# Briggs and stratton standby generator to power remote building.



## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

I have a customer who want to use a 10kw Briggs and Stratton home standby generator as the power for his remote garage where he stores his landscaping trailers ect. Theres no way to get power up there without having several poles installed to get service there so he just wants to go this route. Im just not sure if the generator will allow you to run it in the maunal setting without a transfer switch being present. I know that if theres a fault with the transfer switch the generator throws an error code and wont start. So if the generator sences that theres no transfer switch present, will it go into a error code? I've never tried this before.


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## Maximumbob (May 24, 2013)

robmac85 said:


> I have a customer who want to use a 10kw Briggs and Stratton home standby generator as the power for his remote garage where he stores his landscaping trailers ect. Theres no way to get power up there without having several poles installed to get service there so he just wants to go this route. Im just not sure if the generator will allow you to run it in the maunal setting without a transfer switch being present. I know that if theres a fault with the transfer switch the generator throws an error code and wont start. So if the generator sences that theres no transfer switch present, will it go into a error code? I've never tried this before.


How are you going to power the generator? Propane?


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## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

Yup propane. Hes currently using a portable gasoline generator up there which is wired to a panel running the lights, recepts and such. I want to save him a few bucks without installing the transfer switch panel and just use what he has existing there because there really is no need for the transfer switch. (no utility power present)


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

robmac85 said:


> I have a customer who want to use a 10kw Briggs and Stratton home standby generator as the power for his remote garage where he stores his landscaping trailers ect. Theres no way to get power up there without having several poles installed to get service there so he just wants to go this route. Im just not sure if the generator will allow you to run it in the maunal setting without a transfer switch being present. I know that if theres a fault with the transfer switch the generator throws an error code and wont start. So if the generator sences that theres no transfer switch present, will it go into a error code? I've never tried this before.


I have an 8500 watt Briggs powered and I just pull the rope.


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## RFguy (Sep 11, 2013)

How are you going to keep the battery in the generator charged? I don't know about the Briggs units, but the Generacs have a circuit board in the generator that draws current and will drain a battery if a charger is not connected.


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## patmurphey (May 28, 2013)

Generac's Ecogen 6kw is designed for this type of off grid use (it's 120volt but a 240volt kit is available). It uses an extra exercise time to keep the battery charged. There may be other brands that have specific off grid models that will do the job correctly.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

patmurphey said:


> Generac's Ecogen 6kw is designed for this type of off grid use (it's 120volt but a 240volt kit is available). It uses an extra exercise time to keep the battery charged. There may be other brands that have specific off grid models that will do the job correctly.


It should be very inexpensive to have a trickle charger built in to them and I am sure they are.


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## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

You know I didnt think of the battery draining while not in use. The custumer bought the thing before consulting with me first. I know he will be using it daily so I was hoping the battery would charge itself while its running as with a car or motorcycle. But true maybe the battery trickle charge works off the 240 volt utility sensing legs... This may end up being a headache trying to re-engineer this thing rather than him just buying the right thing. This is the problem when people have an idea, go buy something then say "Hey -make this thing work for me!"


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## patmurphey (May 28, 2013)

RIVETER said:


> It should be very inexpensive to have a trickle charger built in to them and I am sure they are.


Trickle charge needs a power source. The off grid model has a method of dealing with no power source.

Edit:

A moot point if the customer already bought the Briggs unit.


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## DIYer4Life (Nov 11, 2013)

That unit is most likely going to say that it's not for off-grid use.

Many of these generators are simply not made to run for long periods of time often.


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## patmurphey (May 28, 2013)

DIYer4Life said:


> That unit is most likely going to say that it's not for off-grid use.
> 
> Many of these generators are simply not made to run for long periods of time often.


That's why the Generac 6kw off grid model uses the 530cc v-twin de-rated from the 11kw model instead of the 410cc one cyl. from the 8kw.


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## DIYer4Life (Nov 11, 2013)

patmurphey said:


> That's why the Generac 6kw off grid model uses the 530cc v-twin de-rated from the 11kw model instead of the 410cc one cyl. from the 8kw.


I figured they did something to raise it's duty cycle, thanks for the info :thumbsup:


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