buying a backup generator- what do you have?

[some zilch]

i bought a 15000 watt genny powered by a detroit diesel 2-71 diesel engine. it weighs over a ton, and the gen head itelf weighs 855lbs per the owners manual. it is one *rugged* unit. it is built to run unattended, for weeks at a time, given it has a good fuel supply.

it is bolted to the floor in my shed, and sips about 1.5 gal of diesel per hour, at full load, from a 55 gallon barrel next to it.

if i need somethig to run for 3 weeks in an emergency, i am not relying on anything with a single cylinder gas engine, anything sold at home depot, or anything built for "happy homeowner".

best $2000 i ever spent

 

[Jack90210]

Honda EU6500 with an at-the-meter transfer switch. Finding a unit with clean power (to run PCs, TVs etc.) and the minimum noise possible was important (I live in a townhouse at the moment, and this generator is about as loud as an under-counter dishwasher). Works great and I can power anything in my home except for the HVAC. Pricey, but worth it to me.

 

[romafern]

Zilch, what brand is it? got a part number or a website? Got me curious...Thanks!

 

[nehog]

Zilch, what brand is it? got a part number or a website? Got me curious...Thanks!

You should go over to both SteelSoldiers.com and SmokStak.com and read the military generator forums. Zilch's is a nice system, but much more common are the military MEP generators (like I have) which actually are (IMHO) easier to deal with.

There are no shortages of spare parts for the MEP-004 (15 KW) and the MEP-005 (30 KW) generator sets, most are mounted on M-200 trailers so are transportable, and they're built like brick sh1t houses too.

 

[collmorgen]

If you don't go with a dedicated generator that is permanently wired in, think about a welder/generator. For a little more money you have a very handy tool. We have a Hobart 10K and it did a fine job during hurricane Rita.

 

[John in OH]

I've got an 8,000w generator, 120/240v, with a 13.5hp Honda engine and battery start that I got from Northern Tool about 8 years ago. I went with battery start so my wife could start the engine and put the generator in service, if necessary.

It has seen only occasional use until this past week when Irene took out our power for four days. I ran it for a few hours each morning, a few more hours in the afternoon, a few hours at dinner time, and a few more hours after dark. We didn't need power continuously during the day but did want to keep the frig and freezer cold and the water tank (well water) up in pressure. Using this cycle, it consumed about 3 gal of gas per day.

The house is set up with a main breaker panel and a sub-panel that contains the "critical" house circuits. This sub-panel can be fed from the main breaker panel or the generator via a manual transfer switch. The "critical" circuits consist of:

Frig/freezer circuit
Microwave
Water pump
Propane gas fireplace & blower
Kitchen & other assorted lights

Other than what could be cooked in the microwave, we used the gas grill set up in the garage. I doubt that we could run the electric range, but since it isn't on the critical sub-panel I've never tried. The electric water heater is a 60gal unit with two 4,500w heating elements so it is also beyond the generator capacity as well as not being on the sub-panel. The water in the heater stayed warm for 3 days so we were able to take quick showers.

Suggestions:
- Give a lot of thought to what you want to support on an emergency generator. If I had to add one item to my critical circuit sub-panel it would be the water heater, but this would require a larger generator (probably a 10kw).
- There are numerous schemes available to tying your emergency power into your house circuitry. Do some research and select a configuration that will best suit your needs.
- Use a POSITIVE interlock or transfer switch between the generator and utility company feed. I know that many folks do not have a positive interlock between generator and utility company and only use the "turn off main breaker" technique. Yes, this works. BUT your are depending on yourself or some other person (wife, son, daughter, etc) to remember to take this step before starting your generator. Failure to take this step places the utility line workers at great risk since your 240v generator power, inadvertently back fed to your pole transformer, will create 7,200v or more on the utility company's line!! Plus, it's a violation of the National Electric Code. Don't risk someone else's life to save yourself a few dollars.
- Select a generator that will readily support the loads that you chose for emergency backup. No need to over-size a generator ... if your emergency load is only 5,000w, don't waste your money on a 10,000w unit. But don't undersize either ... you want to buy a generator only once.
- If you don't fully understand how to size or configure your emergency generator circuit and isolation switch, hire an electrician.

