Portable Generator

[check]

Wasn't meaning to put it down, just super-surprised at the fuel usage. If someone is looking for a storm-generator, then they should make sure they have enough gas to run the thing for a while. My neighbors all have generators after our 2008 12-day blackout from the ice storm we had. Not one of them has more than a single 5-gallon can. I have tried to explain to them that it will barely get them through a day, used sparingly. they think that will be fine, and they can get more at the gas station. The next city over had gasoline, but you couldn't get there for 3 days due to downed trees. No gas station in town had power for almost ten days. So, I would just point out that fuel economy is actually quite important. I have two Honda EU2000s hooked together to give 4000 watts (max). Running both during daytime, and one overnight, gets me heat, lights, fridge, freezer, etc., all on less than 4 gallons a day. With 54 gallons total, that is two weeks of use without worrying about running out for fuel. And in the good practice of preparedness, if one went bad, I would still have the other to power the essentials.

Well done, Gary! And wow, 5 gallons a day – I'm jealous!

Here's a little story. When that black out occurred we were just leaving town to go to the cottage, and I was pulling my brand-new boat in it that I had filled up with 115 L of gas, which is about 35 gallons US. We were almost out of Toronto, when the stoplights of course stopped working. Fortunately, we were close to the highway, so we got out of town without too much of a delay.

Unfortunately, we did not have enough gas in the truck to make it all the way to the cottage. Fortunately, we stopped at Home Depot to get a siphon so we could siphon off some of the gas from the boat. Also fortunately, there was a fuel truck sitting there, who sold us a couple of 5 gallon cans of gas, that we put into the truck.

For all of the rest of the 150 mile trip to the cottage, we saw people sitting forlornly at gas stations waiting for the power to go on. Pretty sad stuff!

Well we were sure it was going to be generator time at the cottage, but at the very last gas station just before we got there, about 5 miles away from the cottage, the power was on! And, we had power at the cottage!

Had a real nice stay at the cottage, and spent quite a bit of time listening to all the news about the power outage. Nasty stuff!

We even went back to that last gas station the next morning, figuring maybe we better fill up as much as we could. Sure enough there was a line up of about 10 cars there, and when it got to be our turn they only had about 50 gallons left. We filled up, and then the Hydro company came by and said that no one else would be allowed to have gas because they needed for their trucks! Lucky us again!

It's weird. This kind of stuff happens to me all the time!

 

[downsizingnow48]

When we lived on the Virginia coast the power always went down in hurricane season and during the winter. I used a small Champion generator to get by. Put it 100 ft from the house on a 10ga extension cord, ran the refrigerator, lights, etc. Never had a problem with it. Moved to California, needed it a year later for a power outage. Started on the first pull.

 

[GaryLock]

I think the Sam's club Generator on sale right now is a no brainer for occasional use. Regular price of $299 on sale for $199. I may just buy 2 for that price.

Black Max 3,600-Watt Portable Gas Generator - Sam's Club

Good price on that generator. I'm just pointing out that it is only 120v, so you can not back feed it into a panel easily, or use 220v with it with a transfer switch. I only have 120v on my two generators as well, but I have taken steps so that it works for me. Would hate for anyone to not notice that it doesn't have 220v until its too late to return.

 

[GaryLock]

Funny as my best friend lived in Holden during that ice storm. He had three five gallon cans. The first night a 15" tree fell across his driveway. He got lucky and a tree service from the Cape came up and cleaned up the neighborhood, but by then he had frozen pipes and thousands of dollars of damage.

They ran for eight days on the genset, 15-20 gallons a day. He was driving all over creation looking for gas. BTW the stations on the Mass Turnpike are required to have backup power for the pumps so you can almost always get fuel there.

BTW I have the same setup as you: two EU200i's. I need to hook up my boat fuel tanks to extend their run time one of these days. We have a number of five gallon cans, and I also top off our motorcycles, lawnmowers etc. and have a siphon and pump. The anti-siphon devices in cars makes it extremely difficult to get gas out of cars except from underneath.

Holden reminded me of a warzone. Trees down everywhere. Roads just simply unpassable. It was crazy for the first couple of days until the National Guard got the roads opened. I am a nurse, so I had no restrictions on getting around, but I remember a few storms where they actually made it illegal to drive on the roads during the storm. Makes getting fuel/food/water even harder to get when you really need it.

 

[kcflhrc]

Good price on that generator. I'm just pointing out that it is only 120v, so you can not back feed it into a panel easily, or use 220v with it with a transfer switch. I only have 120v on my two generators as well, but I have taken steps so that it works for me. Would hate for anyone to not notice that it doesn't have 220v until its too late to return.

I won't be back feeding it through the panel. Just some very simple emergency type connections.

 

[Garandman]

Holden reminded me of a warzone. Trees down everywhere. Roads just simply unpassable. It was crazy for the first couple of days until the National Guard got the roads opened. I am a nurse, so I had no restrictions on getting around, but I remember a few storms where they actually made it illegal to drive on the roads during the storm. Makes getting fuel/food/water even harder to get when you really need it.

Yeah, I remember that storm well. We couldn't run our 3D printers because we couldn't get people in to change the builds. It cost me $30,000 and one guy got laid off. It was ridiculous because our employees live nearby the offices and by the following morning the sun was shining. Just ridiculous.

 

[Weaselfoot]

My advice would be to list all the electrical draws that you would like to run from the generator. Then denote the ones that could be switched when needed and subtract that wattage from the first total. In my case, I could disconnect the frig when I needed to run the septic pump. Then add 20% for startup draw from motors and that will give you your required generator capacity.
The advantages of a transfer switch are that you can get into emergency mode quickly, draws which are not components (like kitchen counters, septic pumps and water heating lines) are available for transfer, and that the extension cords which end up in a real mess are eliminated. (+safety).

After the initial efforts to get into survival mode (which somehow is satisfying to some of us), running on the gennie for 3-4 days is stressful. You are burning fuel, it is noisy and your life is disrupted. When you have a generator large enough and convenient on the transfer switch, then stress goes way down. So my advice is to plan for the day when you will have a transfer switch and use all these circuits in the house which you want, like the bathroom light circuit.

I have a 4500 watt Generac at my cottage which always starts easily, runs on unbelievable little fuel (like 5 gal for most of the day) and has run continuously for 4 days at a time. IMHO, running that length of time is the real test of a generator.

Because of budget restraints, most people will go through a sequence of buying a generator and using extensions, then going to a manual transfer switch and then to the bigger generator and the automatic switch.

One last note. I see that they are now making a transfer switch that installs on the meter base. But that's for another forum. Hope this is helpful.

 

[5030]

Thanks 5030! I don't have a generator yet, but have been watching youtube videos about them from people who are full time RVers. I've decided that when I do finally get one, I want one at least powerful enough to run RV air conditioner. I'd really like one big enough to run my submersed well pump, 3/4 HP, but I've read those have to be really BIG.

If I had it to do again, I believe I'd have bought a Honda with more capacity. I'm 100% sold on inverter units over the run of the mill 2 pole box store units. They (inverters) run quieter, are more efficient and provide true sine wave (electronics compatible) power.

My Yamaha 2800I will start the RV ac but again with no other load.

 

[Humblebub]

I have owned many cheap generators over the years (residential) and they eventually leave me frustrated and annoyed with myself for my choices. Finally bought a Honda. We woke up yesterday to a power outage. I stepped into the garage, plugged the patch cord into the transfer switch plug, flipped the transfer switch and turned the key on the Honda. Immediately, two heat pumps, water pump, refrigerator, freezer plus lights kicked on. I am sold on Honda generators.

 

[buickanddeere]

I have owned many cheap generators over the years (residential) and they eventually leave me frustrated and annoyed with myself for my choices. Finally bought a Honda. We woke up yesterday to a power outage. I stepped into the garage, plugged the patch cord into the transfer switch plug, flipped the transfer switch and turned the key on the Honda. Immediately, two heat pumps, water pump, refrigerator, freezer plus lights kicked on. I am sold on Honda generators.

Start the generator first, have it up to speed and warmed up a little . Now throw the transfer switch.