Losing Power?

map · 09-29-2019, 04:43 PM

Thank you everyone for your input. After reading your responses, my husband and I tend to lean towards getting the whole house generator as we will be living in The Weirs full time. Once we are settled we will check into this more.

Interesting, though about that propane heater and is also something we will check out.

Anyone have recommendations for who to use for the whole house generator purchase and installation?

Hillcountry · 09-29-2019, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by map

Thank you everyone for your input. After reading your responses, my husband and I tend to lean towards getting the whole house generator as we will be living in The Weirs full time. Once we are settled we will check into this more.

Interesting, though about that propane heater and is also something we will check out.

Anyone have recommendations for who to use for the whole house generator purchase and installation?

I think there is (or used to be) a “Generator Connection” just south of the Weirs near the Union diner.

Slickcraft · 09-29-2019, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

I think there is (or used to be) a “Generator Connection” just south of the Weirs near the Union diner.

That would be New Wave Electric near the Union Diner
http://www.nuwaveelectric.com/

We got our portable there, they also do whole house automatic.

Generator Connection is in Barrington:
https://generatorconnection.com/

Good to get a quote from both.

Maybe $2.5 K for a portable with an electrician doing the wiring.

Maybe about $12K for a whole house automatic installed including the ugly torpedo propane tank. Quite a bit for an hour or two a year in Laconia.

Irish mist · 09-30-2019, 09:12 AM

The good news: the Weirs area almost never loses power. I've gone years without one outage. Like, zero.

Descant · 09-30-2019, 10:13 AM

From Slickcraft:
"Maybe $2.5 K for a portable with an electrician doing the wiring.
Maybe about $12K for a whole house automatic installed including the ugly torpedo propane tank."

That seems way high to me, so I hope MAP will post her findings. A 9KW Generac or Kohler at Lowe's is $2-3000. I dug my own trenches and poured ma own slab, about 50 feet from the house. The gas company owns the propane tank (Suburban Propane), so no cost to me. Cost for electric transfer panel would be the same whether portable or standby.
As noted above, call Eversource and find out what the outage history is for this specific neighborhood before spending money.

WinnisquamZ · 09-30-2019, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish mist

The good news: the Weirs area almost never loses power. I've gone years without one outage. Like, zero.

Sarcastic I hope. If not, you just jinxed the whole lot of them

Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

map · 09-30-2019, 11:44 AM

Thanks again, everyone, for the recommendations!You have all been so very helpful.

We will also contact Eversource to find out about the power outage history in the area.

This is certainly not something we will just jump into right away. We will take our time and get settled in first. The new house will have a few other priorities that come before this decision. All to be done in due time.

I am so looking forward to our final move. We actually are supposed to close on our current home today and are living in a rental home in NY until my husband retires the end fo the year. Hopefully the new home will be completed by then and we can proceed with our move to NH.

