Pam and Jim, I would like to express my gratitude for your calm demeanors. You tell us what we need to know without all the anxiety. Some of these "helpful" you tube channels just stress me beyond belief. I'm 72, still work, and work so hard to stay calm. Most days I feel like I'm losing the battle. Thank you for being that calm voice.
Thanks for video I live in Hendersonville in Western NC I have been without power for a week. I am just getting cell service back. Thanks to you I was prepared & did not have to go to store. People in line for gas for generators was long & drama when people tried to cut in line. I had no idea solar generators even existed. I am definitely saving up to get a big one. I also found solar phone charges. With trees down & power lines down everywhere it’s best to stay home. I am so glad I’m a follower you taught me so much. Thank you.
Thanks for showing us your Bluetti solar generators! For those with Ryobi tools, I wanted to mention that Ryobi makes generators for their batteries, and you can even chain two units together for more power. Since we already have batteries for our Ryobi tools, this was a great option for us. Plus, we use a solar generator to charge the Ryobi batteries during longer outages. Just another option for prepareness.
I would think your power would be limited with the Ryobi inverters. I have two 6 amp hour and two 4 amp hour batteries which I can mow my yard I was looking into the 300 watt inverter but when I saw the All Powers solar setup I went and bought it it's like the bluetti system. I still haven't tried the solar panels yet because we just got back from our mountain trip. My first home is without power and won't be on anytime soon. I have to trim a tree and remove another so the power coming into the house was removed by the electric company so I thought I would try an off grid experiment and see if the system could run a refrigerator and some lights, TV etc. I know it's not a whole house system but just in case of power failures. I will comment later with my findings. I'm just glad I bought the place we are living now two weeks before the hurricane. Well that place survived because no trees were around to fall on the manufactured home. Making through two major hurricanes. 73
@@ronb6182 You definitely need the more powerful batteries. Since I already have they batteries, it good to several power options as part of your overall emergency plan. Redundancies are important.
@@janepost150 yeah and for camping I would use them. They have a 40 volt type at 300 watts which is good enough for lights and charging devices like mobile hot spot or cell phone. I'm not into having cell every time I go on vacation. Sometimes it's best to get away from all the devices . Being disconnected can be good. 73
Excellent video. You touched on the charging aspect briefly but I’m not sure people would understand that they could/should be charging the power stations simultaneously as they are drawing power (the sun only shines for so many hours). This would potentially give them longer run times. Having heavy duty extension cords to run appliances to your unit as it sits closer to the solar panels/fuel generator is something they can consider if they are simultaneously charging/drawing energy. If you have an electrician you can have certain outlets in your house hooked up to a plug right beside your electrical panel so you don’t have to drag the bigger unit all over the place. Flip a switch to be off the main grid over to what ever “large” power station (solar or fuel). Yes this is an investment but in the long run it will pay off - moving refrigerators when you’re alone to plug in a power station isn’t easy. You can continue to recharge the solar power station by solar panels or periodically by a fuel generator. My brother has his furnace, chest freezer, refrigerator and I believe one kitchen electrical outlet all wired from the electrical panel to operate during a power outage. Appliances turn on and off at different times only when they need to. It’s the winter months when the furnace goes on more. This wouldn’t work for electrical baseboard heat but for fuel furnaces where it is an efficient fan/blower system it should work depending upon the peek power draw. It is so interesting what you can do to be able to thrive these situations - it’s having the money to invest in the equipment that is the hurdle.
I took you recommendation last year & bought the Bluetti ac180. Love it. This year I'm looking for a slightly larger on to run the frig/ freezer in case of power out. I'm in South Carolina. There are ppl here that are still without power due to our most recent hurricane. Our gas stations. Keep running out of gas. The gas generators are some what useful. Those of us that have solar are very greatful. I watch your show as often as I can. I have recommended you to many, many others who are venturing into preserving their home grow vegetables & meats. Thank you & Jim for all you do. You are greatly appreciated.
We have several Bluetti’s and are very pleased with them. We’ve invested in some low-wattage (small) appliances to make the power go further. Also we set up a couple solar panels on a stand in the yard , and ran the cables underground through a conduit straight into the house. No need to fuss with setting things up when recharging , just plug them into the panels from inside the house. I’m starting to use the Bluetti’s on a regular basis to save some $$ from our electric bill.
Thank you for doing this video. By simply just giving the model numbers and using them with real applications plugged in on video it’s so much more helpful then a bunch of statistical numbers many other videos show. Thank you for making it simple.
As we in Florida prepare for Milton, headed making a beeline for our power grids that are all along the I-4 corridor, unusual storm direction for sure. Please pray for us. The entire peninsula will be without power for an extended duration of time, with the wind heading our way. We covet your prayers. Thank you.
I like the biggest one on its trolley wheels, but probably over the top for me on my own. I just bought one same size as your middle one. It's already been very useful with several power cuts. I live in a very isolated mountain area in France 🇫🇷 I bought it to run my Starlink dish and router for emergencies, as here we always loose the mobile phone network, so I changed to Satellite. It works great. I could see myself buying another, bigger one, just to run other items. I always put one in the car if I go to town, and chargers from the 12v cigarette lighter. The solar panels work well. I enjoyed your trials with yours, thanks for the video. Jo in France 🇫🇷
@roseredhomestead I watched a video that tested an air fryer, crockpot, and the instant pot to see which had the lowest draw. The instant pot won! I’ve decided that will be my kitchen gadget, when/if things go south.
Thank you so much for taking the time to teach us so much. Its awful &, scary whats going on in our country right now! I pray for our country everyday!!🙏😔❤ stay safe everyone
Thank you for demonstrating the various Bluetti Units. Could you do another video to show how you connect these to the Bluetti Solar Panels. How close does the power station have to be to the panel? And show the various cables you use. Thanks 🌻😎
Thank you for this! My first Bluetti should arrive today! AC70 with 200 solar panels!! I’m still in the midst of the Hurricane Helene cleanup in NC! We got our power back on 4 days ago but I will feel much better with this generator!
I live in Georgia and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene I was one of the lucky ones without electricity only 12 hours. I had purchased “baby blue” months ago and it had already % power. Not enough for freezer or big appliance but, the comfort of a fan running. Was so good. Saving for a bigger “blue”. As you said so easy to set up and use ❤
I live in Georgia, too. We were without power for 2 and a half days with no generator. That was long enough to lose all the meat in our freezers. Just because you've never had a long-term power outage doesn't mean you never will! A new generator is on order!! Thanks for this video!
Athens lucked out, too. But after knocking myself out over the last year trying to learn enough about DIY solar to get about 1400 watts up and running and hooked into 5120kwh of batteries, with my freezer on solar all the time and my fridge running off of it about two thirds of the time, I was not nearly as frightened by Helene’s approach as many of my neighbors were. We’d already lost about $800 worth of frozen food (and the many hours I spent processing the foods to get them into the freezer!), and I have to admit, it was such a relief knowing we were somewhat covered. I still worried about sunless days, and I’m definitely eyeing the sales on batteries, but I have to admit it was SO reassuring knowing we had something in place and were not completely helpless. And speaking of fans, last year I bought two of the Vornado DC whole-room fans that are very energy efficient and run like a charm directly off solar panels, if need be. In our heat, a fan and a few blocks of ice fortuitously frozen in advance of a power outage can be the difference between life and death, especially for older folks.
