Portable Generator

My GF has the gym membership. I have the dad bod

 

Check out the champion unit on Amazon it’s 688 or something like that and dual fuel but it’s 4500 watts not 9000

 

Well yeah it won't run a 5 ton ac
It does run my 1.5 ton ac though

 

OK, Lets talk generators. Working construction all over the world with Air Force civil engineers, and working in Public Works in a big City, plus having been camping in for 40 years. I have seen the good and the bad in generators. When my Air Force unit worked over seas, we left our military's generator at home, because they like to fry electronics, mid 80's & 90's. My AF unit bought our own Honda generators, a lot more dependable, and less noise.

I have used Honda's generator ever since. Some of my friends went cheap and had nothing but problems. I started with 500 watt Honda, then went to 1000 watt, now I have two 2200 Honda's. Two gather they put out 4400 watts. When I lose power I run on one 2200 watt generator. I only need enough power to run my gas Furnas, gas HW heater and lights. There is nothing worst then trying to start an cheap generator when you need it, my father in law learned the hard way. I never been with out power more then 24 hrs.

I like to use my generators for 10 yrs then buy news, I get 90% pay back on the ones I sale.

 

After Hurricane Sandy I lost power for 6 ish days. For that period of time the main issue is fuel. Even if you throttle usage it adds up by day 4.

The solution was putting a natural gas conversion kit on my portable Honda generator. It’s super quiet and will run forever. Propane is another good option but you need a 300+ gal tank to keep things going for a week.

If you can’t do natural gas or propane with a large tank, I’d get a portable gas generator AND a portable solar generator. Use the gas gen for fridge freezer and heat pump... on a schedule. Use the solar for mobile devices, lights, other electronics.

I use a Pro/Tran transfer switch that you manually flip switches between grid and generator. It’s easy to setup

 

Yep Honda is the way to go if you can afford it. But I’m with you if I need a generator I NEED it. I don’t want to go to start it and have the cheap Chinese junk break. Like last year. That’s what I get for going cheap

 

I’d definitely like Honda if I could, but they’re pricey! And for something that I probably won’t use a couple times a year.

this last snow storm was VERY unusual for Virginia. Before this, I’ve only been without power for a day at most.

most of the new generators are electric star with pull backup.

I’m completely electric here. No gas for cooking, heat, water, etc….. I know I won’t be able to power everything, but having lights and tv/internet and keep phones powered at a minimum would be nice. Then hot water and heat if possible.

 

What does your electric heat and water heater need? Should say on the unit somewhere

 

I’ll have to look. My GF just said “I’m not going through this again” so I’m trying to do my research and get something in process.
All generators in our area are sold out at the moment. Maybe I can get a good deal on a return! Lol

 

I was without power several years back for 8 days in winter (northern) so I have some experience. Borrowed a 5000w generator at the time and it taught me a lot for next time (yet to be).

My opinion, get a small generator, around the 2000watt ones and make do. Small, easy to store, quiet, most importantly -easy on gas. Gas is important for a few reasons, depending on the reason for outage, will you have easy access to gas? I keep around 12 gallons of ethanol free on hand. That should last me a week easily. The 5kw one I had sucked gas and it was a chore to keep it fed with only small gas cans on hand. Also loud as hell.

Also I have a power inverter and deep cell battery and charger. Charge batt while running generator then could use inverter at night, charging phones, small lamps, etc. Also be sure to have several extension cords and surge protectors if you don't want to hook into main power (I don't).

Propane ones have some benefits, but in a large scale event I would think propane could be harder to come by then gas. A natural gas conversion would be sweet and I've considered it, but not cheap and I'll make do with just a gas.

We chose to go small and make it work, don't need to live with every amenity in the once every 10 year storm (if that for our area).

 

This is a great idea and well thought out!

 

So maybe going with a smaller unit, with a built in inverter for clean power, and dual fuel is the way to go.

i definitely want it to power the house as I don’t want cords running all over the place. And don’t want to worry about charging up other power supplies to then charge my phone and devices.

maybe I’m asking for too much with too little $$$

there has to be a good solution for what I’m wanting to do. Just too many options out there.

 

You hit the nail on the head, at some point you have to take $$$$ in to account.

But I have to kick myself every now and then because I have no problem dropping money on my truck why not a generator

 

Thanks. I have a list (with wattages) of what I would want/need depending on the season. Main thing was some heat in winter and small chest freezer (save the meat!).

