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Generator suggestions...

grateful1

grateful1

Oh My!
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
19,799
Location
CT
...other than I shuold have gotten one BEFORE the storm! :p

Here are the questions:
1) Whole house or Portable?
(no kids or wife so whole home prolly not needed)

2) What size?
(fridge/freezer and A/C...plus sump and maybe the cable/internet stuff)

3) What source? (gas/diesel/other?)
...and other questions I missed?

Oh yea...at some point I would put in a switch to run it off the main board and not just extension cords.

Also...want one that' quite.
Friggin' guy across the street must have an old model ...it was LOUD!
 
drunkfish3 said:
Budget? Honda makes the best and quietest but you pay for it.
Click to expand...

I'm good with under $2000 (more or less) for a protable..but less(around a grand) is always better...whole home would be a lot more, but will consider it.

Basically looking for today's 'best'.

I know engines and systems change and year to year something is different.

With that said...if someone says that 'last years' model is just as good for less, then I'd get that.

Thanks.

edit:
Oh..I do have natural gas piped to the house.
 
My dad just bought a Champion, they are supposedly re-branded Hondas or use all Honda parts pretty much. Actually, he just bought it last Monday at Cabelal's, I think they were on sale.


Edit for grammar.
 
Wow..they are nearly double that of anything else.

There are some portable units that are multi-fuel...but I'm not familiar with those.

In looking at the numbers it said I would need a 24Kw system...I'm sure that's if I start everything at once...and keep them running together.

I'm thinking a 7-10Kw protable system...and if I do go whole home maybe as high as 20...but I don't think I need to go that high.

mmburtch said:
grateful1 said:
(no kids or wife so whole home prolly not needed)
Click to expand...

If you had a generator maybe you could attract a wife and kids..... :whistling:
Click to expand...

So that's how you do it!
 
grateful1 said:
Wow..they are nearly double that of anything else.

There are some portable units that are multi-fuel...but I'm not familiar with those.

In looking at the numbers it said I would need a 24Kw system...I'm sure that's if I start everything at once...and keep them running together.

I'm thinking a 7-10Kw protable system...and if I do go whole home maybe as high as 20...but I don't think I need to go that high.

mmburtch said:
grateful1 said:
(no kids or wife so whole home prolly not needed)
Click to expand...

If you had a generator maybe you could attract a wife and kids..... :whistling:
Click to expand...

So that's how you do it!
Click to expand...

24kw what the hell are you running? central air?
 
When making your choice, keep in mind, that every winter a couple of people die from CO poisoning from portable generators.
around here. If you can afford it, go whole house. It's much safer and more reliable.

Doc
 
drunkfish3 said:
24kw what the hell are you running? central air?
Click to expand...

I just followed the instructions...but YES!

:p

Ever hear of this site:

http://www.electricg...generators.html

Devil Doc said:
When making your choice, keep in mind, that every winter a couple of people die from CO poisoning from portable generators.
around here. If you can afford it, go whole house. It's much safer and more reliable.

Doc
Click to expand...

Yea Doc...I have a spot out back that I'd put it in ...portable or otherwise.

:thumbs:
 
I have a Ridged from Home Depot that I got during the Ice Storm in '08 after day 5 of no power with frozen pips in the house i was finally able to get my hands on one. I think it cost me about $900 and it is great. It is 6800 running watts and 8500 starting watts. I have an interlock kit on my breaker panel so it disables the main and alows me to back feed my panel thru a 30 amp breaker. Only able to run the improtant things (wellpump, heat, 2 refrigerators which one is a 2 door commercial beer fridge, all my lighting circuits, all my outlets). My dryer is electric along with my Range and those pull WAY to much. This is completely safe and legal. Lost power for 24 hours with the recent storm and the generator didn't skip a beat.

Im with Doc there is alot of deaths in our area every year due to the misuse of portable generator. Be smart keep it away from your house and garage. I have a 100' power cord to go from my house to my shed to avoid any problems like this.

Good luck and let us know how you make out!

Paul
 
I've got a whole house one - generator was expensive (Caterpillar), but by having the entire house on it, the labor was cheap. Electricians will eat you alive with labor playing with your panels so that you get the right systems activated.
 
The best retail generator you can get short of a Honda is a Generac. They make quite a few of the other brands out there. We are looking at a program where we can sell both portable in our stores and have an install program for whole house. Check around with your local Ace Hardware Stores and see if they have something similar.
 
I have this one. My buddy has an earlier one but same design. We leave them at our Baja beach houses. Start everytime on the first pull. Work great.
Jesus loves Hondas

eb5000.jpg
 
^^This. When the power goes out and no one is making noise except for you, a Honda will be so quiet you can actually relax instead of hearing that constant muffler of a cheaper brand.

Remember you mentioned the neighbor's one was LOUD.
 
4cbln3 said:
^^This. When the power goes out and no one is making noise except for you, a Honda will be so quiet you can actually relax instead of hearing that constant muffler of a cheaper brand.

Remember you mentioned the neighbor's one was LOUD.
Click to expand...

Yea...I don't want to be 'those people'.

I'm really torn at this point.

The 'get by' solution is a 6-7KW portable unit...but...I have gas at the house....and if I go gas....I might as well go whole house...but they make a tri-fuel (winco) portable 10KW!

WHEW!

So...analysis leads to paralysis...which means I'll keep looking!

Funny...some Honda's have the same decible level as the B&S or other engines...hmmm.
 
Most whole house generators in my neighborhood are natural gas with backup diesel. ...and some are just diesel only.

Once the storm was over you could hear them all over the place...like the pits at a tractor pull event!

Funny part, that's not so funny, is that some of the houses on the Bay side lost their generators to flooding! I just saw the CAT Power service truck there this morning....they must have done a 'Group Buy' :laugh:
 
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