Thanks so much for this information. Amazon is having a sale now and I bought the AC200L for $1,199. I saved $600, got a solar panel too. I feel so much better knowing that I can run my refrigerator and chest freezer using this device. Bless you for sharing this information🙏
I’m saving my money for the big one with a cart and solar panels. I have a gas powered generator but that is loud and for external running with a big electrical extender to the house. I’m not big about the noise because it draws attention to those who won’t have power, you know? I worry that it will be stolen in a real emergency or it will draw people who aren’t prepared but need power. It also requires gas to be stored, which I do but don’t love. The solar panels can go on the roof and be unseen while the generator runs securely and silently indoors as well as on the road if necessary. Thanks for highlighting the brand and demonstrating what it will run. I would like to have seen the coffee machine since that is the most used electronic appliance in my kitchen.
You are so right about the rest of us who do not have power or a generator, while neighbors around have generators. It’s pretty noisy and nobody invites us to get some juice. LOL
Great presentation, Bluetti's is a solid product with great customer service. We live off-grid in southern Alabama, we have a very special relationship with Pecron, they have sponsored our off-grid journey from the beginning. Pecron makes quality solar power stations at a much lower price. We just received two of their 3600 watt units and we are using them to run our mini-split AC unit. We keep everything charged up from an 8000 watt solar farm and two wind turbines from Missouri Wind. The Pecron 3600 cost $1500, the other Pecron's cost from $179 to $799 depending on wattage needed....
You are amazing. This is such great info. We just bought our second generator (EcoFlow). Here's a tip about those tiny screens. IF your phone is charged, take a pic of the screen and then you can 'blow up' the picture on your phone screen. Works for us!
AC200L Good afternoon Pam & Jim I watch so many of your videos they are absolutely so useful to my life ! With my mom and all my grandparents gone I turn to your videos because they are no longer here for me to ask about these type of life skills. I'm truly so grateful for you guys ♡ I purchased the Bluetti today using your link I feel so happy that I'm working towards being self reliant if there is an emergency I feel that this preparation is making me feel calmer because being prepared Is more than half the battle Thank you
The AC180 fits nicely on an IKEA Raskog cart or the like. Also have the EB3A and 200w Bluetti solar panels. They can run routers, charge devices, run fans, and the AC180 can run appliances as you demonstrated. They are good options to have in addition to the gas generator if the power goes out.
I just shared your video with my sister in Georgia she was hit by the hurricane without any backup. We purchased the AC200L many months ago after watching your previous videos & are saving now for more battery storage for it. The recent battery storage units for these models are so easy to add.
Thank you for sharing -- I went to your "store" and I see too many people have had "issues" with this company's products - so while I do thank you for sharing, I am going to find a different company's devices.
I love my 3 Bluetti's, they are 2000wh AC200 (model just before they came out with the MAX). Last summer I was without power for 2 weeks and they ran the refrigerator and freezer and small amount of lighting for the two weeks. I have a 1000 watt array of solar panels and they kept them charged up. I am looking at getting a larger Bluetti because these only allow 700 watts of solar power coming into it. I would like to take full advantage of the 1000 watts available. Thank you for showing the versatility of these units.
I really appreciate this video demonstration of the Buletti. I recently purchased the 180 and the 200L but haven’t had time to play with them much. I am a widow and after 43yrs of marriage I am trying to figure things out on my own. We didn’t have a generator but I felt the need to have one (I have 2) just in case. Thanks again for showing what they will do
This is great info. Your videos have helped teach me how to pressure can. I appreciate you. I have the EcoFlow Delta series and they’ve been great for us during Hurricanes.
My home is all solar and nini wind turbine, so I dont have power outages. But, I know I need a solar generator for other things. Im on the road for my job, and Ive wished I had 1 several times. Thank you so much for all of the great information.
I got a Bluetti AC180 a few weeks ago for $500 on sale. Great price and I'm very happy with it so far but am rather disappointed that it won't accept more than 500 watts of energy from solar panels at any given time. So the pass through charging feature will be most helpful if you are only running an appliance (or appliances) off the Bluetti AC180 that require less than or equal to 500 watts. I really wish it could accept 1400 watts or so of energy from solar panels, as it can from an AC wall outlet.
Here in NC Florida, we really appreciated having our 2 solar generators during Helene. We have a 4 Patriots (our first purchase) and a Bluetti AC200L. No power for 2 days. The day after the hurricane was sunny, so we were able to re-charge with solar panels. Kept our 2 full freezers and our fridge going, no expensive meat was lost. We are considering a whole house system now, or at least another large generator and some expansion batteries. Pam, we purchased the Bluetti thanks to your informative videos! And now we have Bluetti Bucks, so will probably buy another from them.
I just checked our pecron #2000 and it has plenty of power for our toaster and my Instant Pot will run for 1.7 hrs. We have a small Bluetti, also. Thank you for sharing! This is so good to know.
We usually charge something off our car even on short trips around town. We have small inverters in both cars. We could go directly into the cigarette lighter but the inverters are much more accessible.
if the power went out and there was no input [dark outside or extremely bad weather with low sun] how long would your large one last running a freezer?
This was awesome. I have been looking at a bigger Bluetti (I have the EB3A) but didn’t know if it would run my hairdryer. The EB3A did NOT, lol. My power was out here in SC when Helene came through so I am on the hunt for one that will power the hair dryer and my coffee pot. I have a gas stove so I can cook and a gas water heater for showers. I am looking at the AC300&B300k combo and this video was very helpful
Question- do gas stoves have electric starters? Do you have to do something special to use it? And do gas water heaters automatically work without power?
@@visitingfromsantafe1329 I had to light it with a lighter. There is no tick tick sound for the electric lighter but you just turn the gas on and then light with a lighter. Like if the electric starter on a grill doesn’t work. I got power before I needed to shower but my neighbor said hers worked.
I really really need something because we have three houses one is a vacation house very small and this includes 4 refrigerators and 2 freezers and I hate like hell to loose all that food…we really can knock it down to two refrigerators and 2 freezers if needed no problem but we have no backup whatsoever…. I must have a talk with my girls and put our heads together and come up with a solution. Thank you again love team Rose Red! ❤️❤️❤️
Great! Just came off a 6 day power outage a few hours ago so this information is very helpful. Thank goodness I had fermented enough foods because that is what I was able to eat. I also keep rain barrels to gather water for necessities but I'm wondering how/if these could be hooked up to a well pump. TYSM!
I would love to buy one but the solar panels together with the generator are so out of my price range. Thank you for showing all these generations very informative. Always enjoy your videos.❤️
Thank you Pam and Jim. I just went to your website yesterday looking to see what products you use for power outages. I definitely need the large one for my blow dryer :)
Most our longer power outages in Kansas occur from snow/ice storms. My solution has been to empty the freezer into rubbermaid totes, and pull them out onto the deck if i's going to be a few days. I keep my motorhome's propane and gasoline topped up year round and in ice storms, cook our meals out there but don't heat it. It's sheltered from Winds an snow inside. We heat with the fireplace and if needed, sleep in the living room where it is as without electric, the blower doesn't work. My sister has had a couple of freezers die on her, so i don't trust them. Out in the garage, or down in basements ,mice chew through cords, etc. I prefer to can. I do use 1 large freezer and the top of the fridge one, but I'm in those daily and it's ulikely they will go unnoticed shuld they die. Sis lost around 100# of Bison meat twice...that's way expensive a risk. It cans up just like ground beef...lol! My mom had 2 freezers in her basement, lost a couple freezer full of foods a few times because if you aen't in them daily...you won't notice until it stinks or you have water on the floor by which point it's too late.
