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Generators...what brand is good?

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highland145 said:
Yes unless we have some massive natural disaster. The longest that we've been without power, ever, was 4 days. Even the 17" we got in 1973 didn't keep us in the dark that long. Mainly, just trying to keep the groceries from going bad.
Man's gotta be paid.😀
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I was 18 days without power after Hurricane Rita.
 
So food is mostly what you worry about?
I ran our fridge with the Honda EU1000I with no problems. Run it an hour or so 3x a day and keep it closed. Move the more commonly used stuff into a cooler with ice to keep down on the door cycles. Same goes with our freezer. The chest freezer really only needed 2x day.
I have a 4KW Onan built into our 5th wheel, it works perfectly but we rarely use it.
The Honda is so much quieter an more efficient, and portable at 29 pounds.
If you want a bit more in a portable, look at the Boliy. A few of the members at an RV site I go to swear by them and use them regularly.
It is an inverter generator, so it will idle down just like a Yamaha or Honda under a lower load. It is as quiet as my little Honda, for example.
At $1000 and 3000 watts, it is very hard to beat. Only a rattly nasty construction unit will get you more watts per dollar, and they really suck both the fuel and the peace and quiet.
http://store.boliygenerator.com/boliy-pro3600si-digital-inverter-gener.html
 
Texashiker said:
I was 18 days without power after Hurricane Rita.
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Hard to plan for that, for 99% of the population. We're quite spoiled with the ease/access to food, supplies, etc.



Off to look up dooms day preppers sites.



@skyking, food is the biggest concern. Secondary would be portable power away from the house if I needed it. I've got 9 ac in the middle of no where where it might come in handy.
 
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highland145 said:
Off to look up dooms day preppers sites.
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The only one you need - http://www.survivalistboards.com/

After hurricane ike and hurricane rita gas stations were sold out of regular gasoline, but they had plenty of diesel.

There are so many options out there - natural gas, propane, gas, diesel,,, pick which one you think is going to work best for you.

I went with a gas generator, a buddy of mine went with gas converted to propane, my mom and dad use gas, most of the businesses around here use natural gas.
 
highland145 said:
Hard to plan for that, for 99% of the population. We're quite spoiled with the ease/access to food, supplies, etc.



Off to look up dooms day preppers sites.



@skyking, food is the biggest concern. Secondary would be portable power away from the house if I needed it. I've got 9 ac in the middle of no where where it might come in handy.
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So the smaller portables will do for food, but won't start a saw up or anything on the 9 AC. The bigger Boliy will start a good sized motor, and is only 68 pounds. Honda and Yamaha have similar units for 2x the price.
It starts a 15,000 BTU roof air conditioner, for example.
 
highland145 said:
How many watts? Fridge, a few lights, plus a buffer.
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Is this for a floor buffer or a hand buffer? That would affect the watts needed. But why would you want to buff something during a power outage? Maybe I will move down there and you can buff my floors while I use your fridge
 
Exterous said:
Is this for a floor buffer or a hand buffer? That would affect the watts needed. But why would you want to buff something during a power outage? Maybe I will move down there and you can buff my floors while I use your fridge
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That was hilarious.

A capacity buffer, of course. More power capability just in case.
 
DrPizza said:
My son repairs and services diesel (and other generators); mostly larger units, as in megawatts. But, he does some "smaller" ones (to him.) He finds it amusing when people call up for a service call - he gets there, "you're out of diesel" or "you're out of propane. That'll be $240 for the service call and diagnostics." Keep that in mind with a diesel generator. If there's going to be a prolonged outage (as there was recently for parts of NJ, NY and other locations in the Northeast), you're going to want to have a couple weeks worth of fuel on hand.
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You laugh but when I worked for an electrical contractor, we got a call that one of the generators we had installed had failed. On a hunch one of our guys went over there and opened the main tank -> local tank line for that set and cranked it over. Basically someone had closed the maintenance valve for the feed from the large main tank that replenished the local tank for that set. Apparently the huge red "check fuel" light wasn't enough of an indication either...
 
Exterous said:
Is this for a floor buffer or a hand buffer? That would affect the watts needed. But why would you want to buff something during a power outage? Maybe I will move down there and you can buff my floors while I use your fridge
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😀


If I'd said head room would you want to use my toilet or get on your knees?
 
highland145 said:
If I'd said head room would you want to use my toilet
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Clearly a well lit headroom is key when you are drinking far into the night to make room in the fridge for perishables. Your overhead needs to be replaced by a more modern projector though
 
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I am looking at getting a "whole house" generator. hooked up to my propane tank.

Mainly want my freezer, fridge, sump pump and well to work.
 
A tip for simple genset usage: If you are not planning a transfer switch, pull out the fridge to access the cord if necessary. Install a short extension cord to bring out the power cord, so you can quickly and easily plug it into an extension cord when the power is out.
I did that, and my wife is comfortable with starting the Honda and saving our food if I was out of town.
 
waggy said:
normally i enjoy them. the last 2 have been bad.

I don't mind getting "snowed in" but would like to keep power heh.
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Bad? These last 2 have been pretty light. Or are you having power problems in your neck of IL? I am in Kane county for reference.
 
After Irene (2 years ago. well 1.5) had no juice for 4 days. On day 4, my generator gave up the ghost. I will NEVER be without a generator.
Bought a NEW one over the winter of 2011.

Sandy. October 2012... No JUICE for 12 days.
In my opinion, average house can do FINE with 6000 watts one with a peak of more than 7.
This last one, I bought in Sears.... Its a NO NAME. NOT craftsman.
Change the oil, DONT over tax it. You will be fine.
During Sandy, here is what I ran.
Fridge. In 2 hour spurts... 3 to 4 times a day. AS LONG AS YOU KEEP IT CLOSED , IT IS REALLY A GREAT COOLER (think beach and your beers).
Hot Water heater. OIL FIRED, so it doesnt pull a lot of watts once it fires up. Its a small pump, squirting oil onto a flame... Twice a day. Again, once it got the 35 gallons up to temp, we were good for a LONG time. IT REALLY IS A GREAT THERMOS (Think hot coffee on a cold day).
THE TWO ABOVE... Never at the same time. Always alternated.
TV and Cable box...
Chargers.. Laptop. Cell Phones. IPAD... My flashlights...
2 or 3 75 watt lights downstairs.... Which is where we lived for those days.
My typical weekday regime was 6 AM, start the beast. Charge Fridge. THEN Hot water. 8 AM off.
Wifey would start it at noon. And Charge fridge. (WISH IT HAD ELECTRIC START. Some models do. But she is a trooper)
Wifey home for the day at 4 PM. Start it. Fridge, then hot water.
Off at 6. On again at 7:30 or 8...... Again... fridge.... TILL 10 or 10:30.
Cable & TV and charge things.
Shut it down by 10:30 for the night. Played Freecell on lappy till 11... Fall alseep. Repeat.

My kooky friend is getting one of those WHOLE house ones... 8 or 9 grand. Really?
SO not needed on Long Island. But, to each his own.

My two.... less than 900 USD. the first one. I had 8 years. This one. 1.2 plus..
 
richardycc said:
whatever brand you get, you wanna get one that has floating neutral for what you are trying to do.
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What is that?


Was googling and ended up on the grainger site. "light bulb" I have an old customer that works there. Generac 5622, her price $525. 5Kw, 20A. Maybe not as powerful as I'd like but it'll keep the food cold. About to give her the go ahead.
 
imagoon said:
Bad? These last 2 have been pretty light. Or are you having power problems in your neck of IL? I am in Kane county for reference.
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not really "bad" to say. just last year and this we have lost power for 2-4 days. The snow hasn't been to bad. the temp and power going out has been rough

until this week this winter hasn't been to bad (well lack of power for 2 days sucked). also having my snow blower not start sucked
 
highland145 said:
What is that?


Was googling and ended up on the grainger site. "light bulb" I have an old customer that works there. Generac 5622, her price $525. 5Kw, 20A. Maybe not as powerful as I'd like but it'll keep the food cold. About to give her the go ahead.
Click to expand...

I assumed that you wanted to connect this generator to your main panel? If not, you are OK then.
 
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