 

[Rittles]

Coleman 5500 with an 11 hp Tecumseh engine. Freakin' thing is loud but when the power is out for three days who cares? I tried backfeeding through the dryer outlet with the main switched off as an experiment but it didn't go well. Learned about unclean power by toasting the pc power board, coffee maker, xbox, and garage door opener.

Now I just run a few extension cords from the generator via a Brick Wall power filter. As long as the fridge, water heater, and a few lights work I'm good for as long as need be.

I had the same Coleman generator for a few years and had it hooked up through the dryer outlet as well. Never had a problem with unclean power though. It would surge quite a bit whenever a load was first put on it. I sold it when we bought our house, as the previous owner left us a generator.

The new one is a Craftsman with a 10hp briggs, 5600w running /8600w surge. It is much easier to start than the Coleman, and my wife can even start it when I am not home. It also runs very smooth, with no noticeable surge when appliances start up. We have used it about 10 times in the past 2 years, usually for a few days at a time and it has worked great.

 

[brownbagg]

look this is a shop forum
first question, I need a tool.

so just go but a lincoln or miller diesel welding machine, problem solved

 

[scrumpy]

Kawasaki 4500 watt. Runs the whole house for the most part but I have gas for heat, HW, cooking, and I am on town for water/sewage. Have a 200 amp three position manual transfer switch for the main feed, street/off/generator. Wired a light to the street side so I know when power comes back on. It was easier for me plus I can run the garage this way. Just can't run the air compressor but there is plenty to do without it. Only complaint I have is how loud it is. So I made up a longer cord and lock it in the pool house. The pool house used to be a shop so it is insulated and quiet. The lock is to keep people out due to the fumes. The best part is the genset was free, just had to clean out the diesel fuel that some helpful person filled it with, it runs on gas.

-Scrump

 

[Freefall_Doug]

I started with a used craiglist MultiQuip 5kw generator, which I killed early into my Irene power outage, but it had the last laugh by frying my furnace controls (actually that was my fault, but who is counting).

On Tuesday I ended up with a brand new Briggs and Straton 5000kw, 6500 starting kw generator. I think it has a 10hp OHV engine. It has a big 7 gallon fuel tank. It has been awesome so far, it runs super quiet. I am super suprised with how quiet it is!

It pull starts on the first try. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the multiquip has like low oil alarm and cut off, and auto idle, but it appears to work great.

I want to add a hour meter to the new generator, and maybe build it a little shelter, but I am super pleased!

 

[Herb]

I have a Miller Bobcat 225nt welder/ generator that I've used for 7.5 hours in the last 3 1/2 years. It will run anything in my house but due to lack of use I'm going to sell it.

 

[nehog]

If you don't go with a dedicated generator that is permanently wired in, think about a welder/generator. For a little more money you have a very handy tool. We have a Hobart 10K and it did a fine job during hurricane Rita.

Prior to going the route of a permanently installed/wired in generator understand the rules, especially for generators that are capable of automatic start and change over.

 

[oldgoat]

A neighbor of mine has a 10K welder/generator and has used it a couple of times during power outages. Only problem is that it is rather loud and guzzles up the gas. A dedicated system that is on natural gas and automatically starts is generally going to be a more practical setup in a city. You can always get a separate welder to use if need be. I see the combination as more of a use in rual areas.

 

[clkimmel]

I bought the Briggs 5500 watt generator the day before Irene came. Glad I did, we lost power for 4 days and without electricity we have no water (well). The generator worked very well for us, I was able to power the well pump (you know it when that comes on), 2 refirdgerators, 1 freezer, TV, laptop, and various lights. I shut down the fridges and turned on the water heater (4500 watt) for about an hour with no problems. It is a little loud and I placed it under the bedroom windows so next time (KATIA???) I will most likely put it some place else. Overall I am pleased with the unit.

 

[Torque1st]

I have a little Generac 5000/6250 ex Y2K unit picked up at a garage sale. It is enough to run the microwave, fridge, furnace and a couple lights. A generator is cheap insurance, get one and you will never need it. It is too late to get insurance when the storm is already on it's way.

 

[mrb]

I placed it under the bedroom windows

uh thats a bad idea

 

[clkimmel]

Not directly under the windows, just that the generator was in the back yard (about 20 feet away from the house) and it is a little noisy.

