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Markus10L
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Registered: 2-17-2021
Location: Todos Santos
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House Generator
I am looking into getting a generator for my house in B.C.S
I have seen homes listed on the MLS with a Generac so I assume they are available down here unless everyone just drove theirs down.
My house is approximately 1800 sqft and have standard appliances (refrigerator, soon to be stand alone freezer, microwave, washer, *electric dryer, *3
mini splits, fans, Starlink (: finally got installed, lights etc..). I understand that the larger the generators are the more expensive they will be.
Although the mini splits sure make things comfortable in the summers they are not necessary depending on the price increase of the generators.
For anyone that does have a house generator regardless, does it consume a large amount of propane or do you guys run it on diesel? Also if anyone has
added one to their property in the last 5 years do you have an approximate cost for this added convenience?
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gnukid
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Generally, when we run generator, we only run one circuit to run the fridge, one light per room and fans (no ac), so we can get by with a small Honda
2000 that uses only a little gas every 12 hours.
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Markus10L
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Location: Todos Santos
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Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  | | Generally, when we run generator, we only run one circuit to run the fridge, one light per room and fans (no ac), so we can get by with a small Honda
2000 that uses only a little gas every 12 hours. |
I have considered this option as well. Are you referring to built in fans or table fans?
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RFClark
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We have a Harbor Freight 9 KW inverter generator. It will run the house because we use it to charge the batteries and run the house off the inverter
system. This saves run time on the generator as well.
If you are trying to back up CFE not solar you will need at least 20KW since the dryer alone probably uses 10KW. If your mini splits are not inverter
mini splits. 20KW may not be enough to use AC and the dryer together. You will also need a transfer switch.
At a 4KW load we burn about a gal of propane per hour and the fumes are less toxic than gas or diesel. Generally in cloudy weather we run the plant
about 3 - 4 hours in the evening. We usually have 200+ gal of propane on hand.
Cost of equipment (ours) $900 US. You could buy a large generac plant and transfer switch from COSTCO in Los Cabos. Supplies of plants may be a
problem currently.
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Markus10L
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| Quote: Originally posted by RFClark | We have a Harbor Freight 9 KW inverter generator. It will run the house because we use it to charge the batteries and run the house off the inverter
system. This saves run time on the generator as well.
If you are trying to back up CFE not solar you will need at least 20KW since the dryer alone probably uses 10KW. If your mini splits are not inverter
mini splits. 20KW may not be enough to use AC and the dryer together. You will also need a transfer switch..
At a 4KW load we burn about a gal of propane per hour and the fumes are less toxic than gas or diesel. Generally in cloudy weather we run the plant
about 3 - 4 hours in the evening. We usually have 200+ gal of propane on hand.
Cost of equipment (ours) $900 US. You could buy a large generac plant and transfer switch from COSTCO in Los Cabos. Supplies of plants may be a
problem currently. |
This is great info, thank you. When needed I will definitely have to use power sparingly i.e. not running both the ac and dryer simultaneously. Sounds
like if power is out for 4 days may not be a bad idea for a separate propane tank.
If one decides to go with the generac route is housing the unit recommended? Not sure how easy one could be packed up in a truck if left unattended
for a few days
[Edited on 9-14-2022 by Markus10L]
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gnukid
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| Quote: Originally posted by Markus10L | | Quote: Originally posted by gnukid | | Generally, when we run generator, we only run one circuit to run the fridge, one light per room and fans (no ac), so we can get by with a small Honda
2000 that uses only a little gas every 12 hours. |
I have considered this option as well. Are you referring to built in fans or table fans?
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Portable fans, the ones that have a stand, usually about $50-100, they are excellent because you can turn them to point directly at you or move them
away and you can easily connect them to an extension to the live circuit.
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BajaParrothead
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Mark, My home in Los Barriles has 4 minisplit AC units and we get by with a 16kw Generac. It was purchased and installed by Cape Generators in Cabo.
Contact info is Omar Venegas +52 624 358 1808.
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Don Pisto
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Mood: weary like everyone else
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| Quote: Originally posted by Markus10L | | Quote: Originally posted by gnukid | | Generally, when we run generator, we only run one circuit to run the fridge, one light per room and fans (no ac), so we can get by with a small Honda
2000 that uses only a little gas every 12 hours. |
I have considered this option as well. Are you referring to built in fans or table fans?
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we also used a eu2000 to run a small window ac on eco mode for sleeping, worked great! then we wised up and moved to the cool side!
there's only two things in life but I forget what they are........
John Hiatt
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Bob and Susan
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these guys are talking about baby camping generators
get a diesel 1800rpm unit
20-30k
you need a transfer switch.. could be $800
generac units are not 24/7 units and run at 3600 rpm
back up only...they dont last
you should never run generator over 1/2 its rated capacity
so if its a 12k unit you use 6k
baby generators run as high as 5000 rpm and will fry in 2 seasons
also with baby camping generators you are limited to the size of the plug... so a 30amp plug is 3k even if its on a 10k harbor freight generator
and again with 3k usable electric is 1500w
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Markus10L
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bob and Susan | these guys are talking about baby camping generators
get a diesel 1800rpm unit
20-30k
you need a transfer switch.. could be $800
generac units are not 24/7 units and run at 3600 rpm
back up only...they dont last
you should never run generator over 1/2 its rated capacity
so if its a 12k unit you use 6k
baby generators run as high as 5000 rpm and will fry in 2 seasons
also with baby camping generators you are limited to the size of the plug... so a 30amp plug is 3k even if its on a 10k harbor freight generator
and again with 3k usable electric is 1500w
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Are you talking about a commercial grade generator ? I do not have much of an electrical background and not sure how that would equate to KW but
sounds like it would be quite a bit.
The purpose of the genny is for power outages for a few days at a time. I am connected to CFE and have been down here in the house for about a month
now and have had 2 days w/o power (Kay). I heard that the area that I am in it is not uncommon for the power to go out maybe 4-6 days a year.
Been doing a little research and heard quite a few good things about the Cummins 20 KW. Not sure they are available down here and would likely need to
order one and drive it down. Without too much knowledge on the topic I am not sure if the differences between the Cummins 20 KW out weighs the Generac
20 KW (or 16 KW depending on size needed for house) availability, gas to haul, and risk at customs if they check what is in the back.
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RFClark
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Markus,
The Generac in the housing is fine. All generators need to be exercised monthly under load. If you run 10 days a year that’s 240 hrs + 5 hrs
exercise a year. With care the generac will last 8 years. It will need a couple of new batteries and a few oil changes. A better diesel generator will
run more hours but since it probably has a water cooling system will require more service. The two advantages of the generac for the low usage you
anticipate is it’s air cooled and it’s propane powered. Propane never goes bad in storage! It’s cheaper than gas or diesel. Both collect water
in areas of high humidity.
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mjs
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Location: Off grid in San Felipe
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Multiple errors in b&s statements.
Stationary gensets will usually have two power ratings, standby and prime. Prime will be lower and is the extended runtime i.e. multiple days or
longer of continuous operation. You need to size the genset to your loads. To small is an obvious problem but to large is bad also. The running load
should be about 75% of the genset capacity. This is the most efficient operation and leaves enough excess capacity for intermittent loads. Diesels
with light loading are subject to wet stacking (that's bad). Over sizing the genset wastes $. Both on initial cost and running cost.
Diesel does have an energy advantage over propane (btu/gallon) but that comes with storage issues that have to be delt with whereas propane has almost
no issues.
Figure out what your emergency power needs really are then size your genset appropriately. That may be a large whole house unit if you have a large
house you need to keep fully air conditioned for a week or more. Or something like a 3kW portable unit if you just need to keep the fridge cold, a
couple led lights on and maybe a small bedroom AC unit running.
