Generator

[Oldman]

If Katria taught me one thing and that is you cannot count on the goverment to do much when a major storm hits for the first few weeks. I may have posted this before but our house is designed to withstand a cat 3 to a weaker cat 4.  A cat 5 and there is nothing I can do but leave knowing the house will not be here when we get back.

I had been thinking about an auto generator for the house. Then it hit me that I might want to take it with me if cat 4 or better was coming this way.

I like the water cooled Honda models; however Honda no longer offers any of their generators with alternative fuels.  So I'm looking at the Yamaha. The one I'm considering will run on all three basic fuels-gasoline, propane, and natural gas. It is equiped to switch from one to another on the fly. The model I'm looking at is their EF6600DEC. We are also converting the house's hot water and stove to propane. The hot water heat is one of the on demand units (does not store any water.) I'm considerint either a 500 gallon tank or if I can afford it a 1000 gallon tank buried.

Has anyone here ever had a Yamaha generator?  Here is the link to the main page and the model link is at the bottom.

http://www.yamaha-propane-natural-gas-generators.com/

Any comments or suggest would be great.
Thanks
Olds

[Habanero Smoker]

Sorry! Can't provide any help, but thanks for the link. I've been looking into buying a generator, due to wind, and ice storms often bring down our power lines. I will be going to a retirement dinner tomorrow, and my electrician should be at that dinner. I will ask him if he has any knowledge of the Yamaha's (I'll make sure I ask him early in the evening, prior to the cash bar ;D)

[whitetailfan]

Same Olds, sorry no Direct advice...but...
I did not know that a tri-fuel motor existed.  I would ask the broader question to any gear heads to find out if that type of motor is really the best thing since sliced cheese or not.

I know that if you are running alternate fuels in a vehicle or standing motor as used for irrigation pumping it requires different heads and the temperatures are different.

I would be interested in the longevity issues.

If its for emergencies and fun only - go for it.

[acords]

Olds

I work for a company that distributes HVAC products (driver, not much for technical advice).  We sell these units.  Here is a link:
http://www.bryant.com/products/generators/index.shtml.  I do know that whole house back up generators can cost a couple of dollars.  My brother looked into one for his house that was in the 20K price.  He does however have a ground source heat pump for his mechanical system that eats lots of juice.  Good luck this hurricane season

[iceman]

Thought you might want to look at this site Old's. Neighbor and I have one. I don't know what size your looking for. These are not whisper quite but who cares when it's 30 below and the wind is howling by in the middle of the night. It is a Honda but as far as availability I don't know. Hope this helps you out.
http://www.gohonda.com/Multi-fuel/lm60nez.html

[Oldman]

Iceman... thanks and it looks good. However, I went on today and order the 6600.  These folks are so busy I'm looking at a 4-6 weeks before I get it.  I contacted Yamaha and these folks are on the up and up. Plus they have been doing this conversion for 11 years now.

Nevertheless thank you...
Olds

[Oldman]

Oops acords thanks for the link. My original thought was a whole house wired in generator. However, as I stated earlier there would be no way to take it with me if I had to leave. This would be an important item to add to my trailer in the event we had to leave. While the one I purchased will not run the whole house at one time, it still has a working 50 amps. If needed the idea is to use it when a freezer gets close to 32F. Once the freezer is back down to -20F it is no longer powered until the temp goes back up.  I could have done this with a smaller generator, but if it looks like a short term problem I will have enough power to run a window shaker, tv, lights and a couple of fans.

Good luck this hurricane season

Thanks! I hope this year is the last year I have to spend monies on this house to upgrade it. Last year it was 24 double pane windows and 6 wells. The year before that a "seamless" metal roof, and the strongest siding installed over our block walls. Before that it was removing 35 Australian pine trees--some over 100 feet tall (they are very shallow rooted and come down real easy in the wind.) This year I'm having manufactured a hinged clam shell type of awing with 6-8 locking device each. Between the aluminum skin and the framing we are adding GE Lexan. Between the frame and with windows there is a 9 inch area for flex. This should give us the same protection of 1-plus inch of plywood.

You have to cover all bases. Bottled water--Ha! How about plastic drums of water! Enough non refrigerated foods to go at least 2 months. Even though we are going to propane, you still need solar ovens. How about a bath or how about washing your cloths or dishes. You don't dare use your drinking water. I have 6 wells in the back yard, and a manual pump if needed for that. First Aid. Meds. Water tight containers for your back up clothing, blankets etc.. Cash money. Tools. For lighting I have "conversion kit" that allows me to use propane instead of butane gas. A #20 bottle will fuel a Coleman gas light for days on end. CB radio with a booster. A solar powered trickle battery charger. An enclosed trailer.  I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea that getting ready every year has become a major pain in the shorts.

OH ya let's not forget serious home protection. Don't even think for a second that it is not needed.

I know that to some this sounds like an overkill. I saw two models that showed if a strong Cat 4 came in North of me that we would become an island. (see arrows in picture.) If it took out the 4 bridges that we have any help would have to be by boat or air. That is not even a pretty thought.  I live where the A is on the map.



I will tell you that Susan and I have danced around as to where we are going to live once I retire. I don't even want to think about being in my 70s and my house is blown away. She wants to stay here....Duh!

I did not know that a tri-fuel motor existed.

Any engine can be made to run on alternative fuels. What these people have is a conversion kit that makes this possible. I checked with Yamaha and that company is an authorized dealer and the conversion kit does not void the warranty.

Well thanks for giving me something to do at this hour. I would normally be asleep but in a couple of hours I take Mother down for blood testing.

[manxman]

Hi Olds,

Is the big bridge on the map South West of your house the I275 Skyway? Pretty impressive construction if I remember correctly. :)

[iceman]

Sounds like you got it under control Olds. Where you're at there is no such thing as overkill. Ann and I keep at least 60 days of supplies and use them in a rotation so everything stays fresh. We are on a well and all my water runs through a 500 gallon holding tank before it gets to the house so when the s_it hits the fan we always have water for awhile. I just hope to heck you and momma never have to use any emergancy supplies. My brother is still without a home in LA. and he will never be the same. My fingers are crossed for you and family.

[Oldman]

Is the big bridge on the map South West of your house the I275 Skyway? Pretty impressive construction if I remember correctly.

Yepper that is correct. Below was the first two. In the 80's a ship hit and distroyed the span on the right.

This is the new Skyway. View is from the Southern end.




Years later after the super structure was removed from the old twin bridges the ends of both the North and South end were tied into a loop so you could drive out on the old bridges and loop back. Today they both are State Fishing Parks.




No this is not me. He has a Grouper--this one is call a Jewfish.

[icerat4]

Dont have to worry about that.Why live where there is danger like that. ???  sure its nice when its there .But it could be gone in hours.Just like katrina.Then we wouldnt know how the weekend smoke went.Living on the edge to me is just like jumping out of a completely good airplane.No thanks.Batten down the hatches and good luck out there.And watch out for those alligators too.To much drama down there.

[manxman]

Thanks Olds, driven over the new Skyway on previous visits to the US. Watched people fishing there but never saw much caught but I had a load of fun fishing off the pier in Clearwater. ;D

Lovely part of the world............... ;)

[acords]

Oops acords thanks for the link. My original thought was a whole house wired in generator. However, as I stated earlier there would be no way to take it with me if I had to leave. This would be an important item to add to my trailer in the event we had to leave. While the one I purchased will not run the whole house at one time, it still has a working 50 amps. If needed the idea is to use it when a freezer gets close to 32F. Once the freezer is back down to -20F it is no longer powered until the temp goes back up.  I could have done this with a smaller generator, but if it looks like a short term problem I will have enough power to run a window shaker, tv, lights and a couple of fans.

I didn't read your post closely enough before I posted.  Once I posted, I reread your comment and realized  that you were looking for something different.  I guess thats why I'm driving the truck and not a company car.  Window shakers, the reason I get a profit sharing check every year.  ;) :D :)

Take care!

[Oldman]

Thanks Olds, driven over the new Skyway on previous visits to the US. Watched people fishing there but never saw much caught but I had a load of fun fishing off the pier in Clearwater.

Lovely part of the world...............

Not knowing when you were here, Clearwater's pier got its nose wack off a few years back (storm.) Indian Rocks Pier is pretty much got if not totally gone now.

The fishin' pier on the Southern in of the Skyway is where you want to be.  When the mackerel run you can limit out there in 30 minutes or so (12 mackerel per day.) I've caught a couple cobia out there in the 80 to 100 pound range. At that size I just turn them loose.

True Story

About a year after the original bridge was hit by that ship, I was out fishing one night there. (It was not a State Park then.) This man and his wife go by and they are not getting along at all.  Well he's got a bigger rig tied to him than the one in the picture with the Jewfish. On it he has a fish head the size of a basket ball if not larger. (Shark Fishing.)

Well they go down about 30 feet past me and the words are just flying between them.  He drops the head down in the current. However the fool has not tied himself to the bridge. He is more worried about cussing out his wife.  Sure enough, just like in the moves Ole Jaws grabs that fish head and off it goes. When it did the shark caught the guy off guard. So the next thing I see is the guy is half way over the railing of the bridge holding on for dear life screaming to his wife to cut the line...

She replies "_uck You! and  walks off!  I ran cut the guy's line. There could not have been 1/4 of a spool of line left on that rig.

For those who have never seen a real Shark rig, let me tell you had he run out of line before I cut it the shark would have pulled him off of the bridge. 

If you don't think that is not possible let me tell ya we had lights hanging down by ropes near the water and I saw the shark. It was a hammerhead I would guess to say 14 foot long and at least a good 800 pounds.

Any-who it is funny now to tell, but it sure scared the chit out of me then. 

BTW Once the guy stopped shaking and thanking me he realized his wife had taken the car and left.  Moral of this story: Never take your wife shark fishin' unless she is the bait~~! J/K of course.
Olds

[manxman]

Not knowing when you were here, Clearwater's pier got its nose wack off a few years back (storm.) Indian Rocks Pier is pretty much got if not totally gone now.

If I remember correctly I think the last time I was in Clearwater was 2000, it was during the Presidential election when George Bush got elected for the first time? The pier had a T shaped end to it, that the bit thats gone?

She replies "_uck You! and  walks off!  I ran cut the guy's line. There could not have been 1/4 of a spool of line left on that rig.

Heck of a story Olds, sounds just the sort of partner you want in an emergency!! Even the hammerhead would have probably backed off that lady had got to use her as bait!!  ;D