Portable Generators…..weather is calling for ICE here!!

[sni-per]

How many of you fellas have a portable generator, what brand, and how big? The National Weather Service is calling for ice and snow here, Iowa, until 3 pm tomorrow. We've been lucky for a few years, and have not gone without power for much more than a few hours. I'm thinking our luck may run out one of these days, and thinking about buying one. I'd like to be able to run a couple of lights, and maybe a couple electric heaters. What do you all recommend?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Are ya in yer own house,..?? condo,..?? apartment,..??

If yer gonna get a gen-set, get something that'll power yer adobe's essential services,....
Heat, lights, fridge, cookin, water,..??

I've got an ole Honda 5000w that served a job site, before I got it,...
Actually, I got 2 outa the shop dumpster, 'n built 1 outa the 2,...

5000w will run my whole house, even an electric water heater, so long as ya watch the wattage's,...
Resistance heaters are the worst draws, water heaters, dryers, electric stoves, or space heaters,...

 

[kd3pc]

HOnda 2000, 3000 or 5000 are the best in the game....however if you do not have one, the price is likely quite high to buy one today, IF they have any left at all.

Fuel consumption and adequate storage can complicate the process as a 5KW can easily use 10-12 gallons a day. Don't run it in the garage and don't refuel while it is running. CO detectors up to date in your house?

I have a Honda 2000i that I have used at home and on the boat, as well as ham radio and camping. It keeps the basics (light, radio, and small loads) but will not do anything close to a whole house, you will need 5-8KW for that.

There are several threads here, that I would suggest you read and see where you fit in, before doing anything. Might be cheaper and safer to get a hotel.

It is not as easy as you think to add one, and do it safely.

 

[east_tn_emc]

I have two.....virtually assuring my power will never fail for very long.

I have a Honda 6500 watt and a diesel MEP003a. The honda is a very nice unit. The MEP is a beast and made to run for long periods of time (and weight ~1300 lbs too) so isn't really portable but it is on a trailer.

 

[pentavolvo]

Small husky 1850 rated. Powers furnace, fridge, lights, tv. If we want to make coffee the furnace must be off

 

[frankzlt1]

Wjat ever generator you get make sure theres a dealer near you that will have parts or can do repairs if you have problems. Also make sure you run it at least once a month so it can lube the engine and seals. Also after every use of the generator shut the gas valve off and let the gas get used up in the carb because if you dont the gas will dry up and block the jet and other parts of the carb. As of brand I would recommend the type of pottable that runs on prpain or natural gas as well as gasoline.

 

[theoldwizard1]

What most people want when the power is out is to

• run the furnace
• run a coffee pot/hot plate/toaster oven/microwave
• run a few light
• run tv/radio/dvd player

The simplest thing to do is to get a 2000-3000 watt generator and a bunch of heavy duty extension cords and triple taps. You may not be able to run all of the above appliances at the same time, but you will be able to run them individually (unless you have a huge furnace or microwave)

How of course, you furnace does not have a plug, so you should install (or hire an electrician to install) a Furnace Generator Transfer Switch (under $100 plus installation).

A Honda EU2000i is great generator for doing just this ! Expensive, but it will pay for itself in convenience and fuel economy (bigger generator consume more fuel, even when not running more appliances)

In the Honda owners manual, they will tell you to use a ground-neutral bonding adapter/plug if you are powering a modern furnace with electronic controls. These are easy to make.


If you have a well or other critical 240V appliances you are going to need a bigger generator ...

OR

Buy something like this

AIMS 5000 Watt Power Inverter 12Vdc to 240Vac 60Hz

Around $500, plus battery and cables (a couple of 6V golf cart batteries would be good). It will require some wiring and ...

• You need a DPDT (on-off-on) 2 pole switch so you are not backfeeding the house and power lines
• Need a charger (Battery Tender would be adequate, because you do not need quick recovery)
• Modified sine wave (not good for electronics)
• Not split phase (120v not possible without a transformer)

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have a Honda 6500 watt and a diesel MEP003a. The honda is a very nice unit. The MEP is a beast and made to run for long periods of time (and weight ~1300 lbs too) so isn't really portable but it is on a trailer.

That sucker could run the whole neighborhood !

 

[east_tn_emc]

That sucker could run the whole neighborhood !

Just don't tell my neighbors!
My wife demanded that, in the event power is out in the summer, she have air conditioning. So now she can have AC, hot water and be able to cook too.

The important thing to note is that the MEP cost less than the Honda generator did.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The important thing to note is that the MEP cost less than the Honda generator did.

Did it run at the time of purchase ?

How much time and $$$ did you put into it (forget the wiring in th house for this discussion) ?

 

[p_mori7]

I have this one that I got at Home Depot.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/PowerStr...Powered-Portable-Generator-PS905000/203183989

It built sturdy, runs relatively quiet for it's size, produces clean power. It has a Chinese Honda clone engine. It's easy to start and the controls work well.

It powers all the 120V in my house...but it is not enough to power the 240V heating, so I turn off all those breakers...for heat we have the propane fireplace with it's 120V recirculating fan.

I could power the hot water heater...but would have to turn off virtually all other loads first.

I like it.

 

[2manytoyz]

I have a Yamaha EF2400iS. Great generator. Sips fuel. Uses 1.6 gallons in 8+ hours at a 1/4 load. Engine only runs as fast as the load demands. Inverter type model.

Conventional generators run at a fixed speed, and can gobble 1-1.5 gallons per hour. That's 8x as much as this Yamaha.

I'd recommend buying a Kill-A-Watt meter, and measuring all your critical loads. You'll have an accurate measurement of how much power you will need.

As others have mentioned, fuel is every bit as important as the generator. Mine uses less than 5 gallons per day. When a storm approaches, I keep more than 50 gallons on hand.

For details, pics, and videos of my generator being tested, check out the link:
www.2manytoyz.com/yamaha2400.html

Good luck!

 

[Autorotica]

I bought an 8K Diesel Genny with 10K hours on it out of a barfwagon for $600. It had a burned up set of brushes, a broken exhaust and a couple of other goofy little things that I addressed.

Fuel consumption on this model is .4 gallon per hour at 50% load. Diesel and HHO is interchangeable so I have a few hundred gallons on hand at any time.

Chris

 

[east_tn_emc]

Did it run at the time of purchase ?

How much time and $$$ did you put into it (forget the wiring in th house for this discussion) ?

It did not, but I inspected it before I agreed to buy it so I knew it was in pretty good shape. Engine meter had 255 hours on it. The most expensive items purchased to make it run were two batteries. I found the fuel, oil, and air filters on Amazon. I spent the better part of a Saturday cleaning the fuel tank, pumps and lines. Then I fueled it up, primed it, and it fired right up....probably about 300 bucks invested in getting it running and 8-12 hours of my time.

Buying these can be a bit of a crapshoot, but I felt pretty good after inspecting it so I proceeded with the purchase.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

For lights, fridge, and a few other lighter loads, an inverter gen is a good way to go due to the fuel savings. Some units, Honda, I think, can be used in pairs with a syncro cable, 2000 + 2000 = 4000 watts, or used individually on lighter loads, camping, field work, etc.

I have a 10 hp Yanmar powered Diesel from Northern, 6500 watts. Loud, noisy, smelly, but won't even sag at a heavy load. Rather expensive however, but I got a deal on it so I grabbed it.

Charles

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Use a properly wired transfer switch.

Don't backfeed with a double male plug! Its illegal in most areas.

 

[sni-per]

Thanks for all the sharing of knowledge. I should add, that our home is an old 2 story Victorian, with hot water heat. The boiler also heats our domestic hot water, so no water heater to power, but there are 2 circulating pumps to power along with the boiler. We do have a nat gas warm morning heater in the kitchen for a small amount of heat, but it is nowhere near enough to warm the upstairs bedrooms. We are pretty good at only running lights in the room we're in, so there wouldn't be a lot of lights on at any given time. Otherwise, it would be a fridge and freezer, and a microwave or toaster perhaps.

