Generators

[Mister Sin]

I'm looking to get a generator. Never had one before. I want one to keep things going in the event of an outage. Also, gas to power ratio. What say you?

 

[Neil039]

I picked up a 3500W Champion from Sams for under 375.00 18 months ago. For my brothers cabin. Runs the lights, tv and outlets well. It’s nor the largest but has been great every time we use it. 3.5 gallon tank with a propane connection(forgot to add that)

 

[SWAdude]

I'm looking to get a generator. Never had one before. I want one to keep things going in the event of an outage. Also, gas to power ratio. What say you?

I live in the foothills in the Bay Area and as of a couple years ago subject to many power outages some for days at a time to prevent big fires. So I spent much time on this subject with all the options and happy with what I came up with for our homes needs and the ability to stay in our home comfortably during these unexpected events.

I researched all the way from the big Generac automatic systems down to the minimum portable size. From single fuel to tri-fuel.

It really comes down to what you have and what you need.

Because we live down hill of the street where our sewage system we tie into lives, our house has a sewer injection system that MUST be operational (I am sure you can imagine why) to exist in the house. That alone required 2000 watts of power but equally as important to consider is 6000 watts of start up power. Many things require start up power like the AC and must be included in the calculus with the generator you choose.

I will leave those couple ideas out there but ended up with what I wanted and needed. I ended up online looking at forums that talked about the dos and don'ts with this endeavor. I found the peeps in hurricane country know all about this stuff and learned much from them. As for hooking it up to your grid I also adopted the electrical codes of Florida. The codes in California are typical of this state now that is ruining this beautiful place. What I installed is very safe and more reasonable.

We have a 3500 sq foot house with above average bells and whistles. I say that because it all starts there.

What I ended up with is a portable (300lb) dual fuel (gas and propane) generator that has a 50amp, two 30amp (different style plugs and only need one) and two GFI's. My house has two breaker boxes. One for all the other outlet style electrics in the house and the other for the heavy hitter stuff like AC, Electric Stove, Garage outlets, (garage door openers I discovered need some startup juice), etc. I connect the 50 amp to the main breaker box for the house because that is where more power is being constantly used. The 30 amp to heavy hitter breaker box. Seems backwards I know but that is how this thing will work best for us.

I use a generator interlock for the main breaker box and transfer switches for the other one. Mainly due to the design of the existing electrical system.

We know how much power is available and operate our home as such when we are on the generator. We are careful what and when we use things.

I have to say in the two years we installed this network we have had to use it only a few times. One time the power was out for a few days and we were some of the only people in our small neighborhood living in our home for those few days. Comfortably I must add. We have Directv so our entertainment level was not greatly compromised.

There are many options out there. Doing this is not about being smart, just not being stupid. That is actually a good life lesson.

If you do it right, it ain't that complicated. I actually enjoyed the process.

Have fun!

 

[Selassie I]

Hurricanes are the reason I have 2 generators. I use them only for when we lose power. After some storms... power can be down for weeks. Go through that once without a single generator and you won't do it again. That's why I have TWO. lol

Both are portable. One of them is a 9000 watt and it will run on gas or propane. The other is a 6500 watt gas powered only.

 

[SWAdude]

Hurricanes are the reason I have 2 generators. I use them only for when we lose power. After some storms... power can be down for weeks. Go through that once without a single generator and you won't do it again. That's why I have TWO. lol

Both are portable. One of them is a 9000 watt and it will run on gas or propane. The other is a 6500 watt gas powered only.

Smart man.

I run mine once a month for about 20 minutes to keep it in shape.

When it becomes a need I hold my breath for a moment when it is starting up.

If we move to hurricane country this bitch is coming with us. And I too will get a second one.

This is the bad boy we have now. Seems like overkill but that sewer injector system can be very motivating. And it is automatic. Only comes on when the container reaches a certain capacity then stays on until empty.

WGen12000DF Generator - Dual Fuel

For your toughest power needs, the Westinghouse WGen12000DF Dual Fuel Portable Generator is an ultra duty generator engineered for strength. With 15,000 peak watts and 12,000 running watts, the WGen12000DF is built with a brawny 713cc V-Twin OHV Westinghouse Engine to yield up to 11 hours of run ...

westinghouseoutdoorpower.com

 

[Selassie I]

Smart man.

I run mine once a month for about 20 minutes to keep it in shape.

When it becomes a need I hold my breath for a moment when it is starting up.

If we move to hurricane country this bitch is coming with us. And I too will get a second one.

This is the bad boy we have now. Seems like overkill but that sewer injector system can be very motivating. And it is automatic. Only comes on when the container reaches a certain capacity then stays on until empty.

WGen12000DF Generator - Dual Fuel

For your toughest power needs, the Westinghouse WGen12000DF Dual Fuel Portable Generator is an ultra duty generator engineered for strength. With 15,000 peak watts and 12,000 running watts, the WGen12000DF is built with a brawny 713cc V-Twin OHV Westinghouse Engine to yield up to 11 hours of run ...

westinghouseoutdoorpower.com

There's no such thing as OVERKILL. That thing is cool.

I'm serious though... and I know your pilot mind will totally agree... I really don't believe in this myth called OVERKILL. lol

I even have a portable AC that I bought just in case. It's still in the box... ready for when I decide to bust it out. It claims to be powerful enough to cool a very large livingroom. No AC in Florida after a hurricane is the absolute worst. That shit will never happen to me again.

 

[JonRam99]

Smart man.

I run mine once a month for about 20 minutes to keep it in shape.

When it becomes a need I hold my breath for a moment when it is starting up.

If we move to hurricane country this bitch is coming with us. And I too will get a second one.

This is the bad boy we have now. Seems like overkill but that sewer injector system can be very motivating. And it is automatic. Only comes on when the container reaches a certain capacity then stays on until empty.

WGen12000DF Generator - Dual Fuel

For your toughest power needs, the Westinghouse WGen12000DF Dual Fuel Portable Generator is an ultra duty generator engineered for strength. With 15,000 peak watts and 12,000 running watts, the WGen12000DF is built with a brawny 713cc V-Twin OHV Westinghouse Engine to yield up to 11 hours of run ...

westinghouseoutdoorpower.com

lol I just bought that exact same generator, picking it up tonight. Any other tips would be appreciated.

How did you guys end up connecting to your house's power panels, if at all? I'm calling an electrician to get quotes on a connection. As far as I know, there's 2 types: a 50a breaker installed to your house panel w/ an interlock kit, or a transfer switch/panel that connects to certain breakers in your house panel (up to the number of breakers in the switch). I'd prefer the 50a breaker version, it seems cheaper, but may not be as safe. Thoughts?

 

[nighttrain]

make sure of one thing, get one with an electric starter, no fun without
train

 

[BonifayRam]

I'm looking to get a generator. Never had one before. I want one to keep things going in the event of an outage. Also, gas to power ratio. What say you?

Mobile Honda 3000i is the hands-down best generator I have & ever bought. I have two. A 1999 & 2003. Both have continued to be better than expected & 100 % dependable. Yes, they are electric start & pull start combo.

Just bought two new Honda 2200i's they are made to run together or separately. They are much lighter than the 3000i's. I bought them last month to begin to replace the older Honda 3000i's due to the weight issues of the 3000i's for an over 66 yr old guy.

One of the 2200i runs great without problems it is the companion to the main 2200i. The main 2200i is a lemon & will be returned this week to resolve its issue where it will not run any longer than 5 minutes before shutting down.

I also have a great running antique 1994 Honda 650 liquid-cooled twin-cylinder powerful Generator that will easily run an HD deepwater well 220 volts. The EPA made Honda stop making the twins 650 back in the late 90's due to them not meeting the EPA guidelines on what they called dirty exhaust. I have others but prefer the Honda's by a great margin.

The stationary residence generator is a large propane Generac generator that has also served my family well for a long time. Note: Large propane Generac's much have yearly maintenance service!

 

[SWAdude]

There's no such thing as OVERKILL. That thing is cool.

I'm serious though... and I know your pilot mind will totally agree... I really don't believe in this myth called OVERKILL. lol

I even have a portable AC that I bought just in case. It's still in the box... ready for when I decide to bust it out. It claims to be powerful enough to cool a very large livingroom. No AC in Florida after a hurricane is the absolute worst. That shit will never happen to me again.

Thanks for the support brother. And agree completely. Alway better to have a hundred more than needed than one less.