We have a dual thermometer that attaches to the fridge with a magnet. It has two wireless transmitters intended for inside and outside temps. We put one transmitter in the fridge, and the other in the chest freezer. This allows us to monitor the temperature of both appliances. When the power goes out, and the temperature starts to climb, we plug both into our Bluetti AC200MAX.
Unfortunately many of us cannot afford a generator, let alone multiple ones, like you have. I do own one freezer but in reality prefer to keep my food storage in the form of shelf stable items for the exact reason that if I have no power I still have food available to me. I would love to see you put together some shelf stable foods/meals such as dry soup mixes (as one example) where all we need to do is add hot water. Those are the kind of things I would be able to store in the long term simply by putting them in canning jars and vacuum sealing the jars.
We just lost our electricity for 27 hours. I have many solar generators of different sizes the bigger ones run our refrigerators and freezers the smaller ones are good for plugging lights into. It rained for 3 days straight so we could not charge them by the sun, we did get them charged with our gas Honda generator (inverter). Fast charging generators are very important, slow ones take too much time and too much gas if you have to charge them that way. Small ones that you can plug lights into is nice so you don’t have to carry flashlights or lanterns from room to room.
I have 5 pecron power stations and expandable battery's Milton had us out for a week no problems. Whatever brand you like just buy one well worth it. I have been running my fridge and freezers for a year and a half for free 24/7. Have a backup generator in case of no sun for long periods better safe then sorry! You can charge them with your generator saving you tons of fuel. I station mine throughout the house to limit cables. They are worth every penny you pay for them. No noise they stay inside and they always start.
This was incredibly helpful! I have wanted to buy a solar power bank, but was overwhelmed by all of the information to consider. Thank you for your wonderful and thorough explanation. I would love to know where you purchased that cart. It looks like the perfect size for that larger power bank. Thanks again!
Wonderful video, Pam and Jim. I would like to know more about solar panels for these things, how they connect and work and which ones are the best. Thank you!
We bought a 50 ft solar extension cable from Amazon to connect from our solar panels to our power station inside. We currently run the cables through a window. It works great. 😊
Wonderful video thank you for sharing and giving us an example of what each item is capable of running! I will be saving for my generator here shortly. Definitely will do a blue Eddie for sure! My son bought a very small power bank off of Temu of all places in the other day we were going to Walmart. My phone was less than 20% battery. He grabbed his power bank. I threw my phone on it and toss both the power bank and my phone and my small little tiny backpack that I carry everywhere with me. it was a lifesaver to say the least, by the time we left Walmart my phone was already at 87%! Without that small little power bank my son bought on Temu for 12 bucks, my phone would’ve surely died and I wouldn’t been able to do what I needed to do in Walmart since I do a scan and go! looking forward to hopefully here within the next year cause I plan to go pretty big on one when buying my first blue Eddie! Definitely will have to run things such as a Keurig or my small coffee pot, microwave, yes I also have an air fryer that’s a ninja and that one’s my favorite but my kids have a bigger one as well, and also the slow cooker is for us as well not to mention our Insta pot as well lol but also that we will be grilling outside if the power goes out that’s another great resource for people who can’t afford a blue Eddie but probably could grill outside or put a pot outside on the grill or a hot plate that they can buy a smaller generator for as well!
@@ImASurvivorNThriver thank you for the correction I’m blind so I dictate on my phone, my comments, and sometimes Siri has its mind of its own and decides to put what it wants but yes, I know exactly what I was trying to say, though I actually have them on my Amazon wish list lol
She needed to reset the middle one after she popped it with hair dryer, the middle one is rated for like 700watt output. The cooker only used like 260+-.
Thanks for the great information on this brand of generator. We have a few solar generators I love them! I tell everyone to get some. We had a bad hurricane and it was so nice having a renewable source of power!
Was interested in the Bluetti 180, marked down to $500, until I found out I would have to pay ANOTHER $300 for the solar panel. Seems to me, they ought to be a package deal as these are SOLAR generators!
Thank you for the wonderful and very helpful information... I always appreciate it. I hope you are feeling good and doing well.. I became concerned when you took a very deep breath the way you did... All my best❤
It would depend on how deep and far your well is from your house. Our well is 380 ft down plus it's a half acre from the house. So we have to use our gas generator run the well pump because that takes a ton of power.
@@janepost150 our well is only about 40 feet deep and about 5 feet from the house. The holding tank is right next to it. Would a well pump need more power than a hairdryer or toaster?
@@angelabarnes1547 To set up a solar generator for emergency use, you'll need to calculate the total wattage required to run your well pump. Since shallow well pumps can use anywhere from 500 to 2,500 watts depending on factors like horsepower, depth, and water yield, a good starting point would be a solar generator with a higher output, say 3,000 watts or more, to handle peak loads.
@zooperdooper4223 Freezer wattage can vary widely, from 80W to 900W, but most modern freezers range between 80W and 310W. It's important to note that the wattage doesn’t reflect actual power consumption, which averages around 41.69W over a day. Different cooling stages, like active cooling or idle, affect energy use, and chest freezers tend to use the least electricity per cubic foot. When selecting a solar generator, consider the freezer's average daily consumption and ensure the generator’s battery capacity and output can handle those varying power demands for extended periods.
@@janepost150 That's why I do some thorough research and information gathering. I need the generator to run 10 hrs a day. The other 14 hrs the freezer can cope.
@@dominikas1518 That's very useful information, thank you. I like the idea that it can be placed indoor and doesn't make noise or smell. And as in worst case neither petrol nor LPG will be available, the possibility to charge it with solar panels sounds attractive.Question is whether there will be enough sunlight during wintertime. Maybe I can find some more information on bluettis website.
Pam and Jim thank you for all the time you put into this. My question is, do you think the larger Bluetti would run our outdoor furnace? We’re in Connecticut and heat only with wood which also heats our water.
Buy a Kill-A-watt meter and plug the furnace into it and then plug it into the wall. You will see how many watts you need to run it. However many watts it takes, then you could calculate how long it will run on the power station you choose and how many solar panels it would take to charge the power station quickly. To be honest, if you go this route, it would be best to buy 2. Use one while the other one is charging. 😉
Hi Pam and Jim, love the great video! I am considering purchasing one of these units. My only concern is that I live in an area of the country which has hard winters with little or no direct sunshine for weeks at a time. I am not sure how practical this would be in a grid down situation. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!😊
A thought on filming for videos like this one. Less zooming in and out to be replaced with a frame of Pam and all of the Bluettis on the counter as she made her presentation and introduction of the video content vs a close up of Pam followed by a close up of the Bluetti she was talking about and back again to a close up of Pam then a scan back and forth of all the Bluettis and so on. She indicated with her hand on the Bluetti she was talking about so a single frame of her and all the Bluettis on the counter may have been a better focus for this part of the vid.
Do you have any experience or ideas for running some sort of small A/C with a solar generator? I live near the Virginia coast where it can get hot and HUMID. Fans are nice, but in some cases air conditioning could literally be life-saving. Or maybe just a big dehumidifier and some fans. I'm not good at calculating the amps and watts and whatevers, but I am fairly sure that even little window unit A/Cs draw a lot of power. I'd love to have a plan for a generator and an A/C unit (either window or one of those standalone ones with a tank for the condensation) so I know what to save up for.
Sorry if it was already mentioned in the comments, can you replace the battery on these easily? I hav a different brand that you can just replace the battery but not familiar with the Bluetti brand.