 

[ambenz]

I went to a local shop that repairs small engines.
He had a generator for sale...$400 out the door!
Runs like a champ!
AND, it powers everything in the house except the air conditioning.

I have it hard wired from the garage now....installing a transfer switch is great advice!!!!

 

[theoldwizard1]

Thanks for all the sharing of knowledge. I should add, that our home is an old 2 story Victorian, with hot water heat. The boiler also heats our domestic hot water, so no water heater to power, but there are 2 circulating pumps to power along with the boiler.

Is the boil or gas or oil fired ?

With 2 circulation pumps plus the boiler you are going to need a lot more than 2,000-3,000 watts ! Those items should have a label on them that states how many watts or amps they use. This is critical for properly sizing your generator.

Unless you have experience with installing electric wiring, hire an electrician. This is much to complex for a first time DIYer.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have a Yamaha EF2400iS. Great generator. Sips fuel. Uses 1.6 gallons in 8+ hours at a 1/4 load. Engine only runs as fast as the load demands. Inverter type model.

I have seen the spec on this model. It seems very capable. It sure is not popular as the Honda even though it does have more power. I think the Honda inverter generators were in the market for a couple of years before the Yamaha ones showed up.

 

[Streetbu]

Go to a small engine shop, they may have one that was brought in for repair, fixed, and never picked up. Happens all the time with all sorts of equipment.

 

[Falcon67]

Tractor Supply has a nice 68db unit for $375 with a wheel kit. There is another at Northern for $500 that includes electric start and remote with the same dB rating. Both are 3500 running, 4000 surge.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Apache 6500 watt diesel 6000 running I think. 10hp yanmar diesel clone. Under 100hrs all put on by me. I have a complete spare parts inventory to rebuild the entire engine along with starter and avr. I am completely happy and have run my house a number of times with it. Longest was 3hrs during the blizzard last year. I have an interlock set up on my panel so I throw the interlock and a couple of breakers and plug in. Very simple. Diesel lasts much longer than gas and smells better..lol..not terribly loud with the enclosure, but not silent.

As for pricing you can find them all over from $1200 up to $4500. Mine was $1000. I bought it from one of those fly by nite storm chasers. After tearing it down and understanding what I have I am confident it will perform when needed. Plus I have all the parts on hand to fix anything...and I have a generac (craftsman) 3500 as a back up. I excercise it every couple of weeks for around an hour with 1/2 to 3/4 load.

 

[jethrodawg]

I have an 8KW (12KW surge) Generac Commerical series XP with electric start.

It is connected directly to my panel through and interlok kit: http://www.interlockkit.com/interlockselect2.html

Allows me to choose any circuit I want to run.

Runs:
Furnace
Well pump
several rooms of lights
Refrigerator
Freezer

I have gas dryer and gas range so with my generator I am basically running with normal life when outages occur. My area can be prone to 1-2 day outages every few years so generator is a must.

 

[ihrescue]

I went to a local shop that repairs small engines.
He had a generator for sale...$400 out the door!
Runs like a champ!
AND, it powers everything in the house except the air conditioning.

I have it hard wired from the garage now....installing a transfer switch is great advice!!!!

I have a Troy Bilt that is nearly identical to this B&S. 5,500 watts. I have used it several times for power failures. It does require significant planning and logistics to have it meet your needs. You need cords, a list of the usage watts of your appliances, fuel on hand, etc. A full tank of fuel will get you about 12 hours of service so if your without power for days your keeping your eye on the fuel and filling it in shifts. Once you use a can of fuel you want to go out and replace it and then you worry f the gas stations have power themselves. Lots to consider to make t happen.

 

[95blklsc]

Here is my portable generator...
Entire album link: https://plus.google.com/photos/105080726446972783291/albums/5922725248166718785?authkey=CLKfr9PEpILxDA

 

[HiTech]

How many KW is it putting out?

 

[95blklsc]

The military rates it at 10kW, but it does quite a bit more. I've had it at about 18-20kW without it skipping a beat. It is rated very differently from your typical big box store consumer generator. Also one thing to consider is it is considered prime power, which is 24/7/365 capability. So that 10kW is at 100% loading, at 8,000' elevation and 120F (IIRC). Once you bring it down to sea level and normal to cool temps it has quite a bit more capacity. It is also a brushless gen head which is a nice, one less item to wear. It will run my whole house without skipping a beat, electric ovens, dryers, etc. The only thing I haven't tested it with is starting up my 5 ton AC, but I don't really expect that to give it an issue.

 

[freakinout]

i have one of these that I got on clearance at Home Depot years ago. very quiet

 

[LEVE]

I guess my question is... if there's snow/ice coming soon, it's possibly too late to buy a portable generator. You'll be forced to buy what's available, if any.

IMHO, it's best to providently search for a generator far before you need it than shortly before.

Me, I use the Prius and an inverter wired to separate wired/dedicated outlets. It works to power essentials in my home for about a month on the fuel I have on hand.

 

[djb2]

People are talking about the specific (and often unique) generator deals they have gotten.

The better approach is to think about need and risk.

Do you need an unchanged lifestyle when the power goes out? Or do you just need a few essentials.

For most people, the power going out is an exception. And it's usually associated with a storm or some other event (earthquake, etc) that disrupts everything else. That makes some inconvenience more acceptable.

You might consider just a tiny 120V-only generator and a long extension cord. That can power a refrigerator and a few LED or CF lamps. You won't be able to cook or heat with it, but do you really need to cook a roast with all of the trimmings and bake a cake when the power is out? You can use a propane grill for most cooking, or buy a cheap single burner butane portable stove.

You might need to manage power carefully: unplug the refrigerator to run kitchen appliances or a sump pump. But it's not as if you are doing this as a new lifestyle. It takes only a few seconds to swap plugs, and it's only until power is restored.

The next step up is a 240V generator in the 2KW range. That's enough power to run HVAC circulating pumps and fans, but not electric heat or AC. The transfer switch and wiring to do this will cost more than a cheap generator. Plus you'll have to manage loads really carefully. These costs and drawbacks usually push people into the 5+KW generator range.

 

[JerryC]

IMHO, if you want one to use as a rabbits foot, the Harbor Freight 3200/4000 works well. Mine since I got it a year ago has scared off the power outages.
The Champion 3200/4000 watt from Tractor Supply has a cult following among RV'ers.
My beef with the Honda EU2000 (and many other small inverter generators) is the small fuel tank. If you need to run a couple of furnaces to stay warm the small gas tank isn't going to get you through a cold night. You can buy an extended fuel tank for it. All of that is expensive, the good news is that resale is high if you ever decide to sell. But if was going to spend that much, I'd spend the extra $700 and get the EU3000.

 

[themiller]

My beef with the Honda EU2000 (and many other small inverter generators) is the small fuel tank. If you need to run a couple of furnaces to stay warm the small gas tank isn't going to get you through a cold night. You can buy an extended fuel tank for it. All of that is expensive, the good news is that resale is high if you ever decide to sell. But if was going to spend that much, I'd spend the extra $700 and get the EU3000.

I never thought about it - but yeah, the little tank is goofy. When I was running two of them in parallel at close to max load I think every 3-4ish hours I'd have to power them down and refuel. BTW - the parallel kit is sweet.

 

[ambenz]

I have a Troy Bilt that is nearly identical to this B&S. 5,500 watts. I have used it several times for power failures. It does require significant planning and logistics to have it meet your needs. You need cords, a list of the usage watts of your appliances, fuel on hand, etc. A full tank of fuel will get you about 12 hours of service so if your without power for days your keeping your eye on the fuel and filling it in shifts. Once you use a can of fuel you want to go out and replace it and then you worry f the gas stations have power themselves. Lots to consider to make t happen.

