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Lets talk portable Home Generators
- Thread starter 2aBaC̶a̶
- Start date
Look into the Miller Bobcat EFI. Great fuel economy, lots of portable power. And also doubles as a welding machine.
divided up between all the other people you sell electric to I am sure the cost per house would bring it down a lot
sorry its not 2018 data but
According to the EIA, in 2017, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential home customer was 10,399 kilowatt hours (kWh), an average of 867 kWh per month. That means the average household electricity consumption kWh per day is 28.9 kWh (867 kWh / 30 days).Apr 3, 2017
if you did not run big pc's/ washers and dryers or hair driers in that time your 30kw could power 5.6 HOMES FOR 96 HOURS 17.85 dollars at 867kw/hr that's not too bad without adding in the extra cost of the lines hookups and what ever else is necessary to hook up the 5.6 homes to your grid with your fuel cost shown and maybe more those usage cost the machine shows are Provides up to 96.4 hours of run time at 1/2 load giving and extra 4 hrs of run at that cost I have no idea maybe more if the controls allow you to send less per house than a full amount .
sorry its not 2018 data but
According to the EIA, in 2017, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential home customer was 10,399 kilowatt hours (kWh), an average of 867 kWh per month. That means the average household electricity consumption kWh per day is 28.9 kWh (867 kWh / 30 days).Apr 3, 2017
if you did not run big pc's/ washers and dryers or hair driers in that time your 30kw could power 5.6 HOMES FOR 96 HOURS 17.85 dollars at 867kw/hr that's not too bad without adding in the extra cost of the lines hookups and what ever else is necessary to hook up the 5.6 homes to your grid with your fuel cost shown and maybe more those usage cost the machine shows are Provides up to 96.4 hours of run time at 1/2 load giving and extra 4 hrs of run at that cost I have no idea maybe more if the controls allow you to send less per house than a full amount .
I have a em2200x Honda I bought in the mid to latter 80s, if memory serves me it was about 800.00.
Still kicking today, it's been to the shop once, last power outage I had to find a spark plug (Thanksgiving)
That is the only one I remember putting in.
It will run 90% of the basic needs I pushed it hard a few times like two refrigerators, some lights,TV. Gas furnace.
For the well pump, or a air conditioner, I have to fire up the 5500w wacker that will run everything I need and then some.
The Honda is more portable I can put it in the bed of a p.u. it's also relatively fuel efficient.
The wacker I need help from the Bobcat,
Both have their places and I will shut them down when not needed, periodically. Run the well flush the toilets get showers, draw some water and shut it down.
If you are an all electric house that's a whole other ball game i.e. electric furnace/heatpump,hot water tank.
You'll need to bump up the output and do a little basic math to determine that.
Still kicking today, it's been to the shop once, last power outage I had to find a spark plug (Thanksgiving)
That is the only one I remember putting in.
It will run 90% of the basic needs I pushed it hard a few times like two refrigerators, some lights,TV. Gas furnace.
For the well pump, or a air conditioner, I have to fire up the 5500w wacker that will run everything I need and then some.
The Honda is more portable I can put it in the bed of a p.u. it's also relatively fuel efficient.
The wacker I need help from the Bobcat,
Both have their places and I will shut them down when not needed, periodically. Run the well flush the toilets get showers, draw some water and shut it down.
If you are an all electric house that's a whole other ball game i.e. electric furnace/heatpump,hot water tank.
You'll need to bump up the output and do a little basic math to determine that.
Keep in mind the Honda's produce clean power due to the inverter type design. To run any appliance with a compressor you need to know the startup load as well - that's where most folks go wrong and don't compute that.
Just as a note, COSTCO has Yamaha powered generators for pretty cheap (<500) but I do not know the quality. Honda is pretty much gold standard.
Just as a note, COSTCO has Yamaha powered generators for pretty cheap (<500) but I do not know the quality. Honda is pretty much gold standard.
I have the Yamaha EF3000 and EF6300, got them both used for good prices. They are stupid quiet and very well built, the 6300 powers my house less the dryer/hvac.
My brother uses a EF2000 when he goes to their daughter's softball games, pull start vs the ones above but same stupid quite and well built.
My brother uses a EF2000 when he goes to their daughter's softball games, pull start vs the ones above but same stupid quite and well built.
Exactly what I did because I wanted to get into welding and needed a generator. Helped that I didn’t have a 240 outlet. I would not want to run it for days on end just to power a freezer or two because she goes to high idle as soon as you plug something in.
