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Picture of dry-fly
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Thoughts on Westinghouse? I don’t know squat about these brands except for the big ones...Generac, Honda, etc.


"Attack life, it's going to kill you anyway." Steve McQueen...
 
Posts: 6997 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: July 18, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have a Honda EU 2200i, a few 12 ga extensions cords etc., etc. to provide some basic power. It's very quiet. About $1k new up here in the Northwest.

I also have a tow chain with and a pad lock to secure it while running it.
 
Posts: 1447 | Location: Western WA | Registered: September 11, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Cruising the
Highway to Hell
Picture of 95flhr
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quote:
Originally posted by tigereye313:
I have the Champion dual fuel 7500w. It has gotten its first workout this week. It had no problem running for 8+ hours on a full tank of gasoline. I have 3 5-gallon + a 2-gallon gas cans to feed it. Before this calamity started, the genny was full as well as the gas cans. I only had to refill 12 gallons worth to get us through the outages this week.

I had an electrician install an inlet and interlock kit (sliding lockout that prevents generator and line power from being on at the same time) in our panel. It will run nearly everything in the house (except our 5ton AC unit) as long as we are careful not to run multiple high demand appliances at the same time. Did fine with the furnace blower, lights, septic pump, small space heater for our travel trailer, coffee pot, fridge and freezer etc. Didn't use it with electric oven, clothes dryer etc.


I have the same generator and breaker box configuration. It runs my well pump, water heater and some lights and the TV. Won't run the HVAC, or stove at least if anything else is turned on.

I run it on propane. I have two 100Lb tanks and two 40Lb tanks in the trailer if I run out on the 100 Lb tanks. Propane is way easier to store than gasoline.




“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.”
― Ronald Reagan

Retired old fart
 
Posts: 6484 | Location: Near the Beaverdam in VA | Registered: February 13, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by dry-fly:
I’ve seen that Champion unit but didn’t know whether to consider it. So it’s a solid unit?



Solid... MrGunsNGear did a review of a smaller unit. Said his neighbors relied on it for weeks if I remember correctly.


The "Boz"
 
Posts: 1531 | Location: Central Ohio, USA | Registered: May 29, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
If you see me running
try to keep up
Picture of mrvmax
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quote:
Originally posted by dry-fly:
Well, needless to say...after this week I’m looking at generators. A whole home setup would be sweet, but there’s just no way we can afford that route. I’ve been looking hard at this Generac unit (GP8000).
https://www.generac.com/all-pr...ies/gp8000e-49st-csa

The biggest drawback I can see is having enough gasoline to feed one of these at any given time. There are aftermarket natural gas conversion kits specific to this model. We have natural gas at our house already, this seems like it might be an answer as it give us unlimited fuel for it however it will void the warranty from Generac. I’ve looked for dual fuel type units and am not finding anything comparable as far as a reliable brand goes.

What are y’all’s thoughts? This is new territory for me.. Thanks!

For that price you can get a Cummins dual fuel, propane or gas with the flick of a switch. Cummins/Onan has a great rep. It also has battery start with remote control and you can buy a Cummins panel to wire up that will auto start the generator.

Cummins
 
Posts: 4099 | Location: Friendswood Texas | Registered: August 24, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
Picture of Skins2881
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quote:
Originally posted by JohnCourage:
quote:

My neighbor is an electrician and was showing me switch boxes that go next to the main fuse panel.
Just add whatever circuits you want to power and flip a switch.
About $280 for one that would suit my needs.


Is that a kit or you put it together, link?


Six space

Ten space.



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 20813 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Drill Here, Drill Now
Picture of tatortodd
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quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
Ten space.
I installed the 10 space the first time I lived in Houston. Needed a second set of hands for about 30 minutes, but after that it was all DIY.

Solid unit and safe. Prior to purchasing, I had the electrical engineers on our hurricane restart team review it. They're actually the ones that talked me into DIY.



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
 
Posts: 23218 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of smlsig
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quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
quote:
Originally posted by JohnCourage:
quote:

My neighbor is an electrician and was showing me switch boxes that go next to the main fuse panel.
Just add whatever circuits you want to power and flip a switch.
About $280 for one that would suit my needs.


Is that a kit or you put it together, link?


Six space

Ten space.


I figured Jesse would chime in...
These are the ones we installed in our new home construction when the owners didn’t want a whole house automatic generator.

To the OP we have a 5500 watt generator for our 4200 SF house and am able to selectively use most of the major circuits. Just something to consider...


------------------
Eddie

Our Founding Fathers were men who understood that the right thing is not necessarily the written thing. -kkina
 
Posts: 6311 | Location: In transit | Registered: February 19, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of holdem
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I have the older version of the Firman from Costco in the link on page one. Bought it on sale for $550. Had an electrician wire the house (think that was about $400 for labor and materials) and now I can selectively power what I want. Granted, I have had the generator for 2.5 years and only plugged it in one time to test it, but it's there if I need it. But using it means we got hit by a hurricane, so I'll be happy if I never use it again.
 
Posts: 2285 | Location: Orlando | Registered: April 22, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Spiritually Imperfect
Picture of VictimNoMore
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I just came off a 24 hour period using a Craftsman brand 6000-watt gas generator that I borrowed from work.
It ran small things well. Coffee pot (important),phone chargers, toaster, etc. Enough small electric heaters to keep us from freezing to death, but no more. We have a 4,000 sq ft house.
Noise is an issue, yes. But when you really need it ... the noise is not even a factor.
Burned about 8 gallons during the 24 hours, by the way. 5 gallon tank meant you could leave it running overnight.
I am shopping and considering a whole house permanent setup, as well.
 
