Generator Sizing for 550sqft Cabin?

[Jbulach]

You may be driving in on a right of way. Utilities almost always require an easement.


M925A2 with dump hoist

 

[87Nassaublue]

I also like the little Honda inverter generators, I have a little Honda EU1000, however in this case I think you would likely be better off with diesel since it stores so much better than modern gasoline. As to access easements, there are all sorts out there. Several decades ago my grandfather bought 40 acres of wooded land that had been foreclosed on which only had a 1/4 mile long foot traffic access easement along a creek (he bought it to use for hunting)

I did a little reading up on easements today before I responded earlier today. I was surprised to learn they can be written up to have many stipulations and restrictions. The example you used with your Grandfather is an excellent one. That easement only allowed foot traffic. Now that one sounds pretty extreme.

 

[armyrino]

A 5KW is more than enough. That will run up to a 16000 BTU Ac unit which is plenty for that sq. Footage. Stick with a propane unit if possible. Easy to store and never goes bad like gas or diesel.

 

[DieselAddict]

Propane is expensive as a generator fuel. But it doesn't go bad. A potential plus.

The honda eu generators are great for their low noise and good efficiency. Be sure to avoid gas containing alcohol. Straight gas has a much longer shelf life.

 

[rustystud]

Have you looked at a MEP-531 ? I love my little Yanmar unit. It starts up so easy and produces 120 volts all day long on one tank of fuel. Now it is only 2KW so it might not be enough for your A/C unit.

 

[Trailboss]

Bring in an MEP002 without an enclosure, place it 20' from the property line with the exhaust facing the neighbor's home. When he complains about the noise, remind him you would rather have regular lines run but don't have his permission.

 

[87Nassaublue]

Propane is expensive as a generator fuel. But it doesn't go bad. A potential plus.

The honda eu generators are great for their low noise and good efficiency. Be sure to avoid gas containing alcohol. Straight gas has a much longer shelf life.

There's always a trade off. Diesel is supposed to be good for 5 years, but Gas, doesn't last 6 months. Diesel would be much cheaper than propane to operate.

 

[Isaac-1]

Diesel can last well over 5 years if sealed so moisture does not get to it

 

[Chrispyny]

I'd like to respectfully recommend an MEP-831a. I do not have one, but the low hour, good running ones last forever. If you are handy, you can jerry rig 2 motorcycle bateries in series for 24v outside the genset compartment (the factory 24v battery is hard to find and like $450).
They are quiet, built to run at 100% duty cycle, and sip fuel at full load of 3k watts, .33 gallons an hour, 4 gallon tank. That gives you 12 hours at full load. 325 lbs wet with full tank. Easy to bring in on trailer and take home when done.. Or bolt to a concrete pad and chain up. Kinda to heavy for 1 guy to try to steal.
Look into it. For a strictly generator option, this is your best bet.
An mep-002a is LOUD and will defeat your purpose of spending time at the cabin in peace and quiet.
An mep-802a is to much in my opinion. You will wet stack it quick in a home that small.

Good luck.

 

[Olympus]

Well I appreciate all of the suggestions and help so far. But I ran into an unforseen road block. I can't find a single bank or lender who will loan money on a cabin without electricity. We've been pre-approved for a lot more than we're willing to spend on a second place, but apparently not having "grid" electric means to lenders that the home is not habitable. I told them about alternative energy options and they will not recognize them, not generators, not battery banks, not solar panels. Only grid supplied electricity. I even emailed a couple people pictures of the cabin which is actually pretty nice and well above what I would consider minimal habitable conditions. After being told this by 5 different banks, big and small, I started researching this online and apparently it's common everywhere, especially with the tiny house community and prepper community.

 

[Triple Jim]

I've been told that you can't get an FHA loan if the road to the property isn't paved all the way! Sorry you're having trouble. Any chance the seller knows about this and might be willing to work out an agreement with you directly?

 

[Olympus]

I've been told that you can't get an FHA loan if the road to the property isn't paved all the way! Sorry you're having trouble. Any chance the seller knows about this and might be willing to work out an agreement with you directly?