Also be sure and consider what your fueling and maintenance needs will be. Are you going to have to haul 5 gallon cans of liquid fuel in your car and
store them somewhere vs a propane truck that pulls up to your house? Can you service and repair yourself or do you need a mechanic to come to you? In
which case a portable unit might be easier to have serviced if you can transport it to town. Would a cheap Harbor Freight or Champion unit do the job
of an expensive diesel unit? Sure it won't run for 60 days straight or the 50k to 100k hours the diesel will but do you need it to?
TLDR: evaluate what tool you need to do the job and get the right tool for you.
Personal experience, we went from a couple of well used portable gas generators (previous owner) to a $700 Champion 6kW propane unit to a 12kW (10kW
prime) Isuzu diesel. The Champion was connected to our large propane tank and served our needs but was a bit noisy. When we started to full time in
San Felipe I bought the Isuzu (got a good deal) because we air conditioned the house and use it daily in the summer between dusk and bedtime. Our use
is different then yours being we are fully off grid. If I were to do it today I'd invest in enough lithium battery to just eliminate the genset and
that Champion unit could still meet our backup needs.
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pacsur
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Comment and question- I have 2 eu2000's, 1 runs fridge and freezer alternately, tv's, fan, lights, and internet, I picked a spare one and plan to run
a 12,000btu 110v stand alone ac in a small room when needed. I had a 7,500watt gas gen durning Odile, fuel was a major issue, many others with propane
units had the same issue, I bought my first eu2000 1 week after Odile only for the low fuel consumption and have made it work since, they are great
little gen's and always seem to start up when needed.
My question is what would be needed to run a 18,000btu 220v ac 12 hours a day with lithium batteries and everything it takes to make it work, and to
be able to charge those batteries with 1 or 2 Honda eu2000’s? Is it possible? How much money and space would that require?
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BigWooo
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I agree with RFClark. My Generac lasted exactly 8 years. After about 6 years it began to be more and more problematic. I'd never buy another. A
lot depends on how much you will need to use it and for how many hours. Prime lower RPM generator would be the best option. Diesel is the most
reliable. Just have to deal with the diesel storage issue. Every generator has a down side. Just have to decide which is the most acceptable for
you. Personally I have a Honda 6500. I rarely need it, but it does fine for the few days per year that it's necessary. I can run the entire house,
two fridges, freezer, coffee maker, TV and one ton mini split no problem. If it's something you need to use on a more regular basis, and for multiple
days in a row, I'd consider a prime lower RPM unit.
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Markus10L
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I think for my purposes the low RPM large diesel generator may be overkill.
Basing the pricing for a Cummins 20kW house generator in the US it comes out to roughly $6,000.00 (w/o install). I would presume that the house
generators are likely more expensive purchasing them in Baja Sur due to IVA and import fees. I have not been able to find a Cummins house generator
(this is a LPG unit that runs quiet and supposedly less maintenance and longer life expectancy) in Baja. Although the Generacs appear to be common
down here.
To purchase a brand new EU2000 it is around $1,000-1,200.00. I have had a honda EU2000 in the past and it was indestructible as long as you did not
run old gas through it. With old gas being ran through those gennys you could still easily clean out the carb and it would fire right back up. I
believe that the EU2000 was peak 2000 kw if I am not mistaken and believe that it could do as what has been listed on the previous posts for
performance.
The larger gennys I would assume are much louder than the indestructible EU2000s. I googled the price in US for the Honda 6500 which is approx
$3,000.00 which I would assume you would also need a transfer switch (guessing $800) to run the mini split etc.
Assuming the prices down in MX are a little higher i would assume in total may be looking at $4,000.00-$4,500.00 for this set up which would be a
manual start and of course running gasoline and would not include install of the transfer switch.
Honda's gennys (atleast the EU 2000) are outstanding products.
The lithium battery storage mjs has referred to is something I have not put any thought into. Does anyone know what the shelf life of the lithium
batteries are? Also to touch on pacsur's question. Will the EU2000's have any problem charging those batteries?
I am grateful for all of the advice and different outlooks for backup power from everyone. I was really hoping that the answer was going to be
straight forward i.e. Generacs last forever get one of those. But it looks like there maybe a bit more thought that I will need to put into this...
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BajaParrothead
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There is a Cummins dealer in La Paz.
Cummins de Baja.
612 123-5232
Carretera Transpeninsular al Norte km 10, La Paz
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Markus10L
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This is great news. Thank you I will certainly stop in to check out what they have to offer.
Obviously reading into the life expectancy of the units on a website which is trying to sell you one will likely be a little fabricated but they state
15-20 years for an average home.
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mtgoat666
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On my construction sites we always use trailer-mounted generators to power trailers, equipment, etc. For backup power used infrequently, seems like
it would make sense to buy mobile generator instead of unit hat is heavy, hard to move. Just build a shed around your gen and fuel tank.
That way you can tow it to mechanic when it needs service, or take it with you when you sell house.
Diesel storage is not difficult, lots of tanks on market, they come with secondary containment too. Also, I am sure you could find a local willing to
deliver diesel fuel. May not be as common as propane services, but I see lots of people transporting fuel for remote communities, remote fishing
camps etc....
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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JDCanuck
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| Quote: Originally posted by Markus10L | I am looking into getting a generator for my house in B.C.S
I have seen homes listed on the MLS with a Generac so I assume they are available down here unless everyone just drove theirs down.
My house is approximately 1800 sqft and have standard appliances (refrigerator, soon to be stand alone freezer, microwave, washer, *electric dryer, *3
mini splits, fans, Starlink (: finally got installed, lights etc..). I understand that the larger the generators are the more expensive they will be.
Although the mini splits sure make things comfortable in the summers they are not necessary depending on the price increase of the generators.
For anyone that does have a house generator regardless, does it consume a large amount of propane or do you guys run it on diesel? Also if anyone has
added one to their property in the last 5 years do you have an approximate cost for this added convenience?
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It sounds to me like you have something similar to our home, heavily dependent on electric appliances. We have installed a very quiet 13kw Cummins
automatic startup generator to supplement our solar system when the batteries and solar yield is insufficient to power everything overnite or on
extended cloudy periods. While this reduces the wasted energy by recharging the lithium batteries and thereby reduces the unloaded run time, the
propane it uses while running is pretty high. Our batteries will only absorb about 6800 watts of that maximum power rating, so I would guess it is
running at close to the lowest power production it is capable of. It is running off a 250 gal propane storage tank, and we should have installed a
larger tank due to issues getting deliveries for such a small amount to our remote location when it needs topping up. In just under 6 hours total run
time in about 10 startups it has used about 1/3 of the tank storage. Each run is set for a minimum 10 min before shutdown, but it generally recharges
sufficiently within 1/2 hour and then shuts down.
The Cummins dealer listed above in La Paz is where we obtained it, and we were very happy with their installation and setup which was included in the
approximately 5000 US total price.
[Edited on 9-15-2022 by JDCanuck]
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dtbushpilot
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We have the 20KV Cummins Onan generator sourced from the La Paz Cummins dealer. We also have the transfer switch, don’t let anyone talk you out of a
transfer switch. It is on the roof of the garage along with a 1000 liter propane tank that serves the house as well. It has worked great for us, not
many issues, been doing it’s job for 9 years including 18 days without power during Hurricane Odile. On the few long outages we have had (over 24
hours continuous) we will run it a few hours at a time to conserve fuel and let the gen rest but it isn’t necessary. We run the pool pump, water
pressure pump, fridges, fans and one AC at night. We have a diesel generator at another house down here, you don’t want that for what your needs
will be. Be sure it is professionally installed!
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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