This video couldn't have come at a better time. We have been doing research on solar generators and trying to decide what size to get. All our questions were answered.. We enjoy watching them. Thanks for taking the time to do all this. Looking forward to the next videos.
How do you store your Bluetti devices? Do you have to keep the Bluettis cool? If so, how do you do that if you are on the road and/or if it is hot outside?
We keep them in the house. When we travel with them we take them into the hotel room with us, more for theft protection than heat exposure. We try to position them in the shade when outside. We have used them outside in our summer heat with no problem.
I don't know why people insist on using valuable (and very finite) battery power for appliances whose primary purpose is to get hot (resistance heating). With minimal electrical resources, cooking, heating, and water heating should be relegated to propane. As people in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene find out, that shoebox-sized portable power station doesn't have enough battery to run their refrigerator for even two days, if it will start at all.
Would love to know if AC180 can run a 1000 watt microwave oven. I have AC 70, which cannot but I have seen UA-cam tests showing AC70 can run a 700 w microwave oven. Does anyone know about the AC 180 in this regard?
Last year, after watching one of your videos on the Bluetti AC180, I bought one with the portable 200 watt solar panels. I started by getting a feel for what I could run on it simultaneously and began to move toward appliances that are lower wattage, figuring out what I can do with them should the grid go down for any length of time. My little six-cup Aroma rice cooker that I’ve had for 20 years is still going strong and is one of my go-to appliances in case of the grid going down. And while my Instant Pot does have a strong draw when it’s coming up to pressure, once it’s pressurized it uses very little energy to maintain the pressure. My smaller Magic Mill dehydrator runs great off my Bluetti, and so does the induction burner I use with my Presto canner. I have a few other smaller solar generators, like you do, but there’s so much they can’t begin to run; so now I am weaning out a lot of my higher-wattage appliances in favor of lower wattage ones that get the job done. That 1152kwh gets used up very fast if one is trying to run greedy appliances. Which means you need more battery real estate in addition to the solar panels, which do not work when the sun is not shining to charge the Bluetti…. After seeing how much the battery extensions cost for the Bluetti, I decided I wanted to dedicate a solar charge controller and inverter with four 12.8v 100aH batteries (5120kwh) to running our freezer after we lost close to $800 worth of food during an outage. We don’t have a gas generator and don’t want to get one. I’ve installed four Eco-Worthy 195 watt bifacial solar panels plus two other 200 watt bifacial solar panels on the ground outside because I was told by Bluetti that I should not leave my portable panel out in the elements. I had my brother run essentially a custom-made AC Romex extension cord through the walls from the outside panels to our freezer on the interior of the house, and I keep the freezer running all the time off solar now (but have a grid outlet there if I have to manually plug the freezer into the grid for any reason). It’s a relief knowing that nothing will have to be done differently should the grid go down. I bought a handful of those Kasa/Tapo energy monitoring mini outlets that I use to monitor how much electricity is being used, and I label them in the app based on what’s on them, like Freezer (GRID) or Freezer (OFF GRID), depending on what’s plugged into them and if they are getting their power from the grid or from solar. Whether they are on or off can be scheduled/controlled via the Tapo app. The important thing is that I can see exactly what’s being consumed and what the energy source is in the app. The Bluetti is plugged into a monitoring plug plugged directly into the grid, but it can also be plugged into the inverter for accessing the large solar array and battery bank just be switching what I plug into the side of it. I plugged a multi-outlet surge suppressor into an AC outlet on the Bluetti for kitchen appliances I run for short periods of time (kept turned off unless I manually turn it on) plus the 200 watt portable panels for the DC input (disconnectable outside); wherever the Bluetti is getting its AC “grid” power, it’s also getting a little solar input when I have the portable panels outside. I keep our refrigerator plugged into the Bluetti, but the fridge needs more wattage per day than the Bluetti’s 1152kwh. What I do, on really sunny days, is replace the grid plug with an extension cord to the inverter, which allows me to use the extra solar harvest that otherwise would be wasted because I have more solar gain than I do battery real estate and the freezer only uses about a third of the batteries’ capacity. When the Bluetti is plugged into the grid, however, I use the Tapo app to turn off that outlet most of the time but schedule it to turn on and top off the Bluetti’s battery for a few hours several times in the evening and during the night so my fridge keeps running. I’ve found that the Bluetti running in UPS mode will just run in a passthrough mode from the grid and never touch what’s stored in its battery, so this is why I do it this way. I want to use all the solar power I can! Maybe I need to set it on something other than Eco mode to get it to draw first from the battery before it pulls from the grid, but I can’t figure it out! Most of the people I’ve talked to have cautioned that Bluetti does not play nice with third-party battery backup solutions, so I haven’t tried to hook the Bluetti to my battery bank directly. Pam and Jim, if you come up with a good inexpensive way to add a centrally located battery bank for use with the Bluetti solar chargers, will you please share? It does not seem to be an issue at all to run the Bluetti in UPS off the inverter, however, so as long as that’s working, I’m able to have it draw power from the batteries via the inverter. Because, I agree, Bluetti makes a very good product, and I wouldn’t mind having another AC180.
Pam and Jim, I would like to express my gratitude for your calm demeanors. You tell us what we need to know without all the anxiety. Some of these "helpful" you tube channels just stress me beyond belief. I'm 72, still work, and work so hard to stay calm. Most days I feel like I'm losing the battle. Thank you for being that calm voice.
You are welcome. We agree, sometimes, canning can be stressful, but the way Pam explains the process is thoughtful and calming. Jim
Thanks for video I live in Hendersonville in Western NC I have been without power for a week. I am just getting cell service back. Thanks to you I was prepared & did not have to go to store. People in line for gas for generators was long & drama when people tried to cut in line. I had no idea solar generators even existed. I am definitely saving up to get a big one. I also found solar phone charges. With trees down & power lines down everywhere it’s best to stay home. I am so glad I’m a follower you taught me so much. Thank you.
Thanks for showing us your Bluetti solar generators! For those with Ryobi tools, I wanted to mention that Ryobi makes generators for their batteries, and you can even chain two units together for more power. Since we already have batteries for our Ryobi tools, this was a great option for us. Plus, we use a solar generator to charge the Ryobi batteries during longer outages. Just another option for prepareness.
Thank you!
I would think your power would be limited with the Ryobi inverters. I have two 6 amp hour and two 4 amp hour batteries which I can mow my yard I was looking into the 300 watt inverter but when I saw the All Powers solar setup I went and bought it it's like the bluetti system. I still haven't tried the solar panels yet because we just got back from our mountain trip. My first home is without power and won't be on anytime soon. I have to trim a tree and remove another so the power coming into the house was removed by the electric company so I thought I would try an off grid experiment and see if the system could run a refrigerator and some lights, TV etc. I know it's not a whole house system but just in case of power failures. I will comment later with my findings. I'm just glad I bought the place we are living now two weeks before the hurricane. Well that place survived because no trees were around to fall on the manufactured home. Making through two major hurricanes. 73
@@ronb6182 You definitely need the more powerful batteries. Since I already have they batteries, it good to several power options as part of your overall emergency plan. Redundancies are important.
