Maintenance Power Outage...Seriously...

[redhawker]

Well, last year our electric company turned our power off, on purpose, I think it was five times for what they call "Maintenance Power Outages". We aren't in one of the wildfire zones so we don't get turned off for high winds, fortunately. Apparently, Edison (SCE) is going around replacing the older poles in our area so we seem to get an outage about every two months. This doesn't count the probably about three times a year there are "accidental" long-term (more than three or four hours) outages. Being one that likes to be somewhat prepared we do have a larger generator (big enough to run everything in the house) and the breakers to isolate our system when we hook it up to our breaker box. These outages are usually done starting about 8 to 9 am and usually run until about 5 pm, some a little longer, some a little shorter. No problem, I just hook up the generator and we're good. The only drawback is the generator is pretty loud. So, the other day we get a notice that we are going to have another "Maintenance Power Outage" except some genius decided to schedule this one for 10 pm until 6:15 am. So, this means I can't run the generator because this one runs through the night when people are trying to sleep. I'm sure if I ran that generator on this one the cops would be knocking at my door at about 10:30 to turn it off. So, it's been a little cold around here lately (yeah, I know, it's much colder where you live) so no heat that night. Also, essential medical equipment, how do I run my CPAP with no electricity? I'll probably survive but I hope there's no one in the area that has something like an oxygen generator that they actually need running for their survival. I don't know how someone thinks doing a power outage on purpose overnight is a good idea. I don't know what they're doing on this one but how could it be preferable or safe to work on electrical wires in the dead of night?

 

[Jeepnik]

Contact Edison. Tell them you have essential medical equipment. They should provide documentation about the need to run your generator.

 

[Mobuck]

'So, this means I can't run the generator because this one runs through the night when people are trying to sleep. I'm sure if I ran that generator on this one the cops would be knocking at my door at about 10:30 to turn it off.'
I'm pretty sure how I'd react to THAT. Is there any law or regulation preventing running a generator as or if needed?

 

[blume357]

I'm still trying to figure out why these generators are so loud... think about the standard car engine/. They are not that loud even when at moderate rpms....

I don't like loud stuff but I'd say your neighbors are just going to have to lump it... I also wonder if you are the only one around with a generator... I'll bet if you go outside on that night you'll hear others running..... just think of it as lawn mower weed wacker night..... but I think they've outlawed those in your state?

 

[Captain America]

I have three Jackery units, a 2000, 1000, 500 and a pair of 200 amp solar panels. With the 2000 attached to my furnace and fridge with decent sun I can almost run them indefinitely. The 1000 runs my tv, cable, and security cameras for about 14 hours of constant use and the 500 runs my internet for about 48 hours. They aren’t cheap but they work, hold their charge, are simple to use, virtually silent, and have a clean sine wave. If you know how many watts whatever you want to power up uses you just do the math to figure out what you need.

https://www.jackery.com/

 

[Mobuck]

"I'm still trying to figure out why these generators are so loud.."
1: any air cooled engine will be louder than a liquid cooled
2: the little motors have to put out far more power to weight
3: very limited sound deadening around the unit due to the need for airflow cooling
Considering the above, modern design has some advantages. I bought a little 50# 2K suitcase genset as a replacement for a 20 year old 150# 2.5K open frame unit. The little suitcase unit is so quiet, I can hardly hear it from 50' away while the older 2.5K unit could be heard 1/2 mile away.
I saw some numbers on a liquid cooled LP/NG whole house generator yesterday that were surprising. IIRC one unit was reported to run at 64dB under 50% load.

 

[redhawker]

Contact Edison. Tell them you have essential medical equipment. They should provide documentation about the need to run your generator.

I did. No response from them. They don't care.

 

[redhawker]

'So, this means I can't run the generator because this one runs through the night when people are trying to sleep. I'm sure if I ran that generator on this one the cops would be knocking at my door at about 10:30 to turn it off.'
I'm pretty sure how I'd react to THAT. Is there any law or regulation preventing running a generator as or if needed?

I believe it would be considered "construction equipment noise" which is okay 7 am to (I think it is) 8 pm. If it was absolutely essential for me (it isn't, I occasionally sleep without it, more for snoring and keeping me from waking up 4 - 5 times a night) I might push it and see if I could get around that due to the medical equipment but it's not worth the hassle it will probably bring and, besides that, it would just as likely keep me awake due to the noise, CPAP or not.

 

[gramps]

Never heard of a “Jackery unit”. Interesting they call it a “solar generator”, which it isn’t. Plus to get past the first page I have to read their privacy policy and give an email address. That ain’t happening!
I presume what you have are “batteries” attached to an inverter. Run a minimum of things while Edison is down. Freezer/refrigerator, heat. Good luck!
gramps

 

[blammer]

I did. No response from them. They don't care.

Log that you did it. If anyone complains tell them you tried to ask power company. What's the worst cops can do to you, even in CA?

Of course, CA's goal is to get everyone on solar, so I'd believe any excuse to harass people to doing it would be done by them. However, for limited power use like keeping wifi equipment and probably some medical devices, a fairly small portable or luggable solar setup might work well. EDIT: I'd get a sine wave ac/dc power inverter for cleaner signal as a UPS battery backup unit does not like Modified Sine Wave one.

I used the link below to build a similar small 2000 watt unit that I've used for temporary outages to keep alive wifi/internet, a few lights, and fans. Definitely not enough for heat or A/C or even refirgerator for long on just the battery (it's the amperage that limits you). I had to use a gas generator for those for outages over a few hours when the contents of the refrigerator were in peril or temperature in house started getting really cold.

I adapted the linked article's plan to some cheaper parts and left out some stuff. But you don't even have to have all of that if you don't want. All you really need is a solar panel, solar charger, battery(s), and an inverter put in some kind of boxes to keep light rain out (article uses really good but expensive Pelican case). After I built my version of the setup, I started experimenting with just the above components, putting them in small tool boxes and the batteries in marine battery boxes.

https://www.modernsurvivalists.com/how-to-build-a-2000-watt-solar-generator-part-1/#.WgWc4mFKv7M

 

[Captain America]

Never heard of a “Jackery unit”. Interesting they call it a “solar generator”, which it isn’t. Plus to get past the first page I have to read their privacy policy and give an email address. That ain’t happening!
I presume what you have are “batteries” attached to an inverter. Run a minimum of things while Edison is down. Freezer/refrigerator, heat. Good luck!
gramps

They're a battery/inverter unit with multiple outputs and inputs, when attached to a solar panel(or multiple panels) the panel generates as many watts as you have panels(they come on 80, 100, and 200). When I have my furnace hooked up to my 2000 with two 200 watt solar panels in a cloudy situation the panels still generate more than the furnace uses...so yes, it's a solar generator. like I said, they're expensive, but they work.

 

[woodsy]

I added an automobile muffler to my generator years ago. Don't remember which car it was made for, but it significantly reduces the noise. Few years ago we had a SIX-DAY power failure (neighborhood-wide).

 

[RSIno1]

Make an insulated box to cover the generator.

SCE has a medical baseline you should register for and that should provide the paperwork you need. https://energized.edison.com/storie...e-preparedness-for-medical-baseline-customers

 

[The A Team]

That wood box is a fire hazard.

 

[RSIno1]

That wood box is a fire hazard.

All generators include a warning not to run within X" from combustible materials - build it big enough or drop $1500 for the metal Zombie box.

 

[JackpineWillie]

My son was at a Harley shop. They had a pile of new mufflers in the corner as it seems no one wants a muffler on their HD. He was gifted one of the brand new takeoffs that will make it to the hunting shack generator. It might not be as quiet as a car muffler, but one must look at the cool factor!

 

[dstegjas]

In my younger days I always had generators in the garage for power emergencies. Enough wood cut and stacked to heat at least part of the house. The power outages could be for just a few hours or 3 to 4 days. If it wasn‘t the weather causing the problem it was the power company itself. I finally decided 2 years ago to say enough was enough. When we moved into our current house. I decided to have a 22K whole generator installed. It will and has run the whole house and also the garage down back with all my power tools. No, it wasn’t cheap to have it installed. It did however give me a great amount of comfort knowing that the house will always have power. If I’m only gone for the day or out of town for a few weeks. When the power goes out, a few seconds later everything is powered back up. Everything is connected and disconnected automatically.

There is one additional thing that makes me smile every time it kicks on, it runs on natural gas. So our president can stick that power grid where the sun doesn’t shine. My fossil fuel burning generator has his back when his power supplies fails.

 

[Hvymax]

I would think that life maintaining medical equipment would have automatic battery backup.

 

[4896worker]

I believe it would be considered "construction equipment noise" which is okay 7 am to (I think it is) 8 pm. If it was absolutely essential for me (it isn't, I occasionally sleep without it, more for snoring and keeping me from waking up 4 - 5 times a night) I might push it and see if I could get around that due to the medical equipment but it's not worth the hassle it will probably bring and, besides that, it would just as likely keep me awake due to the noise, CPAP or not.

Get yourself a 400 watt 12volt inverter from auto parts store or harbor freight to use for you CPAP . Hook it to your car battery should be ok for a nights sleep without draining it . I use this setup when hunting in a tent and there is no power . They are cheap 30 bucks

 

[Hvymax]

Get yourself a 400 watt 12volt inverter from auto parts store or harbor freight to use for you CPAP . Hook it to your car battery should be ok for a nights sleep without draining it . I use this setup when hunting in a tent and there is no power . They are cheap 30 bucks

I know people who motorcycle camp and have no issue using the bike battery.

