Very innovative wiring, John. And I like the idea of a natural gas generator. Much less hassle and maintenance than gasoline. I have a small gasoline generator but it has not been run in a number of years. Hard to justify spending the $ for a switch to natural gas.
-Denis On Tue, Apr 4, 2017 at 8:33 PM, John Jason Jordan <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tue, 4 Apr 2017 18:47:32 -0700 > Denis Heidtmann <[email protected]> dijo: > > >Both your main storage and your backup run from the same power line in > >the same house. What is the likelihood lightning or some other major > >event could affect both at the same time? Low, but backups are > >intended as insurance for low-likelihood events. Then there is > >crypto-lock. I do not know about how that works and how different > >backup schemes protect against it. > > First, my house has a 7500 watt natural gas powered generator on the > covered back patio. It is not wired to a transfer switch that > automatically turns it on and switches the house wiring to it in the > event that PGE fails to send me its usual electrons. Instead, it is > wired to various outlets around the house that say 'generator only on > the cover plate. If the power from PGE fails then I have to go out to > the back patio, turn on the generator, then go back inside and move > everything that I need to have running to a 'generator only' outlet. > > In the meantime, the computers, routers, switches, internet devices, and > even the stereo are all running on major APC UPS systems - three of > them. They will power the electronics for a couple hours, so I don't > need to be in a hurry to turn on the generator. And to keep the > electronics running after I decide that I need to turn on the > generator, all I need to reconnect to the 'generator only' outlets is > the power cords from these UPS devices, plus the refrigerator, > freezer, and some table lamps. I chose to wire the generator this way > rather than using an automatic transfer switch is because 1) automatic > transfer switches are expensive and, 2) automatic transfer switches > require a permit. > > Regarding the permit, I had a very heated debate with the City of > Portland, which ultimately I won. My major point was that my wiring was > not connected in any way to the grid, hence it was impossible for it to > electrocute a lineman working on a power pole out in the street. It is > a completely private system. It helped my argument that I did all the > wiring in my house myself and it all passed code inspections. > > As for lightning strikes, since all the electronics are running off the > UPSs, and they have pretty good surge protection, I am not overly > worried. > > Now, it's possible for something to happen that I have not foreseen, > but then, you take some risks getting out of bed in the morning. You > even take risks if you stay in bed. In the final analysis, we are all > dead. In the meantime, I am satisfied with the precautions that I have > taken. :) > _______________________________________________ > PLUG mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug > _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