@@janepost150 yeah and for camping I would use them. They have a 40 volt type at 300 watts which is good enough for lights and charging devices like mobile hot spot or cell phone. I'm not into having cell every time I go on vacation. Sometimes it's best to get away from all the devices . Being disconnected can be good. 73
Excellent video. You touched on the charging aspect briefly but I’m not sure people would understand that they could/should be charging the power stations simultaneously as they are drawing power (the sun only shines for so many hours). This would potentially give them longer run times. Having heavy duty extension cords to run appliances to your unit as it sits closer to the solar panels/fuel generator is something they can consider if they are simultaneously charging/drawing energy. If you have an electrician you can have certain outlets in your house hooked up to a plug right beside your electrical panel so you don’t have to drag the bigger unit all over the place. Flip a switch to be off the main grid over to what ever “large” power station (solar or fuel). Yes this is an investment but in the long run it will pay off - moving refrigerators when you’re alone to plug in a power station isn’t easy. You can continue to recharge the solar power station by solar panels or periodically by a fuel generator. My brother has his furnace, chest freezer, refrigerator and I believe one kitchen electrical outlet all wired from the electrical panel to operate during a power outage. Appliances turn on and off at different times only when they need to. It’s the winter months when the furnace goes on more. This wouldn’t work for electrical baseboard heat but for fuel furnaces where it is an efficient fan/blower system it should work depending upon the peek power draw. It is so interesting what you can do to be able to thrive these situations - it’s having the money to invest in the equipment that is the hurdle.
I took you recommendation last year & bought the Bluetti ac180. Love it. This year I'm looking for a slightly larger on to run the frig/ freezer in case of power out. I'm in South Carolina. There are ppl here that are still without power due to our most recent hurricane. Our gas stations. Keep running out of gas. The gas generators are some what useful. Those of us that have solar are very greatful. I watch your show as often as I can. I have recommended you to many, many others who are venturing into preserving their home grow vegetables & meats. Thank you & Jim for all you do. You are greatly appreciated.
We have several Bluetti’s and are very pleased with them.
We’ve invested in some low-wattage (small) appliances to make the power go further.
Also we set up a couple solar panels on a stand in the yard , and ran the cables underground through a conduit straight into the house. No need to fuss with setting things up when recharging , just plug them into the panels from inside the house.
I’m starting to use the Bluetti’s on a regular basis to save some $$ from our electric bill.
I have the baby blue, & run my outdoor lighting, (all led) off of it. Love it!😊
Thank you for doing this video. By simply just giving the model numbers and using them with real applications plugged in on video it’s so much more helpful then a bunch of statistical numbers many other videos show. Thank you for making it simple.
You are welcome.
As we in Florida prepare for Milton, headed making a beeline for our power grids that are all along the I-4 corridor, unusual storm direction for sure. Please pray for us. The entire peninsula will be without power for an extended duration of time, with the wind heading our way. We covet your prayers. Thank you.
I like the biggest one on its trolley wheels, but probably over the top for me on my own. I just bought one same size as your middle one. It's already been very useful with several power cuts. I live in a very isolated mountain area in France 🇫🇷 I bought it to run my Starlink dish and router for emergencies, as here we always loose the mobile phone network, so I changed to Satellite. It works great. I could see myself buying another, bigger one, just to run other items. I always put one in the car if I go to town, and chargers from the 12v cigarette lighter. The solar panels work well. I enjoyed your trials with yours, thanks for the video. Jo in France 🇫🇷
@roseredhomestead I watched a video that tested an air fryer, crockpot, and the instant pot to see which had the lowest draw. The instant pot won! I’ve decided that will be my kitchen gadget, when/if things go south.
Thank you so much for taking the time to teach us so much. Its awful &, scary whats going on in our country right now! I pray for our country everyday!!🙏😔❤ stay safe everyone
Thank you for demonstrating the various Bluetti Units. Could you do another video to show how you connect these to the Bluetti Solar Panels. How close does the power station have to be to the panel? And show the various cables you use. Thanks 🌻😎
This helped me understand that I need a solar panel to go with the bluetti. Thanks for your help.
Thank you for this! My first Bluetti should arrive today! AC70 with 200 solar panels!! I’m still in the midst of the Hurricane Helene cleanup in NC! We got our power back on 4 days ago but I will feel much better with this generator!
I live in Georgia and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene I was one of the lucky ones without electricity only 12 hours. I had purchased “baby blue” months ago and it had already % power. Not enough for freezer or big appliance but, the comfort of a fan running. Was so good. Saving for a bigger “blue”. As you said so easy to set up and use ❤
Live near Helen and Helene turned just enough that we didn’t have as much damage. Praying for everyone that was affected by Helene.🙏🏻🙏🏻
I live in Georgia, too. We were without power for 2 and a half days with no generator. That was long enough to lose all the meat in our freezers. Just because you've never had a long-term power outage doesn't mean you never will! A new generator is on order!! Thanks for this video!
Athens lucked out, too. But after knocking myself out over the last year trying to learn enough about DIY solar to get about 1400 watts up and running and hooked into 5120kwh of batteries, with my freezer on solar all the time and my fridge running off of it about two thirds of the time, I was not nearly as frightened by Helene’s approach as many of my neighbors were. We’d already lost about $800 worth of frozen food (and the many hours I spent processing the foods to get them into the freezer!), and I have to admit, it was such a relief knowing we were somewhat covered. I still worried about sunless days, and I’m definitely eyeing the sales on batteries, but I have to admit it was SO reassuring knowing we had something in place and were not completely helpless. And speaking of fans, last year I bought two of the Vornado DC whole-room fans that are very energy efficient and run like a charm directly off solar panels, if need be. In our heat, a fan and a few blocks of ice fortuitously frozen in advance of a power outage can be the difference between life and death, especially for older folks.
@@connievaughn8468so true!
Thanks so much for this information. Amazon is having a sale now and I bought the AC200L for $1,199. I saved $600, got a solar panel too. I feel so much better knowing that I can run my refrigerator and chest freezer using this device. Bless you for sharing this information🙏
I’m saving my money for the big one with a cart and solar panels. I have a gas powered generator but that is loud and for external running with a big electrical extender to the house. I’m not big about the noise because it draws attention to those who won’t have power, you know? I worry that it will be stolen in a real emergency or it will draw people who aren’t prepared but need power. It also requires gas to be stored, which I do but don’t love. The solar panels can go on the roof and be unseen while the generator runs securely and silently indoors as well as on the road if necessary. Thanks for highlighting the brand and demonstrating what it will run. I would like to have seen the coffee machine since that is the most used electronic appliance in my kitchen.
You are so right about the rest of us who do not have power or a generator, while neighbors around have generators. It’s pretty noisy and nobody invites us to get some juice. LOL
Great presentation, Bluetti's is a solid product with great customer service. We live off-grid in southern Alabama, we have a very special relationship with Pecron, they have sponsored our off-grid journey from the beginning. Pecron makes quality solar power stations at a much lower price. We just received two of their 3600 watt units and we are using them to run our mini-split AC unit. We keep everything charged up from an 8000 watt solar farm and two wind turbines from Missouri Wind. The Pecron 3600 cost $1500, the other Pecron's cost from $179 to $799 depending on wattage needed....
You are amazing. This is such great info. We just bought our second generator (EcoFlow). Here's a tip about those tiny screens. IF your phone is charged, take a pic of the screen and then you can 'blow up' the picture on your phone screen. Works for us!
Thanks for the information. Jim
Remember the EB3A has power lifting mode in which most likely it will run hairdryer/toaster and on resistive loads
AC200L
Good afternoon Pam & Jim
I watch so many of your videos they are absolutely so useful to my life !
With my mom and all my grandparents gone I turn to your videos because they are no longer here for me to ask about these type of life skills.
I'm truly so grateful for you guys ♡
I purchased the Bluetti today using your link
I feel so happy that I'm working towards being self reliant if there is an emergency
I feel that this preparation is making me feel calmer because being prepared Is more than half the battle
Thank you
I use eco flow with add ones!
Where did you get your dolly from for the bigger bluetti.
Heating element devices draw a lot of power
Can you explain for naive people like me?
The AC180 fits nicely on an IKEA Raskog cart or the like. Also have the EB3A and 200w Bluetti solar panels. They can run routers, charge devices, run fans, and the AC180 can run appliances as you demonstrated. They are good options to have in addition to the gas generator if the power goes out.
I just shared your video with my sister in Georgia she was hit by the hurricane without any backup. We purchased the AC200L many months ago after watching your previous videos & are saving now for more battery storage for it. The recent battery storage units for these models are so easy to add.
You are indeed set! Great that you shared with your community too!
Thank you for sharing -- I went to your "store" and I see too many people have had "issues" with this company's products - so while I do thank you for sharing, I am going to find a different company's devices.
I love my 3 Bluetti's, they are 2000wh AC200 (model just before they came out with the MAX). Last summer I was without power for 2 weeks and they ran the refrigerator and freezer and small amount of lighting for the two weeks. I have a 1000 watt array of solar panels and they kept them charged up. I am looking at getting a larger Bluetti because these only allow 700 watts of solar power coming into it. I would like to take full advantage of the 1000 watts available. Thank you for showing the versatility of these units.
I really appreciate this video demonstration of the Buletti. I recently purchased the 180 and the 200L but haven’t had time to play with them much. I am a widow and after 43yrs of marriage I am trying to figure things out on my own. We didn’t have a generator but I felt the need to have one (I have 2) just in case. Thanks again for showing what they will do
This is great info. Your videos have helped teach me how to pressure can. I appreciate you.
I have the EcoFlow Delta series and they’ve been great for us during Hurricanes.
EB70S. I have them all. About 6 in total. From small to big.
My home is all solar and nini wind turbine, so I dont have power outages. But, I know I need a solar generator for other things. Im on the road for my job, and Ive wished I had 1 several times. Thank you so much for all of the great information.
I got a Bluetti AC180 a few weeks ago for $500 on sale. Great price and I'm very happy with it so far but am rather disappointed that it won't accept more than 500 watts of energy from solar panels at any given time. So the pass through charging feature will be most helpful if you are only running an appliance (or appliances) off the Bluetti AC180 that require less than or equal to 500 watts. I really wish it could accept 1400 watts or so of energy from solar panels, as it can from an AC wall outlet.
Here in NC Florida, we really appreciated having our 2 solar generators during Helene. We have a 4 Patriots (our first purchase) and a Bluetti AC200L. No power for 2 days. The day after the hurricane was sunny, so we were able to re-charge with solar panels. Kept our 2 full freezers and our fridge going, no expensive meat was lost. We are considering a whole house system now, or at least another large generator and some expansion batteries. Pam, we purchased the Bluetti thanks to your informative videos! And now we have Bluetti Bucks, so will probably buy another from them.
Thank you once again. I just purchased the AC180 (great discount)!
Thank you ! I’ve been thinking about buying
I just checked our pecron #2000 and it has plenty of power for our toaster and my Instant Pot will run for 1.7 hrs. We have a small Bluetti, also. Thank you for sharing! This is so good to know.
Fantastic information, thank you! 🙏🏾
you can recharge from solar panels and from an invertar gas/propane generator simultaneously.
Thank you to you both. I think you will have convinced a lot of people the need for some solar generators.
I have watched your videos for quite some time I have recommended your you tube channel to anyone on Facebook seeking info on solar power & canning
We usually charge something off our car even on short trips around town. We have small inverters in both cars. We could go directly into the cigarette lighter but the inverters are much more accessible.
Great points! Jim
Very good to know!
Thank you!
if the power went out and there was no input [dark outside or extremely bad weather with low sun] how long would your large one last running a freezer?
This was awesome. I have been looking at a bigger Bluetti (I have the EB3A) but didn’t know if it would run my hairdryer. The EB3A did NOT, lol. My power was out here in SC when Helene came through so I am on the hunt for one that will power the hair dryer and my coffee pot. I have a gas stove so I can cook and a gas water heater for showers. I am looking at the AC300&B300k combo and this video was very helpful
Question- do gas stoves have electric starters? Do you have to do something special to use it? And do gas water heaters automatically work without power?
@@visitingfromsantafe1329 I had to light it with a lighter. There is no tick tick sound for the electric lighter but you just turn the gas on and then light with a lighter. Like if the electric starter on a grill doesn’t work. I got power before I needed to shower but my neighbor said hers worked.
You and Jim are the best
I really really need something because we have three houses one is a vacation house very small and this includes 4 refrigerators and 2 freezers and I hate like hell to loose all that food…we really can knock it down to two refrigerators and 2 freezers if needed no problem but we have no backup whatsoever…. I must have a talk with my girls and put our heads together and come up with a solution. Thank you again love team Rose Red! ❤️❤️❤️
So when I say three houses I’m talking about my two girls and we do everything together. I realized it sounded like I own three houses..
Love my bluetti also😊
Great! Just came off a 6 day power outage a few hours ago so this information is very helpful. Thank goodness I had fermented enough foods because that is what I was able to eat. I also keep rain barrels to gather water for necessities but I'm wondering how/if these could be hooked up to a well pump. TYSM!
Very helpful. Thank you!
You're welcome! Jim
I would love to buy one but the solar panels together with the generator are so out of my price range. Thank you for showing all these generations very informative. Always enjoy your videos.❤️
You need to keep checking. They have sales/coupons regularly. Amazon Prime day is coming up (Oct. 8-9) so you may be able to get a good deal.
@@MrsYeeeThank you 😊
Thank you Pam and Jim. I just went to your website yesterday looking to see what products you use for power outages. I definitely need the large one for my blow dryer :)
We are happy we could help. Jim
Most our longer power outages in Kansas occur from snow/ice storms. My solution has been to empty the freezer into rubbermaid totes, and pull them out onto the deck if i's going to be a few days. I keep my motorhome's propane and gasoline topped up year round and in ice storms, cook our meals out there but don't heat it. It's sheltered from Winds an snow inside. We heat with the fireplace and if needed, sleep in the living room where it is as without electric, the blower doesn't work. My sister has had a couple of freezers die on her, so i don't trust them. Out in the garage, or down in basements ,mice chew through cords, etc. I prefer to can. I do use 1 large freezer and the top of the fridge one, but I'm in those daily and it's ulikely they will go unnoticed shuld they die. Sis lost around 100# of Bison meat twice...that's way expensive a risk. It cans up just like ground beef...lol! My mom had 2 freezers in her basement, lost a couple freezer full of foods a few times because if you aen't in them daily...you won't notice until it stinks or you have water on the floor by which point it's too late.
We have a dual thermometer that attaches to the fridge with a magnet. It has two wireless transmitters intended for inside and outside temps. We put one transmitter in the fridge, and the other in the chest freezer. This allows us to monitor the temperature of both appliances. When the power goes out, and the temperature starts to climb, we plug both into our Bluetti AC200MAX.
Unfortunately many of us cannot afford a generator, let alone multiple ones, like you have. I do own one freezer but in reality prefer to keep my food storage in the form of shelf stable items for the exact reason that if I have no power I still have food available to me. I would love to see you put together some shelf stable foods/meals such as dry soup mixes (as one example) where all we need to do is add hot water. Those are the kind of things I would be able to store in the long term simply by putting them in canning jars and vacuum sealing the jars.