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

I have three Jackery units, a 2000, 1000, 500 and a pair of 200 amp solar panels. With the 2000 attached to my furnace and fridge with decent sun I can almost run them indefinitely. The 1000 runs my tv, cable, and security cameras for about 14 hours of constant use and the 500 runs my internet for about 48 hours. They aren’t cheap but they work, hold their charge, are simple to use, virtually silent, and have a clean sine wave. If you know how many watts whatever you want to power up uses you just do the math to figure out what you need.

https://www.jackery.com/

While they are excellent, you can make your own for a third of the price- maybe a quarter. Battery or batteries, 12 volt charger ( or controller if you are strictly solar charging. I installed both) A ten dollar multimeter to show charge level, and inverter. Solar panels extra if you go that way. That's it. Keep in mind the larger the capacity the longer to charge unless you use either a multi-amp AC charger or major solar panels.

Car Battery is $109 each for Exides at Home Depot, Charger is a little over $20, Meter $10-$15, ( Solar controller around $50) , A decent wattage inerter for around $80. So a unit - call it equal to a "1500" for under 4400, with a longer running time ( using 2 car batteries). If you are only solar charging add less than $200 for panels ( contoller sometimes included).

 

[black1970]

Those boxes have to be where the generator can get cool air or overheating will destroy the engine.

 

[trebor44]

Bubba the "shell" from an appliance like a dishwasher, dryer or washer. Put the insulation (foam board) on the outside.

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

Bubba the "shell" from an appliance like a dishwasher, dryer or washer. Put the insulation (foam board) on the outside.

The insulation can melt if in contact. I built a two sided sound box with single plank across to hold them together ( Who cares about sound going straight up?) I used foam and carpeting to insulate the box ( which should have enough clearance for air flow on the sides) So it's muffled from the sides. Front and back are open. The front would be the opposite side to the muffler and very little sound goes that way. The rear- muffler side I point toward a reflective surface. In my case it's the back of my rear neighbor's garage, which protects that neighbor's home from noise.
Built from scrap, cost nothing, made in 20 minutes. If you want to spend money you can buy a quieter muffler as well, but it may affect performance.

 

[BROKENBEAR]

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

View attachment 15032

NICE! Battery backup in the lower section for night time?

 

[BROKENBEAR]

NICE! Battery backup in the lower section for night time?

Actually no battery backup ..I hate batteries ..they be heavy ..high maintenance ..the vapors from them eat everything alive and enough of then to do any good is like having 6 wives ..when just one cell goes bad it will drag all cells with it and then when you have to replace a bad battery ..the other already in service batteries will pull down the new one.. so you end up replacing ALL the batteries if just one cell fails in a group of batteries hooked together as one big battery ..

Same deal with sealed or no spill or "dry charged" ..one cell down and it is start all over ..

Lithium ..they are a fire hazard to a degree unless you have the very very expensive ones that can internally isolate a cell disconnecting it to stop the fire starting and a standard Lithium battery will not take a charge below 32 degrees UNLESS it is a high end version that has built in heating to get the battery above 32 degrees ..

Elon Musk & Co are working on a "salt battery" that will be a game changer if it proves out ..if so and then when the prices come down out of orbit I might be a player ..

NIGHT TIME ..My genset will run all night on 4.5 gallons with the econo mode switch set to on ..it is in a shed ..that big plywood box is a sound baffle plus it intakes air at the roof line sending the air to the floor for the exhaust fan to pull the air across the genset

I asked my neighbor if my generator bothered him .."what generator" he asked ..as I had it running and the shed closed up we got to with in 30 feet of when he said NOW I hear it

So I run it day or night

Bear

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

Well done!

 

[Hvymax]

That's the beauty of an inverter. Keep it in a temperate dry place and that's it! Pull it out when needed. When my power was out for a week and a half after a hurricane. I ran my sump pump for 3days and then rotated between the sump pump, refrigerator and freezer. Every few hours I would run the van for a few minutes to charge the batteries.

 

[BROKENBEAR]

Hvymax and Joe
To clarify ..batteries and inverter may be the best solution for a given set of circumstances ..I think we owe our neighbors the courtesy of not intruding into their space with our solutions and polluting their space with noise ....I'm just lucky enough to live in a more rural type subdivision where we are a couple 100 feet apart so I can get away with my redneck generator shed sitting on my back fence 75 feet from my house with the cows standing there chewing their cud looking at the back of the gen shed when it is running
I was not intending to run down batts n inverts as they do have their place ..just not on my place ..I hate batteries !!!

Bear