Who’s watching in July 2024, after Hurricane Beryl. Four days without power in 90+ degree heat. But the worst part was sleeps without my CPAP. Great video.
I built the same setup 4 years ago. Work great without any issues. I then installed a soft start on my home AC 3 weeks ago. After hurricane Beryl My generator ran great for a day and a half. After that it overheated because the extra load was generating so much heat that the fan I had could not exhaust the heat fast enough. Lesson learned I have to buy a new generator and set it up outside the storage unit when in use to have proper ventilation. Also only use generator to run the whole house AC for a short period of time. Portable generators are not designed to kick on and off a whole house AC with a soft start every 20 minutes when it reaches temp inside the house. Going with an inverter generator and using a midsize window unit for the next storm.
Best video I've seen on the Duromax and you're in Houston! Just because of your video, I just jumped in and bought the 13000, and all the items you have. Getting it installed on Saturday. Thank you for taking the time to put this series together it was so helpful.
I have the same generator. It’s a Duramax, and it comes with a floating neutral. (The ground and neutral are NOT connected within the generator) You “DO NOT” use a ground rod when connected to your house panel. You only use a ground rod if you are only using extension cords. Once you connect the generators ground and neutral wires to your house panel (through your 240volt cable) , then the main panel provides the ground to earth. You do not want TWO separate ground rods. BTW, very nice set up you have !
According to the manual on the inverters it sounds as if using and inlet box the inverter generator (bonded) can be hooked to the house...correct me if I or the manual is wrong.
your exhaust is pointed directly at your AC condenser, essentially making your AC work harder to cool your home and the generator working harder and wasting more fuel/gas
Exactly my circumstances. I bought a Westinghouse dual fuel since I have propane power. Everything except the natural gas part is the same. Good video.
Cal, agreed, great talent here . This is exactly what most suburban users need !!! To be able to run it outside in inclement weather -That's when the power goes out here in Westchester County, NY .
Besides the start up cost of a Generack the annual cost of maintenance on the Generack is substantial. Best video yet on using a “portable generator”. The exhaust was my biggest challenge thanks for the links.
I built mine about 2 years ago...and ours are VERY similar! I have a Pulsar 12k generator from Wallyworld for $800. I have the same cabinet from Wayfair, and same exhaust fan... our intake grills are similar, and i used a flex pipe exhaust to 1" EMT conduit and ran out of cabinet, 90° up to about 6' high and wrapped it in high temp cloth, also put a muffler on it. I also used a battery trickle charger that plugs into an outlet to keep battery charged. I didnt convert to natural gas, and am gonna see how you did it and do the same. Thank you for your write-up!
FYI, in 2024 here in Portland, OR I've had three neighbors get complete Generac standby systems installed. They payed $25k each!! I run my house off a $1000 Champion propane inverter, plus I spent another grand on electric stuff and tri-dual conversion. We have NG appliances, so don't need a lot of watts and only use A/C for a couple months in the summer.
might want to add a horse stall mat (rubber) from tractor supply under the housing to help aid in damping the vibration transmission from the generator into the house foundation.
Great video! I really like that you try to be as little invasive as possible. Something I always like to do. It was great to see your ideas...nicely done!
Excellent tutorial Calvin. Thank you very much for the time you took to share this with us. By the way, you’re an excellent communicator and very easy to follow. Edit: i’d like to add that I’m never ever going to attempt this awesome set up and I’m totally bummed out about it. I have multiple sclerosis and can barely walk no use of my left side. I just bought my generator, still looking at it in the backyard trying to work up the energy to break it in. To all you guys who love this stuff, I was one of you a lifetime ago. I could watch a video like Calvins, go to bed that night and see it in my mind’s eye, build it in my mind while I’m laying down, wake up with tunnel vision and have at it. Enjoy the challenge of things like this, I can’t tell you how difficult it is to be the type personality who would’ve loved the challenge like this but can’t now. Just go for it and feel blessed that you can!
Super duper! Thanks for sharing. One idea I had is that placing the fan higher in the enclosure might work better since heat rises. Of course, having it closer to the heat source as it is may be more effective in this situation.
I have the exact same generator, I deal with rolling it out of my garage when needed, but it would be nice to have a semi permanent installation like you've done, I could connect it to my natural gas line instead of propane bottles, nice work you've inspired some ideas for a future project here!
Great idea, I liked it so much I built one similar before the city shot me down. I needed a larger NG meter but Center point wouldn’t install one until I got a permit with the city inspecting my build first. Mine looked every bit as good as this one in the video. To shorten my story the city said I had a bomb and had to put the generator back to the portable state. So if you live in the city make sure your gas meter is large enough to run your generator on NG. I was told by the regulator company you have to have at least a 6 oz flow. Good luck and happy build.
The only thing I would add is a supply line T, if your house runs of tanked propane and your large tank is low you could use like a temporary BBQ size tank. Great video tho awesome job
Good overall step by step explanation of what it takes to be prepared and conservative when thinking through the installation. I will buy the exhaust prebuilt as you did. Eliminates a lot of rubgoldberg creation. It’s a trade off cost to conveniences.