 

[nehog]

... A dedicated system that is on natural gas and automatically starts is generally going to be a more practical setup in a city...

As I mentioned, study the NEC before committing to this course. There are rules (which are relatively new) regarding sizing of the generator when a fully automatic system is installed. You can't just install any generator, it has to be sized to the current configuration of the system it will power.

 

[TexasT]

I bought this one after the Hurricane Rita fiasco when we lived near Houston. I thought it was a good deal. I haven't needed it yet so I haven't gotten it out of the box yet.

 

[some zilch]

Zilch, what brand is it? got a part number or a website? Got me curious...Thanks!

You should go over to both SteelSoldiers.com and SmokStak.com and read the military generator forums. Zilch's is a nice system, but much more common are the military MEP generators (like I have) which actually are (IMHO) easier to deal with.

There are no shortages of spare parts for the MEP-004 (15 KW) and the MEP-005 (30 KW) generator sets, most are mounted on M-200 trailers so are transportable, and they're built like brick sh1t houses too.

do a general google/yahoo search for "detroit 2-71 generator", and you will find several sources, and lots of info. it blows ANY home-owner type generator away in terms of build quality, life expectancy, ease to work on, etc

 

[Joe69]

So what happens when you have too many watts sucking appliances hooked to a genset? No, I will not try that with mine unit. Just curious...does it fry the unit?

I accidentally did that the other day, it just popped the main breaker on the generator.

Joe

 

[442stu]

I have an oil fired boiler and hot water heater. Can I run a diesel generator from the fuel oil tank? No natural gas, and no place to store gasoline or propane tanks. I have a 275 gal oil tank, which the oil company likes to keep full, if you know what I mean.

Thanks,
Stu

 

[nehog]

I have an oil fired boiler and hot water heater. Can I run a diesel generator from the fuel oil tank? No natural gas, and no place to store gasoline or propane tanks. I have a 275 gal oil tank, which the oil company likes to keep full, if you know what I mean.

Thanks,
Stu

Short answer, yes... #2 fuel oil and #2 diesel are basically the same thing. However, if you are running a kerosene mix (some do when the tank is outdoors) then you need to add a lubricity additive as kerosene doesn't have any lubrication ability.

 

[mik386]

I also lost power during the hurricane for 5 1/2 days. I bought a diesel generator from northern equipment in 2000. 6000 watt with a yanmar 10 hp engine I have about 500 hrs on it and it has not missed a beat. I run a 10 circuit gentran panel. They still had this model in their most recent catalog only updated. We didnt see CL&P in our area until thurs. pm. It did not take long after that.

 

[rlitman]

Short answer, yes... #2 fuel oil and #2 diesel are basically the same thing. However, if you are running a kerosene mix (some do when the tank is outdoors) then you need to add a lubricity additive as kerosene doesn't have any lubrication ability.

Long answer is if you plan on using this a lot, just ask for off-road diesel. It'll burn just fine for heating, and not hurt your engine. It's just pennies more than #2 fuel oil.

 

[Nick_Escalante]

Anybody have any info on this specific generator I'm looking at; I posted in another thread, but saw this thread so figured DD... thx :

7 HP, 3050 Rated Watts/3500 Max Watts Gasoline Generator Coupon $279.99

http://www.harborfreight.com/engines...tor-67560.html

It will be my 1st and only generator. Looking to get some entry level to power basic stuff during power outs.... i don't have a well so a 220 is not needed. thanks.

 

[nehog]

Long answer is if you plan on using this a lot, just ask for off-road diesel. It'll burn just fine for heating, and not hurt your engine. It's just pennies more than #2 fuel oil.

As I mentioned there's no appreciable difference between the two (other than, at least around here, about a dime a gallon) and #2 fuel oil will work just fine. If you are burning a mix with kero, or straight kero then you should worry about lubricity. Adding a commercial additive (such as PS) solves the problem, though in a pinch even a few quarts of new non-detergent oil would work just fine. (Hydraulic oil is non-detergent, and available in 5 gallon drums at many places such as TSC.)

Most heating oil suppliers won't deliver off-road diesel without putting a surcharge on it, because of the fact they have to load the truck with the diesel, then after rounds drain and refill with heating oil. (I've seen them simply skip everything except the price increase too, as it is not possible to tell one from the other.)

