quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:

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.

Thinking I need to get the big propane tanks also. Would be much easier.

Generac is one of those companies that is relying in it's name right now... I'd stay away from them as their current line is just not the same as units of old.

I have a Honda powered Black Max generator that is rated for 8500 continuous. I run it into my main panel with an interlock kit that makes it so I cannot run the generator feed without shutting off the main feed breaker first.

Given your mentioning running your HVAC, I'd verify the requirements for your unit first. Whole House heat pump/AC units can run up 10-15k... and will over power your generator potentially causing damage to both systems.

My generator will run my well pump (900w), furnace (750w), fridge and freezers (1700w total) with enough leftover to run comfort items like lights and tv/dvd. I can still cook with one burner(900w) and the toaster oven (1200w) as well. If I need to run my hot water (4500w), I just have to be shut the breakers to my fridge and freezers to be safe.

I use gasoline as I can cycle through my stores on a regular basis. One thing to be wary of with Natural gas, is if there is a supply issue you are SOL. At a minimum I would suggest a dual fuel set-up so that you have the option in case.

Already been stated, but bears repeating:

If you're planning a purchase and are calculating the load you'll have to support, remember that various fuels have various power outputs.

For example, the Firman from Costco referenced on page 1 notes these outputs:

9400 Starting Watts / 7500 Running Watts - Gasoline
8450 Starting Watts / 6750 Running Watts - LPG
6900 Starting Watts / 5500 Running Watts - Natural Gas

That's a substantial difference from gasoline to NG.


As for me, I have an old mobile light tower I bought cheap from the county surplus auction a few years ago. Had a broken mast. Diesel 6kW with a 35gal tank, and I can tow it around if necessary. What I like about the diesel is that it runs at 1800rpm, rather than the typical 3600rpm of the gas/multifuel units. The lower rpm is not as piercing a sound, IMO. A lot harder to steal, too - on blocks/wheels removed, and hitch lock installed.

6kW is on the low side for power, but we can get by with it. That's enough to keep the essentials working. Then again, the longest it's run in an outage situation is 41 hrs. You poor bastards in TX might be looking a a lot longer...

I've not seen anyone mention it - but any opinions on inverters generators vs regular portable generators power quality wise? I was able to get the below unit before a few hurricanes ago - and it works great - but I swear it ruined our microwave. If you have sensitive electronics I've always heard an inverter is better.

Dewalt DXGNR700

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 installed something like that. Mine is a GenTran 10-circuit switch. Side-by-side switches can be ganged for 240VAC circuits (of which we have one--for the well water pump).

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:
Generac is one of those companies that is relying in it's name right now... I'd stay away from them as their current line is just not the same as units of old.

Yup. Generac ain't what they used to be.

My wife claims Harbor Freight's Predator generators are supposed to be pretty good. I haven't spent any time looking into it though.

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.

Which is why I stick with gasoline and have an efficient generator that runs the minimum necessary, thus yielding good gallons-per-hour. (13-1/2 hours per 4 gal. tank at half load.)

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyMCO:
I've not seen anyone mention it - but any opinions on inverters generators vs regular portable generators power quality wise? I was able to get the below unit before a few hurricanes ago - and it works great - but I swear it ruined our microwave. If you have sensitive electronics I've always heard an inverter is better.

Dewalt DXGNR700

Yes, inverters are better as they don't rely on constant speed to provide the energy wave for AC power.
The issue with inverters is the price per watt is just prohibitive for larger applications right now.

You can get "line cleaners" or "power conditioners" for sensitive applications if you want (I use a UPS on my TV setup to protect it while on the generator).

The biggest issue with the Microwave is that most are all-or-nothing when it comes to the magnetron when using a Microwave, so the generator has to try to even out the demand flow. Thats why you hear the generator "lug" when an appliance is turned on.

That "lug" is the motor speed falling below 3600rpm and the motor giving more gas to get back to that speed, then when the demand is dropped, the motor goes above speed creating a line spike which probably did the damage to your microwave.

Your best bet for generator use is in constant use appliances (steady demand motors, burner elements, lights) vs high cycle devices (microwaves). When on a generator I only use my range element and toaster oven to cook with, and leave my Microwave breaker off.

When we first moved in to the house, I installed a 10-breaker box with external hookup and ran a Honda 6500 gas generator. Worked fine and was used for almost 4 weeks across a couple of hurricanes.

When we rebuilt the house and enlarged to a second story and updated the service, I added an external switch only and have both my switch boxes available to turn on/off based on load I need. I since have gone to two Honda 3000s Inverters for flexibility that I can tie together for 6000W. I mounted both on the soft tire 4 wheel kits so easy to move around.

I can run two small ACs wall mounts I keep in garage when not in use, the 30w ceiling lights, freezers, refrigerators, pool pump and cooktop. I have a load monitor I use and keep it well under for th most part. I just pay attention to start up as the draw spikes then comes down. For us, it may be week’s without power as has happened 3 times since moving here in 2005 - so fuel is consideration. We do not have gas feeds, but I use large gas cans I use to fuel my boat plus the boat tank. In 2005 with back to back storms, my neighbors with diesel ran out of fuel and had to pick up gasoline generators, and the big whole home ones fed by a tank also ran out.

So - I consciously went smaller for ease of management, keep all my gear protected in the garage when not in use, and always have plenty of fuel. I gave up automatic convenience and ability to run my central AC. I also gained the ability to simply roll out one small generator for a short time as needed burning les than 4 gallons a day AND I do all my own maintenance on the generators. This works for us, YMMV.

I bought a motor/gen from a light tower. It is a Kubota V1505 with a “H” rated commercial generator. It was a three phase generator, so I reconfigured it to a split “Y” single phase. It has about 7500 hours on it.

I built a stand, hung a diesel tank from a semi under it, and wired it into the house panel through an underground conduit. I used one of those lock out transfer bars in the panel. So far I’ve tested it up to 14Kw. Because it can run the whole house, I didn’t bother with a load center. At 14Kw, I didn’t notice any voltage drop from no load. You gotta love diesel sets with 4 pole generator heads! I have a cheaper portable with a two pole generator head and gas engine. The waveform looks like crap, and my LEDs flicker. The waveform from the diesel generator looks like line power, nearly a perfect sine wave.

The whole setup ran me about $3500, and it was an enjoyable project. I wish the power would go out for a few days so my wife would get off me about the $3500 I spent.

If you have the skills, I’d definitely suggest looking into a commercial setup from a used diesel and generator. It’s cheaper and very heavy duty compared to whole house setups. The only downside over a regular whole house system is that I have to go start it and throw some switches. There is no automatic fall over, although I could install that if I really wanted it.

Thanks for all the info guys, I’m reading all your posts

I just sold a 2000W dual fuel Champion inverter along with my ice fishing house that the inverter was used to power. Dual fuel is great because of all the benefits propane provides over gas. However you do lose some available wattage using propane. I am going to buy a larger Champion Dual fuel to replace that one. I am waiting for Champion to release this one which looks like it will be another month. But a 4500W enclosed inverter is about perfect for my application. Wish it had electric start though.

Speaking of starting I will say I could rarely get that small 2000W inverter to start on gas when it sat for even overnight. Propane it would always start but not on gas. Let it run on propane for 10 minutes shut it off switch over to gas and it would start right up. Full disclosure, I have never gotten along well with small engines. They smaller they are the bigger the level of frustration.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
I bought a motor/gen from a light tower. It is a Kubota V1505 with a “H” rated commercial generator. It was a three phase generator, so I reconfigured it to a split “Y” single phase. It has about 7500 hours on it.

I built a stand, hung a diesel tank from a semi under it, and wired it into the house panel through an underground conduit. I used one of those lock out transfer bars in the panel. So far I’ve tested it up to 14Kw. Because it can run the whole house, I didn’t bother with a load center. At 14Kw, I didn’t notice any voltage drop from no load. You gotta love diesel sets with 4 pole generator heads! I have a cheaper portable with a two pole generator head and gas engine. The waveform looks like crap, and my LEDs flicker. The waveform from the diesel generator looks like line power, nearly a perfect sine wave.

The whole setup ran me about $3500, and it was an enjoyable project. I wish the power would go out for a few days so my wife would get off me about the $3500 I spent.

If you have the skills, I’d definitely suggest looking into a commercial setup from a used diesel and generator. It’s cheaper and very heavy duty compared to whole house setups. The only downside over a regular whole house system is that I have to go start it and throw some switches. There is no automatic fall over, although I could install that if I really wanted it.

Excellent post! Now you've got me thinking about a Diesel Generator....Care to share some pics of your DIY 'Genny' project?

I have a Honda 2K and a Champion 9K dual fuel with a plug in at my fuse box.

Recently went through several days without power due to a wind storm.

