Power Outage

[js4fn]

So out of curiosity for those who use Portable generators, who has a generator sub panel to plug into and distribute the power to key breakers or do you use extension cords?
What size of genny do you use ?
What do you power with it?

I use to just run extension cords one down stairs and plug the Sump, freezer, TV and computer another upstairs to the fridge and network. Now I have a generator panel.

When do you decide to pull the generator out? That the big question after 2 hours, 3 hours etc?

I do my gen is 8kw it’s my miller portable welder
Flip hydro off flip gen on

[greatwhite]

Yeah I have a 6 breaker panel in the house, right now I have to run the genny cord through the window maybe this year I will install the inlet plug outside so I don't have to that. The part has been setting in the garage for 3 years. All in good time.

[impact]

I run a 3,000 watt Inverter generator with extension cords.
Clean power is crucial for the longevity of modern electronics.
I highly recommend that when you shop for a genny that it specs out at 3% THD (total harmonic distortion) or less.
I'm on Ottawa hydro and the downtime in past decades of history has been very short even in the rural area.
We are used to camping so half a day without electricity is no big deal at all.
The generator keeps the wife happy with the Y & R episodes......lol

[greatwhite]

I have tested my Coleman Generator on many electronics 2 servers and 3 computers I have let the generator run out of gas. I did some looking into this and spoke to some network companies all pretty much agreed that today electronics for a home can handle it if they couldn't thousands of computers would be blowing every day. Heck I plugged in my 2000 dollar TV not a problem

I run a 3,000 watt Inverter generator with extension cords.
Clean power is crucial for the longevity of modern electronics.
I highly recommend that when you shop for a genny that it specs out at 3% THD (total harmonic distortion) or less.
I'm on Ottawa hydro and the downtime in past decades of history has been very short even in the rural area.
We are used to camping so half a day without electricity is no big deal at all.
The generator keeps the wife happy with the Y & R episodes......lol

[impact]

I have tested my Coleman Generator on many electronics 2 servers and 3 computers I have let the generator run out of gas. I did some looking into this and spoke to some network companies all pretty much agreed that today electronics for a home can handle it if they couldn't thousands of computers would be blowing every day. Heck I plugged in my 2000 dollar TV not a problem

Looking at the sine wave of 60 HZ at 20% THD that regular generators put out is a concern.
The duty cycle of an appliance works best with a uniform plus / minus wave.
There are filters available that you can plug your items into for added protection if you have an older style generator.
I have worked with clean power and electricity for decades. It is crucial in the medical field and basically everywhere else.

TV's at hunt camps have been blown up by crappy power. That much I know from experience.

[greatwhite]

Medical equipment most likely, home stuff unlikely otherwise with the brown outs we have in my area there would be a thousand tv's and computers blowing every year.

Looking at the sine wave of 60 HZ at 20% THD that regular generators put out is a concern.
The duty cycle of an appliance works best with a uniform plus / minus wave.
There are filters available that you can plug your items into for added protection if you have an older style generator.
I have worked with clean power and electricity for decades. It is crucial in the medical field and basically everywhere else.

TV's at hunt camps have been blown up by crappy power. That much I know from experience.

[impact]

Brownout is not THD.
Some reading material for you. Yes, my formal education does include electronics engineering.

"IEEE Standard 519-2014(opens in a new tab) advises on the permissible harmonic distortion limit for electronic equipment. As per the article, computers and allied equipment like programmable controllers typically require AC sources that have no more than a 5% harmonic voltage distortion factor, with the largest single harmonic being no more than 3% of the fundamental voltage."


https://generatorbible.com/blog/what-is-thd/

[greatwhite]

I might not be an electronics engineer but my best friend has his Masters Degree in Electrical. I think I will listen to my buddy first since he is probably much above you even being retired last year his house is a complete electronic shop the Workshop out side is a 1200 sq ft machine shop as well.

It's not going to hurt home systems

Brownout is not THD.
Some reading material for you. Yes, my formal education does include electronics engineering.

"IEEE Standard 519-2014(opens in a new tab) advises on the permissible harmonic distortion limit for electronic equipment. As per the article, computers and allied equipment like programmable controllers typically require AC sources that have no more than a 5% harmonic voltage distortion factor, with the largest single harmonic being no more than 3% of the fundamental voltage."


https://generatorbible.com/blog/what-is-thd/

[Species8472]

I have a transfer switch that runs the entire house. Don't even own a generator but I do more than 6 figures/year worth of business with a control and instrumentation electrician. Anytime i need one he tows over a 75 kw sound attenuated diesel genny and we plug the house in and if it's for less than 5 days it is gratis. Nice to have connections.

As for THD, Impact is correct in stating THD is different than a brownout. Brownout is simply voltage dip for some period of time. THD is waveform distortion caused by non-linear loads that make the sine wave fuzzy through either constructive or destructive interference at some multiple of the 60hz base frequency. That stated i have no idea how much THD is considered acceptable for today's home electronics but do know that THD as opposed to blowing something up often just shortens the life of the equipment. So running a HDTV outside its acceptable THD limit may reduce its usable life span from say 20 years to 10 years as an example although i would assume if your THD was too far out of spec it would cause an immediate/quick failure.

My experience in reducing THD is limited to making sure our plants run our motors using 18 pulse Variable Frequency Drives to ensure our harmonics are in the acceptable range.

[impact]

"With proper operation and regular maintenance, high-quality power tools can last well beyond their warranties. Unfortunately, tools with advanced electronics and circuit boards—such as the Leister VARIMAT V2—also require the right power sources for maximum life and performance. "

"When using an AC-power commercial portable generator, the consistency of the electric current is specifically important. On most generators, this is listed as total harmonic distortion (THD). The higher the THD, the greater the fluctuations in current flow. If THD is too high, it will overheat critical components, and if it is too low, it will negatively impact performance."

"To further emphasize the point, Associated Power Technologies in their paper, Total Harmonic Distortion and Effects in Electrical Power Systems, states that, “Unwanted distortion can increase the current in power systems, which results in higher temperatures in neutral conductors and distribution transformers... If left unchecked, increased temperatures and interference can greatly shorten the life of electronic equipment and cause damage to power systems.”

When shopping for a commercial portable generator, most manufacturers will list the THD on the product specification table or on a label.

The IEEE Standard 519 recommends that computers and allied equipment, such as programmable controllers, use an AC power source with no more than 5% harmonic voltage distortion, with no single harmonic being more than 3%.

By making the investment in a clean, consistent power generator today, you will end up saving yourself time and money down the road.

http://blog.hy-techroof.com/bid/6135...ower-equipment