Dear Cheryl and Rambo,
Great information going back and forth here -- Thanks; <now> I know about what a 500 gallon propane tank costs.
I got a Kohler after looking around and deciding on a "high-end" low-rpm "whole house" (better and they last longer) propane unit. The other "good one" is Onan; I'd be happy with either. Also, I called my Kohler representative while in the "getting info" stage and found him so helpful that my decision was sealed. He's since become a good friend and a continuing great info source.
By the way, my Kohler 8.5kw with installation, wiring, etc. is about $8,000.
I put in my order and deposit in early January. It goes in late April -- they need to put in underground wiring and need the soil to thaw first. If I ordered one today, I don't know if I could get one this year...
I got the auto-switch (and well :-) because I'm A) a "in for a dime, in for a dollar" guy and B) I like big comfortable margins of time/safety/money when I do things. It's just more relaxing and I can afford it, so why not?
The auto-switch is also nice because I may not even be here next New Year's Eve; and now don't need to worry about pipes freezing, etc. Also, it switches not only on "no power" but also on "low/bad power" which is certainly a possibility. My puters and such might be fried (or light bulbs blown, etc.) by the time I manually switched, assuming I was even home at the time.
Finally, Rambo, let me pass on an interesting talk I had with my fire marshall regarding generators, "Code," safety and such.
My first thought was to get a bunch of 100 pound propane tanks and keep them in my garage. (I'm also putting generator in the back corner of the [detached] garage, properly vented.)
He said: ">>don't<< do that!" He told me that most accidents happen when people are changing tanks, fittings, etc. Propane can leak, fires happen...and most people "don't know what they're doing" -- a set that certainly includes me!! So he advised "Get a big tank, put it outside on proper footings, so you don't have to mess with it."
And he said: "Don't store fuel in the garage!"
He's a nice, but not happy man. I live in a very well-to-do suburb of Minneapolis and he told me that "tons" of people here are getting generators. And that most are gas-fueled, purchased by people who "don't know what they're doing" and who plan to fill their (often attached) garages with gasoline. So he's seeing a suburb littered with potential bombs and fire hazards -- and I don't blame him for feeling that way; he's right.
Rambo, you should check into your codes. I need to get a (free) permit for my generator, but we have no restrictions on tank size, although there's a fee for permits on tanks over 500 water gallon size. Along the same line, my driller had to get a permit for my well, and the state of MN is really picky (as they should be!) about giving out well permits. When the driller got the permit, I said "Any probably getting it?" He said: "Not this year!"
The point being that most cities aren't going to deny you a possible life-saving improvement this year -- and set themselves up for a lawsuit if you're denied and damaged. Your mileage may vary, of course :-)
Thanks again for all the great info...
doug |