Calvin. I have essentially the same generator as you. One thing I wanted to mention to you and you may want to be careful with this. The idle toggle switch is intended to reduce the rpm on the generator while there is no load on it. As soon as it senses load (even a small load) it revs itself up to to roughly 3600RPM to produce 60Hz and the desired 120/240V. The idle feature is meant to reduce noise and fuel consumption while there is no load. (Key words here "no load"). Now, while the button is turned off, this feature is disabled. The problem I see with you turning that on, and then modifying the rev limiter to compensate for the low RPM while there is no load to me is insane. It's like pulling the emergency brake on a vehicle but then upgrading to a bigger turbo because the car is too slow. That's a perfect analogy. That switch is controlling a small circuit inside the generator that electronically limits the output voltage and frequency but controlling the RPM. You can't get both low RPM on the engine and a solid 60Hz, 120V coming out of th output. It does not work that way. The generator has to run at roughly 3600RPM to maintain 60Hz. If that is not right your lights will flicker, and you risk frying all the electronics in your home. I am willing to bet that with your mod as soon as it detects a load your output is going to be crazy high, nowhere near 120v. You may be frying your whole house by over voltage. You may be lucky that the NG regulator is limiting the gas input thus limiting your RPM to something less than catastrophic. Just a wild guess... I don't mean to bash but having build a similar setup myself, and with my engineering background I can see a major problem here. I would suggest you run your generator with idle on and off and measure the output just to be safe. Check your output voltage and frequency. I run mine with the idle switch off at all times. It's not worth the risk. Either way the enclosure will suppress some of the noise. Also, even if the idle switch is enabled you won't benefit from noise reduction unless the generator is completely disconnected from any load. I plan on posting a video on what I did with my setup soon. Regards!
I did end up turning off the idle control after some research. Also added a tachometer. I talk about this in the update video listed in the description.
@SheepDog I just posted this video. I hope it helps. I plan on doing a much more detailed version when time permits. th-cam.com/video/j-ejO8xbBOA/w-d-xo.html
Just food for thought.Worked as a lineman for 35 years.Line voltage is constantly fluctuating due to loads being taken off and on. When we checked house voltage 10% was always considered acceptable as per the company. Heck we had some at end of distance lines where they couldn't get a fluorescent light to turn on only having 105 volts. That we had to fix by upgrading line.
@@CalvinGorriaran Hey I just posted an update. Look at the comments under my video. It's mostly a reply to you. th-cam.com/video/j-ejO8xbBOA/w-d-xo.html
I'm in Santa Fe, just got my Suncast Shed delivered yesterday evening and got it assembled this afternoon! Thinking about buying a second and sitting it on my back porch for my spare generator as I got long covered porches so they dont take up much room and the color of the vanilla Suncast sheds damn near matches the color of my house.
awesome video. the reason you had to mess with the adjustment screw was the regulator is mounted upside down. there is an arrow on the back of the regulator that shows direction
My only beef with this type of generator is the servicing needed after running for just a few hours. My Rv required servicing every 50 hours of operation, basically after a single three day weekend at the lake. I always pushed to a 100 hours of operation, and it would start missing and running a little ruff near the 100 hour mark. The $2K price tag is very attractive and the since this usage would only 2 to 3 hours per event the servicing wouldn’t be as big a deal.
As for controlling the heat, you could use header/exhaust wrap to keep the heat from radiating out of the exhaust piping, should add to your fire safety. The wrap is pretty cheap, too.
Great set up, might I recommend adding a sediment trap to your gas line? You've got a lot of $$ invested, wouldn't be but $5-20 of fittings to make the modification to add life to your investment.
Damn son. Cutting no corners. Looks great. I've got the same building so I may look into this. Was just concerned about running it inside the building.
Only thing I would add is you can order some muffler exhaust shield tape that can be ordered in large stick on pieces to place on the back and side wall near the exhaust. You can find this tape on dirt bike parts sites. Its used to stick on the back side of your side number plates where the exhaust pipe is and you can also order and wrap the exhaust with exhaust tape or rope
I have never commented on one of these before and seem to be having a hard time getting it done hope it will not be duplicative. Many thanks for taking the time to share your details, tips, and parts. It is nice to hear everything worked well for you in that crazy weather event. We have a hybrid unit like yours but a little smaller that runs on propane. Several times in the past few years I have spent time looking at videos trying to find something and finally feel like I have found something that resonates. We have a power main panel outside on a pole that feeds three separate breaker panels in three separate sections in the house so transfer switches are out of our price range. The way you have the interlock setup finally gives me direction we can run with. I have seen a couple things our neighbors have done that I am not comfortable with at all. Your setup looks safe for us and the folks working on the lines when the power is out. Best of all my wife will understand it and be able to do it without me. Using something in the power panel to monitor power usage sounds like a great idea as well. Can you share what part you used from where to accomplish that? I saw the wire size you used - how long was the run from the breaker to where you tied into the cord? Can you share how to go about obtaining an interlock kit? Is it from the manufacturer of the panel?
Thanks Calvin, great video. I am going through this process now up in Kingwood. Great to see people from Houston doing these videos because a lot of issues we run into here is the humidity & heat during the summer so I was not sure, until I saw your video, if I could actually enclose a generator safely. Waiting on Centerpoint to run a natural gas line for me. I will be using some of your ideas for my storage box.
Basically yes. My gas main is on one side of my house where as my breaker panel is on the exact opposite side of the house so I’m having them come in and run another line just for the generator. This will hopefully be less expensive than it would for a plumber to trench all the way around the house and lay down the line to extend from the main. We will see.
@@steve6438 thx! I would really like to move the generator shed to the side of my house with the panel but not wanting to pay a fortune to bring the gas all the way around.
Very nice setup!! Well thought out. One thing I noticed is oil changes. Usually 100 to max 200hrs will require everything to be disconnected. Possible to raise genny so you could just use a tray underneath? Assuming oil fill/drain openings are accessible. Then you wouldn't have disassemble everything. I have run my generators for over a week straight and did oil changes at 100hr (4 day) increments.
Wow!! This is a very nice job and very well explained. I need to look at your propane/natural gas conversion kit. There was another video that said to run nat gas Duromax dual need a different spark plug. Looks like you did not have to change spark plugs. Kudos
Thanks for doing this video. I am also in the Houston area (east side). Ike tore us up pretty good back in 2008. I also use a CPAP, and we lost power in this last storm (Nicholas) for ten hours. I couldn't sleep. Same goes for the snowmageddon last year! I am not waiting any longer. I am looking for an inverter generator so it won't kill my appliances, computers, etc. BTW, it would sit just like you have it. Dang crowded with the fence and neighbors right next door.
