• Welcome to H4O! For a reduced ad experience, please login or register with the forum.

Basic Preparations #4 - Generators

Paladine71

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Messages
1,483
Location
Tallmansville, WV
Our daily lives are centered around electricity. It runs most of our applicances, and supplies us with water, heat, light, cooling, etc. Since the power grid crashes from time to time, or is taken down by storms, a generator is an important preparation for long-term emergencies.

What generators are you using as a backup power supply and what are your evaluations of them?

Since I am still on active duty, and have to move about every three years, I haven't been able to setup a permanent, large generator for my household. As soon as I retire, I'll look at picking up a more capable generator that can produce a lot more electricity. Currently, I only have a small solar generator that operates off of a solar panel for small loads. My setup is based on the one in this link, although you can buy the components and connect them yourself for a much lower price. The good side: you don't need a source of fuel other than the sun. The bad side: you need the sun, and a lot of time to charge the system (about 8 hours from drained to full).

http://livecofriendly.com/powersource-1800-solar-generator/

[video=youtube;nuRx1ptBoeY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuRx1ptBoeY[/video]

Two more reviews...

[video=youtube;G-6WtItwb3k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-6WtItwb3k&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;-d8kmFjvtv4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d8kmFjvtv4[/video]
 
Last edited:

3Hummers

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
10,398
Location
Central Texas
I have several generators. I have a 6500 watt Craftman that has been outstanding. It is quiet but not super quiet. The one I use the most is. 1000 watt Honda. It is very quiet, highly portable and will handle most any tool or appliance.
 

Flash

Well-Known Member
Messages
195
Location
Michigan
Honda 5000. Bought it in 1999. It will run the master Bedroom/bath, Kitchen, Furnace, Sump, the TV and a couple of fans. Plenty to keep us civilized for a few days if need be. The reason I got this particular model was due to the duration of fueltank run time. Pretty important to have at least 6 hours of run time and preferrably 8-12. This model has an auto setting that actually maximizes fuel usage. Runs about 13 hours on 6 gallons of fuel.

http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/em5000

FWIW - using premium gasoline in these (plus a stabilizer) helps significantly to maintain octane over time. Octane breaks down over time - so a 93 octane fuel become an 89 or 87 after a while. Nice to know the fuel in the tank is still able to fire up the motor after sitting for 6-18 months. 3 times in 13 years I've had the power go out for 4 hours or more. Never more than a day.
 
Last edited:

cgalpha08

"Like Nothing Else"
Messages
3,584
Location
Indianapolis, IN
It's not installed yet but we're in the process of acquiring a generator that runs off of the natural gas that comes from the well on our property. So essentially I would not run out of fuel or at least not for very long time. I really have no idea how much natural gas is in the well.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 

abearden

Well-Known Member
Messages
609
Location
N. Idaho
I'll second the Honda recommendation. Insanely quiet compared to everything else.

Personally aiming for solar generation myself, but would eventually like a Honda 1k.
 

Trekker

That Guy
Messages
217
Location
Olathe, KS
I was on the fence between the Honda and Yamaha. I ended up going with the Yamaha EF2000i because it came with the 12V cables and I could use my 10% military discount at Cabelas. So far I'm really impressed by its performance. I've taken it on camping trips and it is so quiet on the econo mode. Here's a good head-to-head comparison of the Yamaha and Honda 2000 watt portable generators:

http://yamahageneratoref2000is.com/yamaha-ef2000is-vs-honda-eu2000i
 

Sierra H3

Well-Known Member
Messages
150
Location
Central Sierras
I have had a Coleman 5500 Powermate for nine years. It is loud, so I built a cinder block house for it next to the travel trailer that it powers. The block house also doubles as a weather cover. This generator is only run every two months when I show up on the mountain property and it did great other than leak oil up to about three months ago. At that point it needed a new carburetor. The tech who repaired it blamed the failure on Ethanol added into our California gas. Recently, I noticed Ethanol neutralizer additives at the local auto parts store, so I may try them out.
 

3Hummers

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
10,398
Location
Central Texas
The Honda and Yamaha are remarkably similar but looks like there might be a slight nod to the Yamaha. I bought my Honda slightly used ( less than 25 hours ) for about what a Harbor Freight el cheapo generator sells for so I am extremely happy with the Honda. I will say that I did some carpentry work using one of the HF little generators and it did very well. Louder than the Honda but if you are on a budget it worked fine. Only had to reset the generator a few times while using a skill saw to cut 2x10 and 2x12 while cutting in a set of stairs.
 

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
I have seen some old Lister diesel generators. They were bomb proof, hand cranked units. They were noisy but practically maintenance free. Diesel with stabilizer lasts much longer than petrol. For H1 owners it makes even more sense to go that route.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone
 

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
I have a few generators and would like to mention a few things to consider.
(another Hunner long winded post)
The problem I see with solar unless you have a large bank of batteries, is that the need around here for backup energy seems to be during long periods of cloudy rainy weather or snow so I can't rely on the panels to re-charge during usage.

ALWAYS shut off the main incoming breaker to your breaker box BEFORE you plug in the generator and before starting the generator back feeding your system, and besides yourself, Linemen don't like being fried while repairing your incoming power.

ALWAYS ground a generator. Use a grounding rod driven in the ground and attach it to the grounding point on the frame. If you have a plastic cased generator I would still connect a ground to the engine somehow.
If you are buying a mid range output generator I strongly suggest to get one with pressurized oil lubrication. They have small screw on filters.
The ones sold in large box stores usually are dip and dunk, burn about as much oil as fuel and if they don't have a low oil shut off will self destruct while you are drinking that cold beer out of the fridge far away from where you placed the generator so you did not have to listen to it.
My opinion is that type are not designed for long term use, like 7-10 hours a day for several days.
(like during a hurricane or ice damage) I saw truck loads, really, of burned up ones piled up in front of the small engine shops.
Run a fan to cool them in hot weather and keep them in the shade outside. If you run it in the garage you better have an even bigger fan and lots of venilation and no air inlet to the house.

Disconnect things you value like that big screen TV upon start up and shut down. When the generator runs out of gas the voltage will drop off and can cause problems or upon starting up can surge and like most electronics if you let the smoke out, it's toast! If you can get one that puts out pure sine wave for those items and have a final regulator in line that works the best.

If you make a dual male plug to back feed thru a circuit in the house do not handle that with the generator on. Yea, maybe obvious to some people.

I cut the main power from the grid, plug into the house start the generator and then plug in the dead cord from the house. That way you don't have any live feed should the power come on to the cable or generator.
If you split a 240 output you can run both sides of your breaker box and have flow to everything, just use what you need.
One possible set up is to back feed thru your electric clothes dryer if it is 240 volts and will power up both halve of your breaker box.

I have several of those Honda invertors that are gasoline powered. Very quite and reliable four strokes. No mixing gas.
1000i
2000i
3000i has 30 amp output plug which fits an octopus cable or 30 amp marine plugs which I use to power a 13,000 btu air unit on my boat in the summer and heat in the winter.
My larger ones I went with the Generac brand with pressurized lubrication. I use these in my business as well as at home so I listed some things it will run besides the house.
Generac 4000xl can't start a portable air compressor, they are hard to fire up, it will run a small AC, and an energy efficient fridge but not at the same time. 30 amp style plug besides others.
Generac 7000exl surge to 12,250 (awesome surge) will start a small compressor and fridge, bigger AC, 30 amp plug besides others.
Generac 15,000 surge to 22,500 this black beast will kick everything in my house. Fridge and central air unit, stove and oven, we have block parties at my house during outages. It also runs any of my power tools including it's main use to run a 240 volt air compressor and have even run a cable next door at times for my daughter to have the fridge and lights.
Remember start up loads for AC and refridgerators can be 3 times the running amperage.
DO NOT try to refill the fuel while the generator is running, you beer will stay cold for a hours without the fridge running.
When I built my shop I put in a large exhaust fan, say chicken house, and ran a large feed line from the other end of my house where the grid comes in.
Then I installed a breaker box in the shop with a 240 plug for my mid size compressor.
During outages I can back feed the 7000 or 15,000 genny thru that plug and don't have to go out in the rain or snow. I can close off the shop and the fan exhausts the foul air. I usually open the shop garage door when I go out to refill the genny and flush the air.
I have an opening window in the walkthru door to let in fresh air.
I believe in Sta-Bil but after long periods of no use dump the gen contents in containers and run the mower on it unless it's flat and smells funky.
Give the genny a break after a few hours of running and let the retention of cold in the fridge carry over while you enjoy battery power for lights, or have that romantic meal you just cooked by candle light.
I always wanted a diesel generator to sit in my Cummins and hook it up to my 100 gal tank but could never justify the cost.
I saw at one time a way to put a PTO on a Cummins and run a onboard generator but never pursued that either.
See I don't just work on my Hummer H3.
I run a fan inside the trailer for this big guy and have a roof vent.
_DSC7070.jpg

DCP_0174.jpg

DAH_6899.jpg

On small jobs when it's hot I use this small compressor and try to keep the jug cool.
DCP_0179.jpg

Mid-size compressor. On the wall below the breaker sub box is the 50 amp plug I use for the compressor or back feed the house.

DAH_6900.jpg

I am editing this post for more details and have added some info after my recent 4 days on generator power. I decided I should expand upon things I take for granted some people may not know. I will be working on it some more later.
First if you do not know how to do this having learned it during your life experience, consult someone before doing it. No not Bubba, an electrician! I figured mine out like I wanted it but had an electrician check over what I was going to do in case I overlooked some dangerous situation.
I think I was more paranoid than he was about double checking things for safety and he admitted becoming lax about some of that. lax can kill you? I don't mind being accused of redundancy and over designing, obvious huh?
I want to repeat about not storing gas near the generator, do not try to fill it while it is running or while the exhaust is still hot especially with the great designed new gasoline spouts!!!! I finally transferred the gas to an old jug to pour into the generator. STOOPID junk.
My large one has a 30hp engine that besides the pressurize oil lube also has a small oil cooler but it still puts out some BTU.
Do not use it in an enclosed garage in the best way to say this.
The exception and I don't condone this is with the large door open have a fan blowing the exhaust out. The door to your home should be sealed well and you should have a carbon monoxide detector inside the door going out to the garage.
I will repeat my shop has a 15 knot wind going thru it when I do this and there are two gasket-ed doors to the house. Besides that the fan is strong enough it takes effort to close these doors when it is running because of the suction. So any air leaks are drawing air away from the house. I have two detectors and neither one went off. Carbon monoxide, in case you don't know is an odorless deadly gas by-product of combustion.
I had the luxury of swapping generators when it was time to refuel and let one rest.
My large one has a 30hp engine that besides the pressurize oil lube also has a small oil cooler but it still puts out some BTU.
 
Last edited:

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
The Hunner compound never goes dark for long. You gotta see those Zombies coming if the night vision gear fails!
My next project is video cameras so I can see out of the safe room to check conditions.
I am searching for a good app so I can also check things on my Android phone remotely.
 

abearden

Well-Known Member
Messages
609
Location
N. Idaho
The Hunner compound never goes dark for long. You gotta see those Zombies coming if the night vision gear fails!
My next project is video cameras so I can see out of the safe room to check conditions.
I am searching for a good app so I can also check things on my Android phone remotely.
Off topic, but checkout "IP Cam Viewer Free" on the Market or Play or whatever it is now. My coworker uses it to watch his place from work.
 

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
Mine are all gasoline. I carry them around so I need available fuel.
I really had a diesel one picked out several years ago but the price scared me off and it was heavy. I wanted one with a Yanmar because I have one in the boat and really like them.
I had plans to install it in my Dodge and run it off the aux tank. However I need the space in the bed so I got the trailer but I ended up getting a deal from Home Depot on that really big gas one, seems they were not selling well being that big.
If I got one to just permanently mount here at the house, propane or diesel would still be a consideration with a large storage tank.
The more I thought about it the gas would be available out of our vehicles or the neighbors if needed because when the electricity is out the gas stations cannot pump. First thing we do on notice of impending baad weather is top off our vehicles.
Propane might not be available for the same reason since they use electric pumps to fill the tanks. Bulk would be a problem if the trucks could not deliver and I was off the grid long enough to need some. I'm not sure how long a 20 lb tank would last under load and I don't have a buried large tank.
Natural gas pipes in some situations might be ok but could get damaged and of course would be impractical to be mobile for me to use. I saw that happen when back hoes and front end loaders were picking up debris and busted pipe lines and meters were ripped off houses.
So I guess it depends on your use. Above ground diesel tanks now have to have dams built around them and inspected.
Wife works at an oil company and if I can get there I have a large source. My truck has a 15 gpm transfer pump that runs on 12volts. We have already devised an emergency plan to get what we need or I could just park a tanker out in the back lot!
After Katrina I could not buy diesel on the way home because it was reserved for ambulances and fire trucks.
So I had to burn diesel out of the boat. I got lucky and some tree service guys I know from here going down had a tanker meet them in Yazoo and I got some diesel to make it home. That was when I bought the big aux tanks for the return trip. I carried barrels of gas and hand crank pumps back down to Ocean Springs in my generator trailer after I brought my boat home and filled up all my boat friends generators down there. They had burned up all the spare gas and siphoned all they could out of cars by then.
I also carried all the bottled water I could carry donated by Mountain Valley spring water.
I hooked up to a friends house and everybody came over to eat and wash clothes and party in the AC.
It was a mess but we learned a lot about generators and friends.
Before
DSC_0071.jpg

After most of the boats were piled up at the end of the harbor.
DSC_0221.jpg
 
Last edited:

bro of bro of 3 & 3hummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
197
Location
South Padre Island, Texas
I've probably had a dozen different generators over the years. One thing to look at if you are looking at the lower priced generators is the operating speed of the engine. 1800 & 3600rpms are the two that are generally available. The 1800 rpm models are quieter by a lot, run longer on a tank of fuel, and generally last longer. The 3600 RPM models are louder(by a lot and use more fuel) 3600 rpm models should come with a long extension cord so you don't have to listen to them. Of all of the generators I have had the Honda 3500(I think might be 3000) mounted on the front of my car trailer is the quietest and provides good power. I also have a 15KW diesel in the motorhome that while not as quiet as the Honda will run a small city. Just a word of caution for anyone usiing one at home for temporary power. NEVER run one in the garage or any other enclosed space.
 

Flash

Well-Known Member
Messages
195
Location
Michigan
NEVER run one in the garage or any other enclosed space.

Is this due to exhaust fumes? Can one simply exit the exhaust under a door? Theft is a concern for me and I use flexible exhaust pipe and run it under the garage door, with the door locked in the track slot.

Is there another reason to avoid running a generator in a garage?
 

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
Have someone make a cage that you can lock and put it outside. Bolt the cage down into concrete. Make it large enough to store spare fuel cans. Fuel fumes are no joke in a closed space.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone
 
Top