Need a standby genset what to buy ?

[acesneights1]

I want a diesel reliable standby generator. What should I look for and what should I pay ?

 

[shovelheadmike]

I want a diesel reliable standby generator. What should I look for and what should I pay ?

Hmm... Not enough info to.answer. How deep are your pockets? How much load.do you need to supply? Why diesel and not natural gas or propane?

Would you want manual or automatic transfer switch?

 

[emmado22]

Whats your load you need to power?

 

[wreckerman893]

I bought a 10k diesel mounted on a trailer......it will run the whole house if needed but is way too much for just portable power around the farm.

If you run too light a load on it it can "wet stack" and cause engine issues.

For light loads I use the 5k gas burner that the Boss Lady got from Tractor Supply.

The 10k has a two cylinder Onan engine and sucks fuel when ran very long.

If you are planning on using it for emergency power for the house you will need a disconnect switch to keep from back feeding the power grid. Backfeeding can kill someone working on the grid and you don't have enough insurance to cover that happening if you hot wire your system.

You can find out local requirements from your power provider.

 

[glcaines]

Hmm... Not enough info to.answer. How deep are your pockets? How much load.do you need to supply? Why diesel and not natural gas or propane? Would you want manual or automatic transfer switch?

1. Load?
2. 1 or 3 phase? Both?
3. Portable? Trailer mounted?
4. Manual or auto transfer switch?
5. Fuel?

 

[Ken_86gt]

Also- is this a generator that will be automatically started and loaded up or all manual? If your significant other will need to be able to bring the generator online and they are not trained and comfortable with generator operations.......you may not want a military generator.

 

[Warthog]

? If your significant other will need to be able to bring the generator online and they are not trained and comfortable with generator operations.......you may not want a military generator.

I had bought a MEP-005A 30Kw unit for the house. The wife said "NO" so it was sold and I bought a portable 10Kw electric start Genrec from Lowes for $1300. Parts are easier to find also.

 

[Floridianson]

Dam all good answers. I also like my civy Honda for light loads and it has the auto rpm reduction when there is no load. I have three gens 10k 5k 3k diesel militarys and they just sit. I would stay away from military inless it just has to be OD in color for U.

 

[NEIOWA]

What does the wife have to say about utility supplY. She ask you about curtains, candles and cake mix? Get a pair. 30kw is WAY to big for a residence unless your heating a McMansion in Jan with electric heaters.

MEP003 10kw is on the large size for a residence but maybe. A good genset. MEP002 5kw is more likely right size. But not "no touch" power.

To my understanding wetstacking is only a watercooled diesel "issue".

MEP003 has four cyl. MEP002 has two cyl.

If you're going to go Honda (or similar) spend teh $ for a decent (industrial duty). the $500 units are nothing but lawnmower equivalent lightweights.

 

[dstang97]

I vote for mep-002a I just got mine last sat and I love it.

 

[quickfarms]

I like my Mep 903 B

Another option that has not been mentioned is a light trailer, they have a 6 KW generator in them and can be used as a ginat flood light

 

[acesneights1]

Looking for 5-7k. Stand by. Manual transfer is fine.

 

[steelandcanvas]

5 KW = MEP-002A. Air cooled, 2 cylinder, electric start, diesel.

 

[ssdvc]

Diesel keeps for a long time, just add some Bio-cide and no worries long term. Gas goes bad quickly, so if you don't run the genset on a regular basis and keep adding fuel, that could be an issue.

I will be looking for a small 3-5KW diesel genset shortly. Plus, the mil spec diesels are under rated. In an emergency, I figure all I'll really need is heat (if cold out), the fridge and possibly some lighting or small electrical devices. 3KW should be enough.


Diesel is where its at.

 

[A/C Cages]

Propane Gens are great, there is no fuel to go bad since propane doesnt go bad.
A tank of propane lasts longer of an equilivent sized tank of other fuels.

I myself have 2 gas gens, 3 diesel gens, and 4 propane gens. Sizes range for different applications so im not wasting fuels.
This isnt counting the gen I have in the boat either.

 

[steeldude]

I would recommend either a 12 or 15KW Onan water cooled diesel. parts are easy to get, dealer support is good and unit is easy to work on as far as maintenance goes. they also have a super quiet model in consideration of your neighbors.

downside is you have to have a batt charger
fuel additives are a must
diesel more expensive than gas.

upsides...lots of safety features to protect unit. easy to start as wifey can do it.

 

[salvorone@aol.com]

HERE IS A GOOD RULE OF THUMB, AVERAGE HOUSE WITH AC NEEDS AROUND 15 KW , NOW I ASSUME A LOT , NOW IF YOU NEED 15 I WOULD BUY 20 KW , BUT THATS ME . ANOTHER POINT, GASOLENE GOES BAD. DIESEL FUEL NOT ONLY GOES BAD BUT CAN ALSO GROW A ALGE TYPE FUNK, BEEN THERE DONE THAT, PROPANE LASTS AND LASTS AND LASTS, YOU GOT THE IDEA. FIGURE THE LOAD ,BUY MORE THAN YOU NEED , AHATS MY ADVISE , MOTTO , GO BIG OR GO HOME

 

[Keith_J]

15 kW is a good rule of thumb for typical standby units for average homes. A MEP-003A will easily meet this even though it is 5 kW smaller.

Diesel will keep much longer than gasoline as long as the container is sealed. Gasoline loses volume from evaporation, diesel not nearly as rapidly.

 

[A/C Cages]

Ethanol gas last even shorter. I wish they would get rid of it, it eats away at everything.

 

[Isaac-1]

On the topic of diesel life, the big problem with storage is exposure to moisture allowing algae to grow (this is where adding biocide helps), if you keep it in a sealed container it will last almost forever. For my little MEP-701a I use a 55 gallon drum with a shut off and anti siphon valve. Over on the Smokstak board there are several people that have posted messages with the logevity of diesel, the two best examples I can think of include one guy from Alaska that talks about still using diesel stored in drums from ww2 in remote locations, another is from a generator tech in the pacific northwest that maintains a generator at some government site with a large emergency supply of diesel on site, the tank was last refilled in the early 1970's (although they do get a fuel polishing service to come out and filter it every 5-10 years). Sure propane has a longer shelf life, but from my perspective I will likely expire first.