You should add a temperature sensor to Arduino and an actuator so that at a certain temperature it opens the whole top up and allows all the heat to escape. Then once cooled down, it will automatically shut. You could also use a smart device that you can check the temps. Nice work and nicely executed. 👏👏
@@CalvinGorriaran , I’m buying the 13000 watt. I didn’t know these generators could run on natural Gas. How did you manage this? I was gonna to buy a 40 pound propane tank, but your setup is a lot better.
@@MrDeputy5 only change I made was a different regulator. Used the existing hose that was connected to the onboard propane regulator. You will find NG regulator kits online for many generators. I only used the regulator from the kit. The other parts I didn’t install and it worked great. I talk about that in the video.
I like your set up but may I caution you about a heat generation issue . Even the smallest of generators produce lot of heat . The attic fan is a good idea bu attic fans are equipped with a thermal overload in case there is fire in the attic it will shut down the fan . I think that you may run into a problem where your fan will shut down in thermal overload . Usually in generator installation you want 3 times the input size of fresh air intake as the exhaust air out . I would recommend adding a fresh air input fan also. I used to service emergency generators so I know a little bit about generators.....
Great video. You managed to answer a ton of questions I had and couldn’t get from other videos great job. I don’t know if you’ve done any follow up videos if you have I’ll definitely check it out. Not in Houston 🤘🏻🤘🏻but in Katy so I do know this is a must if you’re a homeowner in Texas. I been tempted to actually do generac but the lowest I’ve gotten quotes for is 12 to 15 k. Definitely be doing this soon. Thanks again
Most generators have a gasoline output Kw rating which yours would be 12,000 while natural gas Kw output is reduced to 10Kw or maybe lower. That NG regulator is purchased got the size engine your running. It's possible they gave you a rated lower regulator for a smaller engine. Looks decent. That attic exhaust fan itself draws a good amount of energy. If your just using it as ventilation, maybe a vent hood would work better. He's does riser faster than it moves horizontally. Nice video.
I noticed your plumber didn't install a drip leg to your NG line. Your gonna want to install one because NG carriers alot of trash and goop in the lines. Trash that will eventually get into your gas reg.
Three thoughts. 1- nice job. 2- you need a sediment trap at the end of your gas line before it goes into the generator. 3- you say you purchased an extended warrantee on the generator, FYI by converting to natural gas you voided your warrantee. Again, beautiful job.
Hello Calvin, great video. Love your shed. Excellent design and construction. I took quite a few pointers in designing mine from you. If you would like some advice on your remote control issue, I absolutely love my WGEN9500 Dule Fuel generator. Their generators have the remote control key fob that would work from 260' away. They are a more compact generator with very good quality at about the same price if not lower than your Duramax with way cooler features like the remote control starter and the ST Start System. Just a suggestion if your planning Upgrading. They even have another size up which would kick butt on anything. But that would be along the same lines as the XH 1500 Duramax in technology. I even use the same exhaust port as you so the only change you would have to make is a shorter exhaust pipe as the exhaust points back towards that wall. Saw your updates as well. Glad you made it through the Texas siege. Take care Brother.
@@CalvinGorriaran Please do. Imo the portable generator should have a floating neutral when connected to house panel and not floating when used as a portable generator.
Great video! I did a similar set up at my house and like you, I feel comfortable enough to do the work but I’ve been unable to find an interlocking kit for my panel which is a big concern.
Very nice job on your generator enclosure & the way you set things up! My son has the same generator & we are in the process of setting it up with almost the same type of set up that you have. However, we are going to run the generator on Liquid Propane. What most people don't realize is that these portable generators are not weather proof. Meaning that they can't be run outdoors if it's raining, snowing, etc... That's why a generator enclosure is a necessity. Kudos to you on a job well done! 👍👍😉😉
Nice job on the enclosure but.......having run my Generac XP10000e last summer when it was very hot outside, my unit overheated. It has a kill switch so the unit was not damaged. I had a similar size shed/fan etc and it was NOT nearly sufficient for this unit. I previously had a 5,500 Watt unit and the shed was fine, but larger units REALLY need a much larger shed, fan and vent openings. If you go to the "nooutage" site you can view their recommendations for varying units under "PowerShelter plans". Both yours and my unit call for having 5,000 CFM exhaust fan and 30" inch shutter intake opening! You may run fine in cool weather, but if it gets warm, that large generator will cook in a small shed like this. All generators need far more space around them to have sufficient air circulation.....
Take a look at my temperature video I made. Maybe your enclose wasn’t creating enough of a vaccine effect? I haven’t had any issues with temps being a problem. I am a hot climate btw. th-cam.com/video/vDLHs73cvkk/w-d-xo.html
Hello Sugar Land neighbor! Thanks for this great overview of your setup. I am working with my folks to get them set up with a configuration very similar to this for their home in First Colony - whole home power without the Generac cost! Do you have any additional information on the exhaust setup that you did? You mentioned a ~$100 piece that you hesitated on, etc. I would like to do the same for them to keep the heat out of the box. Love your use of AC vents and Attic Fan vents to keep it best insulated from weather. Cheers!
How did it do during the freeze last February? My portable generator made it 18 hours out of 72 hours we were powerless. Now waiting for a Generac whole house generator to be installed.
Thanks for the video is is very helpful ! What is the name of the natural gas you used on your Duromax XP 12000 And do know if I have to be directly hooked on to the gas meter? For example can I can I branch off my dryer gas line.
You fixed it like a professional. Great job but if I didn’t have enough room to get around my house without getting on the neighbors I would just plug a line into there house and pay them for the electric. Does living right against neighbors in swanky areas make it worth it?
