Posted: 2/8/2011 3:17:08 AM EDT
| what generator would be a good size and brand for home use. been surfing the net on prices and brands but wondering what some others use. gas, lp, or diesel? have a heatpump so size will matter. |
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"Size" is probably the first issue to tackle... Some folks want to run everything they normally run while on utility power - for this you will need a pretty large generator. The problem is that the larger the generator capacity, the larger, noisier, dirtier, thirstier, and pricer the unit... so you want to "keep it small" for these reasons. Remember that you can rotate some of your larger loads (don't need to run them at the same time). I recommend thinking of running under generator power like camping indoors with some modern electrical conveniences... lights, TV, refrigerator/freezer, etc. A lot of folks on this forum can get by very easily with a 2kw Honda inverter gen... but not me... I run a 6.2 kw gen because I want to be able to heat water (2 electric water heaters) for non-cold showers... the my water heaters are 4.5wk each so I can only run one at a time... but that's OK. I run 1 for about 1 hour one day and then run the other the next... I alternate until the power comes back on... In addition, my 6.2 kw gen is also able to run a 1 ton central AC unit that cools my "master suite" so that at least I can sleep in comfort (think hurricane, florida, summer)...
The size that is "right" for you is determined by your particular details, your geography, and how much "comfort" you are looking for - i.e. which loads you want to run... Once you figure out "size" then you will have to consider other features of your would-be generator... FUEL is one consideration... for a stationary generator - NG is a good choice if it is available (it isn't available in my neighborhood). For portable small to medium sized generators, gasoline is most common... I have seen NG and LP conversions for this size gen though... it's nice to be able to plug in to a NG line and just run without concern for fuel during outages... it's also nice not having to store fuel before, during, or after the outage... ;-) Diesel units are nice but tend to be larger and pricier but are probably more durable/reliable. I think that diesel is a good consideration if you know that you will be using it a fair amount... say a week or more at a time (continuous run) - 2 or 3 or more times per year. So, are you trying to "live normally" while off the electrical grid or are you more of the "indoor camping with some modern electrical conveniences" kind of guy??? 
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| What fuel to use depends on your area, do you have natural gas,or propane handy, they usually start easer than diesel and the fuel(nat gas) does not need storage, diesel and propane do. Size depends on your needs, also remember the larger the genset the more fuel it takes to run it. Do you want to store large amounts of gasoline, tht hs some draw backs. You can get units that start automatically when the power goes off. Are you able to maintain the engine, change filters and oil check coolant etc, these questions need to be answered before you purchase the unit. I have a 6500 watt diesel that is air cooled, I ran it a while yesterday, it is noisey Since I got it I haven't needed it. I store diesel fuel in 5 gallon cans, I also use diesel in my mower so I rotate my stock. |
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You'll have to make the calculations and decisions to determine your actual needs.
I recently bought a Northern Tool Tri-Fuel 10k Watt / 13k Watt Peak generator. There were a lot of reasons for me to do this but the biggies are: 1. Firing central heat ignition / fan. 2. Running Well pump 3. Running Refrigerator & Freezer 4. Sump Pump Now keep in mind, the rating above is on gasoline. If you run a tri-fuel on LP or Nat. Gas, you have to de-rate by 10% or 20% respectively. This gennie is also a "portable" generator, although portable is debatable on a 380 lb piece of equipment. This allows me to move it to my shop to run welders and such. Hope this helps. |
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Quoted:
what generator would be a good size and brand for home use. been surfing the net on prices and brands but wondering what some others use. gas, lp, or diesel? have a heatpump so size will matter. http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1145632 http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=642711 http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=643566 http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=642988 http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=642847 http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=642468 http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=18&t=642273 read the above. then, step 1: what do you absolutely need powered when there is no utility power? step 2: from the list above do you need 240Vac and 120Vac, or just 120Vac? step 3: what is the total power (in watts) needed? step 4: have a means for fuel storage or run from utility natural gas? step 5: choose generator ar-jedi ps: do you own a tractor with a PTO? how many HP at the PTO? |
| I have my house wired for my DeWalt 6,000 watt generator. First off for kicks I have my front porch lights on the circuit. Just cause I have a neighbor who is a dick! LOL! Aside from that the furnace, main floor lights, fridge, microwave, both sump pumps, and all my freezers are on the generator grid. Now I won't run them all at once and I can pick and choose. During a power outage I can keep the freezers off for a couple of days if need be. And its nice to hit the porch lights on occasion for front yard visibility. |
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Quoted: I have my house wired for my DeWalt 6,000 watt generator. First off for kicks I have my front porch lights on the circuit. Just cause I have a neighbor who is a dick! LOL! Aside from that the furnace, main floor lights, fridge, microwave, both sump pumps, and all my freezers are on the generator grid. Now I won't run them all at once and I can pick and choose. During a power outage I can keep the freezers off for a couple of days if need be. And its nice to hit the porch lights on occasion for front yard visibility. So are you taunting your neighbor with your power that he does not have? Would the generator noise not do the taunting well enough? 3-5-581 |
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I would humbly submit that you do not need to run your whole house with a generator. Running your heat pump off of one is very, very fuel use intensive. If you can work out other means to keep your house warm it will save you a lot of fuel. If you want something automatic to kick on when you are not home, that is another matter.
Figure out everything you need to run and then work it out. I bought a much smaller generator than will run my house, but it will run what I need, when I need it, and run a very long time on a tank. Its an inverter generator from Sam's Club by a company called Champion, and it peaks at 2000 watts. Running my freezer and fridge it will run 8 to 9 hours on one gallon. Throw in the direct TV and you have 7 to 8 hours.  I can easily run my little furnace and the fridge or freezer as well. I just have to run extension cords and I am good to go. Not super convenient, but it will work great and save me a lot of fuel.
My back up heat is kerosene and Mr Buddy heaters. I wish I had space for a wood stove! 
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I just ordered one but it has not been delivered yet. It is a 10,000 watt one from Sams Club, Gentron brand. It came out to about $940.00. I need to run a 1/3 hp well pump, electric water heater, fridge, freezer, lights, etc... I had an electrician come out here and recommend what size I needed and got a quote for him to hook up a transfer switch to the utility pole. The generator is going to be in my well house and set up so that I can vent exhaust out of the roof. That should help with the noise I think, even though I am in the middle of nowhere. The nearest neighbor is my Dad at 1/4 mile away. I ordered him the same generator and plan on it being housed in his well house also. Basically it is going to be about $3600.00 for both houses after the electrician.
I am not willing to attempt hooking them up myself. I think it will be worth the money to mitigate the risk of shit not working or burning the houses down. 
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I would humbly submit that you do not need to run your whole house with a generator. +1. There is an almost irresistible urge to run everything in the house on generator power - until you realize how much the generator and fuel would cost! It doesn't take a very big generator (or much fuel) to maintain 80 percent of your current standard of living during an extended power outage. However, if you insist on also having that remaining 20 percent, it will cost you dearly. The trick is to figure out which items are really necessary in order to maintain that 80 percent - and then be prepared to live comfortably without the other 20. |
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You can run MOST of what you want in an average house on 5500 watts. Now, you WILL NOT be running a standard heat pump on that but you should be able to run most everything else. If you have a water well, you MIGHT need more than that to run the well pump. I used to be able to run a well pump at my parents house on a 4500 watt surge, 3500 running generator. That well was 300 ft deep. I don't know what the pump HP was though.
My house is all electric. I can run the water heater (4500 watts), the deep freeze, the refrigerator, and the pellet stove on my 5500 watt generator. If I turn off the water heater, I can run my electric stove and oven (though not all burners and oven at once) and any electrical appliance in the house EXCEPT the heat pump and the electric dryer. I have a pellet stove for heat and also have a small 10k BTU propane fireplace. We also have a backup kerosene heater and a buddy heater in case we couldn't run the pellet stove for some reason. Forget running the heat pump. Find an alternative heat source and then minimize the number of essential appliances. If I had a gas water heater and a gas stove, I could run my entire house (no well pump or electric dryer) on a 3500 watt generator easily. |
| I went with a portable propane generator for a couple of reasons. I don't like to store more than 10 gals of gas in the garage. I can store 6 or 8 20 lb propane cylinders in my yard. Also, in a large scale blackout you won't be able to pump gas but will probably be able to swap propane tanks at the local gas station. |
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Quoted:
You can run MOST of what you want in an average house on 5500 watts. Now, you WILL NOT be running a standard heat pump on that but you should be able to run most everything else. If you have a water well, you MIGHT need more than that to run the well pump. I used to be able to run a well pump at my parents house on a 4500 watt surge, 3500 running generator. That well was 300 ft deep. I don't know what the pump HP was though. My house is all electric. I can run the water heater (4500 watts), the deep freeze, the refrigerator, and the pellet stove on my 5500 watt generator. If I turn off the water heater, I can run my electric stove and oven (though not all burners and oven at once) and any electrical appliance in the house EXCEPT the heat pump and the electric dryer. I have a pellet stove for heat and also have a small 10k BTU propane fireplace. We also have a backup kerosene heater and a buddy heater in case we couldn't run the pellet stove for some reason. Forget running the heat pump. Find an alternative heat source and then minimize the number of essential appliances. If I had a gas water heater and a gas stove, I could run my entire house (no well pump or electric dryer) on a 3500 watt generator easily. EXCELLENT POST!!! This describes my situation exactly! All electric with pellet stove. Was wondering what kind of kerosene or backup heat source to use and will probably go with a tower kerosene heater or big buddy. I have no gas/propane ran to my house-all electric. I bought a Champion 5000 running/6000 startup generator from tractor supply company for $459.00 online. |
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You can run MOST of what you want in an average house on 5500 watts. Now, you WILL NOT be running a standard heat pump on that but you should be able to run most everything else. If you have a water well, you MIGHT need more than that to run the well pump. I used to be able to run a well pump at my parents house on a 4500 watt surge, 3500 running generator. That well was 300 ft deep. I don't know what the pump HP was though. My house is all electric. I can run the water heater (4500 watts), the deep freeze, the refrigerator, and the pellet stove on my 5500 watt generator. If I turn off the water heater, I can run my electric stove and oven (though not all burners and oven at once) and any electrical appliance in the house EXCEPT the heat pump and the electric dryer. I have a pellet stove for heat and also have a small 10k BTU propane fireplace. We also have a backup kerosene heater and a buddy heater in case we couldn't run the pellet stove for some reason. Forget running the heat pump. Find an alternative heat source and then minimize the number of essential appliances. If I had a gas water heater and a gas stove, I could run my entire house (no well pump or electric dryer) on a 3500 watt generator easily. EXCELLENT POST!!! This describes my situation exactly! All electric with pellet stove. Was wondering what kind of kerosene or backup heat source to use and will probably go with a tower kerosene heater or big buddy. I have no gas/propane ran to my house-all electric. I bought a Champion 5000 running/6000 startup generator from tractor supply company for $459.00 online. If you are heating a significant area, go with a tower kerosene heater. The buddy heaters are great for area heat, but they are not powerful enough to run and entire house. If smell is a problem, check out my recent thread on kerosene heaters. The lowes/homedepot kerosene mixed 50/50 with pump grade K1 doesn't smell at all if you start it up and shut it down outside. |
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I went with a portable propane generator for a couple of reasons. I don't like to store more than 10 gals of gas in the garage. I can store 6 or 8 20 lb propane cylinders in my yard. Also, in a large scale blackout you won't be able to pump gas but will probably be able to swap propane tanks at the local gas station. how long will a 20lb cylinder last if running at peak power? |
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What fuel to use depends on your area, do you have natural gas,or propane handy, they usually start easer than diesel and the fuel(nat gas) does not need storage, diesel and propane do. Size depends on your needs, also remember the larger the genset the more fuel it takes to run it. Do you want to store large amounts of gasoline, tht hs some draw backs. You can get units that start automatically when the power goes off. Are you able to maintain the engine, change filters and oil check coolant etc, these questions need to be answered before you purchase the unit. I have a 6500 watt diesel that is air cooled, I ran it a while yesterday, it is noisey Since I got it I haven't needed it. I store diesel fuel in 5 gallon cans, I also use diesel in my mower so I rotate my stock. I'd almost rethink the natural gas thing after seeing what happened to NG distribution in Texas and New Mexico during last week's blizzard/cold snap. Turns out that was one of the first things to go down even during a relatively short grid outage. 
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how long will a 20lb cylinder last if running at peak power? As a very rough figure, a modern portable generator will consume 1.0 to 1.25 pounds (or 0.25-0.3 gallons) of propane per hour, per KW of power produced. So, if your generator was producing 4KW, a 20 pound tank could be expected to last 4 or 5 hours. |
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What fuel to use depends on your area, do you have natural gas,or propane handy, they usually start easer than diesel and the fuel(nat gas) does not need storage, diesel and propane do. Size depends on your needs, also remember the larger the genset the more fuel it takes to run it. Do you want to store large amounts of gasoline, tht hs some draw backs. You can get units that start automatically when the power goes off. Are you able to maintain the engine, change filters and oil check coolant etc, these questions need to be answered before you purchase the unit. I have a 6500 watt diesel that is air cooled, I ran it a while yesterday, it is noisey Since I got it I haven't needed it. I store diesel fuel in 5 gallon cans, I also use diesel in my mower so I rotate my stock. I'd almost rethink the natural gas thing after seeing what happened to NG distribution in Texas and New Mexico during last week's blizzard/cold snap. Turns out that was one of the first things to go down even during a relatively short grid outage. Some folks seem to think natural gas is not tied to the grid. Having alternate sources to me means having sources that can run independently of the grid. Propane makes more sense than natural gas for short term power outages. |
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that very similar to the 1 we bought 99' not quite as big ours is 9k
does a lot runs 10 circuits heat 1 circuit water well 2 circuits sump pump 1 cir. hot water heater 1 cir. heating system (6000 sf house) 2 cir burglar alarm system 1 cir some lights micro wave 2 reefers have to unplug something to run computer. works well and for us its a gtg system ONLY BUY a tri fuel we run propane but have 2-1k tanks in the backyard as they only fill 80% good luck George. |
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from Skibane "It doesn't take a very big generator (or much fuel) to maintain 80 percent of your current standard of living during an extended power outage."
If I turn off the space heater in the second floor, all the other stuff like, lights, computer, freezer, fridge, furnace averages about 600 watts with the occasional start-up spike for motor type loads. I don't have a well pump, electric water heater or a heat pump and in the summer I'd be limited to the window a.c. but a 2800 watt Yamaha does the trick for me. I got it because it was just enough power and I can actually pick the thing up dry weight 67 pounds –– opposed to the behemoths that need a couple people to wrestle around. It's not as whisper quiet as a Honda 2000i, but not too bad. Nothing like having a lawnmower running. When it's behind the house, it is difficult to hear it from the street. check out http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=643754 a good deal on a Kill-a-watt meter. Absolutely vital in my opinion to track what you really use. Only downside is it is for 120 volts, not 220v
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