What Size Generator is Best for the Home
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- Опубліковано 23 лис 2024
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Doc explains that big generators are nice to have but you need to be aware of the large fuel consumption they use. Often we can run a large generator just for an hour or two, then switch over to a small generator that will run for 6-8 hours just on one gallon of gas. - Навчання та стиль
You did it the right way . The other considerations is heat for the house , if gas is shut off , you need a plan B for heat , maybe like a pellet stove or a small electric heat pump system for one room at least , many of them only need one 240 v 15 amp circuit so you can be comfortable in one room , plus the heat pump system can do AC . Many vehicles have anti syphon devices built in now , and most of gas stations don’t have back up generator . Make sure you have oil for your generator and know how to do an oil change on it . If you use propane gas for dual fuel generator , don’t swap tank , go to propane store to have them fill up , they will charge them to maximum capacity , usually tank you swap at the stores aren’t filled up to max . I don’t store gasoline can in my home attach garage , but in my garden well ventilated shed away from my home . Check your hardware store for generator , I bought my , the same yellow color than his , at Tractor Supply and saved almost $400 versus Amazon price , online shopping prices aren’t as good as we think .
This video was amazing. Can’t thank you enough. Look forward to any other information you’re willing to share. Thank you sir.🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Very clear and concise information!
Coastal Ga resident here.
We share a well between 2 different homes (2 sisters in an adjacent lot).
We have a 35 gallon barrel that stays full on our back deck for non-potable water,also a propane grill for cooking/baking/coffee.
Just bought a 3500 inverter from horrible fraught 😅...just before Helene robbed power for 14 days.
Houses are spread 350 ft apart.
My lovely sisters left the day after for an Iceland trip😢.
I made up an exterior dryer plug outlet (shore power)outside the garage directly into the main panel.
I ran 100 ft of 10g extension cord to our home,then 250 12/2 romex to the sisters....backstabbing into an outlet.
I learned you cannot backstab a gfci.
Each home had a chest freezer, and a fridge.
We averaged 8-10 hrs per 2.5 gallon tank on the 3500w predator!
Lessons learned our well is 240.
A toaster,water kettle use more power then all the appliances combined.
21 gallons of gas capacity can run out quickly.
Inverter'd generators are very quiet.
Shuffling a generator between homes (before i ran cords) is a lossing proposition, maintaining freezers is easier ...then to re-freeze melting food.
Gas lines were up to 4 hrs long,drove 70 mile roundtrip to get gas the second time.
I will buy a 240v generator to run the well too,that runs off of propane which hoffers the best longterm energy storage.
Common sense must rule the day.
Obviously the main breaker is turned off,backstabbing outlets shouldn't be done by the uninformed, romex isn't a longterm fix.
Two 5 gallon waterjugs on the counter for drinking, filled bathtubs for the toilets,and a barrel for backup.
A full propane tank for your grill.
Again a very well done video!
Nice video! Having grown up on a farm where the power was less than 100% reliable, we quickly learned what we really needed, and what was nice to have. Now I live in an area with natural gas, so we only need a modest generator to run the furnace and some appliances. I got a Champion 4500 inverter ( 3500W continuous ) hooked up to a six circuit manual transfer switch. It can handle what we need, and only run it for a few hours at a time to conserve fuel. Sure a whole house generator would be nice, but far more $$$$ and cost more to run. Fuel storage is 10g in two 5g cans, that I rotate with fresh fuel every spring and fall. Last Saturday was what I call "Small Engine Day". That's the day, every fall, that I prep the lawnmower for winter, service and test the generator, and service and prep the snowblower. If folks don't stay up on regular maintenance, those generators have a way of failing right when they are needed the most.
My system includes a 14KW diesel generator using a manual bypass breaker to feed the main panel. I keep about 60 gallons of diesel for the generator. I only plan to use that generator for the big loads like A/C, Stove, and battery charger for the solar battery bank when needed. The other generator is an inverter 3500 watt for 120 volt use in low power needs. I have a 4 KW solar with 15KW of battery to run the 120 volt loads so I can run quiet when either generator is not required. The key idea is to use the solar first, then generator and keeping the electrical loads at a minimum. I estimate I have more than a month of power available should the grid be down for an extended period. Most people over or under estimate the power required in an emergency and never consider sizing a generator for emergency use. I'm using "sense" that monitors electrical loads, and you can use the data from "sense" to help you right size the electrical loads you need to replace with a generator. Buying a one size only generator to direct feed the main panel is not the best solution. My 14KW generator is able to power the house, but it's not my first choice even if it is quiet and energy effeicient when battery back up or small gas generator is a better choice.
Agree for the most part.
I lose power frequently. I have a large diesel generator and when powering my house it is essentially idle most of the time which is bad for it.
