Generator

[Daryl]

have been without electric a number of times already this fall. Wife is complaining about this too much. She wants a generator so I guess we will be getting one.. I want to get a portable one that can be used for other things as well. Using it for the house would just be refrig and light and maybe tv. We are on well water and to get one to run the pump I am sure will take a big one. Anyway does anyone have a suggestion. Found a troybilt and a coleman at Lowes. Would these be good. Neither has idle down which i think i would like but it is neccessary.
Thanks

 

[Deerlope]

What you need to do first is find out what your total load(watts) would be. Then add 20% to it and get a gen that size. The idle control is nice because it saves fuel. In my opinion a welder/ gen is the best buy.

 

[shvl73]

I have a 5500watt with 7250 surge and it runs our house easily. Boiler, 2 freezers, fridge, well pump and necessary lights. As mentioned, add up the wattage needed and go from there. Hot water heaters add quite a load. Our hot water is a zone off the boiler, so that helps. Our generator does not idle down, but will run a long time on a tank of fuel. When I'm most likely to need it, is when the windows are closed and the noise is neglible. I did use it to build a small barn this summer and it ran tools and compressor like a champ.
For the amount of use a generator gets, I think some people over-buy.
I know two people who bought an electric start unit and neither will start because the battery is dead. They don't use them enough and don't maintain them. The overhead valve units like mine pull start real easy.

 

[MadReferee]

I also have a 5500 watt generator and it's connected to a 7500 watt transfer switch so I have plenty of room to expand. Furnace, water pump, hot water tank, bath lites, microwave, family room and living room outlets (got to keep satellite TV going ) are all connected. My Coleman generator will run about 8 hours on a tank of gas.

Installation of the transfer switch should be done by a licensed electrician but it is easy enough to do yourself.

 

[shvl73]

Installation of the transfer switch should be done by a licensed electrician but it is easy enough to do yourself.

Good point. If you don't have working electrical knowledge, hire a pro. I did mine with my father in-law's help. Fairly basic, but those incoming mains are always hot.
The transfer switch at the local box store was made in China, the one I bought at the supply house was domestic and the switches seemed of higher quality.

 

[Daryl]

Could you list the name s of the generators you have. I was thinking about 5500. Also could you tell me where you got them. Ordered or a box store.
thanks

 

[shvl73]

Mine is a Briggs&Stratton from Home Depot. Around $600 two years ago. I had never seen the Briggs name on anything but engines, but the whole unit is branded Briggs. I have since seen some with higher surge ratings.

 

[Piedmont3]

Mine is a Coleman 6500 Watt /7500 watt surge. It has a 10HP Kohler Command Pro Engine.
I paid $499.99 + tax about 6 years ago. at Home Depot.
We have used it numerous times. Once for 6 days, stopping it only to fill with fuel. Runs about 9 hours on a little over 4 gallons of gas.
It runs: Well pump,Pressure tank, Oven, Microwave, stove top, 2 refrigerators, blower on wood burning stove, lights in kitchen, living room 1 bedroom and 2 bathrooms.
Our hot water heater is tankless and needs too much juice for the generator. So we have to heat water to take baths when the power is out.

 

[Daryl]

Thanks for the replies.. Now hopefully just 1 more question. You all hook these up to the house by using a transfer switch?

 

[Piedmont3]

We built a new house 2 years ago and had a transfer switch wired for specific circuits in our house. There is a 220 cord in a metal box on the outside of my house. I have to flip the switch from "Power Company" to "Off", Start my generator, Plug in the cord, then Flip the switch to "generator".
In my other house we did not have a transfer switch and I had to run extension cords from all the things I wanted running to the generators 110 outlets, with powerstrips. I was always worried about starting a fire. The transfer switch was one of the best $190.00 I spent in building our new house.