When I was in the market I must admit I could justify lesser wattage but felt more comfortable with the bump up.

Nothing like experience. Where I live on a hot day fans keep you comfortable. Now I like it cold at night. We have two AC systems in our house for two zones. I have transfer switches for the AC on the smaller zone which is the one for the master bed.

If we move to a more humid area, may have to get me a portable AC.

 

[SWAdude]

lol I just bought that exact same generator, picking it up tonight. Any other tips would be appreciated.

How did you guys end up connecting to your house's power panels, if at all? I'm calling an electrician to get quotes on a connection. As far as I know, there's 2 types: a 50a breaker installed to your house panel w/ an interlock kit, or a transfer switch/panel that connects to certain breakers in your house panel (up to the number of breakers in the switch). I'd prefer the 50a breaker version, it seems cheaper, but may not be as safe. Thoughts?

You nailed the toughest decision I had. How to hook it up.

I have a shit load of circuit breakers. There was not a transfer switch big enough for all my breakers and I spent hours trying to figure out which breakers to dedicate since I was limited. California code does not allow an interlock kit which makes the most sense.

So bite me California Code.......

I had an electrician hook up the 50 amp to the main box and the 30 amp to the sub panel. I then installed the interlock kit to the main breaker box. Easy peasy. But you REALLY got to be careful not to touch the 220 inches away. I was VERY careful. And still shocked the shit out of me once. Taken more than enough 110. That fucking 220 knocked me back.

Remember the whole idea of transfer switches and interlock kits is not accidentally send power back up the line shocking the crap out of the lineman trying to get your power back. It could kill the poor guy.

Now the next problem. The main breaker is in the main panel for both of my panels. I hope you can follow me but in the sub panel I have two 50 amp devices I can live without with only a 30 amp connection from the generator. Since there are fewer breakers in that panel I hooked that up to a transfer switch and only had those switches I would used from that sub panel hooked up to the transfer switch. Since that was available I didn't want to brain fart on that side of things. Both panels are not next to each other. The main is outside and the sub is inside. Whew! Clear as mud.

Using the interlock allows us to use what we want without an imposed limitation with the transfer switch in our grid.

I spent many hours on Youtube researching all this crap.

Just in case one gets tempted with the option of skipping all this and just backloading thru the 220 outlet of your clothes dryer, for the love of a healthy Stafford this year, DO NOT DO THAT!!! Especially if you like to have a drink or ten every night.

I hope some of this makes any sense and it helps in your decision making.

 

[SWAdude]

Mobile Honda 3000i is the hands-down best generator I have & ever bought. I have two. A 1999 & 2003. Both have continued to be better than expected & 100 % dependable. Yes, they are electric start & pull start combo.

Just bought two new Honda 2200i's they are made to run together or separately. They are much lighter than the 3000i's. I bought them last month to begin to replace the older Honda 3000i's due to the weight issues of the 3000i's for an over 66 yr old guy.

One of the 2200i runs great without problems it is the companion to the main 2200i. The main 2200i is a lemon & will be returned this week to resolve its issue where it will not run any longer than 5 minutes before shutting down.

I also have a great running antique 1994 Honda 650 liquid-cooled twin-cylinder powerful Generator that will easily run an HD deepwater well 220 volts. The EPA made Honda stop making the twins 650 back in the late 90's due to them not meeting the EPA guidelines on what they called dirty exhaust. I have others but prefer the Honda's by a great margin.

The stationary residence generator is a large propane Generac generator that has also served my family well for a long time. Note: Large propane Generac's much have yearly maintenance service!

If you can afford a Generac that is hands down the best way to go. Our home has unique lot characteristics and we could not easily install one. In California it would have cost around $20,000 to have one installed. My set up was $5,000 complete. Some inconveniences and vulnerable to being able to assure I can bring in fuel hence my choice for a dual fuel gen with gas and propane. I have 20 hours of Propane in three bottles always on the ready. (Always a story)

You can not buy a better generator than a Honda. You pay for it but worth the cost IMO if it works for your needs. They didn't make one big enough for what I needed.