We would shut down most of the house and just stay in smaller area to make it easier to heat. A lamp and a TV+DVD player and we'd be good.

 

That’s what we had to do when the big generator failed. Use the little one and make do.

It sucked lol

 

But I use my truck every day!

 

Yeah everyone has a different comfort level they'd want to maintain. Regardless of what that level is money can buy it!

We camp a lot and I like to rough it whenever possible, so an extended outage would be like camping at home. Just need enough juice to keep warm and hold some food.

 

Ok I’m gonna throw this out there. Bear with me….

Get a bicycle….and an ac motor….and tell the wife you got her a peloton that powers the house

 

See I could do that. I had the wood stove going downstairs, dogs sleeping on the sofa (GF was working overnight) and all I was missing was a little bit of light and tv/internet. But it did suck taking the whore baths at work in the bathroom. And trying to brush teeth with water from bottles. And filling up toilet tanks with 3gal jugs of water.
see, here I go again trying to do too much!

 

And save gym membership!

 

Well pump?

 

Yup

 

I'm on city water, have gas water heater, freestanding stove, cook top and furnace. So a small generator will be good for us. Figured out to wire the furnace blower into an extension cord end. Have a fridge and freezer in the furnace room which makes cord routing easy. Anything beyond those is living a life of luxury.

 

Unfortunately I see more and more power outages in the future. Remember the big one in the mid 2000s that wiped out much of the eastern part of the country? Caused by trees in the lines. New regulations put in place did very little to prevent a reoccurrence. Add to that the mandatory EVs sucking current from an antiquated power grid. Ask California how it's going for them.

Size your generator too big and you'll spend a grand keeping your beer cold for a week. Too small and you'd better like camping in a tent.
For my house I have an older Yamaha 1600 that will keep my fridge and freezer working or run a microwave or coffee pot. Internet takes very little so it runs all the time the generator is on. One gallon of gas lasts 5 hours. I usually run for 5 then off for 5. I try to keep 10+ gallons of gas on hand at a minimum. This gets cycled through the lawn mowers, 4wheelers and boat motor to keep fresh. Royal PITA, if you ask me. Get a bigger generator and the problem of keeping fresh gas only gets worse. I'm lucky that I live in the middle of the woods and have plenty of garage and shop space to store the gas but still don't like having all that gas stored for safety reasons.
For my travel trailer I bought a Westinghouse Dual fuel 4500 watt remote start generator that I keep in the back of the truck while traveling. I can run the entire camper with this while roughing it. I like having heat or AC. But this is for a very limited time.

My advice is to get the smallest generator that will fulfill your most basic needs and think real hard on where you will get or store your fuel. It can be very hard to find gas stations open during massive power outages.

 

I didn’t read every reply, so I’m not sure if this was suggested above but I have a DuroMax XP12000EH. It’s dual fuel gas and propane. I have it hooked up to a 100lb propane tank and am using a 50A connection. It can run everything in my house for days. I also keep gas around in case temps are too cold and the propane doesn’t have enough pressure or it runs out.

I got it at Lowes, but I don’t think they sell it anymore.

It’s also very loud, but it’s in my garage with the exhaust vented outside so I can’t hear it in the house.

$1,099 DuroMax XP12000EH Generator-12000 Watt Gas or Propane Powered Home Back Up & RV Ready, 50 State Approved Dual Fuel Electric Start Portable Generator, Black and Blue

https://www.amazon.com/DuroMax-XP12000EH-000-Watt-Portable-Generator/dp/B01M0N8256

 

I’ve been looking at those as well! I think lowes still carry’s them. At least online.
I’m just unsure what size I need. Don’t want to go too big or too small. This is a rental house too. If I owned it, I would fork out the money for a whole house generator.

 

Thanks for all the input everyone.

waiting on the electrical company to install my transfer switch, but I went ahead and went with the Westinghouse 9500DFC. Should power the most important things in the house.

https://westinghouseoutdoorpower.com/products/wgen9500dfc-dual-fuel-with-co-sensor

 

I have a 5500 generac with the 30 amp twist lock. Not to code but I backfeed my entire house with it and can run the a/c and electric hot water just not at the same time including all the other things

 

My electric company offers installation of a transfer switch in the outside electrical meter. Basically does what your doing but “legal”.

 

What do they charge for something like that just wondering I’m a power line worker our company does not offer that but I was just curious