PTO Generators: Winco

[Wayne_Freeman]

Living on the south carolina coast motivated me to purchase a PTO generator. After the purchase came the learning curve for a proper/safe transfer switch and installation. I spent months on research and looked at all the different threads with various techniques. I am an engineer by trade and pretty good at doing electrical work. To make a long story short I bit the bullet and bought a transfer switch off of e-bay (they are all expensive) and hired an electricial to install it right after my power meter. Now I know it is safe and works like a charm. It's been a year and I have not needed it once but that's OK! You can cut some corners on this but please make it safe for you and for anyone downline.

 

[fishdoc]

Wayne, I'm fortunate in that a year ago when I had a hot tub installed and I upgraded my electrical service I had them put in a transfer switch in anticipation of having a gen.

Richard

 

[Tdog]

Fishdoc,

Don't know what your motivation for having a generator is, but if you are looking for electricity after a nasty storm like Katrina, don't forget that you will NEED your tractor to clear trees & debris & you can't power your house at the same time.

We get by with a 8500 surge, 5500 sustained gas generator I bought 2 days after the storm. Wish it were bigger, but it is what I could find. We've been on it ever since & we are thankful for what it can do.

Jack

 

[Soundguy]

I think the thinking about the pto gen and the tractor is that .. most of us anyway.. when running on backup power.. aren't running the genny all day and all night.

Usually just enough to power up the fridge and freezer every 4 hours to keep things cool, and thenpossible to power the pump to get some water goin..etc.

During the hurricanes in florida last year.. there were generators use din my neighborhood.. but not continouesly.. you'd hear them fire up every now and then.. and usually be shut down within an hour.. etc..

That lets you go off and do your tractor work in the mean time.. tat.. or have 2 tractors! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Soundguy

 

[EastTexFrank]

I don't mean to highjack this thread but I have a question for you electrical mavens.

I have a small 3800 watt (5200 surge) gas generator at present that is used to run the fridges and freezers, 4 of them, during outages. I was seriously thinking of getting a 10kw PTO generator this Christmas, Santa doesn't know yet, and setting it up like Soundguy on a pallet and carry-all to get lights, etc., at the house.

OK, here's my question .... my water well pump is 240v, 3-phase, so can I mount a 3-phase converter on the pallet, that can be plugged into the PTO generator and hotwired to the pump to get water in an emergency????

 

[slowrev]

Are you sure your well pump is 3 phase ? Must be a big pump!

Ben

 

[EastTexFrank]

Yup, it's 3-phase and so are the A/C's. I'm told that we are one of the few houses in the county that still has 3-phase supply. The well is about 750' deep and is used primarily to run the sprinkler system on a 4 acre yard and water the big vegetable garden.

The reason that I was asking is that when we lose power, we usually lose the community water a few hours later. When I get the PTO generator, it would be really nice if I could hook it up to the pump and at least get water for flushing toilets etc., not for drinking. I've got the potable water situation covered but didn't want to waste it on things that don't require drinking quality water.

It's not really a "need to have" but it would be a "nice to have". I must admit that I didn't think about that aspect of it when I had the 3-phase pump installed in the well.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Don't cha hate it when someone hi-jacks a thread?

I can't help myself though!

After reading the word POTABLE, I had to pass this one on.

I was just out of the Army. About 24 maybe. A good friend of mine calls me one evening. His water heater went out. He was sorta the "helpless type". If I didn't go help, he may NEVER see hot water again.

I tell him (over the phone) to go to the nearest BIG BOX LUMBER/HARDWARE store and get a gas water heater like he already had. I'd be by on my way home from work.

He calls and leaves a message a little later where he had the water heater.

I stop in on the trip home. I see the water heater still in the back of his truck, which is sitting in the driveway, running.

I ask him why he didn't get the water heater in the house.

(Here's the point of the entire story)

He says to me, "We have to take it back to where I got it". OK, I'll bite. "Why", I asked. "Because, I got the wrong kind. This one's for a motor home." Hmmmm, didn't know there was a difference. "Why is it specially for a motor home" I asked.

"Because, it says right here on the box. THIS WATER HEATER IS FOR POTABLE WATER".

And I thought I was dense..............

 

[Roger_H]

This website has been updated to a new URL according to the page that was originally linked: http://www.powerconnectioninc.net/

FYI. Great thread! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

R

 

[Soundguy]

Hmm... 3 phase... I'd first find out if the converter could handle the power requirements for the well.. sounds like it is a big sucker..

Soundguy