 

[BonifayRam]

If you can afford a Generac that is hands down the best way to go. Our home has unique lot characteristics and we could not easily install one. In California it would have cost around $20,000 to have one installed. My set up was $5,000 complete. Some inconveniences and vulnerable to being able to assure I can bring in fuel hence my choice for a dual fuel gen with gas and propane. I have 20 hours of Propane in three bottles always on the ready. (Always a story)

You can not buy a better generator than a Honda. You pay for it but worth the cost IMO if it works for your needs. They didn't make one big enough for what I needed.

Wow, that price you stated was just awful!

But there is a big difference between Florida & my birth state California ......would seem to be as opposite as two states can be in the direction they have gone.

I am permitted to have as much Propane & propane tanks as I can place on my property. Thus I have close to 3500 gallons that are directly connected on site. I also have an RV that I can run off the propane too which gives me the ability to control the amount of fuel that runs the standby generator.

During the bad Cat 5 Hurricane Michale that hit us in 2018, this control ability came in handy when a large number of people are here using tons of fuel when the power lines are all down for weeks. Most people have no ability nor do many care just how much electrical power they can waste if left to their normal carefree "don't give attitude when using someone else's emergency power. The RV which is a condensed small living space that uses primarily DC voltage & propane is a natural governor on their ability to waste away your emergency fuel supplies.

 

[SWAdude]

Wow, that price you stated was just awful!

But there is a big difference between Florida & my birth state California ......would seem to be as opposite as two states can be in the direction they have gone.

I am permitted to have as much Propane & propane tanks as I can place on my property. Thus I have close to 3500 gallons that are directly connected on site. I also have an RV that I can run off the propane too which gives me the ability to control the amount of fuel that runs the standby generator.

During the bad Cat 5 Hurricane Michale that hit us in 2018, this control ability came in handy when a large number of people are here using tons of fuel when the power lines are all down for weeks. Most people have no ability nor do many care just how much electrical power they can waste if left to their normal carefree "don't give attitude when using someone else's emergency power. The RV which is a condensed small living space that uses primarily DC voltage & propane is a natural governor on their ability to waste away your emergency fuel supplies.

The Generac sales guy came straight out and said at the beginning that it would run around six to eight grand to have the unit installed. The permit alone was like $2500. If we were to build another home we would have one installed during construction.

Reading your post it really hit home that these objectives of having power when it is not available have their own unique situations. Our power wouldn't go out for more than three or four days at the most. I know bad weather can make it go down for weeks.

One can certainly save on fuel by scrimping on the amount of wattage you actually use. I would imagine with wide areas without power that can create a fuel crisis for back up generators. Our problems largely rotate or smaller in nature. There is always fuel available. At least until the California apocalypse.

Florida and California being 180 right now is putting it nicely iMO. Such a shame.

 

[BonifayRam]

The Generac sales guy came straight out and said at the beginning that it would run around six to eight grand to have the unit installed. The permit alone was like $2500. If we were to build another home we would have one installed during construction.

Reading your post it really hit home that these objectives of having power when it is not available have their own unique situations. Our power wouldn't go out for more than three or four days at the most. I know bad weather can make it go down for weeks.

One can certainly save on fuel by scrimping on the amount of wattage you actually use. I would imagine with wide areas without power that can create a fuel crisis for back up generators. Our problems largely rotate or smaller in nature. There is always fuel available. At least until the California apocalypse.

Florida and California being 180 right now is putting it nicely iMO. Such a shame.

Permit to install an emergency generator? First time I have ever heard of that.

 

[SWAdude]

Permit to install an emergency generator? First time I have ever heard of that.

I can't remember the California reason but it may just been a dollar thing? Could be the amount of electrical work involved.

When I was going thru the process of choosing fuel options I had a guy come out and give an estimate on an extension for natural gas and he said he would have to pull a permit for that. It was like a hundred bucks for that.

The State is broke and been that way for a long time. Not surprised about the nickel and dimeing they do around here.

 

[BonifayRam]

One of the 2200i runs great without problems it is the companion to the main 2200i. The main 2200i is a lemon & will be returned this week to resolve its issue where it will not run any longer than 5 minutes before shutting down.

I need to give an update on my comments about my second new Honda 2200i being a lemon.....It was my problem I did not insure the gas cap was in the run position. It was printed in very small writing & same color Black as the gas cap. This run position permits the tank to breathe & gas to continue to flow.

So now I am embarrassed over this, took me 3 weeks to discover this. Maybe I should read the directions next time. I am happy as can be with these two lightweight generators.