WillsC
Member
- 37
- 8
- 8
- Location
- Inverness, FL
Hello,
I'm Wills, not Willis, everyone sees that extra I till I point out it isn't there. Just wanted to introduce myself though I have been reading threads here for a week or so so feel like I already know some of the regular posters. I know I will need some help sooner or later.
I own a nursery here at my home and have a few greenhouses. One of the greenhouses has 10k gallons of water in it that acts as passive heat storage for the winter, the plants grow on top of the tanks. It keeps the GH warm and also the tanks have tilapia in them for personal use. Have about 800 adult fish at any given time and who knows how many youngsters. A 1.5 HP regenerative blower supplies air to the tanks as well as to about 5000 gallons of water for hydroponics (De-coupled deep water culture) in a different greenhouse. The generator while it will supply the whole house and the greenhouses is mostly so that the tanks don't lose air flow due to an extended power outage. The fish can tolerate the 2 HP water pump that filters the water through the tanks to be out for days and would not care in the least but if the air goes out the fish will be in deep trouble in about 8 hours.
Just bought a MEP-803A last week. Very nice unit, a 2011 I believe and looks brand new inside and out, unit has 24 hours on it and given the condition of it I'm sure that is accurate. It is the model with the solar panel charger mounted to the top as well, or perhaps that was an optional add on?
I mounted it to a sled made of 4x4 lumber with 6 solid rubber tires. The tires were needed as its ultimate destination was on our Lanai and did not want to tear up the pool deck dragging it. Had to take 2 wheels at a time off to get it in the screen doors. Take two wheels off push it in...put the wheels back on.....pull, take the middle two wheels off.....pull it in then put them back on, well you get it.
The generator is sitting on a horse stall mat on the concrete floored and screened Lanai which is about 40 feet long, steel roof and steel walls. Wanted it under roof so I did not have to deal with the Gen being in the weather and dealing with the bugs getting in it. To be clear it is outside and about 30 feet from my home but the Lanai is connected to the house.
Ran conduit and got the unit all set along with an interlock kit for the electrical panel. The funny part is my wife said "now that we have it we probably will never need it", but being in FL we will need it
Turned out she was wrong very quickly. As I was wiring things in to the electrical panel there was a LOUD BOOM......just not what you want to hear when your hands are inside the panel, main breaker off or not. The transformer on the pole at the road had popped, Sounded like a 12 gauge, a heck of a coincidence if you ask me. Wife came outside and looked at me with raised eyebrows...I said "I did NOT cause that". I was just about done with the install so when done I fired the gen up let her warm up while the better half notified the power company the power was out. 5 minutes later the entire house and greenhouses were being run by the generator. About 30 minutes later the tattle tail started screaming that the utility power was back on line so reversed the process and went back to utility power.
Tomorrow will install an extended exhaust stack up and through the metal roof. Thanks to the folks here I knew to get a vibration dampener section of pipe as well as to use a T and a short pipe "tail" to deal with any water that could get in though there will be a flapper on the top of the pipe.
Next will build out a 10kw load bank as after reading here I think it is needed.
Again, thank you for all the great posts you have all made in the past. It helped so much in deciding to get the generator and details for the install. The funny part is on impulse had picked up a 20KW propane Generac which was used but after reading up......that I should have done first I knew it was going to be a mistake so now will just sell it.
Wills
I'm Wills, not Willis, everyone sees that extra I till I point out it isn't there. Just wanted to introduce myself though I have been reading threads here for a week or so so feel like I already know some of the regular posters. I know I will need some help sooner or later.
I own a nursery here at my home and have a few greenhouses. One of the greenhouses has 10k gallons of water in it that acts as passive heat storage for the winter, the plants grow on top of the tanks. It keeps the GH warm and also the tanks have tilapia in them for personal use. Have about 800 adult fish at any given time and who knows how many youngsters. A 1.5 HP regenerative blower supplies air to the tanks as well as to about 5000 gallons of water for hydroponics (De-coupled deep water culture) in a different greenhouse. The generator while it will supply the whole house and the greenhouses is mostly so that the tanks don't lose air flow due to an extended power outage. The fish can tolerate the 2 HP water pump that filters the water through the tanks to be out for days and would not care in the least but if the air goes out the fish will be in deep trouble in about 8 hours.
Just bought a MEP-803A last week. Very nice unit, a 2011 I believe and looks brand new inside and out, unit has 24 hours on it and given the condition of it I'm sure that is accurate. It is the model with the solar panel charger mounted to the top as well, or perhaps that was an optional add on?
I mounted it to a sled made of 4x4 lumber with 6 solid rubber tires. The tires were needed as its ultimate destination was on our Lanai and did not want to tear up the pool deck dragging it. Had to take 2 wheels at a time off to get it in the screen doors. Take two wheels off push it in...put the wheels back on.....pull, take the middle two wheels off.....pull it in then put them back on, well you get it.
The generator is sitting on a horse stall mat on the concrete floored and screened Lanai which is about 40 feet long, steel roof and steel walls. Wanted it under roof so I did not have to deal with the Gen being in the weather and dealing with the bugs getting in it. To be clear it is outside and about 30 feet from my home but the Lanai is connected to the house.
Ran conduit and got the unit all set along with an interlock kit for the electrical panel. The funny part is my wife said "now that we have it we probably will never need it", but being in FL we will need it
Turned out she was wrong very quickly. As I was wiring things in to the electrical panel there was a LOUD BOOM......just not what you want to hear when your hands are inside the panel, main breaker off or not. The transformer on the pole at the road had popped, Sounded like a 12 gauge, a heck of a coincidence if you ask me. Wife came outside and looked at me with raised eyebrows...I said "I did NOT cause that". I was just about done with the install so when done I fired the gen up let her warm up while the better half notified the power company the power was out. 5 minutes later the entire house and greenhouses were being run by the generator. About 30 minutes later the tattle tail started screaming that the utility power was back on line so reversed the process and went back to utility power. Tomorrow will install an extended exhaust stack up and through the metal roof. Thanks to the folks here I knew to get a vibration dampener section of pipe as well as to use a T and a short pipe "tail" to deal with any water that could get in though there will be a flapper on the top of the pipe.
Next will build out a 10kw load bank as after reading here I think it is needed.
Again, thank you for all the great posts you have all made in the past. It helped so much in deciding to get the generator and details for the install. The funny part is on impulse had picked up a 20KW propane Generac which was used but after reading up......that I should have done first I knew it was going to be a mistake so now will just sell it.
Wills
Last edited:
