If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
|
Posted by willshak on March 30, 2008, 11:46 am
on 3/29/2008 6:44 PM Frank said the following:
> Rich wrote:
>> I'm in the market for a portable generator and just need it to run
>> the fridge the furnace and just small things after that. I went on a
>> few web sites and they seem to be geared to running your whole house
>> instead of just a few things to get past the storm or what ever. I
>> live SW of Chicago and the longest I've been without power was 3 days
>> when a tornado came through. I would like to buy one that would get
>> me by for a day or two at the most and only run the basics. What I'm
>> having trouble with is sizing the unit to my needs. Sump pump,
>> furnace, fridge and some lighting but I have all compact fluorescents.
>>
>> Thanks for any advice, especially from someone that has this basic
>> setup, Rich
>>
>>
> My unit is 5500 running watts (7350 starting) and plugs in through a
> transfer box. It can run my furnace, well, refrigerator and freezers
> with spare power for some lights and TV. Clothes dryer, electric
> range, water heater and air conditioner were too much to add and are
> not needed for few days outage as are the aforementioned items. Whole
> set up including cost of generator and transfer box installed by
> electrician cost about $1,000 two years ago.
I have a similar setup with a Generac 5500. It runs the whole house
without a problem, but there is a momentary 'brown out' when the 220 v
well pump starts up, but then returns to normal when the pump is fully
running.
On our section of the electrical grid, there are several power failures
a year, but most are just short enough to reset all our electric clocks
and timers to a blinking 12:00. I believe that our section is connected
to the main grid by an extension cord that runs across some farmland,
and a cow occasionally trips over it and pulls it out of the outlet.
:-) Some failures do last an hour or so, and one time more than 72
hours, but that was due to a hurricane.
There's no problem with the generator noise, as most of my neighbors
have generators. One neighbor across the street does not have a
generator and he has a driveway light that's on all night, so when that
light goes on, I know the power failure is over.
--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @
|
|
Posted by Frank on March 30, 2008, 1:42 pm
willshak wrote:
> on 3/29/2008 6:44 PM Frank said the following:
I have a similar setup with a Generac 5500. It runs the whole house
> without a problem, but there is a momentary 'brown out' when the 220 v
> well pump starts up, but then returns to normal when the pump is fully
> running.
> On our section of the electrical grid, there are several power failures
> a year, but most are just short enough to reset all our electric clocks
> and timers to a blinking 12:00. I believe that our section is connected
> to the main grid by an extension cord that runs across some farmland,
> and a cow occasionally trips over it and pulls it out of the outlet.
> :-) Some failures do last an hour or so, and one time more than 72
> hours, but that was due to a hurricane.
> There's no problem with the generator noise, as most of my neighbors
> have generators. One neighbor across the street does not have a
> generator and he has a driveway light that's on all night, so when that
> light goes on, I know the power failure is over.
>
My generator is a noisy one from HD, Powerboss with B&S engine and
generac generating unit. The guys at a Honda dealer actually told me
what to look for and told me to avoid Coleman as if it broke down parts
would be scarce. We're on acre lots and all neighbors have equally
noisy generators. Besides having surge protectors for practically
everything, I have battery backup for computers and even put an old
deteriorating one on a VCR so I don't have to keep resetting from scratch.
See the same momentary brown out when well kicks on. Similar to lights
in kitchen dimming when disposal is used. Watt requirement is highest
when engines first come under load. Even so, I've had furnace, well,
refrigerator and 2 freezers all running at the same time. I suspect if
all came on at once they would pop a circuit breaker.
|
|
Posted by Erma1ina on March 29, 2008, 7:17 pm
Rich wrote:
>
> I'm in the market for a portable generator and just need it to run the
> fridge the furnace and just small things after that. I went on a few web
> sites and they seem to be geared to running your whole house instead of just
> a few things to get past the storm or what ever. I live SW of Chicago and
> the longest I've been without power was 3 days when a tornado came through.
> I would like to buy one that would get me by for a day or two at the most
> and only run the basics. What I'm having trouble with is sizing the unit to
> my needs. Sump pump, furnace, fridge and some lighting but I have all
> compact fluorescents.
>
> Thanks for any advice, especially from someone that has this basic setup,
> Rich
Rich, I also live in the Midwest and went through the same thing about 1
year ago -- after a significant ice storm in the area.
I wanted to run an "average" refrig-freezer, a small chest freezer, the
furnace (natural gas with 1/3 hp blower), a small radio and/or light and
POSSIBLY a 1/3 hp sump pump.