I'm with those that mentioned running two smaller units in parallel. Run on one when load is light then bring a second online as needed to run a higher load.
Saves on gas, plus two is one, and one is none.
Saves on gas, plus two is one, and one is none.
Look at the tri-fuel options at central maine diesel. You can run on gas, natural gas, or propane. Gives you lots of options. I have had one for 7 years and have never put gasoline in it. runs super clean!
I have one of the trifuel kits for my Honda EU6500is... never installed it... but you never kniw when you need it.
For those that run small 110 Volt generators an easy way to power your whole house is to back feed both legs of a 220 breaker in your panel. Make sure you cut off all 220 breakers before cutting the back feed breaker on. This allows you to feed 110 to both legs allowing you to power all 110 plugs, appliances and lights.
If you backfeed through a socket, please make sure you kill the main breaker.
Been linemen killed like that.
Been linemen killed like that.
Back feeding is dangerous. Install an use a interlock on your distribution panel or install a transfer switch. The interlocks can be had cheap an for most panels.
If you backfeed through a plug you have to use a 220 plug so you catch both legs, like a dryer plug. If your messing around in a panel you should have enough knowledge to know to turn the main off. All electric companies now make their linemen work it as being hot.
like someone said, if you can afford a honda, that’s the one. yamaha is interesting....they make damn good outboards. i am going to have to check them out.
I’m going to build a solar/battery bank/inverter system that would be sized large enough to power a refrigerator and freezer and some led lighting. The trick is having enough solar panel to power the fridge and freezer all day while also charging the battery bank. Sizing the battery bank to 3x what the math works out as required will greatly prolong the life of the batteries and allow for a cloudy day or two without needing a gasoline generator.
Another option is a portable diesel light tower generator from a construction rental outfit like Sunbelt, Hertz, or United Rentals. Just don't cut the lights on and use it as a generator. Most of them are 6kw to 8kw capacity with 50 gallon diesel tanks. Most run at 1800rpm to make 60hz power. These rental outfits sell most of their units once they get so many hours on the hour meter. 50 gallons of diesel will probably let you stay powered up for a week or so until your local fuel stations get their power back so they can pump fuel.
With that being said, I do have an older Honda 5000is inverter generator. Just running lights, 2 fridges, TV, laptops, it pretty much stays at idle speed and is super quiet. I can run a couple of days on a 5 gallon tank easily. It just laughs when the microwave kicks on. Our house has an outside disconnect breaker panel for fire code purposes, so I set up a 30 amp breaker to back feed through and a marine 50 amp twist lock receptacle to plug the generator cord into. I also installed a mechanical interlock that will not let anyone close the 30 amp breaker without shutting off the main 200 amp breaker. I do shut off all my double pole 240 breakers in the house breaker panel as the generator doesn't have enough KW to run those high loads like the water heater, stove top, oven, and dryer. I just leave all the 120 single pole breakers on for all the creature comforts.
With that being said, I do have an older Honda 5000is inverter generator. Just running lights, 2 fridges, TV, laptops, it pretty much stays at idle speed and is super quiet. I can run a couple of days on a 5 gallon tank easily. It just laughs when the microwave kicks on. Our house has an outside disconnect breaker panel for fire code purposes, so I set up a 30 amp breaker to back feed through and a marine 50 amp twist lock receptacle to plug the generator cord into. I also installed a mechanical interlock that will not let anyone close the 30 amp breaker without shutting off the main 200 amp breaker. I do shut off all my double pole 240 breakers in the house breaker panel as the generator doesn't have enough KW to run those high loads like the water heater, stove top, oven, and dryer. I just leave all the 120 single pole breakers on for all the creature comforts.
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This thread has caused me to take a harder look at the yamaha. I have a honda, and i was going to add a bigger honda. I think i am going to try the yamaha. I am a big fan of their outboards.
EF2400is is the model YAMAHA generator I have had good luck with. It has inverted power and has 220 and 110 outlets. It is big enough to run an air conditioner unit on a camper. It Is as quiet and fuel efficient as the hondas, but better price. I can run a couple chest freezers and refridgerators if the power goes out. I always keep 3 gas cans full and use/replace them every 4 months. Todays gas with all the addatives doesnt have a very good shelf life.
