On 11 Jan 2005 04:07:58 GMT, Ignoramus5713
wrote:

It works beautifully, starts every time. Load tests very good also. I
am very happy, thanks not the least to members of these newsgroups. I
know that I can buy a starting relay for it from FW Murphy (with
preheat and all), but, to me, it is all not worth it. I would have to
spend $1,500 on an autostarting transfer switch, plus extra for relay,
etc. All for what? For not taking my ass out of the house in the rare
event of loss of power? Nah. I can walk out for 3 minutes, preheat the
engine and start it.

One advantage of an automatic transfer switch is that you don't have to be
home to start the generator when the power goes out. Since we take winter
vacations, and live where it's cold, that would be an issue for us.

But they are expensive, and not for all situations.

One advantage of a whole house transfer switch (manual DPDT like I had
installed at my previous home) is that you don't have to decide in advance
which circuits are critical during the blackout. For example, in our last
home, we could have run one burner on the electric stove, whereas with the
smaller, then available sub units, we would not have had that option.

You just need to take care to not overload your generator.

Again, even the whole house manual transfer switch may be more expensive
than what you want to pay, but it would be something to check on, as I
believe prices have come down.


-- ron (off the grid in Downeast Maine)