Posts: 3805 | Location: WV | Registered: January 30, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
Picture of Skins2881
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quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
Ten space.
I installed the 10 space the first time I lived in Houston. Needed a second set of hands for about 30 minutes, but after that it was all DIY.

Solid unit and safe. Prior to purchasing, I had the electrical engineers on our hurricane restart team review it. They're actually the ones that talked me into DIY.


I never, ever recommend doing something DIY electrical, but these are stupidity easy to install. The hardest part is renting/owning a hammer drill for brick and/or cinder block construction. If you have to fish the line for the inlet then I'd recommend and electrician because we know how to run wiring with limited drywall damage (good electricians at least do). Also if the run is over 100', I'd suggest upping wire gauge from #10 to #8.



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 20813 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Drill Here, Drill Now
Picture of tatortodd
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
Ten space.
I installed the 10 space the first time I lived in Houston. Needed a second set of hands for about 30 minutes, but after that it was all DIY.

Solid unit and safe. Prior to purchasing, I had the electrical engineers on our hurricane restart team review it. They're actually the ones that talked me into DIY.


I never, ever recommend doing something DIY electrical, but these are stupidity easy to install. The hardest part is renting/owning a hammer drill for brick and/or cinder block construction. If you have to fish the line for the inlet then I'd recommend and electrician because we know how to run wiring with limited drywall damage (good electricians at least do). Also if the run is over 100', I'd suggest upping wire gauge from #10 to #8.
That home had an exterior power panel and hardy plank siding. All I had to do was mount the outdoor 10 slot transfer switch next to the power panel, and run a short conduit between. Here was the end result:
quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
...but these are stupidity easy to install...
At work there is a friendly rivalry between the sparkies (ie. electrical engineers) and the plumbers (i.e. mechanical engineers which includes me). To paraphrase what the sparkies said to me, even a dumb ass plumber could do this...



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
 
Posts: 23218 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of sigcrazy7
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To those who rely on NG generators, keep in mind that most of the Texas problems this week resulted from failures of the natural gas supply. If you don’t have a way to power your generator with an on-site fuel source, then you don’t really have a backup.



Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
 
Posts: 8214 | Location: Utah | Registered: December 18, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of Jimbo Jones
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I have a couple portable generators but my company (before we got a Generac 85kw roof mounted system) had a generator we bought from Central Maine Diesel that we used to keep our deep freezers running.

Quality stuff.

They manufacture a lot of their own gennys using Honda motors. Some run on both propane or natural gas.

http://www.centralmainediesel.com/


---------------------------------------
It's like my brain's a tree and you're those little cookie elves.
 
Posts: 3625 | Location: Cary, NC | Registered: February 26, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I had a Generac but it was a piece of junk. 10kw model and the fuel tank rusted out and it never ran right. I bought a dual fuel Pulsar 8kw and it works great. Got a couple 40lb propane bottles and it has run for 3 days straight.
 
Posts: 184 | Location: Great Falls VA | Registered: February 03, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Drill Here, Drill Now
Picture of tatortodd
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quote:
Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
To those who rely on NG generators, keep in mind that most of the Texas problems this week resulted from failures of the natural gas supply. If you don’t have a way to power your generator with an on-site fuel source, then you don’t really have a backup.
No natural gas supply issue with anyone I know with residential NG generators. My Kohler hummed along 33 hours straight.

Also, I suspect when they have serious people do real analysis (i.e. the opposite of what the political hacks and the paparazzi have been spewing this week) of the issue they're going to find that failure to winterize NG plants, nuke plants, and wind farms was the root cause. With the current derugulated system there isn't incentive (i.e. make more money) or teeth (lose money and or get fined) for percent up time (aka reliability).



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
 
Posts: 23218 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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HVAC in Texas, what do you have specifically?

Big load difference between a gas furnace and a heat pump with electric backup.




 
Posts: 10052 | Registered: October 15, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of taco68
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We live in northern Minnesota where the temps were down to -42 F recently. I have a Honda EU2000i thats is gassed up and kept in the basement for emergencies. I installed a simple outlet on the outside of the house on our deck. Through the wall of that outlet is another outlet. Simple, but works. We cannot run whole house, but can have coffee, sump pump, water pump, and woodstove fan going without issue.

Also, my two deep cycle batteries are stored in the basement also, where I have an 800w inverter and small solar chargers.


Sigs P-220, P-226 9mm, & P-230SL (CCW)
 
Posts: 2539 | Location: Icebox of the Nation | Registered: January 31, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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The Honda EU series are the best out there. BUT very pricey but also incredibly QUIET!!
 
Posts: 1396 | Registered: August 25, 2018Reply With QuoteReport This Post
If you see me running
try to keep up
Picture of mrvmax
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quote:
Originally posted by kramden:
The Honda EU series are the best out there. BUT very pricey but also incredibly QUIET!!


I have lived through using them in two hurricanes and I do to particularly want one that is quiet. First, most the neighborhood will be using them so quiet is no longer an issue when you can hear everyone elses. Second, thieves were going around stealing running generators, I want to hear mine run.
 
Posts: 4099 | Location: Friendswood Texas | Registered: August 24, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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