The property is just off a state paved road, it sits 1100ft off the road and about half of that is the easement through the neighbor's driveway. FHA nor conventional will approve the home due to not have electric service from the power company.

I'm pretty nervous about seller financing. I've never done that and don't know anyone who has.

 

[Triple Jim]

I bought some property from a neighbor a year or so ago. We got together and agreed how much the payments would be, and when I'd make them, and we had a lawyer write it up. I kept up my end of the deal and got the deed when it was done.

I don't pretend to be a lawyer, so obviously do your own research, but it worked well for me.

 

[Olympus]

The seller is an older couple, late 60s probably, and they would probably want to be paid off before they get very much older. So I'd guess less than a 20 year term, which puts the payments way up there.

 

[porkysplace]

I see in your first post it has county water , since it has a easement for water they should be able to bury the electric also .

 

[quickfarms]

This advice applies to any person who purchases any real property, regardless of weather it is a condominium, house, vacant land, or a cabin. Get a copy of all of the documents that are part of the title package, the procedure will vary buy jurisdiction, and read all of the documents (if you are not in the business of reading these documents get a land surveyor to do it for you).

You may be very surprised what your legal rights are.

If the neighbor will not let you use a legal easement, by preventing the cutting of trees, he is violating the easement. At that point I would look at what the additional cost is to underground the utilities and make him pay the difference, he probably will back down fast unless he is a lawyer.

 

[cjcottrill]

Make sure you think through the process with your head and not your heart. If your head tells you to proceed, you will find a way. You might be able to process the loan with the electric installation a part of the package, most banks will require a licensed contractor to complete the work. You might have better luck with a small town bank that still makes loans in house, they are much easier to process. Consider a small credit union, most make the decision in house and you may always speak to the board of directors of you really have good credit and your ducks are in a row. I have served on a board of directors and have seen the process work.
Good luck.


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[richingalveston]

easements vary of all kinds, if you have one for water then you should be able to do electric underground. It may only apply to underground or on ground use and not in the air.

1100 ft for a 125 amp service can be done in one 3 inch conduit. just the material should be less than $10 a foot. depending on if you use copper or aluminum. I like copper especially in undrgrounds. your ditch cost depends on the roots and rocks and equipment needed. I bet the total is less than 20k for everything.

If you really want the property get some electrical estimates on the underground. You can work with your electrician and provide the trench and dig it yourself and you will save a lot of money. rent a small track hoe for less than 1000 a week.

Have the cost of the electrical added to the loan and you will find a lender. You may have to do a builders risk insurance for the first month or two instead of home owners until power is on but once it is, you start a new regular home owner policy.

I am a general contractor and I also buy and fix distressed commercial property and built residential houses for 10 years. If you are a good buyer with credit and history, the bank wants to lend and will work with you in a lot of ways. If you and the seller work together, they can get a loan from the bank based on your sales contract to do the electrical work. The cost is added to the sale price and they do the work on your gaurentee of purchase. normally the buyer can be convinced to do this via a lot of earnest money. Thus if you walk, they get about half the loan cost back but can put the property right back on the market with power.

owner financing is ok as long as you have a lawyer draw it up. But the seller has to be willing.

The only other question to ask is once you get power to the house how much will it cost you to connect it and if the power company will do so with out an inspection. You could get power there and them not turn it on because the structure is not to code. Not a big chance on them shutting you down but you may find a lot more cost once the power is to the house.

 

[rustystud]

This advice applies to any person who purchases any real property, regardless of weather it is a condominium, house, vacant land, or a cabin. Get a copy of all of the documents that are part of the title package, the procedure will vary buy jurisdiction, and read all of the documents (if you are not in the business of reading these documents get a land surveyor to do it for you).

You may be very surprised what your legal rights are.

If the neighbor will not let you use a legal easement, by preventing the cutting of trees, he is violating the easement. At that point I would look at what the additional cost is to underground the utilities and make him pay the difference, he probably will back down fast unless he is a lawyer.

This is truly the best advice ! I bought my land over 30 years ago and if I hadn't read all the Counties documents I wouldn't have found out that there was THREE right-aways on my land ! I was able to negotiate a better contract with the seller because of it.