generator brands/types

[herm0016]

Changed out 2 incandescent for LED in a 1950's indoor entry light fixture and first night noticed the LED now have a faint glow when off... so some power is being consumed... how much don't yet know.

is in on an eye ? you may need to replace the eye. they will glow for a few seconds when you turn the power off, but it should be be on at all when the switch is off. some of the eyes leak enough that they could power an LED and not and incandescent, but it was probably leaking the same amount of power with the incandescent installed.

 

[grsthegreat]

is in on an eye ? you may need to replace the eye. they will glow for a few seconds when you turn the power off, but it should be be on at all when the switch is off. some of the eyes leak enough that they could power an LED and not and incandescent, but it was probably leaking the same amount of power with the incandescent installed.

no, its on a timer. Since its in unconditioned space, im limited in the type of timer i can use. I tried a battery backed led digital timer, but batteries failed during winter. So im stuck with an electronic timer.

 

[cdaigle430]

I doubt that any of the popular standbys have an insulated enclosure due to the auto-start features. With an insulated enclosure, it would be fairly simple to keep things fairly warm but it would get expensive a .28 per KWH and you would have to be there to open her up for cooling.

My Generac 16kw has minimal insulation but has a battery and oil filter warmer.

 

[cdaigle430]

While I do have a Generac 16kw which I love so far, it replaced a Briggs and Stratton Storm Response 5500 watt and 8750 surge watts portable. Was\is Junk! It leaks oil between the generator and engine block, had it fixed once under warranty and its leaking again with only 10 hours....

I noticed at Sears the new ones on display were also leaking in the exact same spot.

Cant run two 1\2 HP pumps at the same time with it...8750 surge watts my ars!

 

[grsthegreat]

i have a briggs 6500 portable thats 3 years old. use it alot when working on property and when i was working away on jobs where we had to shut off power. flawless machine. 2 pulls at most to start. noisy, to say the least, but always starts and runs. no oil leaks, actually body of generator is spotless. did not get auto start cause i dont need it for emergencies and did not want to have to plug it in to trickle charge

 

[Industrial Toys]

If you switch LEDs with an SCR (Dimmers and Many Timers) you are mostly going to get that faint glow. The only way to switch them completely off is with a simple switch or a relay. But a relay uses power too.

I tried finding a video I saw that explains it, and immediately found ones with misinformation.

Ah, here it is. Big Clive always knows of what he speaks!

Electronically controlled LED lamps glowing when off. - YouTube

 

[Rebeldad1]

the more power you generate, the more money it will cost you. The other important consideration is when you buy a low end unit, it will be harder to start the longer you own it. I would avoid Harbor Freight. It might work fine the first couple of times you use it, but it won't work next year.

I'm in Texas and when I lose power, it's in the winter because of ice. Usually it builds up on tree branches and they take out the power lines when they break off. Power can be out for an hour, all day, or even a week.

First thing that I did was get a wood stove. I can keep the house warm all winter from firewood. I can heat water for cooking or bathing on the stove if I have to. I can also grill outside in winter on my gas grill if the power is off.

What I really need electricity for is lights, TV, the Computer, and charging our phones. This is the bare minimum for me and my wife. I do not need to keep the refrigerators or freezer going in winter. They will last a full week with the outside temperatures in the 20's to 40's.

After years of struggling with small engines on lawn mowers and other things, I finally decided that I will only buy Honda. It's more money upfront, but the quality and reliability more them makes it worth the added cost. I spent almost a grand for my little Honda generator that can handle 13 amps and run all day on a tank of gas. It starts every time and it's quiet enough that most people don't even know its running when it's on a 100 foot extension cord for our parties down at the pond. When we lose power, I put it on the porch, fire it up and run an extension cord into the living room. That's where we are during the evenings, and it just takes a minute to plug everything in.