I agree with your points. You could enter in the search bar (above) dry soups and three videos will come up. Jim
We just lost our electricity for 27 hours. I have many solar generators of different sizes the bigger ones run our refrigerators and freezers the smaller ones are good for plugging lights into. It rained for 3 days straight so we could not charge them by the sun, we did get them charged with our gas Honda generator (inverter). Fast charging generators are very important, slow ones take too much time and too much gas if you have to charge them that way. Small ones that you can plug lights into is nice so you don’t have to carry flashlights or lanterns from room to room.
Thanks for the video, some really good information!
Bluetti Portable Power Station AC200L shows $1799.00 not $1100.00
I have 5 pecron power stations and expandable battery's Milton had us out for a week no problems. Whatever brand you like just buy one well worth it. I have been running my fridge and freezers for a year and a half for free 24/7. Have a backup generator in case of no sun for long periods better safe then sorry! You can charge them with your generator saving you tons of fuel. I station mine throughout the house to limit cables. They are worth every penny you pay for them. No noise they stay inside and they always start.
We agree that the charging stations work very well. This is especially true when they are charged or solar panels to keep them going. Jim
This was incredibly helpful! I have wanted to buy a solar power bank, but was overwhelmed by all of the information to consider. Thank you for your wonderful and thorough explanation. I would love to know where you purchased that cart. It looks like the perfect size for that larger power bank. Thanks again!
Wonderful video, Pam and Jim. I would like to know more about solar panels for these things, how they connect and work and which ones are the best. Thank you!
We bought a 50 ft solar extension cable from Amazon to connect from our solar panels to our power station inside. We currently run the cables through a window. It works great. 😊
@@ImASurvivorNThriver Great idea! Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful video thank you for sharing and giving us an example of what each item is capable of running! I will be saving for my generator here shortly. Definitely will do a blue Eddie for sure! My son bought a very small power bank off of Temu of all places in the other day we were going to Walmart. My phone was less than 20% battery. He grabbed his power bank. I threw my phone on it and toss both the power bank and my phone and my small little tiny backpack that I carry everywhere with me. it was a lifesaver to say the least, by the time we left Walmart my phone was already at 87%! Without that small little power bank my son bought on Temu for 12 bucks, my phone would’ve surely died and I wouldn’t been able to do what I needed to do in Walmart since I do a scan and go! looking forward to hopefully here within the next year cause I plan to go pretty big on one when buying my first blue Eddie! Definitely will have to run things such as a Keurig or my small coffee pot, microwave, yes I also have an air fryer that’s a ninja and that one’s my favorite but my kids have a bigger one as well, and also the slow cooker is for us as well not to mention our Insta pot as well lol but also that we will be grilling outside if the power goes out that’s another great resource for people who can’t afford a blue Eddie but probably could grill outside or put a pot outside on the grill or a hot plate that they can buy a smaller generator for as well!
Bluetti
@@ImASurvivorNThriver thank you for the correction I’m blind so I dictate on my phone, my comments, and sometimes Siri has its mind of its own and decides to put what it wants but yes, I know exactly what I was trying to say, though I actually have them on my Amazon wish list lol
How do you recharge. Solar?
I love Bluetti also.
I save up and gift myself one every year.🎂 🥳 🎁
🤭 I have a Baby Blue also.
I think that slow cooker should have turned on with any of your units, did you have the inverter turned on when testing the smaller one?
She needed to reset the middle one after she popped it with hair dryer, the middle one is rated for like 700watt output. The cooker only used like 260+-.
Pretty cool video. And I have the ac200p and those screen angles suck.
Thanks for the great information on this brand of generator. We have a few solar generators I love them! I tell everyone to get some. We had a bad hurricane and it was so nice having a renewable source of power!
Was interested in the Bluetti 180, marked down to $500, until I found out I would have to pay ANOTHER $300 for the solar panel. Seems to me, they ought to be a package deal as these are SOLAR generators!
We agree. You could shop around and see if there are better deals. Jim
Can you do a video with suggestions for exact solar panels and demonstration that set up? That would be very helpful!
Thank you for the wonderful and very helpful information... I always appreciate it.
I hope you are feeling good and doing well.. I became concerned when you took a very deep breath the way you did... All my best❤
Which of all your Portable batteries will run your water well Pump? Have u hooked that up to get water pumped into holding tank?
It would depend on how deep and far your well is from your house. Our well is 380 ft down plus it's a half acre from the house. So we have to use our gas generator run the well pump because that takes a ton of power.
We purchased a Simple Pump hand pump for our well, in case of power outage.
@@janepost150 our well is only about 40 feet deep and about 5 feet from the house. The holding tank is right next to it.
Would a well pump need more power than a hairdryer or toaster?
@@angelabarnes1547 To set up a solar generator for emergency use, you'll need to calculate the total wattage required to run your well pump. Since shallow well pumps can use anywhere from 500 to 2,500 watts depending on factors like horsepower, depth, and water yield, a good starting point would be a solar generator with a higher output, say 3,000 watts or more, to handle peak loads.
Another excellent video. Thank you so much.
how big are your freezers and how long would they run with the big one?
I, too really want to know that. Because I'm currently looking for a generator and the ability to run my freezer is priority no 1.
@zooperdooper4223 Freezer wattage can vary widely, from 80W to 900W, but most modern freezers range between 80W and 310W. It's important to note that the wattage doesn’t reflect actual power consumption, which averages around 41.69W over a day. Different cooling stages, like active cooling or idle, affect energy use, and chest freezers tend to use the least electricity per cubic foot. When selecting a solar generator, consider the freezer's average daily consumption and ensure the generator’s battery capacity and output can handle those varying power demands for extended periods.
@@janepost150 That's why I do some thorough research and information gathering. I need the generator to run 10 hrs a day. The other 14 hrs the freezer can cope.
@@natviolen4021the AC 180 can run both our freezers, at the same time, for about 7-9 hours. That's 1 large chest freezer and 1 upright freezer.
@@dominikas1518 That's very useful information, thank you. I like the idea that it can be placed indoor and doesn't make noise or smell. And as in worst case neither petrol nor LPG will be available, the possibility to charge it with solar panels sounds attractive.Question is whether there will be enough sunlight during wintertime. Maybe I can find some more information on bluettis website.
Excellent 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great info
Great video. Very informative, thank you. The cart for your large Bluetti, is it available on Amazon?
I bought a 2 tier push rolling cart on Costco website.
Using solar, how long does it take to recharge. Looking at what is going on in NC, 15 minutes of an air frier is of little value in the long term.
We have 4 freezers plus the refrigerator.!
And run a hot plate to cook!
Any suggestion on which size would run a sub pump?
Pam and Jim thank you for all the time you put into this. My question is, do you think the larger Bluetti would run our outdoor furnace? We’re in Connecticut and heat only with wood which also heats our water.
Buy a Kill-A-watt meter and plug the furnace into it and then plug it into the wall. You will see how many watts you need to run it. However many watts it takes, then you could calculate how long it will run on the power station you choose and how many solar panels it would take to charge the power station quickly. To be honest, if you go this route, it would be best to buy 2. Use one while the other one is charging. 😉
@@ImASurvivorNThriver I have one thanks I’ll tell my hubby 😀
@@roszcutler9724 You're welcome 😊
Hi Pam and Jim, love the great video! I am considering purchasing one of these units. My only concern is that I live in an area of the country which has hard winters with little or no direct sunshine for weeks at a time. I am not sure how practical this would be in a grid down situation. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!😊
As of Oct 27, 2024
AC200L $1,799.00
AC180 $799.00 on sale
AC70 $599.00 on sale
Thank you... but pleeease stop jiggling those plugs when plugging in and unplugging. You can cause a dangerous spark. Just use steady pressure.