Living in a metropolitan area...you can drive a mile away and they'll have power to pump gas...if I lived out in the country, I would think about a natural gas generator. Also since the generator has a four prong plug, making a cord to plug into the transfer switch was pretty easy.
These generators can be easy to use if you plan ahead...as with any generator.
You don't have to run your generator all the time either...saving gas and time when you need it....I'll run it for an hour to charge the refridge, shut it down and run batteries for the radio or computer...I have yet to drain a tank before power came back on!

 

[2ManyProjects]

How many of you fellas have a portable generator, what brand, and how big? The National Weather Service is calling for ice and snow here, Iowa, until 3 pm tomorrow. We've been lucky for a few years, and have not gone without power for much more than a few hours. I'm thinking our luck may run out one of these days, and thinking about buying one. I'd like to be able to run a couple of lights, and maybe a couple electric heaters. What do you all recommend?

We've been through this countless times over the past few months, most recently:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3761554&postcount=57

HOnda 2000, 3000 or 5000 are the best in the game....however if you do not have one, the price is likely quite high to buy one today, IF they have any left at all.

IF one needs a portable generator for some other purpose, the "inverter" types made by Honda, Yamaha, and a few others are definitely a nice way to go. But as you note, they are VERY pricey. A 3kW Honda will sink you at least two grand. For LESS money, you can get this:

http://www.generac.com/Residential/CorePowerSeries/7kW/
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Generac-...or-with-50-Amp-Transfer-Switch-5837/202214401

which is FAR more suitable to the backup/standby task.

Fuel consumption and adequate storage can complicate the process as a 5KW can easily use 10-12 gallons a day.

This is what so many folks overlook, at least until they learn the hard way. Fuel is THE big issue; and the only really reliable solutions are decidedly NON-portable.

Thanks for all the sharing of knowledge. I should add, that our home is an old 2 story Victorian, with hot water heat. The boiler also heats our domestic hot water, so no water heater to power, but there are 2 circulating pumps to power along with the boiler. We do have a nat gas warm morning heater in the kitchen for a small amount of heat, but it is nowhere near enough to warm the upstairs bedrooms. We are pretty good at only running lights in the room we're in, so there wouldn't be a lot of lights on at any given time. Otherwise, it would be a fridge and freezer, and a microwave or toaster perhaps.

You really need to do an "energy audit", so to speak, before making any decisions. But I'll wager that "theoldwizard1" is right: You're going to at least want (if not outright "need") more juice than a small portable generator can reliably supply.

Tractor Supply has a nice 68db unit for $375 with a wheel kit.

You call a 68dB noise rating "nice"?!? I think you'll change your mind on that after listening to it for hours (or days) on end. And even if you don't, your neighbors will surely try to change it for you.

Also, remember that NO portable generator (especially one powered by gasoline) should EVER be left running "unattended". That effectively means no power (and no heat, and no water if you're on a well pump) overnight.

Living in a metropolitan area...you can drive a mile away and they'll have power to pump gas...

You want to bet on that?

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101152577
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/11/01/superstorm-sandy-creates-gas-shortage-headaches
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/hurricane-sandy-gas-shortage

 

[Sage55]

If you're going to run electronics such as LCD/Plasma/LED TV's, laptop's, most modern applicances, etc I would strongly suggest something like a Honda EU2000 or lager.

The Honda EU series are a clean power generator and produce a clean steady line of power vs most other generators where spikes in their output are normal and up's and downs which are HORRIBLE for electronics. Just something to think about.

 

[6768rogues]

I have had a Makita 5500 Watt generator for about 23 years. I get it out and run it for a while once a year and keep it in a heated building. I also keep it full of gas with stabilizer. After I use it (every couple of years) I change the oil and fill the gas before putting it away. It has electric start but because I use it so seldom it never has a good battery. I figured that if it got hard to start I could jump if from my truck or tractor. So far, it has never failed to start on the second pull of the rope.