I thought about propane because it's so stable and clean burning. I also thought about diesel, but it's a lot more money. I drain my Honda generator when I'm done with it, or run it until its dry. I never store it with gas in the tank. I usually have a 5 gallon gas can for my lawn mower, or Mule or log splitter, so it's not a big deal to make sure it's full when we know a storm is coming. Worse case is that I have to drive to the gas station to get it filled.

Wow Eddie... I had to look twice to see if I wrote this. Am about the same word for word.
Except
I run pure gas ONLY in all gas engines here except for the car.
I also have a Honda EU1000I for simple things lights tv etc.
Dont drain them unless they sit over a year. Installed a Hutch Mountain fuel shut off in them

 

[Doofy]

I have the original tank of gas in my Honda 2000i, going on about 10 years now. I use sta-bil and there has been no noticeable degradation of the gas. Garage temperatures run between 45-70 degrees. Never above 70.

 

[ultrarunner]

If you switch LEDs with an SCR (Dimmers and Many Timers) you are mostly going to get that faint glow. The only way to switch them completely off is with a simple switch or a relay. But a relay uses power too.

I tried finding a video I saw that explains it, and immediately found ones with misinformation.

Ah, here it is. Big Clive always knows of what he speaks!

Electronically controlled LED lamps glowing when off. - YouTube

Just a single fixture controlled by two 1950 wall switches original to the home... No dimmers, controllers or remotes... Also no ground wire on metal "J" boxes.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I believe, I have seen the capacitance from the Parallel romex run to the switch cause a sensitive LED to glow when off as well.

My step Dad was a licensed electrician working in a hot mill. He was German and always bieched about how this whole NA ground system was stupid and redundant.

 

[ultrarunner]

Never thought of that but if you can charge batteries why not a LED to glow?

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I can't believe almost 40 posts of no relevance to the OP's question, at least there were a couple... his budget was about $500! Why are you posting links and info for $8-10,000 units? Not at all helpful!

I don't care if you can run your shops, 4 welders, and two freaking homes with your generator! The OP is looking to run essential items when the power goes out, and use it up at their cabin.... which means PORTABLE!

Here is a great AFFORDABLE unit that will meet your needs.
Firman H?7552 75??W/94??W Dual Fuel Electric Start 5?A Generator Manuf FactoryPure

Here is another, right in your price budget:

Pulsar 65 Peak/55 Rated Watts Gas/LPG Dual Fuel Portable Generator RV Ready | eBay

I have run this unit for my 3600 sf house, running a 27cf refrigerator, 21cf freezer, minimal lighting, and the propane fired forced air furnace. The refer and freezer were only intermittent... they don't run continually. Same with the furnace....

The shortest run time I got on a 40lb tank was 20 hours. The second tank, I got 26 hours.... running the previous equipment.

I will NOT run any gas through the generator unless absolutely necessary. It starts on propane within about 2seconds of pushing the start button. I have now wired in a manual transfer switch to the house panel so I can be very selective with what I turn on.

I purchased mine for $699 at Costco on sale. You can find some smaller ones (wattage) for a little less. LOOK AT THEIR WARRANTY! Best in the business for portable generators.

Good luck, I hope you find something suitable.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

If you do find something that fits your budget, make sure that it has a 220v outlet.... some of the smaller ones don't. I have a 3750watt for the RV that only has 110v outlets.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Welcome to the world of FORUMS. It would actually be a very uninteresting place if it were all done by the book.

 

[Doofy]

Welcome to the world of FORUMS. It would actually be a very uninteresting place if it were all done by the book.

There's a Book? My mind tends to wander so I don't mind the threads wandering a bit.

 

[herm0016]

Good luck, I hope you find something suitable.

yep. a page or 2 back, i said i got a generac 7550 for a great price, need to get the propane and gas conversion kit installed. all in for my budget. just need my bro in law to find a box and a few things falling off a truck. He is a commercial electrician.

 

[22R]

Find a used Honda 3000 or Yamaha 2800 if possible. Super quiet inverters and sip gas.

22R