Makes me uncomfortable as a firefighter that has fought fires because the generator was too close to the house. The last one set two houses on fire so I hope your neighbor isn’t on the other side of the fence. Also the exhaust os going into an enclosed space so CO poisoning is still a concern. If this is up to code or if there are no codes prohibiting them this, I’d urge you to install some a heat sensor fire alarm in there, a CO detector inside the building near by and have the largest size ABC dry chem fire extinguisher you can carry a safe distance away and a gas shut off wrench near your meter. I’d practice rolling out of bed shutting off the gas and power and bringing the extinguisher to your generator a couple times a year and make sure all capable adults in your house or maybe your neighbors know how to as well.
The other side of the generator is a large driveway. On my side it is a large brick wall with no windows. I do have Nest CO detectors in several places downstairs. I am considering moving the generator another location by the detached garage.
@@CalvinGorriaran still a pretty cool setup, I’d like to do the same but I’d be worried about the zombies taking it as I live in the New Orleans inner city. We have an exhaust removal system to take the CO out of the apparatus bay when we run the trucks. It’s called a primavent system, it’s basically an expensive way of selling us a vaccum. The only downside is we can’t run the trucks for more than 15 mins on or plastic tubing can melt, so if you built something like that I’d look into something beside the ribbed plastic vacuum tubing
Mine was too close to the house and was setting off my Nest CO2 alarm inside the closed garage, so I repositioned it to exhaust away from the house. I wasn't taking any chances, I have a very similar setup to this one.
We're in Austin. Twice in recent years we have had weather in the 20's for over a week. This is a first ever thanks to climate change. Unfortunately the power grid in our state and our city have not been quite ready for this, since Texas decided to pull out of the national power grid and to privatize electric energy production some years ago, we were without power for days both times. [It did warm my heart knowing that, even as I froze, at least power company shareholders were enjoying record revenue windfalls.] Anyway, due to health conditions in my household, being without power is very bad. Our electric panel won't support even installing a cutoff to run just part of the household circuits with a portable generator. So I put an outlet and electrical plug to power our home central heat system, and we bought some beefy extension cords. I am going to install some electrical sockets in the wall that will ultimately connect only to plugs I can plug into my generator. I will keep those outlets covered with blank plates. That way I won't have to run an extension cord through the door, which would leak cold air into the house. This way we can run our heater, fridge, water heater thermostat, stove ignjters, TV and router with a 2500 watt generator for a few hours a couple of times a day. (We have gas heater, water heater, and stove.) In our small household we could do without electric lights. It may not be ideal, but it won't be like camping out inside our own home, at least. The inverter generator only cost us $500
Is there a way to secure that gas line so someone can't mess with it? Either locking open or closed. I'm paranoid with stuff like that. Can picture someone undoing the disconnect, opening the gas line and igniting it.
Who’s watching in July 2024, after Hurricane Beryl. Four days without power in 90+ degree heat. But the worst part was sleeps without my CPAP. Great video.
I’m watching from Spring Texas after just purchasing a tri fuel generator! Great video!
Centerpoint
fuk Centerpoint.. linemen cool.. but fuk Centerpoint
@@justbnld I am also in Spring just bought Tri-fuel generator after Beryl. lol
Also in spring. Going on 8 days no power!
I built the same setup 4 years ago. Work great without any issues. I then installed a soft start on my home AC 3 weeks ago. After hurricane Beryl My generator ran great for a day and a half. After that it overheated because the extra load was generating so much heat that the fan I had could not exhaust the heat fast enough. Lesson learned I have to buy a new generator and set it up outside the storage unit when in use to have proper ventilation. Also only use generator to run the whole house AC for a short period of time. Portable generators are not designed to kick on and off a whole house AC with a soft start every 20 minutes when it reaches temp inside the house. Going with an inverter generator and using a midsize window unit for the next storm.
What I did is just turn my AC as low as it goes and keep it on, this way it doesn't just keep starting and stopping.
Best video I've seen on the Duromax and you're in Houston! Just because of your video, I just jumped in and bought the 13000, and all the items you have. Getting it installed on Saturday. Thank you for taking the time to put this series together it was so helpful.
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How did it work out for you?
Wow....gotta love those "zero property line" lots. I don't miss those days. Nice to be on even an acre lot now. :) Nice setup!
I have the same generator. It’s a Duramax, and it comes with a floating neutral. (The ground and neutral are NOT connected within the generator) You “DO NOT” use a ground rod when connected to your house panel. You only use a ground rod if you are only using extension cords. Once you connect the generators ground and neutral wires to your house panel (through your 240volt cable) , then the main panel provides the ground to earth. You do not want TWO separate ground rods. BTW, very nice set up you have !
According to the manual on the inverters it sounds as if using and inlet box the inverter generator (bonded) can be hooked to the house...correct me if I or the manual is wrong.
@@aholmes6612 I think you only bond at your panel not generator. When portable you bond
your exhaust is pointed directly at your AC condenser, essentially making your AC work harder to cool your home and the generator working harder and wasting more fuel/gas
Old video, it was later moved. Though it never was an issue.
Exactly my circumstances. I bought a Westinghouse dual fuel since I have propane power. Everything except the natural gas part is the same. Good video.
Cal, agreed, great talent here . This is exactly what most suburban users need !!! To be able to run it outside in inclement weather -That's when the power goes out here in Westchester County, NY .
Besides the start up cost of a Generack the annual cost of maintenance on the Generack is substantial. Best video yet on using a “portable generator”. The exhaust was my biggest challenge thanks for the links.
Lol wow I watched your set up yesterday out the blue and wake and see your story on fox 26 this morning. Good job bro. Very informative
I built mine about 2 years ago...and ours are VERY similar! I have a Pulsar 12k generator from Wallyworld for $800. I have the same cabinet from Wayfair, and same exhaust fan... our intake grills are similar, and i used a flex pipe exhaust to 1" EMT conduit and ran out of cabinet, 90° up to about 6' high and wrapped it in high temp cloth, also put a muffler on it. I also used a battery trickle charger that plugs into an outlet to keep battery charged. I didnt convert to natural gas, and am gonna see how you did it and do the same. Thank you for your write-up!
