Portable Generator

[hunterridgefarm]

I have been thinking about buying a portable gererator to back up the wood furnace blower in the basement and maybe run the fridge if needed. I could also use one at the other farm we have since there is no power there. I received an email from TSC for this generator Champion Power Equipment 3500 W Portable Gasoline Generator - 4434023 | Tractor Supply Company and was wondering if it was a good one?

I know very little about what size generator to get or what household items it could run. :ashamed:Could someone enlighten me.

At some point we plan to buy a large backup for the house but don't see it in the near future.

Thanks,
David

 

[om21braz]

Click the Deere link below for typically uses & wattage requirements. Honda EU series would be my choice.

http://www.deere.com/en_US/parts/media/pdf/homeandworkshop/generators/sizing_generator.pdf

 

[Craig Clayton]

I am an electrician and I posted info about vehicle mounted generators which is not really your issue. The bigger the generator for portable use means it is more hungry for gasoline. If you plan to be around when it is running you could load spare, meaning turn off the frigde for 4 hours and turn on lights etc. Turn off the lights and on goes the furnace. If you only have say 5 gallons in stock that is only maybe good for 8 hours at 5000 watt load. My thoughts are 3500 watts but load spare. A good quality 3500 watt will last a long time. Do not connect into the house unless done CORRECT.Cord connected is simple and safe.
Craig Clayton

 

[rdaisley]

I have been thinking about buying a portable gererator to back up the wood furnace blower in the basement and maybe run the fridge if needed. I could also use one at the other farm we have since there is no power there. I received an email from TSC for this generator Champion Power Equipment 3500 W Portable Gasoline Generator - 4434023 | Tractor Supply Company and was wondering if it was a good one?

I know very little about what size generator to get or what household items it could run. :ashamed:Could someone enlighten me.

At some point we plan to buy a large backup for the house but don't see it in the near future.

Thanks,
David

I have a 13kW propane powered Kohler generator that I bought through COSTCO a few years back. It was around $7000, all hooked up, including an automatic changeover switch. This is a great way to go, but probably not what you are looking for right now.

I have a small 2kW Honda generator (Looks like a small red suitcase) that cost around $950. I have used this generator for several years to run my RV, when away from a hook-up. This will run a few lights, a refrigerator, a microwave oven and probably your blower. This might work well for you. As a previous person cautioned, you CANNOT simply plug it into a dead outlet, when the power goes out. You MUST have a way to disconnect the outside service, otherwise you may back-feed the power lines ... a VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. Any good electrician can advise you.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Thanks for the info. I will get the electrician that wired my house to help. Aftrt a little more research I think I need to go a little bigger for the house. How does this size look? Honeywell 9375 Watt Max Generator with Electric Start (CARB and 50 State Compliant) - HW7500EL at The Home Depot

 

[hr3]

Glad you went bigger a 3,500 watt gen will start your "warm air" furnace but when the blower cuts in,, the surge will drop out the burner,,, I'v tried it with a 4200 watt yamaha,, and that still isn't enough..

 

[om21braz]

It's not the same price range, but for wiring in and powering an entire home - here's what I would at least look into.

Kubota GL Series Lowboy Generator - 7kW:Kubota Diesel Generators:GL Series

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Chosing a generator is a very personal decision based on needs, wants, and resources. The bigger the generator, the more you'll be able to run. It will cost more to buy, cost more to run, and will be less portable. A very small generator is extremely useful in a power outage situation, but is cheaper, more portable, and will run longer on less fuel. Smaller generators also tend to be quieter on average.

I'm sure that 9 Kw would make your life comfortable. Keep in mind, too, as you compare generators that there is a difference between the continuous running capacity and surge capacity.

One thing I did when I recently re-wired my house was to wire outlets and plugs for things like the water pump and furnace fan rather than hardwire them. This way I can run a heavy extension cord into the utility area and run the essential stuff without having to wire a disconnect switch.

 

[KubotainNH]

Like others have said, it's a personal preference for how much you want powered and what you are willing to pay. I ran a fridge, freezer and my oil fired heating system (water heater and 4 water pumps) plus a few lights on an EU2000. It only revved up for maybe 30 seconds when the fridge or freezer first turned on. Seeing you mentioned a cheap TSC brand I figure cost is a limiting factor but now you mention a much larger unit. Personally, I go for the minimalist thinking so have a 6 switch transfer switch to run heat and keep food cold. My 4k Generac is plenty powerful for this but I really want an EU3000 because they are so quiet and sip fuel, 3k is enough for my needs as I don't have to power a water pump. There's tons of threads on this subject, here's one I recently posted to: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/187475-small-generator-recommendation.html. One other thing, the EU model has an inverter so you get much cleaner electricity which helps with motors and electronic equipment.

 

[RonMar]

SO your wood furnace has a combustion blower(100-200W?), and perhaps you have a larger blower that circulates air from the wood furnace around the house ducts(maybe 1KW?). A refrigerator is going to pull probably at startup 400-600W and run steady at 300 or so, depending on age and size. Depending on how many lights you might want to run, thay can consume from 25W(CFL's) to 100W(incandescents) each. How is your water heated? Gas is easy and only needs a few wats of power to keep the control circuitry powered. An electric water heater is going to pull 4500W when it is on line. Are you on a well or a public water system? How are you going to prepare the food you are keeping cold in the reefer? Are all your potential generator loads plug-in devices? How comfortable do you want or need to be?

What I am getting at is you need to know exactly what you need before you go buying a generator. More is not better, especially if you have to store and haul fuel for it... Say you have a big storm and the power is out for 50 miles in every direction for several days. Well all those gas stations in that 50mile radius probably won't be able to pump gas...

I have a 3KW backup generator and do lights, entertainment center, small well pump and pellet stove. By shedding some load I can do some light stovetop and microwave cooking. I get hot water from the liquid cooling system on the generators engine. It is diesel, so a 55 gallon drum of fuel will run me 12 hours a day for about 25 days...

Good Luck