We have a Generac 22k as our house gen set on natural gas with full automatic switch. We also have a Yamaha 3000is and a new Honda EU7000is along with a Generac 2200i and the old Briggs professional 5500/8500 surge that has served us well for years. We keep them all very clean and serviced along with waxing the 22k so it doesn't fade.
Here is my opinion.... there is no substitute for the Honda or Yamaha by any competitors no matter how hard you try to justify them. The Generac 2200i is OK but it's no Honda 2200 I can assure you. We had a Yamaha 1000 that we took in our Polaris Ranger and we sold it to a buddy and bought the 2200i Generac because it was Orange and matched the ranger. We would of been better off to powder coat or have the Yamaha professionally painted to match at this point!!lol Get the BEST gen set you can afford even if you have to stretch a little to get the Honda or Yamaha. i always recommend you get one a little bigger than you actually need to avoid the 100% duty cycle to the unit. Just my opinion for what it's worth.
Here is my opinion.... there is no substitute for the Honda or Yamaha by any competitors no matter how hard you try to justify them. The Generac 2200i is OK but it's no Honda 2200 I can assure you. We had a Yamaha 1000 that we took in our Polaris Ranger and we sold it to a buddy and bought the 2200i Generac because it was Orange and matched the ranger. We would of been better off to powder coat or have the Yamaha professionally painted to match at this point!!lol Get the BEST gen set you can afford even if you have to stretch a little to get the Honda or Yamaha. i always recommend you get one a little bigger than you actually need to avoid the 100% duty cycle to the unit. Just my opinion for what it's worth.
These are two of my portable power sources. Not shown is a Lincoln welder that gives 8k 100% duty cycle.
Your need for power will dictate how emotional, lol, you will get about the quality of your portable power supply.
My need is 5 acres of plant nursery, I cannot go 1 day without power to run my irrigation. I could loose 10s if not 100ks of dollars if my shit dies or is delayed for sale.
Even here in Florida I could give a shit about lights, refrig, AC. I really don't need it to live, and really, am fine w out it.
I have cattle, chickens, goats, rabbits and a lake full of fish. I won't go hungry.
I need power for my 5 HP well. The 20 year old Yamaha is expensive, but it is quit and dependable.
Your need for power will dictate how emotional, lol, you will get about the quality of your portable power supply.
My need is 5 acres of plant nursery, I cannot go 1 day without power to run my irrigation. I could loose 10s if not 100ks of dollars if my shit dies or is delayed for sale.
Even here in Florida I could give a shit about lights, refrig, AC. I really don't need it to live, and really, am fine w out it.
I have cattle, chickens, goats, rabbits and a lake full of fish. I won't go hungry.
I need power for my 5 HP well. The 20 year old Yamaha is expensive, but it is quit and dependable.
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I would highly discourage running a generator inside and trying to vent exhaust. I have firsthand knowledge of two deaths that occurred where that was apparently attempted. One movement with their arm (opening a door they were sitting next to) could have saved their lives, but death happened so quickly that neither did it.
"Backfeeding"
While it is 'technically' possible, it is also REALISTICALLY (potentially) dangerous.
Here's why:
The house wiring to any outlet (in North America) is something along the lines of 14 gauge wire. The average 'extension cord' is 18 gauge or possibly 16 gauge, depending on the quality that you purchased. Installing a second male plug where the original female socket was, CAN get you up and running on that ONE side of the breaker panel.
After, of course, you turn off the main breaker.
But realize, completely and cognizant-ly, that any and all power that is then used/consumed in the home will all be fed through that small extension cord. You REALLY want to keep the load down. I suggest everything off, except for the furnace fan (during cold climate) and then only a small number of lights.
Either unplug or trip the breakers from any circuit you don't need to be running at that time. Periodically, turn everything else off and run the fridge and then freezer for a cycle. Say about, ever 5-6 hours. Ensure that the doors to these appliances are kept closed, always. If you do open them, only do such for the shortest time needed.
I used to live in Northern B.C. where we dealt with sporadic power outages almost 12 times a year. Some were for seconds, some were for hours, and the odd one was for days. You never know what you have to plan for, or when. Or for how long. So instant adaptation is required.
Learn vicariously, from others who actually 'have'. As stated previous, start with ensuring that the "main" is turned off, so that no-one else is injured.
What I have just described to you, above, is 'theoretically' possible and effective. BUT, there are definitely better/proper'er/legal'er ways of doing such. For example, TRANSFER SWITCHES, and the like. They exist for a reason. THIS REASON.
While you 'can' do something, it doesn't mean that you 'should'..... but sometimes you 'have to'. Just know the FULL context of what you're doing. Extension cords make VERY POOR fuses. They truly are ONE TIME USE/burn.... like wooden matches. You don't save the ones that worked.
While it is 'technically' possible, it is also REALISTICALLY (potentially) dangerous.
Here's why:
The house wiring to any outlet (in North America) is something along the lines of 14 gauge wire. The average 'extension cord' is 18 gauge or possibly 16 gauge, depending on the quality that you purchased. Installing a second male plug where the original female socket was, CAN get you up and running on that ONE side of the breaker panel.
After, of course, you turn off the main breaker.
But realize, completely and cognizant-ly, that any and all power that is then used/consumed in the home will all be fed through that small extension cord. You REALLY want to keep the load down. I suggest everything off, except for the furnace fan (during cold climate) and then only a small number of lights.
Either unplug or trip the breakers from any circuit you don't need to be running at that time. Periodically, turn everything else off and run the fridge and then freezer for a cycle. Say about, ever 5-6 hours. Ensure that the doors to these appliances are kept closed, always. If you do open them, only do such for the shortest time needed.
I used to live in Northern B.C. where we dealt with sporadic power outages almost 12 times a year. Some were for seconds, some were for hours, and the odd one was for days. You never know what you have to plan for, or when. Or for how long. So instant adaptation is required.
Learn vicariously, from others who actually 'have'. As stated previous, start with ensuring that the "main" is turned off, so that no-one else is injured.
What I have just described to you, above, is 'theoretically' possible and effective. BUT, there are definitely better/proper'er/legal'er ways of doing such. For example, TRANSFER SWITCHES, and the like. They exist for a reason. THIS REASON.
While you 'can' do something, it doesn't mean that you 'should'..... but sometimes you 'have to'. Just know the FULL context of what you're doing. Extension cords make VERY POOR fuses. They truly are ONE TIME USE/burn.... like wooden matches. You don't save the ones that worked.
Transfer switches are always the best solution.
That being said, if a person is going to backfeed their home to power stuff - go to the 50-amp dryer plug. That way it’s fused more appropriately as long as you are using a large enough cable.
Yes, be sure the main breaker is off so you don’t send power down the line and risk electrocuting a lineman who’s trying to restore power. But know this - if you did, the load of every other person that’s without power and waiting for some would simply act like a dead short and either turn the cable you are using into a fusible link, or it would immediately blow the breaker on the generator, if not kill it immediately. You would not be powering the neighborhood with your 3500 watt Predator!
That being said, if a person is going to backfeed their home to power stuff - go to the 50-amp dryer plug. That way it’s fused more appropriately as long as you are using a large enough cable.
Yes, be sure the main breaker is off so you don’t send power down the line and risk electrocuting a lineman who’s trying to restore power. But know this - if you did, the load of every other person that’s without power and waiting for some would simply act like a dead short and either turn the cable you are using into a fusible link, or it would immediately blow the breaker on the generator, if not kill it immediately. You would not be powering the neighborhood with your 3500 watt Predator!
I have a battery powered option that runs my lawn mower and my snow blower and when the power goes out I can run my 'fridge and a small window air conditioner or my furnace motor overnight on the same Ego 56 volt 7.5 amp batteries. If the power ain't on in the morning I can recharge the batteries in 2 hours using an inverter on my car and go again as long as it takes.
I can run the Ego Nexus Power Station inside my house where it can't be stolen or tell my neighbors or bad guys that I have food, heat, air conditioning and everything I need and not make *any* noise nor poison me. As soon as there is a solar recharge option I don't even need the car to recharge.
I'm moving to batteries and solar - that fossil fuel shit is over, heavy, and expensive as hell to run. Cool stuff for 5 hours but for a week? or a Month? I'll use the same batteries that mow my lawn and blow the snow. If I get cocky when I retire I'll put some solar cells on the roof and 4X deep discharge marine sealed led acid batts in the basement and run my whole house on solar.
I live simple.
VooDoo
I can run the Ego Nexus Power Station inside my house where it can't be stolen or tell my neighbors or bad guys that I have food, heat, air conditioning and everything I need and not make *any* noise nor poison me. As soon as there is a solar recharge option I don't even need the car to recharge.
I'm moving to batteries and solar - that fossil fuel shit is over, heavy, and expensive as hell to run. Cool stuff for 5 hours but for a week? or a Month? I'll use the same batteries that mow my lawn and blow the snow. If I get cocky when I retire I'll put some solar cells on the roof and 4X deep discharge marine sealed led acid batts in the basement and run my whole house on solar.