Thanks for the idea ! Not only does it look good, it cuts down on sound, fire hazzards, AND theft !
You can use the exhaust wrap they put on headers will keep a lot of the exhaust heat inside the pipe not going into the container.
Yes! I didn’t this is a later video and it made a big difference.
Just finished mine up last weekend with this video as my inspiration. Thank you for sharing.
FYI, in 2024 here in Portland, OR I've had three neighbors get complete Generac standby systems installed. They payed $25k each!! I run my house off a $1000 Champion propane inverter, plus I spent another grand on electric stuff and tri-dual conversion. We have NG appliances, so don't need a lot of watts and only use A/C for a couple months in the summer.
might want to add a horse stall mat (rubber) from tractor supply under the housing to help aid in damping the vibration transmission from the generator into the house foundation.
Great video! I really like that you try to be as little invasive as possible. Something I always like to do. It was great to see your ideas...nicely done!
Excellent tutorial Calvin. Thank you very much for the time you took to share this with us. By the way, you’re an excellent communicator and very easy to follow.
Edit: i’d like to add that I’m never ever going to attempt this awesome set up and I’m totally bummed out about it. I have multiple sclerosis and can barely walk no use of my left side. I just bought my generator, still looking at it in the backyard trying to work up the energy to break it in. To all you guys who love this stuff, I was one of you a lifetime ago. I could watch a video like Calvins, go to bed that night and see it in my mind’s eye, build it in my mind while I’m laying down, wake up with tunnel vision and have at it. Enjoy the challenge of things like this, I can’t tell you how difficult it is to be the type personality who would’ve loved the challenge like this but can’t now. Just go for it and feel blessed that you can!
Super duper! Thanks for sharing. One idea I had is that placing the fan higher in the enclosure might work better since heat rises. Of course, having it closer to the heat source as it is may be more effective in this situation.
I have the exact same generator, I deal with rolling it out of my garage when needed, but it would be nice to have a semi permanent installation like you've done, I could connect it to my natural gas line instead of propane bottles, nice work you've inspired some ideas for a future project here!
I bought 157kw standby for my 1000 sf house. Keeps all the fans running smooth. 😊😊😊
Great idea, I liked it so much I built one similar before the city shot me down. I needed a larger NG meter but Center point wouldn’t install one until I got a permit with the city inspecting my build first. Mine looked every bit as good as this one in the video. To shorten my story the city said I had a bomb and had to put the generator back to the portable state. So if you live in the city make sure your gas meter is large enough to run your generator on NG. I was told by the regulator company you have to have at least a 6 oz flow. Good luck and happy build.
Clean, functional, modular and practical. Excellent Commentary also.
Thank you.
The only thing I would add is a supply line T, if your house runs of tanked propane and your large tank is low you could use like a temporary BBQ size tank. Great video tho awesome job
Good overall step by step explanation of what it takes to be prepared and conservative when thinking through the installation. I will buy the exhaust prebuilt as you did. Eliminates a lot of rubgoldberg creation. It’s a trade off cost to conveniences.
WOW!!! You have some serious talent. Thank you for sharing !
Calvin. I have essentially the same generator as you. One thing I wanted to mention to you and you may want to be careful with this. The idle toggle switch is intended to reduce the rpm on the generator while there is no load on it. As soon as it senses load (even a small load) it revs itself up to to roughly 3600RPM to produce 60Hz and the desired 120/240V. The idle feature is meant to reduce noise and fuel consumption while there is no load. (Key words here "no load").
Now, while the button is turned off, this feature is disabled. The problem I see with you turning that on, and then modifying the rev limiter to compensate for the low RPM while there is no load to me is insane. It's like pulling the emergency brake on a vehicle but then upgrading to a bigger turbo because the car is too slow. That's a perfect analogy.
That switch is controlling a small circuit inside the generator that electronically limits the output voltage and frequency but controlling the RPM. You can't get both low RPM on the engine and a solid 60Hz, 120V coming out of th output. It does not work that way. The generator has to run at roughly 3600RPM to maintain 60Hz. If that is not right your lights will flicker, and you risk frying all the electronics in your home.
I am willing to bet that with your mod as soon as it detects a load your output is going to be crazy high, nowhere near 120v. You may be frying your whole house by over voltage. You may be lucky that the NG regulator is limiting the gas input thus limiting your RPM to something less than catastrophic. Just a wild guess...
I don't mean to bash but having build a similar setup myself, and with my engineering background I can see a major problem here.
I would suggest you run your generator with idle on and off and measure the output just to be safe. Check your output voltage and frequency.
I run mine with the idle switch off at all times. It's not worth the risk. Either way the enclosure will suppress some of the noise. Also, even if the idle switch is enabled you won't benefit from noise reduction unless the generator is completely disconnected from any load.
I plan on posting a video on what I did with my setup soon.
Regards!
I did end up turning off the idle control after some research. Also added a tachometer. I talk about this in the update video listed in the description.
@SheepDog I just posted this video. I hope it helps. I plan on doing a much more detailed version when time permits. th-cam.com/video/j-ejO8xbBOA/w-d-xo.html
Just food for thought.Worked as a lineman for 35 years.Line voltage is constantly fluctuating due to loads being taken off and on. When we checked house voltage 10% was always considered acceptable as per the company. Heck we had some at end of distance lines where they couldn't get a fluorescent light to turn on only having 105 volts. That we had to fix by upgrading line.
@@evistic great video. What did you use for the wiring into the house and relays?
@@CalvinGorriaran Hey I just posted an update. Look at the comments under my video. It's mostly a reply to you. th-cam.com/video/j-ejO8xbBOA/w-d-xo.html
Having just gone through 2 hurricanes I really appreciate this video. Really good stuff
60-70 decibels
Good video. I especially like the base you made. Pretty sure the NG device is mounted upside-down.
