ReadBonny OP t1_j37ygqn wrote
Reply to comment by -_Stove_- in Back-up Generator for Entire House by ReadBonny
Our home is 3 bed 2 bath and approximately 2400 sq ft. Built in 2006 so it's newer and fairly energy efficient. What type of back-up battery do you have?
We understand it will be expensive and have prepared financially for the cost. Bare minimum requirements would probably be heat, water and septic. We can live without the rest.
whaletacochamp t1_j37yywy wrote
Water is only an issue if you're on a well (which it sounds like you probably are) and septic is only an issue if you have some sort of ejector pump or macerator or something along those lines. Many many septic systems are gravity fed (you just need water to flush the toilet)
ReadBonny OP t1_j380s1v wrote
Yes we are on a well and we have a mound septic system. We need electricity to run the pump chamber so it won't back-up. But this is all fairly new to me so I might be wrong. Lived in Montpelier before this and always had municipal plumbing.
whaletacochamp t1_j38346h wrote
It’s definitely a big change moving from municipal to rural.
If you have any question call out the septic company (the folks who would pump your tank) and they’ll be happy to tell you all about it.
What part of the state are you in now? I highly recommend Working Dog Septic if you’re in Franklin county or norther Chittenden.
ReadBonny OP t1_j385atf wrote
We're in Washington County. Pooping outside in the snow was rough and we would prefer to poop inside :)
whaletacochamp t1_j386yp5 wrote
Chat with whoever is your go to septic crew. There’s pretty likely a period of time where you’re safe to use your system without power.
In that case all you need is to fill a few buckets (or your tub) with water before a possible power outage. Then you go poop and dump a bunch of water into the toilet and it will flush just like normal.
I absolutely blew my wife’s mind with this tidbit the first time we lost power at our house. Luckily we have a pond so unlimited flush water lol
IndigoHG t1_j3aa36i wrote
This! You can always fill your tub with water pre-storm, to flush the toilet.
-_Stove_- t1_j38864s wrote
I would say that your septic pump is the highest priority there, aside from heat. You can always dump 2.5gal of water in a toilet to flush it...as long as it has somewhere to go. There are a number of roadside springs all over Vermont, they can be a lifesaver when the power is out.
ReadBonny OP t1_j38cfmv wrote
We know about the water in the toilet trick and we usually fill our tub with water before a storm. We also have a stream that runs through our property. Just concerned about our pump tank backing up because it won't be able to empty without power. We will contact the company that pumps our septic and ask what the capacity is when we don't have electricity.
EscapedAlcatraz t1_j39wxa4 wrote
Typically these systems are designed to have one days worth of capacity remaining even after the high level alarm sounds. This is the alarm that warns the homeowner that the pump isn't operating. You could probably flush toilets as you normally do for 2-3 days without a worry during an outage, even longer if you are skipping showers due to a lack of hot water.
Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j380j57 wrote
You didn't mention how you heat your hot water? If electric that can be very taxing on a genny 4500 watts or so when on. Other than that I would skip the whole house idea and get a smaller genny 6500 watts ish and have your electrician wire a genny transfer panel that only runs a few circuits like your well, heat, fridge etc. A cheap harbor freight genny is all you really need up here for the occasional outage. Propane will cost you and yes while there is some maintenance advantage you can always find some gasoline 24/7 propane not so much. Gas genny's are pretty reliable just run em for ten mins a months if you can and possibly keep them hooked to a battery tender.
ReadBonny OP t1_j381bsm wrote
We heat our water with a large Buderus boiler. This also heats our house since we have radiant floors. I am sure it takes a lot of power, so I'm grateful for the wood stove! Thank you for the feedback.
Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j382gzd wrote
Probably not in reality. Couple hundred for the boiler gun and a few more depending on how many circulators you have in the system. The newer ones use even less power. My newer Taco's use about 44w while the older and most common 007's use about 80w. Either way it's a tiny fraction compared to an electric water heater. But it's a plus to have oil hot water when trying to size a generator for sure. Other things to avoid and really you should not have a need to power them off a genny are things like toasters, microwaves, electric dryers and the worst of all electric stoves/ovens.
DCLexiLou t1_j3814p6 wrote
It doesn't have to be that expensive if you are prudent with your usage during outages. We have a Bluetti AC-300 at the moment that is not tied in but will be this year with a transfer switch and additional Power Modules. It easily runs our oil furnace and blower motor. The system is expandable up to 12.5kw. We have 3 ecoflo solar panels that can be run in tandem and they are great as an add-on. One big plus for this system is that it can be recharged via your car/truck. Pull the car out of the garage, fire it up, plug it in for a recharge session. A lot easier than adding propane tanks for the few outages you'll have to deal with on average.
Good luck with your setup.
-_Stove_- t1_j387vk3 wrote
I have a setup with 8x 150aH deep cycle batteries, which I bought used from a neighbor and refurbished ($350). Also 4x G31 batteries which normally run a schoolbus, and a single LifePO4 pack @ 206aH for redundant redundancy. (Note: I design circuitry for a living, so I have a custom control setup to control charging and draw).
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