Standby Generator overnight shutdown procedure

[Hv&Lv]

Unless I run out of propane and can't get a delivery, I don't see myself shutting down the generator longer than overnight. Knock on wood and fingers crossed there.

I have a 24kW whole house generator, and a 7500w generator that I used before the whole house.
In calculating the fuel costs, for an extended outage (days) I’m turning off the whole house genny and going back to the small genny like I used to do. We just have to watch what we turn on with the small one.
If the power stays off a week, the gas bill would be over $900.
The 7500 would cost me about $150 worth of gasoline.
Storm that big though, my wife would be the only one home anyway. I'll be out working the storm and cleanup.

 

[junkhound]

As an aside, for ANY poco power outage I turn off the main breaker, even if no generator.

There can be nasty transients and low voltage for many seconds when power restored.

3 folks I know lost their microwave ovens after recent PNW major storm damage outage shut down blocks of over 10,000 homes, My own house noormally has 121 Vac, it was running below 115 Vac for a full 10 minutes after power returned, I did not have a scope hooked up to measure transient though.

I do not know how large of blocks the poco connected at a time, but the outage involved 300 kV lines coming over the mountains, suspect entire substqtion switched on at a time?

 

[Barbqranch]

As an aside, for ANY poco power outage I turn off the main breaker, even if no generator.

There can be nasty transients and low voltage for many seconds when power restored.

3 folks I know lost their microwave ovens after recent PNW major storm damage outage shut down blocks of over 10,000 homes, My own house noormally has 121 Vac, it was running below 115 Vac for a full 10 minutes after power returned, I did not have a scope hooked up to measure transient though.

I do not know how large of blocks the poco connected at a time, but the outage involved 300 kV lines coming over the mountains, suspect entire substqtion switched on at a time?

Then how do you know when the power is back on? The only way I know, when I am on my generator w/ manual transfer switch, is the shop lights come on (they are not on the transfer switch).

 

[MrTomas]

Will a type 1 SPD in the ATS help protect against these transients?

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

Will a type 1 SPD in the ATS help protect against these transients?

Type 1 is best installed in the main panel upstream of the ATS.

 

[qcroanoke]

Then how do you know when the power is back on? The only way I know, when I am on my generator w/ manual transfer switch, is the shop lights come on (they are not on the transfer switch).

I just look at my neighbors homes. If the lights are on powers back. I'm pretty much the only one with a generator.

 

[MrTomas]

Type 1 is best installed in the main panel upstream of the ATS.

My ATS is upstream of the main panel and is the first point of disconnect. And I am asking if a type 1 SPD there protects against the transients mentioned above.