NH.Solar · 09-30-2019, 12:57 PM

MAP,
Before springing for an automatic whole house generator you might want to price a grid tied solar system with battery backup. Whole house generators are initially very costly and will require both steady inputs of fuel and an annual maintenance.
A roll around is much less costly upfront, but you would need to be home during an outage to be able to fire it up and again require fuel and maintenance. If you do go this route skip using an essential load panel and consider having a slide lockout installed on your main electric panel with two main breakers, one from your generator and one from the grid. Not a bad way to go but you will need to be home if the power goes out to activate it ...not a good situation if you are vacationing somewhere warm and the power goes out in January due to an ice storm.
The most popular automatic solar backup system we install is the SolarEdge StorEdge. Most of the time the system will be providing you with most if not all of the electricity needed for your daily consumption, just like the grid. After the cost of the initial installation the power from the sun will be coming to you totally for free. At night the same battery that will provide you with backup power during an emergency will provide you with power that has been harvested that day and stored. In the event of a power outage the inverter will automatically disconnect from the disabled grid and switch over to the power stored in the battery. With only one battery there will only be just 10 kWh of storage with a peak output of 5,000 watts, but in most cases this is enough power to run your essential loads (heat circulators, well pump, refrigeration, some lights, internet, and ??), but you will be warm, comfortable, and connected. You might fully run out of power late one night, but the next day the solar will come alive again with the sun and power up your house and charge the battery for the following night. If the grid is down for many days, as it was in Moultonboro a few years ago, you won't really care. Here is a wonderful short video that explains well how the StorEdge system works.
So how does this compare with going with a generator? A decent roll around with a manual lock out switching mechanism at your panel will run you about $6K, an automatic whole house generator will likely run you nearly $10K, and a StorEdge solar system will run about $30K before incentives. Currently you will be getting back $1,000 from the NH PUC and another 30% from the Feds, so your true cost after those will be closer to $20K ...and you will have free clean power from the day of installation forward, your house value and salability will increase in direct relationship with the cost of the solar system, and you won't be subject to the effects of oil surges and political whim for the next thirty+ years ( the solar panels have a 25 year warranty, the inverter 12, and the LG battery 10). Generally the payback on a StorEdge system runs about 12 years (after that the system has justified it's cost and the power is truly and totally for free), but that is totally discounting the value of your main pursuit, reliable, automatic, and constant backup power in the event of an emergency.
By the way, for those of you that read this and have island properties with permanent docks with circulators...

SAB1 · 09-30-2019, 01:14 PM

Generator Connection has been very good work with. I put in one a few years ago and they had special on a Kohler 10KW installed for $5800. Haven't regretted it.

ishoot308 · 09-30-2019, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAB1

Generator Connection has been very good work with. I put in one a few years ago and they had special on a Kohler 10KW installed for $5800. Haven't regretted it.

That is who installed our 20KW generator and could not have been more pleased. Their service plan is fair and their field techs are excellent!

Highly recommended!

Dan

Irish mist · 09-30-2019, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WinnisquamZ

Sarcastic I hope. If not, you just jinxed the whole lot of them

Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Nope. Have owned property there since the 90s. My digital clocks tell the truth...if we had regular power outages my clocks would be blinking. I've lived in my property there, rented it... it's a very stable area concerning power issues.

map · 09-30-2019, 07:13 PM

I don't know about the solar thing. We will be in a HOA community so there are rules and regulations.

Biggd · 10-01-2019, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by map

I don't know about the solar thing. We will be in a HOA community so there are rules and regulations.

NH Solar has a good sales pitch but real estate value is predicated on location, location, location. To say your property will increase in value the cost of a solar system is, IMO, wishful thinking. Some cases may prove the opposite.
I'm all for solar power but I don't buy that sales pitch.
I learned a long time ago that sinking more money into a property than the neighborhood commands is a losing proposition.

09-30-2019, 10:13 AM	#5
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,423 Thanks: 1,368 Thanked 1,641 Times in 1,071 Posts	Pricing? From Slickcraft: "Maybe $2.5 K for a portable with an electrician doing the wiring. Maybe about $12K for a whole house automatic installed including the ugly torpedo propane tank." That seems way high to me, so I hope MAP will post her findings. A 9KW Generac or Kohler at Lowe's is $2-3000. I dug my own trenches and poured ma own slab, about 50 feet from the house. The gas company owns the propane tank (Suburban Propane), so no cost to me. Cost for electric transfer panel would be the same whether portable or standby. As noted above, call Eversource and find out what the outage history is for this specific neighborhood before spending money.

