. I don't have my wife trained on mine, but I have no doubt I can walk her through it on the phone if it comes down to that. Honestly she could probably figure it out if I wasn't around.

Flip breaker/interlock, attach cord, fill up with gas, check oil, then start like a lawn mower.

Maintenance? If you winterize it well, you can let it sit for a decade. Maybe if you want to go over the top, order an extra chinese carb to throw in a drawer. Or after 10 years just throw it on marketplace and buy a new one.

The issue to me is that the installation costs for a "whole home" generator double or triple the total costs, based on estimates I've seen. Even if you're capable of doing the work, I've found that Generac in particular does not want to support end consumers (even though they authorize the sales of their generators to end consumers).

Yeah, installation costs, especially if you have something slightly different than their "normal" setup. I think by trade electricians are the most inflexible bunch. I've got a good one but man it took a while to find him.

 

[dcg9381]

Wow, you make it sound hard, I mean most people are capable of maintaining a lawnmower, a generator isn't much more work. I don't have my wife trained on mine, but I have no doubt I can walk her through it on the phone if it comes down to that. Honestly she could probably figure it out if I wasn't around.

I think the difference is that the lawn mower gets regular use. They are easy to roll around and may self-propel. We have to set our lawn mowers up for storage maybe once per year. And a "lawn mower" like starting experience is a generator in the 3000-3500 watt range.. 240V gensets are going to be 5000+ watts.. Until you get into the electric start models at 7500+ watts.

 

[Drunkonunleaded]

Wow, you make it sound hard, I mean most people are capable of maintaining a lawnmower, a generator isn't much more work. I don't have my wife trained on mine, but I have no doubt I can walk her through it on the phone if it comes down to that. Honestly she could probably figure it out if I wasn't around.

Flip breaker/interlock, attach cord, fill up with gas, check oil, then start like a lawn mower.

Maintenance? If you winterize it well, you can let it sit for a decade. Maybe if you want to go over the top, order an extra chinese carb to throw in a drawer. Or after 10 years just throw it on marketplace and buy a new one.

Are most people really capable of maintaining a lawnmower these days? How many people in this country do you think know that you should be running ethanol-free gas in small engines? What kind of "winterizing" does the average person with little mechanical knowledge do to their lawn mower aside from maybe running the tank dry? Most people these days don't check oil in their own vehicles. That is, if the vehicle has a dip stick at all.

Do you really think Joe Homeowner is going to source "extra" carburetors for their generators? Better yet, do they really want to mess with swapping out a carb during a winter storm?

There's definite advantages to having an automated standby system. For most people, cost isn't one of them.

 

[My Old Tools]

True, but there are lots of better/more cost efficient solutions that don't require a yearly upkeep of $500. What happens when the generator doesn't run or there are issues with fuel?

Do you pay $500 to change the oil and filter on your car? How about your lawn mower? Do it yourself. They are engines, B&S, Kohler, in my case Mitsubishi 4 cylinder pickup engine (Generac 35kw). Propane fuel doesn't go bad or gum up the carb. It runs a self test every week.

 

[johnbowser]

You're not wrong. Going with the portable setup vs. a standby system is not exactly an easy task. You need to have the room to store the generator(s), you need to maintain them, and you need to ensure you have fuel on hand that is rotated out frequently.

I have two inverter units that I parallel to run my house. Yes it works, but it is a colossal PITA. My next home will have an automatic standby unit. The last thing I want is for me to be away from the house and my family to be without heat or electricity.

People here overlook the fact that we're a small subset of the population. Most people lack the motivation and the knowledge/skills required to maintain something like a portable generator. Go look at how many are bought in an emergency by people who think they can gas and go without following the break in procedure.

Standby generators are overpriced compared to the alternatives, but only if you believe that you're buying a generator. What Generac et al. are selling is piece of mind.

Yeah but with stand by units it's not a plug and go situation. They require electrical panel installation, transfer switches, raceways and conduit etc. And they still need oil changes every 8 hours just like portable gens.

 

[dcg9381]

Additional 18 FEET? That's hard to comprehend.

I mean, we have "snow loads" designed for roofs, but isn't this going to screw some stuff up?