 

[SuperSocket]

I bought this one after the Hurricane Rita fiasco when we lived near Houston. I thought it was a good deal. I haven't needed it yet so I haven't gotten it out of the box yet.

...Why...

You need to start it, test it, make sure everything works, make sure the oil is there and in it and that you have all the connectors, cables, etc.


With a generator in box in an emergency you might just not as well have one.

 

[NitroPress]

I didn't see any mention in this thread so I thought I'd toss in: You don't necessarily need a generator in storage, but you should definitely install a transfer panel so you can safely power what needs powering, without the hassles and safety problems of jacking a portable into your dryer plug or whatever.

With an xfer panel in place, you can use any generator you can lay hands on with no hassles. Generators are cheap and plentiful if you don't wait until the storm is on the five o'clock news and everyone panics...

 

[billsr4]

I have a 25kw generac propane that runs the whole house and garages.
Totally automatic and my house is total electric.
6.5 tons A/C in house and 4.5 tons in the 2 garages, i let everything run like normal.

The generator burns about 3 gallons per hour.I have a 500 gallon propane tank.

 

[MO-Iron]

The power outages in our area are usually caused by ice storms making heat my first priority. I heat my house with wood and only need to run the small blower on the wood stove to keep the house warm. The second concern is pumping livestock water. I came up with a good system after years of experimenting and thought I would share. I have a small inverter in my garage hard wired in to a separate receptacle by my wood stove. If the power goes out at night, I simply plug the stove into the inverter circuit for the night. At daylight I throw the transfer switch in the well house and fire up my miller trailblazer welder to pump water, recharge the inverter(4 deep cycle marine batteries), and run the refrigerator. Lights and cooking when the inverter is in use are done camp style.
The welder works great in my situation because it is used frequently on the farm and we keep bulk fuel for our equipment.

MO-Iron

 

[foleymech]

Multiquip DCA25 Isuzu diesel

 

[uhcrandy]

Hey nehog, are you a memeber on Steelsoldiers? Whatchgot?

 

[nehog]

Hey nehog, are you a memeber on Steelsoldiers? Whatchgot?

Steelsoldiers, SmokStak, HML... I'm PeterD on Steelsoldiers, and NEHOG on the other two.

I use a MEP-004A with an ASK, on an M-200 trailer. My biggest dislike is that the fuel tank is too small.

 

[2manytoyz]

I have a Yamaha EF2400iS generator. It's big enough to run the 13,500 BTU A/C unit on our camper, and works great to run my CRITICAL loads at my home here in hurricane prone FL.

In 2004, we had two back to back hurricanes within a couple of weeks of one another. The local area was without power for 18 days. I had a motorhome, and was lucky enough to leave for GA while my friends/coworkers had to deal with the mess.

One had a 10KW generator, consuming about 1.5 gallons per hour, or 36 gallons per day. The other had a Honda 2KW, consuming about 1 gallon every 8 hours, or 3 gallons per day. Multiply the daily consumption by 18, and the issue becomes obvious. Furthermore, with power out, gas stations were closed. So one coworker spent everyday, driving some distance, in search of fuel.

None of us have a natural gas line, so that source of fuel isn't an option. Since fuel becomes a precious commodity, we collectively had to rethink our strategies. The term micro-climate came up. Keep one room comfortable, rather than an entire house. Keep one fridge running, lights, TV, computer, fan, etc. Just the critical items. Suddenly there's little need for a big-thirsty generator.

The added benefit of the inverter type of generaor is they are very quiet. Neighbor's won't show up with an extension cord, wanting to run their house from your power.

As for tools, the only thing I haven't been able to run is an air compressor. The startup current is just too high. Everything else runs fine. Here's the testing I've done so far:

http://www.2manytoyz.com/yamaha2400.html

And I'm not worried about the air compressor it won't run, I put a 12V (45A) setup in the back of my truck:

http://2manytoyz.com/compressor.html

 

[enildeR]

Thought I'd mention that a Lister generator is on my list of "to get" in order to make my home self sufficient (no dependency on municipalities for anything). There is plenty of info out there on them. You can get a single cylinder or a two-cylinder generator. Provided you have a good cooling system fabricated for the engine, it will keep chugging along for years. They're easy to work on.

It's more on the DIY side, as you would need to, as mentioned, fab the cooling system, find and mount a good generator, and buy and setup the electronics to actually provide power.

Plenty of videos on youtube about them, too. Just be careful if you do look to buying one. There are some shady manufacturers overseas that try to pawn their **** off as genuine parts.

IIRC, when I looked into them, I read the single cylinder sips diesel at about a 3rd of a gallon per hour. For the amount of power they are capable of producing, that's a decent level of efficiency.

You would need to have a cement block/thick slab poured for it, and someone even came up with a compressed air system to start the generator.

 

[kartracer55]

Briggs "storm Responder" 5500 continuous 8k surge. Got it new and ran it for a couple days during Irene with no issues, starts first pull etc etc.

I believe it is at least assembled here...

 

[Propane-boy]

Not sure if you bought a generator yet, I have a 6000/7250 watt DeVilbiss brushless with a 10 ckt gen tran switch that we put in 10 years ago. It does just fine when powering a oil burner for furnace, oil burner for hot water heater, forced hot air heat, some inside lights, an occasional hot plate and coffee maker and some outside lights and outlets for charging phones. (if folks without power will be joining you, make sure your bathroom fans are on the gen-tran switch, nuff said)
After having gas in my gen and storage tanks go bad several times even using Marine Stabil, I converted my Devilbiss to a tri-fule propane last year. Now I hook up a Worthington 40lb propane tanks and get 8-10 hours per tank (or 5-6 hrs on a standard BBQ tank) running at 1/4 load, or 1/2 load when the hair dryers come out. I never saw the gen tran meters go above 3800 watts no matter what we ran in the house.
The advantage now is I can use LP or Gasoline, or natural gas if I had the hook up, so no waiting in lines for gasoline or gas storage issues. It took 2 tries to convert the generator, as we found the mother of all mouse nests in my engine cooling fins and they ate through the coil wire. Peppermint abstract and moth balls have sent those wire chewing bandits to my neighbor's house. His generator doesn't start now.

My new strategy is to move up to a slightly larger, automatic standby generator. After researching all the standard models like Generac, Kohler, B&S, Cummins-Onan and Winco models and forums I am close to deciding on a Winco 8k stand by generator. Winco makes a 12k with a Honda GX690 24HP engine, but the LP consumption of 1.6 gl per hour concerns me. I came across forums that had small engine repair veterans warning folks about the Generac and Kohler quality and service nightmares. I am not sure how often these really happen, but I cant find a bad review anywhere on a Winco Standby generator. They are commercial grade, not residential and they are not cheap. (check out http://www.mytractorforum.com/ these guys post great points on a variety of engines and generator models etc..)

For portable I would buy an efficient tri-fule model or look at converting a gas generator with a LP kit. 5k or 6k watts may be the right size. Buy a really thick chain and quality padlock too.
For home standby? I would talk to some electricians you trust, check the forums for the specific models and engines. Try to find folks who have used their stand by gens in multiple storms, vs just installed them and saying how nice they look

Hope this helps, Good luck, and don't forget those bathroom fans!

 

[KCobra]

The comments about inverters/clean power have me wondering....
How do I know if the generator has an inverter?
I assume it will be advertised in the literature/on the box?
I picked this up http://www.generac.com/Portables/GP/Products/GP7500E/
but never needed it.
Seriously considering taking it back and getting a generator that I can run the TV's and computers.
Really considering the Honda EU6500i, super quiet, and can easily be used at the track without being too noisy for the people parked around me.
But, the Honda is really expensive.
Is there an aftermarket/external inverter available?

Thanks.

 

[wot sales]

Bought and installed a Kohler 14,000-Watt Model #14RESAL
with 100-Amp 16-Circuit Automatic Transfer Switch. Ordered online from Home Depot, was delivered two days later. Runs on natural gas, piped from my house, but can run on propane. All automatic, power goes out, generator comes on in 8 seconds. Runs automatically a 15 minute ‘exercise cycle’ once a week. Had four outages since installed, works fantastic. Heard that running these things is expensive, but ran for three days straight last August running the whole house and figured out it cost $20. Well worth it. My neighbors were suffering. Got a permit, installed it myself, and had it inspected and approved. Should have done it a long time ago as we lose power a lot here.