Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » A good reason to keep your Generator.
| A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311125] |
Wed, 30 November 2016 16:31  |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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We have had a great deal of rain recently.
That was over, but we then had high winds.
Then the power went out. This should not be an issue as I have installed a hydraulic bilge/sump pump in case we loose power to the AC pump.
I went down to check things out. For some reason (still unknown) the hydraulic was not holding the level down. It take some amount of time to get the house generator on line as it is stored dry. (No Fuel and not where it can run.) The coach, on the other hand, has lots of fuel, is in the barn and ready to go. So, I picked up a long extension cord pulled her out and around by the side of the house. Started the Generator (APU), plugged the extension cord in an outlet in the reefer bay and walked the other end down to the bilge pump. Then I watched as the level went down as it should.
Now I had plenty of time to get the regular house generator on line and did. That is set up to supply most of the house.
We live in what many people would think of as the country, I don't because I can see the neighbor's houses. It is not urban. We are on a 5 acre lot and we keep the coach at home, but even if we did not, in the event of a serious problem, your coach can be a big help.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311127 is a reply to message #311125] |
Wed, 30 November 2016 16:41  |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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My coach is on a pad by the rear of the house. With a 50 amp 'Fool Killer' I can trip the main breaker and power the entire house with the 23' heathen chinee genset, including the 220 volt stuff. A Fool Killer is a cord with two male plugs. It is >NOT< covered by anyone's code, and has the potential to both kill you and burn your house down. Be real sure you know what you're doing, and if there's any question, just run a long extenuation from the GMC to the icebox and wait for the power to come back.
We don't lose power often here, but a week without isn't uncommon. Since they just commissioned a new substation up the road from my place, I anticipate the end of the not uncommon outages.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311131 is a reply to message #311127] |
Wed, 30 November 2016 18:31 |
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thesmith
Messages: 589
Registered: February 2015
Location: Cary, NC
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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I believe you can also kill the lineman fixing your powerline. make sure you flip off the main power switch for your house as well
Pete
Johnny Bridges wrote on Wed, 30 November 2016 17:41My coach is on a pad by the rear of the house. With a 50 amp 'Fool Killer' I can trip the main breaker and power the entire house with the 23' heathen chinee genset, including the 220 volt stuff. A Fool Killer is a cord with two male plugs. It is >NOT< covered by anyone's code, and has the potential to both kill you and burn your house down. Be real sure you know what you're doing, and if there's any question, just run a long extenuation from the GMC to the icebox and wait for the power to come back.
We don't lose power often here, but a week without isn't uncommon. Since they just commissioned a new substation up the road from my place, I anticipate the end of the not uncommon outages.
--johnny
Cary, NC
1978 Center Kitchen Royale.
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311132 is a reply to message #311125] |
Wed, 30 November 2016 18:59 |
Chr$
Messages: 2690
Registered: January 2004
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Karma: 1
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4KVA Honda in the RV, 5.5KVA contractor Genset in the back yard, and a 900W Horror Fright unit AND a Honda EU2000i belonging to my rocket club in the garage. Yeah. I'm set for power outages...
-Chr$: Perpetual SmartAss
Scottsdale, AZ
77 Ex-Kingsley 455 SOLD!
2010 Nomad 24 Ft TT 390W PV W/MPPT, EV4010 and custom cargo door.
Photosite: Chrisc GMC:"It has Begun" TT: "The Other Woman"
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311136 is a reply to message #311125] |
Wed, 30 November 2016 20:46 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Senior Member |
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I was working on the broken gate last fall. It's about 400' from power at the house. So loaded the additional tools (beyond what I carry) and my Sawzall and drove the coach to the job site. Now I had power, beverages, warmth and even a portapotty and radio.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311145 is a reply to message #311125] |
Wed, 30 November 2016 23:44 |
rootesrefuge
Messages: 39
Registered: August 2016
Location: Nebraska
Karma: 0
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Back in the 70s my father had a SOB coach with a good generator. He wired a 50a circuit in the house that powered the furnace and the refrigerator, along with a single outside outlet. Whenever the power went out, it was just a case of flipping the breakers off to disconnect from the grid, and plugging in a cord from the coach to that outside outlet. Kept the heat going and the food cold.
John in Omaha, Nebraska
74 26' Sequoia
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311147 is a reply to message #311145] |
Thu, 01 December 2016 06:02 |
tphipps
Messages: 3005
Registered: August 2004
Location: Spanish Fort, AL
Karma: 9
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During Hurricane Katrina, with total commercial loss of power over this entire area, I wandered out to the coach, fired up Mr. On an. Ran power cords to house frig, and neighbor's frig. Stayed high and dry in GMC with a/c, marginal TV, potty, frig and stove. GMC is a great lifeboat. Also operated Ham Radio providing emergency communications support to area Emergency Operations Agency.
Now have 6kw Honda in coach, and 3.5kw in garage. 14 years without a hurricane has to come to a close.
Tom, MS II
2012 Phoenix Cruiser model 2552
KA4CSG
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311149 is a reply to message #311125] |
Thu, 01 December 2016 08:19 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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Thesmith note, "Trip the main breaker". If I were to hook up a pigtail, I'd need several hundred feet of large gauge wire and a three way 'air gap' switch accessible to the power company. I'll just turn off the breaker.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311150 is a reply to message #311125] |
Thu, 01 December 2016 08:41 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Do not believe that living close to the substation will make much difference. I can see the substation down the street out my front window and we still have power failures. Sometimes it is the primary feed to the station that fails. We have dual route feeds to the station but the change over is a manual operation.
Any short on the 12,000 volt circuit out of the station to your house will trip the breakers for everyone. My 12K circuit runs down the street for several miles.
The only time I ever really needed my generator for an extended outage, it was not available. I had loaned it to a friend to run a welder at a hangar that he was building. We were snowed in for several days and I could not get to the airport to get it back. I did one time on a short (several hour) outage, fire it up to run my outside lights just to make my neighbor angry.
Most of out outages are short (several hours). We did have one time that the power company lost almost 2 miles towers on one of the main feeds from the power station. That took them most of the day to reroute the system. It is interesting that the back up changeover is a manual operation requiring someone on site at the various stations to implement the changes.
I always ask during extended outages
"What would Daniel Boone have done?"
Then I follow his example if necessary.
Please throw another log on the fire honey.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311151 is a reply to message #311125] |
Thu, 01 December 2016 08:45 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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I've a list of JEMCO recloser timings around here someplace. I always give them the longest one (30minutes, I think) before I drop off - grid and make my own. They usually pick up on the first or second (.5 sec, 5 sec) because the drop is usually a tree limb. If it doesn't fall off the line in thirty minutes, they go looking.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311153 is a reply to message #311151] |
Thu, 01 December 2016 08:56 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Our sub gives three retries (on the secondary side) in under 30 seconds. After that it requires is a trip to the sub-station to investigate the problem and to reset the breaker(s) manually. They can tell if it is primary or secondary remotely. That information is transmitted remotely by UHF radio back to the power company. Usually the investigation procedure is a service truck driving down the street with a spot light looking for the tree branch, down line, or broken pole.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311176 is a reply to message #311153] |
Fri, 02 December 2016 06:32 |
kstockwell
Messages: 367
Registered: May 2016
Location: Putney VT
Karma: 4
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Senior Member |
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I'm hoping to be able to do just this. At some point I'll get a transfer switch so I too can power the house with the coach if there's a power outage
What's the suggested setup? A Male-Female long 50 amp cable running to the basement into a transfer switch that then ties to the circuit box? The existing 50 amp cable is the size of my arm, a 75' length of this (to get to the basement) will be really expensive. Is that level of cable needed? I have a 220V well pump, an oil air fired furnace and one outlet i'd like to run. Is the stock genny pure sinewave so I could run my pellet stove?
kelly
78 Kingsley
Putney VT
1978 Kingsley
Putney VT
[Updated on: Fri, 02 December 2016 07:49] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311178 is a reply to message #311125] |
Fri, 02 December 2016 08:27 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Senior Member |
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Won't work on the 240V stuff. Though the NEMA 14-50 is 120/240V, the generator only puts out a single 120V signal. When you plug in at a 50A camp post there is 120/240 and that enters the GMC but the GMC only references hot to neutral not hot to hot. The 14-50 receptical box in the GMC compartment is wired not "true" to code by paralleling the gen feed to line 1 and line 2. That way all circuits get power. You could use 6/3 instead of 6/4 and save a bit of cable mass to get power to the house. And only wire the 14-50P to use L1, N and G. Your house tranfer switch could apply L1 to L2 on the Gen side of the xfter switch at the house, therefore the 240V items would see L1 and L1 or no net voltage. Would work on all 120V circuits but probably not code.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311182 is a reply to message #311131] |
Fri, 02 December 2016 09:57 |
TR 1
Messages: 348
Registered: August 2015
Location: DFW
Karma: -7
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Senior Member |
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thesmith wrote on Wed, 30 November 2016 18:31I believe you can also kill the lineman fixing your powerline. make sure you flip off the main power switch for your house as well
Pete
Linemen know better than to trust homeowners to heed your good advice... They'll ground the line as an extra safety precaution against someone (or something) inadvertently charging the line they're working on...
Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
Manny 1 Ton Front End,
Howell Injection,
Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
Fort Worth, TX
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311187 is a reply to message #311125] |
Fri, 02 December 2016 10:55 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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The 240 stuff won't work on the original Onan. If like me (And p'raps ken, I dunno) you've upgraded to the heathen chinee set, you have 240 available.
For the proximity to the substation, JEMCO and most utilities sit at the recloser while a lineman observes the line to the first disconnect. He opens it and the guy at the sub closes the circuit, then leapfrogs to the second switch, observing the while. This is repeated till they find the limb or a section takes down the circuit at which point they inspect every drop till they find the culprit. I'm first switch from the new sub, I was ~~ 17 miles from the old one. Fixer quicker now.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311194 is a reply to message #311125] |
Fri, 02 December 2016 18:00 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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Kelly, if you're going to the trouble and expense o
f a transfer switch (Called doing it correctly) realize that the heathen chinee generator I have in the 23' coach was 600 bux, before coupon - discount - whatever from Harbor Freight, and it does 240 volts.
Since I was updating the power setup anyway, I installed a 120 - 240 panel. A/C on one side, water heater on the other, plugs split side to side. 12v supply on one. It can be fed with a parallel 50 amp service or a 240 volt 50 amp service.
When we had a well, I had a Yamaha generator solely because it would pull the 240 volt well pump. When the toilet doesn't flush, Paula fades for the motel.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311205 is a reply to message #311194] |
Sat, 03 December 2016 07:49 |
kstockwell
Messages: 367
Registered: May 2016
Location: Putney VT
Karma: 4
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Senior Member |
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Thanks Johnny, I guess it was wistful to think I could run a 240 well pump (one that's 520 feet deep into the ground). But I will recheck my furnace power consumption (it's oil forced air, can't imagine it's 240) and lights/ etc would be nice to have. We can always melt snow to get water or goto the brook if it's not cold out (though if it's not cold out the coach should have water in it)
I have the original Onan in my coach
-kelly
1978 Kingsley
Putney VT
[Updated on: Sat, 03 December 2016 07:50] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311206 is a reply to message #311125] |
Sat, 03 December 2016 08:56 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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Yeah deep well pumps usually want 240 - ours certainly did. Had I the money, I'd punch another well. You might keep an eye out for an Onan alternator, they built the same set with a 240 volt alternator for contractor use. If you could find one, it might bolt onto your 'power drawer' set in place of the 120V only one. A hassle, but it would give you 240 volts.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: A good reason to keep your Generator. [message #311208 is a reply to message #311206] |
Sat, 03 December 2016 10:53 |
A Hamilto
Messages: 4508
Registered: April 2011
Karma: 39
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Johnny Bridges wrote on Sat, 03 December 2016 08:56Yeah deep well pumps usually want 240 - ours certainly did. Had I the money, I'd punch another well. You might keep an eye out for an Onan alternator, they built the same set with a 240 volt alternator for contractor use. If you could find one, it might bolt onto your 'power drawer' set in place of the 120V only one. A hassle, but it would give you 240 volts.
--johnny The Onan that came OEM in the GMC can be modified to run 240V, but only 240, not 120/240. It is either 120 OR 240, but won't do both at the same time. I suspect Jim Miller could tell us how to do it, if anyone needs to know. Some people in Europe modified Mark Hogenboom's Onan, but never revealed the details.
http://gmc.mybirdfeeder.net/GMCforum/index.php?t=msg&goto=147932&rid=2083#msg_147932
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