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Does anyone have a whole-home generator?

Does anyone have a whole-home generator?

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by: donnatella Active Indicator LED Icon 13 Forum Moderator  OP 
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 9:56am  
We are SERIOUSLY considering one, especially now that is it hurricane season. I like the idea of once the power goes out, the system will kick on and start things up again within seconds.  We've been through three different situations where we were without power for extended periods of time and things got VERY primitive for us.  NO FUN FOR THE DOM!!!
 
If you have one:
   (1) did you purchase it with your home?
   (2) was it a separate add-on later ?
   (3) what kind do you have?
   (4) how much is/was your system?
   (5) what is the going rate for them?  We are currently looking into various quotes.
   (6) do you have any recommendations?
 
Please and thank you for any and all info. 4951
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topcat Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 9:59am  
I was thinking about one too. I've always been blessed with a place to stay during hurricanes, but I would rather stay home. I wonder how much solar powered ones are. 4951
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doddlebug Active Indicator LED Icon 17
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 10:00am  
We ordered ours on Amazon and got a Generac. You have to change the oil every 48 hours if you run them continuously. We hired contractors to pour the slab, put the gas line in and the electric box, ect. 4951
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buffaloglenn Active Indicator LED Icon 11
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 10:01am  
We are SERIOUSLY considering one, especially now that is it hurricane season. I like the idea of once the power goes out, the system will kick on and start things up again within seconds.  We've been through three different situations where we were without power for extended periods of time and things got VERY primitive for us.  NO FUN FOR THE DOM!!!
 
If you have one:
   (1) did you purchase it with your home?
   (2) was it a separate add-on later ?
   (3) what kind do you have?
   (4) how much is/was your system?
   (5) what is the going rate for them?  We are currently looking into various quotes.
   (6) do you have any recommendations?
 
Please and thank you for any and all info.
 
@donnatella: To me, it sounds like a good idea.  They run off natural gas, coming in from your home's gas supply.  The only issue I see there is if Centerpoint has a power outtage to their system that controls natural gas distribution, then  you could still find yourself without the power you need for your house.  During Ike, the gas stayed on while we were without power for 10 days, so it should have worked during that time.   We have a second home up north that we could escape to, so I'm not sure it makes sense for us to pay for a generator but I will be interested to see responses from those that have one and what their experience has been. 
4951
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herron1345 Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 10:36am  
@donnatellaMy in-laws have one since my mother-in-law has MS..........They purchased / had it installed a few years back........It's a Stand By Generator that comes on automatically when the power goes off, and runs the entire house - AC, Lights, Fridge, TV...  Everything.........It's wired into / runs off of their Natural Gas.... ....And I believe the cost was close to $10,000..........But it was an absolute must have since my mother-in-law CANNOT tolerate the heat whatsoever.........And some of her MS medications have to be kept refrigerated.......In this area, I believe that Generator Supercenter installs them, or you can go to the Generac website and set it up..... 4951
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TXSunDvl Active Indicator LED Icon 15
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 12:43pm  
We are SERIOUSLY considering one, especially now that is it hurricane season. I like the idea of once the power goes out, the system will kick on and start things up again within seconds.  We've been through three different situations where we were without power for extended periods of time and things got VERY primitive for us.  NO FUN FOR THE DOM!!!
 
If you have one:
   (1) did you purchase it with your home?  No
   (2) was it a separate add-on later ?  Yes
   (3) what kind do you have? GE
   (4) how much is/was your system? About 10K
   (5) what is the going rate for them?  We are currently looking into various quotes. Not sure
   (6) do you have any recommendations? We got ours from Quality generator out of Conroe.  Prices vary a lot depending on wattage.  We can run our whole house with ours, including central air.
 
Please and thank you for any and all info.
 
@donnatella:
4951
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TexasTideFan Active Indicator LED Icon 4
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 12:47pm  
[quote....And I believe the cost was close to $10,000......[quote-end-tag-mismatch] @herron1345: Pretty close. 
 
If you have one during a Hurricane Ike situation, you will become the  most popular person in your little corner of Kingwood after 2 days.  4951
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NewToTexas Active Indicator LED Icon 1
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 12:51pm  
@donnatellaI have had them before, they are awesome, such a life savor.. expect neighbors to come knocking though...  Check with "wired", they seem to be a decent outfit.. 4951
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Retired_Engineer Active Indicator LED Icon 13
~ 9 years ago   Jun 6, '14 3:12pm  
The little power outage we had a week or so ago got me thinking about a full natural gas generator.  I've got an appointment to get a big in a week.  p.s.  I asked about the need to change the oil every 48 hours when running continuously.  The rep said that used to be the practice, but the engine manufacturers now say it's not necessary.  I was wondering about that.... I mean, we don't change the oil on gasoline or diesel engines that often and they are a lot dirtier than burning natural gas.They do recommend testing the generators and changing the oil twice a year.  Then, if you have a long power outage, it's a good idea to change the oil after the outage. 4951
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