Help buying a towable Whisperwatt generator

[davepl]

I'd like to buy a Whisperwatt generator for my house. I have 600A service so by code I would need a 150,000 watt unit. I don't plan to weld in the hot tub while baking a turkey, so I figure 70kVA should get me by.

There's one on eBay that looks promising, but it's been on there for a month unsold. The hour meter is broken, which probably doesn't help.

What should I be asking the seller? If it were a truck I'd look for a leakdown or at least compression test, but it's a John Deere 90hp diesel, which I know nothing about, and a genset that I know even less about.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MQ-Multiquip...torefresh=true

My plan is to have the 600A transfer switch installed at the house and then park this beside it, wire it to the input lugs, and manually throw it over when I need to. I've opted to go diesel because we're in a major earthquake zone and I don't think it's wise to rely on natural gas lasting long after a seismic event.

Thanks for any guidance!
- Dave

[drfloyd]

What are you doing in your house, running a steel melting pot? I have a 25 KW PTO unit that I drive with my 75 HP John Deere tractor PTO and it runs my entire house. I have a 400 Amp service and under normal operating conditions I may have 30 to 50 Amps of load on it. But I am a firm believer in the more the merrier. Just remember, that 90 HP diesel burns a decent amount of fuel.

[truckdude239]

What in the world are you running? I dont even think i have a 600 amp service at work well i might i do have 2 480 volt services coming in but wow . You shouldnt have to install that big of a genator a standard genrac whole home should cover you.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by truckdude239

What in the world are you running? I dont even think i have a 600 amp service at work well i might i do have 2 480 volt services coming in but wow . You shouldnt have to install that big of a genator a standard genrac whole home should cover you.

Nope, code is that load shedding is automatic and that your generator can run the entire service capacity. Might be different in your state.

I don't plan to weld in the hot tub while my wife is cooking three turkeys and drying 4 loads of laundry, but code is code.

600A service is a killer. Going from 200A to 400A doubles the cost of things and to 600A more than doubles it again.

You can pick up a 200A transfer panel at Home Depot for about $300. A NEMA 4R Service Entry 600A Transfer Switch (even manual) runs over $8,000.

[_Ogre]

any transfer switch can be wired to a separate panel that only feeds critical circuits
i run my 2000 sq ft home on a 5200 watt generator when the power goes out
of course i'm all gas and have never tried to fire up the ac in the summer

[davepl]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

any transfer switch can be wired to a separate panel that only feeds critical circuits
i run my 2000 sq ft home on a 5200 watt generator when the power goes out
of course i'm all gas and have never tried to fire up the ac in the summer

Nope. If you disagree, send me a link to one you think works with a 600A lug.

[_Ogre]

you asked for help, not me. if you just want to argue find somewhere else to do it


hospitals use big emergency generators, but not big enough to run everything in the hospital
they have separate emergency panels that feed critical circuits

any home depot will have a 20 circuit panel, feed it as a sub-panel with a 60 amp breaker
move all your important can't-do-with-out circuits to the sub panel
install a 60 amp transfer switch in between, buy a 15000 watt generator
that's how it's done

no need for a 600 amp anything