It was! This was years ago and quickly flipped it around.
@@CalvinGorriaran Somehow I knew that!! This post ROCKS!
Great job, I’m in Pearland wanting to do this next week
Same. I live in pearland. I’m getting on that train
I'm in pearland same here, I feel that there is a lot people looking at this in our area after the whole blackout/freeze
Same here, I'm in Manvel and I too am thinking about this as my set up
I'm in Santa Fe, just got my Suncast Shed delivered yesterday evening and got it assembled this afternoon! Thinking about buying a second and sitting it on my back porch for my spare generator as I got long covered porches so they dont take up much room and the color of the vanilla Suncast sheds damn near matches the color of my house.
77584 here too. Anyone got there's setup? was going to go with Winco but this looks like to be more cost effective
I would never know how to do all this myself even after watching your excellent tutorial
awesome video. the reason you had to mess with the adjustment screw was the regulator is mounted upside down. there is an arrow on the back of the regulator that shows direction
Be sure to check out the update videos :-)
didn’t know about that kit to run a propane gen off natural gas. Glad i watched this video!
My only beef with this type of generator is the servicing needed after running for just a few hours. My Rv required servicing every 50 hours of operation, basically after a single three day weekend at the lake. I always pushed to a 100 hours of operation, and it would start missing and running a little ruff near the 100 hour mark. The $2K price tag is very attractive and the since this usage would only 2 to 3 hours per event the servicing wouldn’t be as big a deal.
As for controlling the heat, you could use header/exhaust wrap to keep the heat from radiating out of the exhaust piping, should add to your fire safety. The wrap is pretty cheap, too.
I am going to look into this! It ran for 48 hours with no issue but I am always up for adding more safety.
@@CalvinGorriaran Can you Run your A/C unit in the Summer when Power goes Out ❓❓❓
Great video !!! I'm a week away from setting mine up and this has given me some excellent ideas. Thanks
I thought it was a perfectly poured pad. Kudos on the overall design and build.
Saw this on the news from Facebook. Pretty neat setup.
Gives me some great ideas with the one I bought! Thanks for sharing.
Great set up, might I recommend adding a sediment trap to your gas line? You've got a lot of $$ invested, wouldn't be but $5-20 of fittings to make the modification to add life to your investment.
I will need to look into this! Thx
I'm late to comment
But
I would suggest header wrap that hot Rodgers use on their exhaust pipes. It might help keep the interior cooler
Not sure if I would be comfortable with that exhaust close to the gas line. Awesome set-up though. Nice build.
One of the better set ups I've seen
Damn son. Cutting no corners. Looks great. I've got the same building so I may look into this. Was just concerned about running it inside the building.
This is a very well conceived and executed installation!
I have the same generator and looking for to build the outdoor shed like your. Thanks for the video.
You're extremely handy! VERY nice job!!!
Only thing I would add is you can order some muffler exhaust shield tape that can be ordered in large stick on pieces to place on the back and side wall near the exhaust. You can find this tape on dirt bike parts sites. Its used to stick on the back side of your side number plates where the exhaust pipe is and you can also order and wrap the exhaust with exhaust tape or rope
Just ordered some! Thanks for the idea.
I have never commented on one of these before and seem to be having a hard time getting it done hope it will not be duplicative. Many thanks for taking the time to share your details, tips, and parts. It is nice to hear everything worked well for you in that crazy weather event. We have a hybrid unit like yours but a little smaller that runs on propane. Several times in the past few years I have spent time looking at videos trying to find something and finally feel like I have found something that resonates. We have a power main panel outside on a pole that feeds three separate breaker panels in three separate sections in the house so transfer switches are out of our price range. The way you have the interlock setup finally gives me direction we can run with. I have seen a couple things our neighbors have done that I am not comfortable with at all. Your setup looks safe for us and the folks working on the lines when the power is out. Best of all my wife will understand it and be able to do it without me. Using something in the power panel to monitor power usage sounds like a great idea as well. Can you share what part you used from where to accomplish that? I saw the wire size you used - how long was the run from the breaker to where you tied into the cord? Can you share how to go about obtaining an interlock kit? Is it from the manufacturer of the panel?
Thanks Calvin, great video. I am going through this process now up in Kingwood. Great to see people from Houston doing these videos because a lot of issues we run into here is the humidity & heat during the summer so I was not sure, until I saw your video, if I could actually enclose a generator safely. Waiting on Centerpoint to run a natural gas line for me. I will be using some of your ideas for my storage box.
Hi Steve. Did you already have gas and they are extending it for you?
Basically yes. My gas main is on one side of my house where as my breaker panel is on the exact opposite side of the house so I’m having them come in and run another line just for the generator. This will hopefully be less expensive than it would for a plumber to trench all the way around the house and lay down the line to extend from the main. We will see.
@@steve6438 I have this same issue. Are they installing a new meter or just running the line from the existing? What was the cost?
They are supposed to call me in about 7 days (utilities are the only ones who could get away with that)- I will let you know the outcome and cost.
@@steve6438 thx! I would really like to move the generator shed to the side of my house with the panel but not wanting to pay a fortune to bring the gas all the way around.
Very nice setup!! Well thought out. One thing I noticed is oil changes. Usually 100 to max 200hrs will require everything to be disconnected. Possible to raise genny so you could just use a tray underneath? Assuming oil fill/drain openings are accessible. Then you wouldn't have disassemble everything. I have run my generators for over a week straight and did oil changes at 100hr (4 day) increments.
You can connect the heat sensor to the kill switch, where the magnetic coil wire is connected.