Best bet is a battery powered inverter, maybe 6 to 10kw with enough battery for a few hours and a 6 to 10kw generator to charge that battery.
Natural gas compressor station normally run on natural gas and I have never seen one turned off during a power outage.
I have three trifuel generators:
1) a little2400 running watt ultra quiet feeding a stand alone circuit that will run the furnace, two freezers, tv and internet or charge my Ecoflow ultra battery system. It is 110v and bonded.
2) a small generac 3200 running watt 240v for running the well and is backup for charging the battery system from the main panel in the barn
3) A 10500w Genmax that will back feed the whole house and charge my batteries in two hours to keep the house running for over a day. this generator is unbonded for obvious reasons and feeds the house from the main panel in the barn.
All three generators are backups for the solar panels which supply most of my needs until the clouds move in for days at a time. The grid is my last resort for when we are out of town
2200-2500watts is a perfect amount, can run your fridge on that and that is key to any emergency, the Honda 2200 is the best in that range but the cheap ones work well enough for most people, just gotta run them dry of fuel every time you are done with it and ethanol free is a must . Great content!!!
Mine's 2K. I can run the fridge, charge my EcoWatt, and keep myself up and online for work (I work from home) for at least sixty hours, floor, without siphoning from the cars and without ever stopping the generator. There's enough spare to run a lamp at night to read by, tablets, the WiFi, and so on.
Comfortable, no. Eating and in communication with the world, yes.
It is enough if you don't have a well pump(240v), electric stove, a heat pump, or electric water heater. It is ok if you have gas stove, gas furnace, city water, gas water heater, and don't need central AC during an emergency. If you do, have backups ,like camping stove, hot plate, toaster oven, Kerosun heater, a window ac, if needed.
I was thinking of a diesel generator, but I like the idea of a gas generator and siphoning fresh gas out of the cars. Storing diesel and cycling it out to keep it fresh will get to be a hassle.
Thank you for making this. I've been watching a lot of reviews, but this was the kind of info I needed.
I also recommend buying a battery system (solar generator) first, then a suitcase generator. Those Wen generators are a great choice. The newest version has built-in CO detection.
Okay, solid video, well explained and illustrated. Nicely delivered. You have much potential friend. Keep up the good work - we're here to support you in the cause, our cause, your cause. Good ideas. Kindred spirits and souls. Let's get the word out that you have something worthwhile happening here. Subscribed, bell rung, commented, upvoted, liked, shared .... may the algorithm gods smile favorably upon your channel from this point forward.
U are correct. If its for emergency basic functions is the essential. 1 refrierator 1 decent fan/small ac unit 500watt running led lights. 1500watts total.
Everybody in u area looking for the same gas. So much so the gas stations dont even stock mid/premium. Just regular unleaded because of the demand.
I found out during/after beryl. Wen11000/8000 ran the whole house. A 3.5ton ac 2 friderators 1deep freezer 1drink cooler 4 ceiling fans and led lights total 4200watts continuous. At $3 gallon 10-12gallons a day. Its gets expensive but everybody came hang out at my generator supported house. Everybody contribute to daily operations. I would search for fuel every morning.
My watt meter shows draw. I know 4200watts is half max load but we are in emergency. So I dont want to max out the generator head. Plus the closer to max the more fuel is consumed. I see to many genny for sale after the emergency. Listing reads "engine runs good doesnt make electricity."
So now I have 3 different generators. Wen11000/8000, predator 4000 inverter, diesel 4500.
Great video sir, thank you for doing this. It is long but necessary, your approach to backup power is exactly like mine. Again thanks.
Dual fuel propane Gens are a good option for fuel storage long term. Literally lasts for decades.
Jumped ahead and sat through the rest. There are even more fuel efficient small generators. They have a permanent magnet alternator. They can use a smaller engine because you aren't wasting power to generate the field. You can actually spin a permanent magnet alternator by hand fast enough to electrocute yourself but only if you had it disassembled out of your generator. A standard alternator, once you power the field, you aren't going to turn it by hand, much less turn it fast enough to get appreciable power out of it. You are absolutely right about the logistics of fuel. I wasn't home and we had a flood and my wife didn't fill the extra cans I keep so she had just what I had on hand. If I had been home, I would have had double the fuel.
Yeah the problem with prepping at lot of times tend to buy mis preps.
best to buy for slightly larger than your needs.
less strain on the unit. plus the WATT given on generators,
is the SURGE number.
NOT the running number.
my old rv ( no electronics) can eadly run on one honda eu 2000. but if i want to run the ac in the summer i need a second one.
as is i need to watch what bug piwer sources are needed with only one eu 2000.
but now i have a Honda eu 3000. no problems. and has push button remote start..
with a remote gasoline fuel tank. no propane. but might convert? so no storage issues.