A thought on filming for videos like this one. Less zooming in and out to be replaced with a frame of Pam and all of the Bluettis on the counter as she made her presentation and introduction of the video content vs a close up of Pam followed by a close up of the Bluetti she was talking about and back again to a close up of Pam then a scan back and forth of all the Bluettis and so on. She indicated with her hand on the Bluetti she was talking about so a single frame of her and all the Bluettis on the counter may have been a better focus for this part of the vid.
Thanks for your comments. Yes, sometimes, I do get over zealous with my zooming in. Jim
@@RoseRedHomestead 😊
We have the same blowdryer! Lol.
Do you have any experience or ideas for running some sort of small A/C with a solar generator? I live near the Virginia coast where it can get hot and HUMID. Fans are nice, but in some cases air conditioning could literally be life-saving. Or maybe just a big dehumidifier and some fans. I'm not good at calculating the amps and watts and whatevers, but I am fairly sure that even little window unit A/Cs draw a lot of power. I'd love to have a plan for a generator and an A/C unit (either window or one of those standalone ones with a tank for the condensation) so I know what to save up for.
Which solar panels do you use?
❤gas grill or wood for cooking😊
For us, it depends on what we are making. Jim
Jim do you have a generator in the RV?
Question…does it harm the solar generator if you plug items into it and the generator can handle it? I just don’t want to harm it.
Sorry if it was already mentioned in the comments, can you replace the battery on these easily? I hav a different brand that you can just replace the battery but not familiar with the Bluetti brand.
Long term power outage I want to power my clothes washer.
This video couldn't have come at a better time. We have been doing research on solar generators and trying to decide what size to get. All our questions were answered..
We enjoy watching them. Thanks for taking the time to do all this. Looking forward to the next videos.
Will the big Blu run a washing machine?
Yes! But a dryer will probably trip it if it's 250v
How do you store your Bluetti devices? Do you have to keep the Bluettis cool? If so, how do you do that if you are on the road and/or if it is hot outside?
We keep them in the house. When we travel with them we take them into the hotel room with us, more for theft protection than heat exposure. We try to position them in the shade when outside. We have used them outside in our summer heat with no problem.
@@RoseRedHomestead Thank you!
I don't know why people insist on using valuable (and very finite) battery power for appliances whose primary purpose is to get hot (resistance heating). With minimal electrical resources, cooking, heating, and water heating should be relegated to propane. As people in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene find out, that shoebox-sized portable power station doesn't have enough battery to run their refrigerator for even two days, if it will start at all.
Would love to know if AC180 can run a 1000 watt microwave oven. I have AC 70, which cannot but I have seen UA-cam tests showing AC70 can run a 700 w microwave oven. Does anyone know about the AC 180 in this regard?
Yes, it can an up to 1800 watts. Jim
Those 2 small ones can charge W U T ? (Btw, in a crisis I ain't gonna worry about my BLOWDRYER.) 😂 Otherwise, good info!
That's what I was going to say. 😂
Power outages can occur when it's not a full-blown crisis. THEN I would absolutely want that blow dryer running!!!
Last year, after watching one of your videos on the Bluetti AC180, I bought one with the portable 200 watt solar panels. I started by getting a feel for what I could run on it simultaneously and began to move toward appliances that are lower wattage, figuring out what I can do with them should the grid go down for any length of time. My little six-cup Aroma rice cooker that I’ve had for 20 years is still going strong and is one of my go-to appliances in case of the grid going down. And while my Instant Pot does have a strong draw when it’s coming up to pressure, once it’s pressurized it uses very little energy to maintain the pressure. My smaller Magic Mill dehydrator runs great off my Bluetti, and so does the induction burner I use with my Presto canner. I have a few other smaller solar generators, like you do, but there’s so much they can’t begin to run; so now I am weaning out a lot of my higher-wattage appliances in favor of lower wattage ones that get the job done. That 1152kwh gets used up very fast if one is trying to run greedy appliances. Which means you need more battery real estate in addition to the solar panels, which do not work when the sun is not shining to charge the Bluetti….
After seeing how much the battery extensions cost for the Bluetti, I decided I wanted to dedicate a solar charge controller and inverter with four 12.8v 100aH batteries (5120kwh) to running our freezer after we lost close to $800 worth of food during an outage. We don’t have a gas generator and don’t want to get one. I’ve installed four Eco-Worthy 195 watt bifacial solar panels plus two other 200 watt bifacial solar panels on the ground outside because I was told by Bluetti that I should not leave my portable panel out in the elements. I had my brother run essentially a custom-made AC Romex extension cord through the walls from the outside panels to our freezer on the interior of the house, and I keep the freezer running all the time off solar now (but have a grid outlet there if I have to manually plug the freezer into the grid for any reason). It’s a relief knowing that nothing will have to be done differently should the grid go down. I bought a handful of those Kasa/Tapo energy monitoring mini outlets that I use to monitor how much electricity is being used, and I label them in the app based on what’s on them, like Freezer (GRID) or Freezer (OFF GRID), depending on what’s plugged into them and if they are getting their power from the grid or from solar. Whether they are on or off can be scheduled/controlled via the Tapo app. The important thing is that I can see exactly what’s being consumed and what the energy source is in the app.
The Bluetti is plugged into a monitoring plug plugged directly into the grid, but it can also be plugged into the inverter for accessing the large solar array and battery bank just be switching what I plug into the side of it. I plugged a multi-outlet surge suppressor into an AC outlet on the Bluetti for kitchen appliances I run for short periods of time (kept turned off unless I manually turn it on) plus the 200 watt portable panels for the DC input (disconnectable outside); wherever the Bluetti is getting its AC “grid” power, it’s also getting a little solar input when I have the portable panels outside. I keep our refrigerator plugged into the Bluetti, but the fridge needs more wattage per day than the Bluetti’s 1152kwh. What I do, on really sunny days, is replace the grid plug with an extension cord to the inverter, which allows me to use the extra solar harvest that otherwise would be wasted because I have more solar gain than I do battery real estate and the freezer only uses about a third of the batteries’ capacity. When the Bluetti is plugged into the grid, however, I use the Tapo app to turn off that outlet most of the time but schedule it to turn on and top off the Bluetti’s battery for a few hours several times in the evening and during the night so my fridge keeps running. I’ve found that the Bluetti running in UPS mode will just run in a passthrough mode from the grid and never touch what’s stored in its battery, so this is why I do it this way. I want to use all the solar power I can! Maybe I need to set it on something other than Eco mode to get it to draw first from the battery before it pulls from the grid, but I can’t figure it out! Most of the people I’ve talked to have cautioned that Bluetti does not play nice with third-party battery backup solutions, so I haven’t tried to hook the Bluetti to my battery bank directly.
Pam and Jim, if you come up with a good inexpensive way to add a centrally located battery bank for use with the Bluetti solar chargers, will you please share? It does not seem to be an issue at all to run the Bluetti in UPS off the inverter, however, so as long as that’s working, I’m able to have it draw power from the batteries via the inverter. Because, I agree, Bluetti makes a very good product, and I wouldn’t mind having another AC180.