I think CPAP machines have become a driver of this market. :)
Wow!! This is a very nice job and very well explained. I need to look at your propane/natural gas conversion kit. There was another video that said to run nat gas Duromax dual need a different spark plug. Looks like you did not have to change spark plugs. Kudos
Thanks for doing this video. I am also in the Houston area (east side). Ike tore us up pretty good back in 2008. I also use a CPAP, and we lost power in this last storm (Nicholas) for ten hours. I couldn't sleep. Same goes for the snowmageddon last year! I am not waiting any longer. I am looking for an inverter generator so it won't kill my appliances, computers, etc. BTW, it would sit just like you have it. Dang crowded with the fence and neighbors right next door.
The other side of the fence is a driveway so there is a bit of space to the neighbors house 😬
i bet you were glad you had this a week ago.
You should add a temperature sensor to Arduino and an actuator so that at a certain temperature it opens the whole top up and allows all the heat to escape. Then once cooled down, it will automatically shut. You could also use a smart device that you can check the temps.
Nice work and nicely executed. 👏👏
Good idea!
@@CalvinGorriaran , I’m buying the 13000 watt. I didn’t know these generators could run on natural Gas. How did you manage this? I was gonna to buy a 40 pound propane tank, but your setup is a lot better.
@@MrDeputy5 only change I made was a different regulator. Used the existing hose that was connected to the onboard propane regulator. You will find NG regulator kits online for many generators. I only used the regulator from the kit. The other parts I didn’t install and it worked great. I talk about that in the video.
Remember not to store propane tanks indoors because they can explode. Just reminding everyone to be careful and stay safe. Thank you
Great job on your setup for the generator.
Those Challenger Electrical panels have been recalled. Check to see if yours was one of them!..
Informative and thorough. Well thought out. Great video.
I like your set up but may I caution you about a heat generation issue . Even the smallest of generators produce lot of heat . The attic fan is a good idea bu attic fans are equipped with a thermal overload in case there is fire in the attic it will shut down the fan . I think that you may run into a problem where your fan will shut down in thermal overload . Usually in generator installation you want 3 times the input size of fresh air intake as the exhaust air out . I would recommend adding a fresh air input fan also.
I used to service emergency generators so I know a little bit about generators.....
Awesome Setup, you took what I did, but to the next level. Kudos.
Great video. You managed to answer a ton of questions I had and couldn’t get from other videos great job. I don’t know if you’ve done any follow up videos if you have I’ll definitely check it out. Not in Houston 🤘🏻🤘🏻but in Katy so I do know this is a must if you’re a homeowner in Texas. I been tempted to actually do generac but the lowest I’ve gotten quotes for is 12 to 15 k. Definitely be doing this soon. Thanks again
You never answered. Did you remove the bonded neutral?
Very good job on the generator, and how you explained everything Thank you.
Awesome video! I have a 12K duel fuel and going to do this!
I have that same generator. They're amazing quality.
Generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html
Well thought-out. Well done.
Nice setup for sure. I just wish that generator was in inverter as well to be used in sensitive electronics.
@@tekparasite check out my updated video about the Westinghouse.
@@CalvinGorriaran awesome!
Most generators have a gasoline output Kw rating which yours would be 12,000 while natural gas Kw output is reduced to 10Kw or maybe lower. That NG regulator is purchased got the size engine your running. It's possible they gave you a rated lower regulator for a smaller engine. Looks decent. That attic exhaust fan itself draws a good amount of energy. If your just using it as ventilation, maybe a vent hood would work better. He's does riser faster than it moves horizontally. Nice video.
Watch Mike Holt's videos on grounding and bonding. Having a ground rod from the generator is incorrect.
@@machaf agreed! This was from 4+ years ago. Check out some of my new videos.
Great video! You are a “handyman” 👍🏻 thanks for all the good info.
Hi how do you change the oil of generator? Do you need to remove the generator from the mini shed enclosure?
Need to hear how loud it is when it runs, thx.
Posted a video doing this :)
That’s the set up I’m looking for. Unfortunately Gas line and electric are not close. I can pipe over to it though. Thanks 🙏
Mine were not either. I used a direct burial 6/3 cable. Probably is about 75 - 100ft run.
I noticed your plumber didn't install a drip leg to your NG line. Your gonna want to install one because NG carriers alot of trash and goop in the lines. Trash that will eventually get into your gas reg.
Three thoughts. 1- nice job. 2- you need a sediment trap at the end of your gas line before it goes into the generator. 3- you say you purchased an extended warrantee on the generator, FYI by converting to natural gas you voided your warrantee.
Again, beautiful job.
So revert it back before you take it in for the warranty work. No modifications made were/are permanent.
Great Video fellow Texan!!
Hello Calvin, great video. Love your shed. Excellent design and construction. I took quite a few pointers in designing mine from you.
If you would like some advice on your remote control issue, I absolutely love my WGEN9500 Dule Fuel generator. Their generators have the remote control key fob that would work from 260' away. They are a more compact generator with very good quality at about the same price if not lower than your Duramax with way cooler features like the remote control starter and the ST Start System. Just a suggestion if your planning Upgrading. They even have another size up which would kick butt on anything. But that would be along the same lines as the XH 1500 Duramax in technology. I even use the same exhaust port as you so the only change you would have to make is a shorter exhaust pipe as the exhaust points back towards that wall.
Saw your updates as well. Glad you made it through the Texas siege. Take care Brother.
Thank you! I am looking at the WGen 12000DF!
Did you check if the generator is wired as a floating neutral so it can be more safe when connected to your main electrical panel?
This is something I have been reading about. I need to do more digging on it.
@@CalvinGorriaran Please do. Imo the portable generator should have a floating neutral when connected to house panel and not floating when used as a portable generator.
Calvin is correct !
Great video! I did a similar set up at my house and like you, I feel comfortable enough to do the work but I’ve been unable to find an interlocking kit for my panel which is a big concern.
Very smart thinking nice set up thank you for the info.