The Honda ran everything I needed (TV, a few lights, freezers/fridge, electric start gas stove, etc...) except for the well pump. Then I fired up the Champion for a short time so I could take a shower and then shut it down again. The Champion is a great generator, but it is loud enough to wake the dead. The Honda on eco-mode is as quiet as can be and runs forever on very little gas.

The only thing I plan on changing up is having a hand pump installed on my well. That way I'll have water available to bathe easily without having to fire up the behemoth and should things go south long enough to run out of fuel. Them hand pumps aren't cheap though. I'm looking at ~$2500.

Gustofer, do you have an inlet to your panel? Do you have an adapter to connect a standard three prong cord to the four prong inlet?

My dad bought one of these and it's on the project list to convert it into a standalone generator.

quote:

Originally posted by motor59:

As for me, I have an old mobile light tower I bought cheap from the county surplus auction a few years ago. Had a broken mast. Diesel 6kW with a 35gal tank, and I can tow it around if necessary. What I like about the diesel is that it runs at 1800rpm, rather than the typical 3600rpm of the gas/multifuel units. The lower rpm is not as piercing a sound, IMO. A lot harder to steal, too - on blocks/wheels removed, and hitch lock installed.

6kW is on the low side for power, but we can get by with it. That's enough to keep the essentials working. Then again, the longest it's run in an outage situation is 41 hrs. You poor bastards in TX might be looking a a lot longer...

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
Excellent post! Now you've got me thinking about a Diesel Generator....Care to share some pics of your DIY 'Genny' project?

I sent you an email with some of the pictures I took along the way. I'll upload here later today if Imgur gets their site working.

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyMCO:
I've not seen anyone mention it - but any opinions on inverters generators vs regular portable generators power quality wise? I was able to get the below unit before a few hurricanes ago - and it works great - but I swear it ruined our microwave. If you have sensitive electronics I've always heard an inverter is better.

Dewalt DXGNR700

Yes, inverters are better as they don't rely on constant speed to provide the energy wave for AC power.
The issue with inverters is the price per watt is just prohibitive for larger applications right now.

You can get "line cleaners" or "power conditioners" for sensitive applications if you want (I use a UPS on my TV setup to protect it while on the generator).

The biggest issue with the Microwave is that most are all-or-nothing when it comes to the magnetron when using a Microwave, so the generator has to try to even out the demand flow. Thats why you hear the generator "lug" when an appliance is turned on.

That "lug" is the motor speed falling below 3600rpm and the motor giving more gas to get back to that speed, then when the demand is dropped, the motor goes above speed creating a line spike which probably did the damage to your microwave.

Your best bet for generator use is in constant use appliances (steady demand motors, burner elements, lights) vs high cycle devices (microwaves). When on a generator I only use my range element and toaster oven to cook with, and leave my Microwave breaker off.

AND, when the generator drops RPM's so does the volts and cycles, which can damage sensitive electronics, in that way an inverter generator is safer, but as explained earlier, expensive. Diesel generators don't lug nearly as much as gas ones, as they have a lot more torque.

quote:

Originally posted by tigereye313:
Gustofer, do you have an inlet to your panel? Do you have an adapter to connect a standard three prong cord to the four prong inlet?

What he did was wire in a whole 'nother box for me with circuits for the things I needed/wanted and put a transfer switch in it. He then wired a long extension cord into it so it would reach outside. The cord has a 4-prong male end for the Champion and I bought a 4 to 3-prong adapter for the Honda.

I may have to get one of the adapters, I also have a 2k Honda and it would be nice to have the ability to run it into the panel as well as my big Champion.

About 14 years ago we bought a 5800 Craftsman. We added an outside outlet and an interlock on the panel. This allows us to shut the generator off from the grid, thus protecting workers.
Yes, in the dark, the cold and the wind it’s a pain to hook the generator up, plug it in and pull the cord. However, the entire house and it’s systems has power. One full tank lasts about 8 hours and I have two 5 gallon gas cans with stabilizer. This year we ran it during the forest fire, an outrage and last week when a transformer shut down. For putting up with the noise our neighbors have a standing invitation for sleepovers or hot water.
Yes, I’m thinking about an auto on, natural gas upgrade.
Note: Thos summer I discovered the heat pump won’t run the AC. I get a burp as the AC tried to start. Once power was back our repair guy had to hose the unit down to cool in before it started. He showed me the outside circuit breaker to pull next time.

quote:

Originally posted by tigereye313:
I may have to get one of the adapters, I also have a 2k Honda and it would be nice to have the ability to run it into the panel as well as my big Champion.

I bought mine off of Amazon. I think it was only around $40.