09-30-2019, 12:57 PM	#8
NH.Solar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Jackson Pond, New Hampton Posts: 242 Thanks: 48 Thanked 142 Times in 79 Posts	MAP, Before springing for an automatic whole house generator you might want to price a grid tied solar system with battery backup. Whole house generators are initially very costly and will require both steady inputs of fuel and an annual maintenance. A roll around is much less costly upfront, but you would need to be home during an outage to be able to fire it up and again require fuel and maintenance. If you do go this route skip using an essential load panel and consider having a slide lockout installed on your main electric panel with two main breakers, one from your generator and one from the grid. Not a bad way to go but you will need to be home if the power goes out to activate it ...not a good situation if you are vacationing somewhere warm and the power goes out in January due to an ice storm. The most popular automatic solar backup system we install is the SolarEdge StorEdge. Most of the time the system will be providing you with most if not all of the electricity needed for your daily consumption, just like the grid. After the cost of the initial installation the power from the sun will be coming to you totally for free. At night the same battery that will provide you with backup power during an emergency will provide you with power that has been harvested that day and stored. In the event of a power outage the inverter will automatically disconnect from the disabled grid and switch over to the power stored in the battery. With only one battery there will only be just 10 kWh of storage with a peak output of 5,000 watts, but in most cases this is enough power to run your essential loads (heat circulators, well pump, refrigeration, some lights, internet, and ??), but you will be warm, comfortable, and connected. You might fully run out of power late one night, but the next day the solar will come alive again with the sun and power up your house and charge the battery for the following night. If the grid is down for many days, as it was in Moultonboro a few years ago, you won't really care. Here is a wonderful short video that explains well how the StorEdge system works. So how does this compare with going with a generator? A decent roll around with a manual lock out switching mechanism at your panel will run you about $6K, an automatic whole house generator will likely run you nearly $10K, and a StorEdge solar system will run about $30K before incentives. Currently you will be getting back $1,000 from the NH PUC and another 30% from the Feds, so your true cost after those will be closer to $20K ...and you will have free clean power from the day of installation forward, your house value and salability will increase in direct relationship with the cost of the solar system, and you won't be subject to the effects of oil surges and political whim for the next thirty+ years ( the solar panels have a 25 year warranty, the inverter 12, and the LG battery 10). Generally the payback on a StorEdge system runs about 12 years (after that the system has justified it's cost and the power is truly and totally for free), but that is totally discounting the value of your main pursuit, reliable, automatic, and constant backup power in the event of an emergency. By the way, for those of you that read this and have island properties with permanent docks with circulators... __________________ Peter NH Solar

09-29-2019, 04:43 PM	#1
map Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: The Weirs Posts: 226 Thanks: 185 Thanked 66 Times in 49 Posts	Thank you everyone for your input. After reading your responses, my husband and I tend to lean towards getting the whole house generator as we will be living in The Weirs full time. Once we are settled we will check into this more. Interesting, though about that propane heater and is also something we will check out. Anyone have recommendations for who to use for the whole house generator purchase and installation?

09-30-2019, 09:12 AM	#4
Irish mist Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 686 Thanks: 128 Thanked 85 Times in 49 Posts	The good news: the Weirs area almost never loses power. I've gone years without one outage. Like, zero.

09-30-2019, 11:44 AM	#7
map Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: The Weirs Posts: 226 Thanks: 185 Thanked 66 Times in 49 Posts	Thanks again, everyone, for the recommendations!You have all been so very helpful. We will also contact Eversource to find out about the power outage history in the area. This is certainly not something we will just jump into right away. We will take our time and get settled in first. The new house will have a few other priorities that come before this decision. All to be done in due time. I am so looking forward to our final move. We actually are supposed to close on our current home today and are living in a rental home in NY until my husband retires the end fo the year. Hopefully the new home will be completed by then and we can proceed with our move to NH.

The Following User Says Thank You to NH.Solar For This Useful Post:
Lakegeezer (09-30-2019)

09-30-2019, 01:14 PM	#9
SAB1 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Tuftonboro Posts: 1,246 Thanks: 192 Thanked 330 Times in 240 Posts	Generator Connection has been very good work with. I put in one a few years ago and they had special on a Kohler 10KW installed for $5800. Haven't regretted it.

09-30-2019, 07:13 PM	#12
map Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: The Weirs Posts: 226 Thanks: 185 Thanked 66 Times in 49 Posts	I don't know about the solar thing. We will be in a HOA community so there are rules and regulations.