Very nice job on your generator enclosure & the way you set things up! My son has the same generator & we are in the process of setting it up with almost the same type of set up that you have. However, we are going to run the generator on Liquid Propane. What most people don't realize is that these portable generators are not weather proof. Meaning that they can't be run outdoors if it's raining, snowing, etc... That's why a generator enclosure is a necessity. Kudos to you on a job well done! 👍👍😉😉
Nice job on the enclosure but.......having run my Generac XP10000e last summer when it was very hot outside, my unit overheated. It has a kill switch so the unit was not damaged. I had a similar size shed/fan etc and it was NOT nearly sufficient for this unit. I previously had a 5,500 Watt unit and the shed was fine, but larger units REALLY need a much larger shed, fan and vent openings. If you go to the "nooutage" site you can view their recommendations for varying units under "PowerShelter plans". Both yours and my unit call for having 5,000 CFM exhaust fan and 30" inch shutter intake opening! You may run fine in cool weather, but if it gets warm, that large generator will cook in a small shed like this. All generators need far more space around them to have sufficient air circulation.....
Take a look at my temperature video I made. Maybe your enclose wasn’t creating enough of a vaccine effect? I haven’t had any issues with temps being a problem. I am a hot climate btw.
th-cam.com/video/vDLHs73cvkk/w-d-xo.html
Man that looks great only problem is i hope you ac unit doesn't go out you will have to move the generator to get to it
I thought about this but I think I would just remove pickets from the fence and come in that way.
That's amazing! Great job!
Great video Calvin.
Solar trickle charger can you please go over the build for it?
You put the exhaust going right into the ac unit
Old video and placement of the generator. Though it never caused any issues. Ended up moving it to get it away from the home and closer to my panel.
The propane regulator is the same as the one you put on.
Hello Sugar Land neighbor! Thanks for this great overview of your setup. I am working with my folks to get them set up with a configuration very similar to this for their home in First Colony - whole home power without the Generac cost! Do you have any additional information on the exhaust setup that you did? You mentioned a ~$100 piece that you hesitated on, etc. I would like to do the same for them to keep the heat out of the box. Love your use of AC vents and Attic Fan vents to keep it best insulated from weather. Cheers!
@@HeyElliott take a look at some of the newer videos and descriptions where I have parts listed. @35 me know if you have any other questions!
How did it do during the freeze last February? My portable generator made it 18 hours out of 72 hours we were powerless. Now waiting for a Generac whole house generator to be installed.
Ran for over 48 hours. Check the update video out…
th-cam.com/video/awwWBhypmEg/w-d-xo.html
Very nice job! Congrats.
Thanks for the video is is very helpful !
What is the name of the natural gas you used on your Duromax XP 12000
And do know if I have to be directly hooked on to the gas meter?
For example can I can I branch off my dryer gas line.
Can you show us the gas line
I have the same generator and I don’t know how to put your unique artwork together,so how
do I get this work done.So Thankyou to making this video.
,
You fixed it like a professional. Great job but if I didn’t have enough room to get around my house without getting on the neighbors I would just plug a line into there house and pay them for the electric. Does living right against neighbors in swanky areas make it worth it?
Makes me uncomfortable as a firefighter that has fought fires because the generator was too close to the house. The last one set two houses on fire so I hope your neighbor isn’t on the other side of the fence. Also the exhaust os going into an enclosed space so CO poisoning is still a concern. If this is up to code or if there are no codes prohibiting them this, I’d urge you to install some a heat sensor fire alarm in there, a CO detector inside the building near by and have the largest size ABC dry chem fire extinguisher you can carry a safe distance away and a gas shut off wrench near your meter. I’d practice rolling out of bed shutting off the gas and power and bringing the extinguisher to your generator a couple times a year and make sure all
capable adults in your house or maybe your neighbors know how to as well.
The other side of the generator is a large driveway. On my side it is a large brick wall with no windows. I do have Nest CO detectors in several places downstairs. I am considering moving the generator another location by the detached garage.
@@CalvinGorriaran still a pretty cool setup, I’d like to do the same but I’d be worried about the zombies taking it as I live in the New Orleans inner city. We have an exhaust removal system to take the CO out of the apparatus bay when we run the trucks. It’s called a primavent system, it’s basically an expensive way of selling us a vaccum. The only downside is we can’t run the trucks for more than 15 mins on or plastic tubing can melt, so if you built something like that I’d look into something beside the ribbed plastic vacuum tubing
Awesome information about the drill, thanks for sharing that.
Mine was too close to the house and was setting off my Nest CO2 alarm inside the closed garage, so I repositioned it to exhaust away from the house. I wasn't taking any chances, I have a very similar setup to this one.
We're in Austin. Twice in recent years we have had weather in the 20's for over a week. This is a first ever thanks to climate change. Unfortunately the power grid in our state and our city have not been quite ready for this, since Texas decided to pull out of the national power grid and to privatize electric energy production some years ago, we were without power for days both times. [It did warm my heart knowing that, even as I froze, at least power company shareholders were enjoying record revenue windfalls.]
Anyway, due to health conditions in my household, being without power is very bad. Our electric panel won't support even installing a cutoff to run just part of the household circuits with a portable generator. So I put an outlet and electrical plug to power our home central heat system, and we bought some beefy extension cords. I am going to install some electrical sockets in the wall that will ultimately connect only to plugs I can plug into my generator. I will keep those outlets covered with blank plates. That way I won't have to run an extension cord through the door, which would leak cold air into the house. This way we can run our heater, fridge, water heater thermostat, stove ignjters, TV and router with a 2500 watt generator for a few hours a couple of times a day. (We have gas heater, water heater, and stove.) In our small household we could do without electric lights. It may not be ideal, but it won't be like camping out inside our own home, at least.
The inverter generator only cost us $500
Dude, climate change is a hoax!😂
Is there a way to secure that gas line so someone can't mess with it? Either locking open or closed.
I'm paranoid with stuff like that. Can picture someone undoing the disconnect, opening the gas line and igniting it.