Gas generators for the home [MERGED]

[frozenoem1]

Second on portable gas generator have had mine since 2005, a Troybilt 8800W/12,000 surge start contractors grade genset portable (deep groan).

Have powered two houses thru transfer switch, and camp while working on it.

Stuck it in backyard locked to fence post and no problems, longest running time between fills 2 1/2 days, that was running two households after Hurricane cleanup.

Re-filled tank and power returned.
The only service I’ve done is changed spark , and oil.

The only groaning bit was for loading it into my pickup bed, heavy bugger. Had to use ramps to get into truck for one person load.

So, I like the portable one and don’t see a reason to switch at this time. Think my first was $500 for nephew in FL. Second same model for us, was $700 price went up. Transfer switch, box and wiring $200 , to me beat all heckout of $10,000 for propane backup, no natural gas lines here.

Gasoline rocks, neighbor has automatic start propane and truthfully I’ll accept the 2 minutes to pul out and lock mine to fence post. Versus his $15,000 and auto switch over.

 

[Nhwhazup]

Second on portable gas generator have had mine since 2005, a Troybilt 8800W/12,000 surge start contractors grade genset portable (deep groan).

Have powered two houses thru transfer switch, and camp while working on it.

Stuck it in backyard locked to fence post and no problems, longest running time between fills 2 1/2 days, that was running two households after Hurricane cleanup.

Re-filled tank and power returned.
The only service I’ve done is changed spark , and oil.

The only groaning bit was for loading it into my pickup bed, heavy bugger. Had to use ramps to get into truck for one person load.

So, I like the portable one and don’t see a reason to switch at this time. Think my first was $500 for nephew in FL. Second same model for us, was $700 price went up. Transfer switch, box and wiring $200 , to me beat all heckout of $10,000 for propane backup, no natural gas lines here.

Gasoline rocks, neighbor has automatic start propane and truthfully I’ll accept the 2 minutes to pul out and lock mine to fence post. Versus his $15,000 and auto switch over.

We have the portable and it’s been great. Does exactly what it needs to. Very small inconvenience to wheel it out of the garage when needed. My neighbor across the street has a slab type propane one and has spent double on repairs in the last 10 years than what we paid for ours plus the transfer switches installed.

 

[jeyf]

I sold my generator. Owned it for >10years and really never used it.

sold on ebay fairly quickly. Aparently they are a big ticket item in the fly over states. the ebay buyer was sharp tho, asked me to do a facetime demo the unit before he bought it. Just saying its a hassle to sell off these toys.

buy bitcoin, stock, real estate but dont buy a generator.

 

[Huntn]

I purchased a Westinghouse 7500DF Generator last fall. I finally got the Reliance R306A 120/240 Volt, 30 Amp Outdoor Transfer Switch ($280) hooked up Just in time for Hurricane season 2021. 😬 A couple of days ago I made a test run, and powered kitchen Fridge, Portable AC 120v unit in the bedroom, TV, and optional microwave successfully with the flip of a switch. Having a battery powered generator start is a very nice feature And being able to run a single electrical cord from the generator to the transfer switch is much better than running individual extension cords from the Gen through a window to various locations. I’ve got 50 gallons of gas on the garage so I figure I’m good for maybe 3 days of self power.

Who puts their CBs on the outside of their house??
TEXAS 👀​

It’s a simple thing to add, this switch acts as a sub-panel. Run a neutral (white) and ground (green) and tie it into the main box, along with the 12 circuit connection wires though conduit ( which is seen under the two boxes).

• Pick a circuit to be powered by the generator, in the main CB Box, turn that CB off and unscrew the wire going to it.
• Connect the newly disconnected wire to the appropriate transfer switch circuit wire, say circuit 1.
• Then connect the second wire from the same transfer switch circuit, to the CB in the main CB Box you just removed the wire from.
• Now that circuit instead of going directly to the CB in the Main Box, takes a detour through the Transfer Switch box to the Switch located there. This Transfer Switch switch has 3 positions, Line, Off, And Gen.
• When the power goes out, you will hook up the generator to the transfer switch box (30A plug on bottom), start the generator, open the Transfer Switch Box, and flip circuit 1 from line, to off, to Generator. That circuit will now be powered by the generator.

I thought about going with a natural gas Gen hooked up to the house, but that is another story too much work and expense, unless you want to talk about it.

 

[velocityg4]

With the latest winter storm. I finally decided to get a backup generator. It's not huge. Just a "portable" unit. Which is large enough to run what I consider most critical.

Anyways, my main concern is power quality. I know some devices may be damaged. Due to power fluctuations when running a generator. I was checking to see which devices I will need a line conditioner for. Along with recommendations for one.

Here's a list of everything my generator will run during a blackout.
- WiFi router and modem
- Security cameras
- Laptop
- Desktop
- Charging phones
- LED Lamps
- Furnace (Blower motor, heat itself is gas)
- Microwave
- TV and cable box
- Chest Freezer
- 25 CuFt Fridge
- 10 CuFt Fridge
- 500w Window AC Units
- Coffee Maker

I'd also note. I'm putting some lamps in my house and networking/internet equipment on UPS units.

The generator itself is on the cheaper end. So, it doesn't have an inverter.

 

[I7guy]

I have a champion model 100520. With 7K running watts everything except the condenser unit can be powered.

You have to look at the starting watts of the biggest applicances and size the generator from there.
- furnace, microwave, freezer and fridges, ac units and coffee maker.

I would get an inverter generator, less noise and better efficiency. Champion has a 9000 starting and 7250 running, that will power a bunch of stuff.

 

[velocityg4]

I already bought the generator. The Champion 100416.

I’m concerned about how clean the power is and if I need a line conditioner to protect anything.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Inverter generators generate the cleanest power, but you still can clean the power from your and other generators.
Honda has a 7,000-watt inverter generator, but it probably costs over $4,000. I use a small Honda 2,000-watt inverter generator that I use to power a couple of appliances at a time (not the entire house). For example, the oil-fired boiler and a refrigerator, or even the well water pump and the boiler. To power the entire house I would need to use a minimum of 7,000 Watts to avoid overloading the generator.

Other than inverter generators, there are two options:

An automatic voltage regulator, or AVR, can clean the power coming out of your generator without having to convert it to DC power and then back to AC power. These are a handy way to clean up the power coming from your generator. The only consideration with these is that you will need to be sure that the one you choose covers the range of output that will be coming from your generator.


Source: https://www.propaneva.com/clean-power-generator

An uninterrupted power source, sometimes called an uninterrupted power supply, or UPS for short, is one option to clean up a power supply. It works in a way that is very similar to an inverter generator.

A UPS will take in the dirty electricity from your generator and convert it back and forth to produce a clean sine wave. This will give you an uninterrupted power supply that consistently feeds electricity to your electronics at a very steady rate, hence the name.


Source: https://www.propaneva.com/clean-power-generator

 

[Herdfan]

I have a high end A/V UPS on my HT projector. Even with this, the projector doesn't like the power coming from my 20Kw Generac.

And some of my older LED's don't like it either, but swapped a bunch of those out a couple of weeks ago trying to get all my recessed lights LED's to match.

 

[rhett7660]

With the latest winter storm. I finally decided to get a backup generator. It's not huge. Just a "portable" unit. Which is large enough to run what I consider most critical.

Anyways, my main concern is power quality. I know some devices may be damaged. Due to power fluctuations when running a generator. I was checking to see which devices I will need a line conditioner for. Along with recommendations for one.

Here's a list of everything my generator will run during a blackout.
- WiFi router and modem
- Security cameras
- Laptop
- Desktop
- Charging phones
- LED Lamps
- Furnace (Blower motor, heat itself is gas)
- Microwave
- TV and cable box
- Chest Freezer
- 25 CuFt Fridge
- 10 CuFt Fridge
- 500w Window AC Units
- Coffee Maker

I'd also note. I'm putting some lamps in my house and networking/internet equipment on UPS units.

The generator itself is on the cheaper end. So, it doesn't have an inverter.

Do you have this connected to the house, or are you thinking of running extension cords to the items in question? The reason I ask, is there might be some additional items you could put in at the demarcation point at the panel to help with cleaning some of the power.

Kind of a long read: https://thegeneratorplace.com/how-to-clean-up-generator-power/

 

[velocityg4]

Do you have this connected to the house, or are you thinking of running extension cords to the items in question? The reason I ask, is there might be some additional items you could put in at the demarcation point at the panel to help with cleaning some of the power.

Kind of a long read: https://thegeneratorplace.com/how-to-clean-up-generator-power/

I'll be running an extension cord.

 

[rhett7660]

I'll be running an extension cord.

Gotcha... Like others have said, powerline conditioner or voltage regulator.

 

[Huntn]

I have a champion model 100520. With 7K running watts everything except the condenser unit can be powered.

You have to look at the starting watts of the biggest applicances and size the generator from there.
- furnace, microwave, freezer and fridges, ac units and coffee maker.

I would get an inverter generator, less noise and better efficiency. Champion has a 9000 starting and 7250 running, that will power a bunch of stuff.

The worst part of my setup is running it on gasoline, natural gas would be better, much better from a longevity standpoint ie not having to be refilling it every 8 hours and going to fetch more fuel if it turns into a long term outage. That said if you go with Generc it’s going to be 8-10x the expense and it could be years before it pays off.

 

[Allyance]

When we lived in the Finger Lakes Region of NY State, we had a horrendous ice storm which took down many limbs and wires throughout our county. We were without power for more than a week. We lived in a rather large historic home surrounded by farm land and woods on all sides. A good friend said her son had a portable generator we could use, wasn't very big, but did the trick. Primary concern was our well pump which was 220 volts, would have been miserable with out water. I ran the generator outside, as close as I could to the main panel. I turned off all the breakers and back fed the panel through a pair of dedicated breakers, then turn on the breakers for the pump and one kitchen circuit for the fridge and electronic controls for the stove. One very important factor for anyone who back feeds their panel with out a transfer switch is totally disconnect the mains into the house while on the generator to prevent sending lethal voltages to the wires feeding your electrical service and injuring anyone working on the power lines.

We had a great time for a week, for heat we used our great fireplace in the kitchen. Ours was a farm house built in 1843 so it was like going back to the way people lived there for over 100 years!

 

[velocityg4]

The worst part of my setup is running it on gasoline, natural gas would be better, much better from a longevity standpoint ie not having to be refilling it every 8 hours and going to fetch more fuel if it turns into a long term outage. That said if you go with Generc it’s going to be 8-10x the expense and it could be years before it pays off.

That’s why I went with the Champion I bought. Not as much power on natural gas as on gasoline. But I figure 7kw will power everything I need.

It won’t run everything. But enough stuff to have coffee, microwave, lighting, refrigeration, partial AC, heating and electronics. So, I’m not miserable.

It’ll be a minor pain to run wires during a blackout. But it’s a lot cheaper than hardwiring it to my electrical panel.

I probably get five or six minor blackouts a year. Which last four or five hours. Then a major one every couple years which lasts a couple days. That’s the problem with a forest environment with above ground wires. Squirrels blow out transforms and trees take down lines.

I remember when a squirrel chewed through the power companies neutral line. Causing me tons of brown out and surge issues. The lineman told me. Each time you hear a loud bang. It’s a squirrel getting smoked by a transformer. They cause lots of damage.

 

[I7guy]

I already bought the generator. The Champion 100416.

I’m concerned about how clean the power is and if I need a line conditioner to protect anything.

That’s a nice generator; lots of power. The THD of most, but not all, non-inverter generators are about 20%, which may make sensitive electronics go bonkers.

Running it on extension cords is tough. I know, my first generator a 3500 watt generac got me through hurricane sandy on extension cords two weeks without power.

Last year I replaced my electrical panel and I had a permit legal 30 amp generator inlet installed. I have an appropriate 30 amp cable that I can plug from the generator into the outlet and get it going on about 5 minutes if the power goes out. And I can run 240 colt appliances, such as my electric water heater.

I have a gas outlet for my BBQ and could run the generator in the backyard if I bought a conversion kit, but for now I don’t feel like setting that scenario up.

My son has a 16kw Koehler standby generator that’s powered by natural gas, and recently they were without power for 4 days. I meant to ask them what their gas bill was for the month.

In your case tri-fuel options are great, but running on extension cords means 240 volt applicants can’t be powered - which may or may not be an issue for you.

My guess is having clean power may be more of a nuisance than buying a small inverter generator for sensitive electronics.

But interesting topic, keep us posted.

 

[I7guy]

The worst part of my setup is running it on gasoline, natural gas would be better, much better from a longevity standpoint ie not having to be refilling it every 8 hours and going to fetch more fuel if it turns into a long term outage. That said if you go with Generc it’s going to be 8-10x the expense and it could be years before it pays off.

A standby generator is a sunk cost. One pays 15 to 20K for convenience. That’s the ROI.

 

[velocityg4]

That’s a nice generator; lots of power. The THD of most, but not all, non-inverter generators are about 20%, which may make sensitive electronics go bonkers.

Running it on extension cords is tough. I know, my first generator a 3500 watt generac got me through hurricane sandy on extension cords two weeks without power.

Last year I replaced my electrical panel and I had a permit legal 30 amp generator inlet installed. I have an appropriate 30 amp cable that I can plug from the generator into the outlet and get it going on about 5 minutes if the power goes out. And I can run 240 colt appliances, such as my electric water heater.

I have a gas outlet for my BBQ and could run the generator in the backyard if I bought a conversion kit, but for now I don’t feel like setting that scenario up.

My son has a 16kw Koehler standby generator that’s powered by natural gas, and recently they were without power for 4 days. I meant to ask them what their gas bill was for the month.

In your case tri-fuel options are great, but running on extension cords means 240 volt applicants can’t be powered - which may or may not be an issue for you.

My guess is having clean power may be more of a nuisance than buying a small inverter generator for sensitive electronics.

But interesting topic, keep us posted.

While I could technically do 240v to an appliance. Those appliances just need too much power and would monopolize the generator. I can live without the dryer and oven for a few days or a week.

To make things simpler. I'm running the 240v (30A) by cord into the house. Then using an adapter to run four 120V plugs. Two on each phase (or is that each phase split). Each of those four 120V plugs will be used with inline 15A GFCI breakers. That way I'm not trying to run more than 15A through the extension cords.

If I find it's too much of a pain. I'll look into a transfer switch. The installation cost is just a killer though. I'd probably get one that's like 50A or higher. As the cost difference isn't that much when you factor in labor. That way I could upgrade my generator in the future. If I wanted to.

What I'm really trying to figure out with the line conditioner is which conditioner do I need? Can I just get a cheap APC Line-R 1200VA? Do I need a nicer Tripp Lite LC1200? Does it need to be something like a fancy Furman Elite-20 PF? Maybe kill two birds with one stone and use a CyberPower UPS with AVR?

Then there is the sensitive equipment issue. Does a fridge, window AC, furnace blower, microwave need a line conditioner or LED lights? I'm really hoping I just need two line conditioners for my electronics.

 

[Herdfan]

My son has a 16kw Koehler standby generator that’s powered by natural gas, and recently they were without power for 4 days. I meant to ask them what their gas bill was for the month.

You notice it. While it all depends on how much load the generator is under, you can expect to average around $1 to $2 per hour.

 

[I7guy]

You notice it. While it all depends on how much load the generator is under, you can expect to average around $1 to $2 per hour.

Well they’ll notice it lol, didn’t cost me a penny to run that generator.

 

[I7guy]

While I could technically do 240v to an appliance. Those appliances just need too much power and would monopolize the generator. I can live without the dryer and oven for a few days or a week.

To make things simpler. I'm running the 240v (30A) by cord into the house. Then using an adapter to run four 120V plugs. Two on each phase (or is that each phase split). Each of those four 120V plugs will be used with inline 15A GFCI breakers. That way I'm not trying to run more than 15A through the extension cords.

If I find it's too much of a pain. I'll look into a transfer switch. The installation cost is just a killer though. I'd probably get one that's like 50A or higher. As the cost difference isn't that much when you factor in labor. That way I could upgrade my generator in the future. If I wanted to.

What I'm really trying to figure out with the line conditioner is which conditioner do I need? Can I just get a cheap APC Line-R 1200VA? Do I need a nicer Tripp Lite LC1200? Does it need to be something like a fancy Furman Elite-20 PF? Maybe kill two birds with one stone and use a CyberPower UPS with AVR?

Then there is the sensitive equipment issue. Does a fridge, window AC, furnace blower, microwave need a line conditioner or LED lights? I'm really hoping I just need two line conditioners for my electronics.

Those surge suppressors won’t do much to clean up “dirty power” from a non-inverter generator.

 

[Huntn]

While I could technically do 240v to an appliance. Those appliances just need too much power and would monopolize the generator. I can live without the dryer and oven for a few days or a week.

To make things simpler. I'm running the 240v (30A) by cord into the house. Then using an adapter to run four 120V plugs. Two on each phase (or is that each phase split). Each of those four 120V plugs will be used with inline 15A GFCI breakers. That way I'm not trying to run more than 15A through the extension cords.

If I find it's too much of a pain. I'll look into a transfer switch. The installation cost is just a killer though. I'd probably get one that's like 50A or higher. As the cost difference isn't that much when you factor in labor. That way I could upgrade my generator in the future. If I wanted to.

What I'm really trying to figure out with the line conditioner is which conditioner do I need? Can I just get a cheap APC Line-R 1200VA? Do I need a nicer Tripp Lite LC1200? Does it need to be something like a fancy Furman Elite-20 PF? Maybe kill two birds with one stone and use a CyberPower UPS with AVR?

Then there is the sensitive equipment issue. Does a fridge, window AC, furnace blower, microwave need a line conditioner or LED lights? I'm really hoping I just need two line conditioners for my electronics.

I’d recommend an external switch which makes hookup to desired house circuits very convenient after an outage. You may have seen this post, but I’ll reference it:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/gas-generators-for-the-home-merged.1592348/page-7?post=30035845#post-30035845

 

[velocityg4]

I’d recommend an external switch which makes hookup to desired house circuits very convenient after an outage. You may have seen this post, but I’ll reference it:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/gas-generators-for-the-home-merged.1592348/page-7?post=30035845#post-30035845

That generator you're using doesn't mention being an inverter generator. Have you had any issues with appliances, electronics or LED lighting?

 

[Huntn]

That generator you're using doesn't mention being an inverter generator. Have you had any issues with appliances, electronics or LED lighting?

No issues so far, but have not used it that much. There has been no issue powering our refrigerator.

Can You Add An Inverter To A Generator [Expert's Recommendation] - Pickboon

If you want to know if can you add an inverter to a generator, then this guideline is for you. All the details are discussed here.

pickboon.com

Do I Need an Inverter For My Generator?​

Most generators do not need an inverter — as long as the generator is on and trying to provide power it will work. An inverter just helps power devices that might be difficult for your generator to electrify like vacuum cleaners, refrigeration compressors, and electric water heaters.

So if you’re looking to use a generator primarily for those purposes then an inverter could be helpful, but most people only need one when they want their home or apartment buildings’ electrical systems powered by a portable device like themselves (a laptop or cell phone).

 

[JT2002TJ]

I’d recommend an external switch which makes hookup to desired house circuits very convenient after an outage. You may have seen this post, but I’ll reference it:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/gas-generators-for-the-home-merged.1592348/page-7?post=30035845#post-30035845

I have an external outlet box near where I run the generator. And on my main panel, I have a generator interlock switch. I have a 30 amp setup, but ran wire able to handle 50 (I just have to change the panel breaker, and the outlet in the box to match).

For anyone who isn't aware, a generator interlock switch is a plate that is mounted to your panel box cover that prevents you from turning on the generator's breaker (to back feed the panel) without shutting of the main breaker (to prevent you from back feeding the grid which can kill people). They are panel specific, so you have to order the correct one, or design one for yourself. I mounted mine while my electrician ran the wire and outlet. I toughly tested to make sure that there was no way the generator's breaker could be on at the same time as the main, if you flip the generator's breaker it throws the main off, and the same goes for not being flip the main on without it shutting off the generator's breaker.

The beauty of this is you have the ability to select which circuits you want to power. For example, during the winter I want to power my heating system, in the summer I want to power the master bedroom's ac.

Luckily all my wall unit ac's are on their own circuits, so I flip them off to prevent anyone from using them (including my 220V 1st floor unit).

I do have to watch my neighbors to see when they get power back on, the last time, I was on my generator for at least an hour after the power came back on. The good thing is now my utility company as real time app notifications. So, when it comes back on, the meter lets them know, which sends a notification to the app.