Need recommendations for a Generator..... - Page 2

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Bad Jake. Very bad! No. Nooooooooo,

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I have an 8kW Northstar with a Honda Engine. I picked it up from Northern Tool for under $1K, in 2005. It is $1449 now. I have a natural gas conversion kit for it.

It will run my whole house, minus the air conditioners. It will allow me to run a window unit in the bedroom. The frequency regulation isn't that great. It has multiple outlets for 110/220. It also has a standard connector to run a cable to the house wiring.

The real downside is that the engines are NOT designed for long use. You have about 2 to 4 weeks of life in the unit, if run continuously. You should change the oil every 100 hours.

My plan is to install an 8-10K whole house unit, with a battery bank. This will allow me to load level the generator and to shut it off at night. It will also have Solar Cells for most of the power, except during the summer months. The electricity will be pure sine wave inverter, so very clean power. Won't be cheap...

Evans, Marv · 11-27-2013, 08:38 PM

Years ago I bought a Generac 10K/12.5K peak in anticipation of needing it for construction. Turned out I never needed it for that. Since I also bought a transfer box, I had it wired into my main panel to power some circuits during outages. Built a cabinet along side the garage for it to protect it & cut way down on the noise. They (all Generacs & lots of other brands) are noisy as hell especially with the 2 cylinder engine. If I bought one specifically for the house, I'd consider a few things (even if I was going to move it around if I wanted). I'd buy one with plenty of reserve power. I'd spend the money for one of the quieter models. I would buy/make a cabinet outside for storage & convenience (but has to be well vented for cooling). I would make the proper modifications for importing the power. I'd have/make a valve teed into the fuel line to drain old fuel easily. I would also try to get one with a starter (it's hell to have to pull on a rope starter in the dark during a storm). Where I live, we are only occasionally out of power for only a few hours at a time max - mostly.

futuresoptions · 11-28-2013, 01:11 AM

look, the problem with generators is this and I know because I took care of gas, diesel and propane powered generators for critical telephone central offices for years. Most of us are not going to use the generators monthly so that rules out gas. The ethanol or just plain regular gas will go bad prior to use and you will be constantly having to have the carb worked on unless you do the work yourself. Diesel is the same thing, but you have a little bit longer life span with diesel and you can extend the life with additives. Imho, the best bang for your buck would be a propane fired genset. I would attach a manual transfer switch to your residence and leave it there ready to go. Fire it up once a month to keep the seals lubricated and you should be good to go for a long period of time. other than that, you could install a solar/battery backup that would give you a limited amount of down time from commercial power..

Iciclehead · 11-28-2013, 04:35 AM

I am in the process of deciding, been doing lots of research and discussion and as was suggested here, I will go with a Honda product for sure, probably their 2000w unit.

In terms of wiring, it seems simple to me, namely that you turn off the main breaker, turn off anything you don't want running and just tie the generator into one of the wall sockets (I have a couple of 220's and of course the usual 110v sockets). I figure as long as I don't turn on too much load, that should be all that is necessary.....right?

Dennis

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Dennis,

That is what I do. I have a 220V Dryer circuit that is unused. I switch off the house air conditioners and the oven and the main breaker to the world.

If you want a good setup, you will split off the things that you do not want run on the generator and put the main circuits on a transfer switch with a generator receptacle. It is basically a 220V dedicated circuit with a generator specific outlet. The nice thing about getting this setup is you are most of the way to a whole house Generator setup.

flatbutt · 11-28-2013, 05:54 AM

You guys are talking about back-feeding? Doesn't that only work if all the outlets you want to use are on the same circuit?

Robert Coats · Robert Coats's Garage

Honda Generator guy here...

A 2kw unit will run the basics. A 3kw will run more, and you won't have to unplug the fridge in order to run the microwave. You'll need a 4k unit if you require 220V service (some well pumps).

Traditional-design (non-inverter) models are cheaper, but have to run at 3,600 RPM to make 60hz power. Noisy, and terrible fuel consumption, but cheapest to buy, and a reasonable choice if all you want is stand-by power in an emergency.

Inverter-type generators are more expensive, but run at lower speeds and make 60Hz power just fine. This means quieter operation and better fuel consumption. The power profile is very good, almost what you'd get from your power company. Inverter type units are a great choice if use for camping, RV'ing, powering expensive electronics, or if you just can't stand the noise of an open-frame contractor-type unit.

Backfeeding power through a dryer outlet or the like is illegal and very dangerous. Sure, you might say, "But I know what I'm doing." And how about your wife? When you are out of town and power goes out, she's going to try and rig up the generator "just like I saw him do once" and ZAP if the power doesn't get her, it will probably bite the poor lineman who's down the street working to restore power and HE gets ZAPed. If none of that convinces you, then try explaining your "backfeeding" set-up to the insurance guy after the fire trucks leave.

If you want to use your home's wires with a generator, get a Transfer Switch ($150-$500) and have it installed by a licensed electrician according to code. The Transfer Switch will safely disconnect the circuits from the utility company THEN connect them to your generator.

Or just run some extension cords and power strips off the generator's outlets. Easier, cheaper and still safe.

Finally, it will seem elementary to 99% of us, but no matter how much you spent on that generator, and want to protect it from thieves, don't run it inside, and that means a garage or basement, or near an open window. Gasoline-fueled generators produce poisonous gas (even the fancy Hondas), and you can't see it or smell it, but it can put you to sleep in minutes and you will never wake up.