With the Honda Eu2200 you can connect via Bluetooth and see the watts being drawn. More expensive but handy. Also, an eu1000 is WAY more efficient than even a Eu2200 if your just running small things.
My generators are industrial in nature and don't have CO minders. My 4200W open frame inverter generator with a 2 gallon tank will run 5.5 hours powering two 6 amp 1hp mini split air conditioners, 20 cuft refrigerator, 65 inch TV all the LED lights and there is plenty left over to run something else like a 1500W kettle. I have a second one just like it I can parallel and I could run the washing machine and dryer at the same time. The inductance cooktop is one burner and it pulls up to 2200W as does the washer, my dryer is fairly energy efficient doing more fanning than heating runs 2300W.
Doc, the Wen is impressive for the cost. No doubt. I do recommend taking a look at the Honda 2200i.
Separately gasoline from ethanol is easy, just need two HDPE containers and a 1/8 hose. Keep a working chainsaw. Offer to clear trees locally for free and keep the logs that you harvest. Stay up on your chainsaw skills. Signed, A City Slicker
Great info
you got that wrong on the AC inlet to the house, mhen you measure from L1 to L2 (the two 120 legs) that equals 240. Think of it like a center taped transformer, at the center tap, would be common. L1 to center is half the voltage of L1 plus L2.
Caught that, but it was the second attempt. still overall it was pretty good. It was nice to show the RV plug to 14-30 adaptor. I have one of them for my Firman inverter.
What is the battery pack that you use in the video?
I'm a member of a couple of generator groups on FB... everyone is buying these huge 10KW+ inverter generators. The bigger the better is the logic with a lot of these folks, and don't try to tell them any different!! Most generators are most fuel efficient when loaded to 50%-80% of rated load (most KWh per unit of fuel burned). If you've got a huge generator (10KW or bigger) and running it with a little 3KW load, you're wasting a ton of fuel.
Hey Doc, when you gonna tell us about this new “com” you been talking about?
Size can be a problem when you don't need 240. What do I mean? If you have a 5000 W (240V) generator and you are only using 120 V, in the house, you only have 2500W on each leg. So when you have a 1/2 hp sump pump, it could try to pull 3000W on start up which is only on one Leg. So if you have a 3300W camping generator, it has the power on one leg where the 5000 doesn't. Up until 2022, I had a house that only needed 110 because the stove, furnace and water heater were gas. So I added a Firman Wisper 3600 w inverter. It could run everything that I need and probably will not need the fuel. After 2022, our new house has electric stove, and central AC. Our 120 v Firman inverter, will run everything except the stove for cooking and AC. The solution was to add a single burner 1800w cook plate. If it is an emergency, we don't need everything, just enough to have warm food. and we can run resistance heating units like a single burner cook top or toaster oven off the little generator or the larger one on each leg. But the inverter is needed for anything with sensitive electronics like our 2 yr old fridge, TV or computers. As for fuel, we have 27 Gal stabilized ethanol free gas in storage and rotate it though the car every 6 months(March and September). Our normal usage is 2.5 gal per day on the Generac xl5500 running 4 hr in the morning and 5 hr in the evening. I dont know what the Firman inverter(W03382) will use, but I think it will be less.
WEN is one generator that I have seen in a video. What is your opinion on that one?
I call dibs on the guest house in case of emergency!
Not if I am squatting before he finds me
At 13:30, I believe you meant amperage.
Yup, "pulling voltage" doesn't make sense. I also don't know what he's getting at with "having" to run the cord a long distance. You need to be as close as possible to reduce I2R losses and cord cost, while keeping yourself safe from the generator's exhaust.
Can't access your website from the UK!!!!!!
Get a big inverter generator with eco mode... my 6.5kw sips fuels when not loaded down
we have 3 generators one is dual fuel
Is there any reason you don't consider a diesel generator? Pretty much indefinite fuel stability, slower revving so less wear and tear, and quieter and much, much lower risk of catastrophic issues with fuel storage.
They are expensive and it is an emergency. If it is temporary, do you need that type of potential longevity? If you had fuel oil delivered to your home, sure it is a bonus, but if not, it might be overkill unless if you have diesel tractor, truck or car. You need some way to rotate your fuel, and keep it from growing alge. Conversely, my Generac xl5500, is from 1998 so it is 25 and still starts on the first pull. It does not get used a lot, but if I need it, it is ready.
Compressor stations run on natural.
That depends on how your home is heated. 200 Amp service is for an electric heated home. Any generator will never heat your home.
nat gas or propane are both better fuels for making heat than electric.
need heat for water, stove, home.
amps x volts = watts (x2 for peak)
never turn off your small gas engine by the switch just let it run with the fuel turned off
What the heck are you walking on? It almost looks like fake grass.
can make methane gas a renewable energy
from china you can get a 4500w gen for 150 bucks....
Please quit telling us what you will tell us, just tell us.