Here's what I got and I'm VERY happy with it:
1. Honda EU2000i portable generator (2000 watt max, 1600 watt rated)
Here's a link to the specs:
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/ModelDetail.asp?ModelName=EU2000i
2. Had a simple, manual transfer switch (15 amp) installed for the
furnace circuit so that I could use a regular (12 gauge) extension cord
from the generator to plug into the switch and run the furnace. Here's a
link to the transfer switch I got, a "Reliance Controls 15-amp Furnace
Transfer Switch" - they also have a 20-amp version:
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=271
Believe it or not, that little generator has run most of the above
appliances, at the same time, without overload AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT
START UP AT THE SAME TIME -- which has never happened in the approx. 45+
hrs of testing I've done in the last year.
The power required at start-up for resistive electrical motors (e.g.,
refrig, freezer, furnace blower, sump pump) is MUCH greater than that
needed to run them. I'd guess (it hasn't happened yet, though) that if
any two of those appliances tried to start at exactly the same time, the
generator would cut off; it has an overload cutoff.
This winter, I routinely tested with furnace, refrig-freezer, chest
freezer and radio all plugged in and with the generator in EcoThrottle
mode without problems. Just last week I tested with furnace, sump pump
and radio plugged in (again, using EcoThrottle) without problems.
In a real, extended power outage, I plan to "juggle" extension cords to
avoid overload and plug in the refrig-freezer and chest freezer only
when needed. I have a couple of cheap but very handy little thermometers
with probes that I'll put in the freezers and be able to determine when
they need to run without having to open them. I'll do that especially if
I need to run the sump pump with the furnace.
The EU2000i is VERY energy-efficient. This winter when I ran 4-hr tests
with furnace, refrig-freezer, chest freezer and radio plugged in, I used
approx. 1/2 gal (maybe less) of gasoline.
As for the break-in and maintenance of the EU2000i: I used Castrol
10w-30 to break it in and now use Amsoil 10w-30 Synthetic High
Performance Oil exclusively.
One other thing, plan to get yourself some high quality, 12 gauge
extension cords but only as long as you really need. I've also found the
short 3-outlet extensions handy. The EU2000i has two 120 volt outlets so
I run two 50ft 12gauge extension cords from the generator -- one to the
basement where the furnace, chest freezer and sump pump are located; and
one upstairs where the refrig-freezer, radio and lights are located. I
then put a short (2 ft) 12 gauge 3-outlet extension on each and plug in
the appliances needed either directly or, if necessary, using a 25ft
12gauge extension cord so that the max. length of 12gauge cord between
the generator and any appliance is 75 ft.
So, Rich, that's what I found seems to meet my backup needs -- hope you
found it useful. As you can tell, I'm very pleased with that little
Honda generator. It's approx 50 lbs fully gassed and can be stored
easily in a small space in the garage.
Best wishes -- with luck, we'll never have to use any generators "for
real" but I'm not counting on that ;-)
|
|
Posted by Jim Redelfs on March 30, 2008, 11:46 am
> Here's what I got and I'm VERY happy with it:
>
> 1. Honda EU2000i portable generator (2000 watt max, 1600 watt rated)
> Here's a link to the specs:
>
> http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/ModelDetail.asp?ModelName=EU2000i
I use this generator and highly recommend it. It's very fuel efficient
and amazingly quiet.
Set on a high-quality scale with a full fuel tank, it weighs 54-lbs.
Anything larger probably shouldn't be considered truly "portable" by one
person.
--
:)
JR
|
|
Posted by Joseph Meehan on March 29, 2008, 8:27 pm
> I'm in the market for a portable generator and just need it to run the
> fridge the furnace and just small things after that. I went on a few web
> sites and they seem to be geared to running your whole house instead of
> just a few things to get past the storm or what ever. I live SW of Chicago
> and the longest I've been without power was 3 days when a tornado came
> through. I would like to buy one that would get me by for a day or two at
> the most and only run the basics. What I'm having trouble with is sizing
> the unit to my needs. Sump pump, furnace, fridge and some lighting but I
> have all compact fluorescents.
>
> Thanks for any advice, especially from someone that has this basic setup,
> Rich
>
>
You know that running all those at the same time is not going to happen
with a portable generator.
--
Joseph Meehan
Dia 's Muire duit
|
Page 7 of 10 < 1 2 3 > last >>
| Similar Threads | Posted | | portable generator question | September 19, 2005, 1:31 am |
| portable generator question (wattage) | December 28, 2005, 6:54 pm |
| Re: Portable Generator once more.. | July 4, 2005, 11:52 am |
| Portable Generator | August 19, 2008, 6:55 pm |
| Running AC On Portable Generator | September 10, 2005, 1:45 pm |
| Trouble starting portable generator | November 24, 2007, 2:19 am |
| portable electric generator questions | April 30, 2008, 12:28 pm |
| Portable generator parts Generac | September 23, 2008, 5:03 pm |
| Portable Generator Wiring to Transfer Switch | November 21, 2005, 3:50 pm |
| bonding on Genreac 5500EXL portable generator | January 6, 2007, 6:32 pm |
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap