Generator hook up

[Randyk]

Hello group-
I have only posted a few times. I thought there was an area that had a generator discussion but can't seem to find it. I just finished pouring the slab for the generator. Wife showed up the last 15 min to help. As always her timing is impeccable.
The unit we are installing is a 20kw Generac Gardian series and I am considering hooked up to LP instead of natural gas.
Thoughts? It's the type that starts itself every so often and runs for a while and shuts itself off.
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
Randy K

 

[pattenp]

If you have natural gas that you can hook to that would be the easiest. No big LP tank to figure where it's going.

 

[koditten]

I have one of those. I wouldn't even think about using LP. Just watching the meter spin once a week for the exercise cycle makes me cringe. I would hate to be paying the bill for the LP.

The thing has only ran for 20 minutes in a real outage and I wanted to see how much gas it used under load, by the time I had my coat on to go outside the damn power came back on.

 

[nick2010tundra]

I have one also, and am hooked to propane. I don't have natural gas in my area so I had no choice. Also I am the guy fixing the power when it goes out so I wanted something easy for the wife. So far mine has about 4 days of running and used about 1/3 of a 250lb tank. For me I bought it for the safety of my family while I am working as we have a young baby. Anyways I love mine, good idea on the pad as well.

 

[Beemer533]

If you have a choice, NG hands down. No tank to worry about, or have to get filled.. And oh yeah, price! Around here at least NG is way cheaper.

About the only downside I can think of is that for a given rating you will generally lose a bit of output with NG compared to LP.

A generator rated at 20kw on LP might be only good for 18kw on NG..

Quick comparison;
http://www.propane101.com/propanevsnaturalgas.htm

 

[MagicMarker]

Who are you using to do the install of your Generac? We bought a house and I'd like to get a NG one done for the sump pumps a a few essentials..

 

[Ron Lombardo]

... has anyone taken into account that with all the home generators everyone is installing that the Natural Gas Infrastructure is undersized. I would seriously consider LP ... actually I have Gasoline Powered Generators and 1 Tri Gas generators ... Nat, LP and Petro.

 

[JoeFin]

If you have a choice, NG hands down. No tank to worry about, or have to get filled.. And oh yeah, price! Around here at least NG is way cheaper.

Only problem being that you use the "Regulator" pressure to tune the engine for starting.

If you are on a shared line with the furnace, stove, oven, water heater, gas dryer - once one of those devices turns on the manufacture won't guarantee the machine to start properly.

Well most folks probably don't care about the NEC requirement of Emergency Back-Up Power starting in 6 seconds. Installed quite a few Generac 40 Kw to 100 Kw gen-sets for Police 911 system requirements back in the day

 

[frankzlt1]

The new 17 and 20 kw generac generators will run on 3 on the water column for ng. The new generators are very efficient. Just make sure you install the generator 5 ft from any openings vents, window's. Also make sure you got a good qualified electrician installing the 20 kw because they come service rated, and if you have any heavy loads that will or could over load the generator make sure you use the load shedding system that comes with the generator. It's a good idea to use a dealer to at least help you set the generator up. If you got any questions about the generator or the system you can email me. [email protected] I also take care and install of other brands as well.

 

[Mustang51js]

Who are you using to do the install of your Generac? We bought a house and I'd like to get a NG one done for the sump pumps a a few essentials..

Sent you a pm

 

[TheEquineFencer]

Hello group-
I have only posted a few times. I thought there was an area that had a generator discussion but can't seem to find it. I just finished pouring the slab for the generator. Wife showed up the last 15 min to help. As always her timing is impeccable.
The unit we are installing is a 20kw Generac Gardian series and I am considering hooked up to LP instead of natural gas.
Thoughts? It's the type that starts itself every so often and runs for a while and shuts itself off.
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
Randy K

I just saw your location. You might want to stick with CNG, LPG in your climate does not carry as many BTU per gallon when it's that cold. The only real advantage to LPG, you'll know what it cost to fill the tank and you'll know when you empty, with CNG, when you get the bill you'll at least have a few days to come up with the money to pay the bill. Both are not as fuel efficient as diesel. But then again, in your climate, if a block heater fails you're sunk.

 

[JoeFin]

Not hat it matters - but this is from page 8 of your owner's manual

Once the generator is installed, verify that the fuel
pressure NEVER drops more than one (1) inch water column
from no load to full load from the starting pressure for either
fuel type, and remains within the limits of the stated specification.

you probably already have an owner's manual - but just in case you don't here is the link

http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/manuals/Generac Owners Manual 8-20kW-r3-13-2012.pdf

Just be sure your installer Does NOT place it on a Shared regulated supply

 

[The mean fish]

I've got a Guardian 17KW on LP and a whole house 200amp transfer switch, At about 75% load it will pull a gallon of propane per hour and I've got a 500 gallon tank that I keep full (80%) or close to it during hurricane season.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

I've got a Guardian 17KW on LP and a whole house 200amp transfer switch, At about 75% load it will pull a gallon of propane per hour and I've got a 500 gallon tank that I keep full (80%) or close to it during hurricane season.

So you can run for about two days at a 75% load and then you're dead in the water? Load manage and you'll get a few more days out of it. Long term, you better know someone at the gas company. How much is a 500 gallon tank of LPG?

 

[frankzlt1]

So you can run for about two days at a 75% load and then you're dead in the water? Load manage and you'll get a few more days out of it. Long term, you better know someone at the gas company. How much is a 500 gallon tank of LPG?

I think if you reread what he wrote you will understand he's got a 500 gallon tank and if it's burning a gallon per hr at 75% load that would give him 500 hrs of run time. That would roughly be 2 1/2 weeks of straight run time.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I have a 17 kw that I run on propane. In three years it has run a couple of nights due to power outages and then the weekly exercise cycle to keep it in good shape. I refilled my tank this month for the first time in three years and it was about $140 of propane used out of a 500 gallon tank (400 gallons is 80% fill). One of the first things that happens when there are a lot of damage from hurricanes is that they turn off the NG because of leakage and fire hazard. I use natural gas for heating and decided that I wanted Propane in my tank in case the natural gas was turned off.

 

[The mean fish]

So you can run for about two days at a 75% load and then you're dead in the water? Load manage and you'll get a few more days out of it. Long term, you better know someone at the gas company. How much is a 500 gallon tank of LPG?

I've got a 500 gallon tank, "full" on a propane tank like this is 80% or 400 gallons so I've got about 400 gallons or 400 hours of run time available in that tank. 400 hours is a loooooooong time to run a generator, chances are I would only run it at night for AC so I've got a 3 or more weeks of propane outside. I've got a Honda EU6500is inverter gasoline generator that I also have set up to run on LP and it'll easily run a window unit AC and my fridge and freezer no problem so if things got bad and I knew I'd be without power for weeks I'd likely run the Honda during the day or when needed, it's about 40 times more quiet than the Guardian.

 

[Randyk]

I have a local guy who went to a weeks worth of install training in Vegas last summer who is going to do the electrical hook up. He is also a master electrician. He is in the process of moving to Provo Utah to take over running an electrical repair company there.

 

[Randyk]

It wil be on a shared line with a hot water heater and the garage furnace. Maybe. My furnace HVAC guy is coming tomorrow to check it out and see if it'll all work. I'm going with him on the NG hook up as he is really good and wont cobble something up. If not then I'm hand digging another ditch about 60 feet to the meter. Crappola!! I just got the lawn to grown in decent.

 

[Randyk]

I've got a 500 gallon tank, "full" on a propane tank like this is 80% or 400 gallons so I've got about 400 gallons or 400 hours of run time available in that tank. 400 hours is a loooooooong time to run a generator, chances are I would only run it at night for AC so I've got a 3 or more weeks of propane outside. I've got a Honda EU6500is inverter gasoline generator that I also have set up to run on LP and it'll easily run a window unit AC and my fridge and freezer no problem so if things got bad and I knew I'd be without power for weeks I'd likely run the Honda during the day or when needed, it's about 40 times more quiet than the Guardian.

I like this idea. If I run it on propane then I don't have to dig up the yard and as the wife pointed out if we get a really bad earthquake, which has happened here on occasion and NG is cut off then at least we will have power.
With the two other smaller generators and the propane fueled 20 we should be ok.

 

[Randyk]

Wait. Ok, now how do I get the large propane tank back near the generator? I thought I was going to strip my running gear getting the generator up on the pad today. I think my mom leases her tank for a small amount a year.

 

[Randyk]

So is anyone running a large generator on LP in a cold climate?

 

[Mustang51js]

Wait. Ok, now how do I get the large propane tank back near the generator? I thought I was going to strip my running gear getting the generator up on the pad today. I think my mom leases her tank for a small amount a year.

I know around here there is a certain distance the tank has to be away from the gen, I want to say 10-15 feet away. Last one I did the plumber had to get some special metal hose line like a oil tank line and run that over.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

I think if you reread what he wrote you will understand he's got a 500 gallon tank and if it's burning a gallon per hr at 75% load that would give him 500 hrs of run time. That would roughly be 2 1/2 weeks of straight run time.

My Bad, I tried to correct or delete the post but it wouldn't.

 

[The mean fish]

Wait. Ok, now how do I get the large propane tank back near the generator? I thought I was going to strip my running gear getting the generator up on the pad today. I think my mom leases her tank for a small amount a year.

I've got my tank set about 125' from the generator in a place where it's much easier for the guy to fill it. Usually they'll run a pre-regulator on the tank and run copper tubing underground to the generator.