I live simple.
VooDoo
That must be one hell of an inverter to supply enough power in 2 hours to be able to run a window unit all night. Problem with solar is you will need an alternative form of energy because most power outages happen during storms and guess what isn’t shinning during storms.
I've got a Kohler 7.5........been in my garage for a few years..........never had to use it, but fill it up every spring, and run it until it's almost empty...........if and when I build another house I will have a whole house generator.......
Batteries are 7.5A hrs x 56v. Which means you get 420W/hr per battery. So if you're running something that needs 1700W continuously 4 batteries will only last you roughly 1 hr. Might be fine to run a fridge over night, but not much else.
Better than nothing and fine to get you through a short outage. Not the solution most people will want long term.
Better than nothing and fine to get you through a short outage. Not the solution most people will want long term.
Just to put things into perspective for those that don't understand load, current, watts, etc. A 4500-watt Genset will power a circular saw, but the Genset will strain as the motor in the circular saw starts. That's because almost all electric motors have a surge in current at start-up that is typically around an additional 30% of the rated current draw. So think about what you need to run that has an electric motor, and realize you will need to oversize your needs. If you're on a well for your water needs, you will need to carefully consider the load and current requirements for that. However, if you're off-grid, and run off of solar/wind, you likely have a slow or soft start water pump, which lessens that start-up load current.
I have a Generac 4500 Watt (4200 Watt continuous output) that I brought back in 1999. It was sold under the Sears/Craftsman name, and at the time it was very appealing because it offered some very nice features and specs. Like it idles down when there's no load, is fairly quiet for it's size (output), easy to maintain and has a replaceable oil filter, plus it is rated to run 11.5-hours at half load per tank (2-gal). It is not a brushless generator, which is not desirable by most, but highly desirable for those in fear of EMP taking things down. I've only used it for light construction projects, and stays in the ready for emergency purposes. But hasn't been used in over 15-years, as my longest power outage has been only 5-hours, and most are just momentary power outages.
I have a Generac 4500 Watt (4200 Watt continuous output) that I brought back in 1999. It was sold under the Sears/Craftsman name, and at the time it was very appealing because it offered some very nice features and specs. Like it idles down when there's no load, is fairly quiet for it's size (output), easy to maintain and has a replaceable oil filter, plus it is rated to run 11.5-hours at half load per tank (2-gal). It is not a brushless generator, which is not desirable by most, but highly desirable for those in fear of EMP taking things down. I've only used it for light construction projects, and stays in the ready for emergency purposes. But hasn't been used in over 15-years, as my longest power outage has been only 5-hours, and most are just momentary power outages.
I run a hunting camp in the fall, from Sept 1st through end of November, all off of a Honda EU2200I. I can run all the lights, tv, medium fridge at once. I can also run a full sized vacuum cleaner without issues.
I have a propane conversion kit installed, hooked to a 500 gallon tank. I start it when I pull in the driveway on Thursday, and shut it off on Monday. I've let it run an entire week without issues. Have over 2000 hours on it so far and she runs like new. First thing I did was put an hour meter on it and install the conversion kit. I do change the oil every 150 hours, and the oil looks very clean. The propane doesn't burn the oil like gas. Looks slightly darker golden when it's changed.
I have a second cheaper generator as a backup, but other than running the gas out of it once a year for fresh stuff, it never gets used.
FWIW
I have a propane conversion kit installed, hooked to a 500 gallon tank. I start it when I pull in the driveway on Thursday, and shut it off on Monday. I've let it run an entire week without issues. Have over 2000 hours on it so far and she runs like new. First thing I did was put an hour meter on it and install the conversion kit. I do change the oil every 150 hours, and the oil looks very clean. The propane doesn't burn the oil like gas. Looks slightly darker golden when it's changed.
I have a second cheaper generator as a backup, but other than running the gas out of it once a year for fresh stuff, it never gets used.
FWIW
Does it start quicker on LP vs. gas. I have to pull mine at least 10 times (first start) before enough fuel reaches the carb to start.
The kit I have has a spring loaded purge valve to get the vapor right to the generator. Every once in a while I'll have to pull it 6-8 times, but I'd say 80% of the times I've left it for long term without starting, it fires up in three pulls or so. Do you have a way to purge the line at the regulator next to the generator?
