I’m in the generator business, primarily home and commercial standby and emergency….great explanation about power management and discussion of limitations. Unsure what your background is but I think the video is well done and informative to a wide audience
Years ago, before I got into construction I was repairing generators. Technology has changed a lot since then. For many years doing construction we used generators for our tools. Not many battery operated tools at the time. Fighting over a plug in was always a battle. Thank you, I try to be informative in all of my videos. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Thank you for sharing this information ! 👍 None of the other home generator videos that I’ve watched explained power management so throughly. Excellent job.
It’s me again what kind of extension cords do I need to run through my windows to supply power to the things I mentioned and how long ago was extension cord? Do you think I may need estimated need?
Nice video I sent this to one of my buddies who is hard headed and won’t listen. Living in hurricane central my whole life you don’t need much to get you buy for a week or two. We fill every gas tank up Cars, boats, and gas cans. Man that Fish Naked poster is awesome! Good video
Correct. I have the Honda portable generators that are very efficient and quiet that run for 8 hours on less than a gallon of gas. No reason to run everything all at same time. I've been without electric for as long as three weeks after hurricane. The Honda generators work wonderful.
I have a 4000 watt harbor freight generator, and also a 12 volt 400 watt inverter that plugs into my generator. I use the inverter to power phones, IPads, etc, this way there is no need for a inverter generator. We don't lose power that often (2-3 times a year average length 4-6 hours) but my generator has paid for itself over the years. It's runs two refrigerators, lights, fans, and some other small appliances. Usually I am in the 2500-3000 watt range, but I carefully monitor if I need to add an appliance when it is running. Never saw that surge watt adapter, but it's pretty cool, as well as some other tips here. FLY NAVY!!!
Power outage 2-3 times a year is a lot. 4-6 hours is a long time that often. Interesting to use a good generator with a separate inverter for special stuff. Thanks for sharing.
I also have a small 2000 watt inverter that connects to the battery on my riding mower and powers quite a few things. Only drawback to that is limited fuel capacity. I live in the Carolinas and you just can't depend on Duke Energy, other than knowing you are going to have outages a few times a year. FLY NAVY!!!@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm
I’ve got a Generac 22kw stand by generator and will put one in every house I own! I can run my whole house and not worry about overloading my generator. Best part about a stand by system is the equity it adds to your home, plus it turns on automatically
I power my 2200 sq. ft. house with 5 ton central air on a portable 9500W (12K surge) gas/propane generator, hooked up to a 50A receptacle/50A breaker and interlock kit that runs the whole panel. I can do everything I normally do on utility power, on generator power. BUT… The Micro-Air Easy Start is what made it possible to run my AC. It took the starting amps (LRA) required to power the AC compressor from ~127A to ~31A! The Easy Start costs a little over $300 and is worth every penny. It will prolong the life of my AC too, since it doesn’t need such a huge blast of electricity now to get it going, which is harder on everything.
You need at less a 2000 watt generator. To take camping with ect. Can use electric power tools on it. Lights, 1 space heater and 1 window unit. A house can get buy with a 7500 watt generator. No it want run every thing! but most things 1 at a time or 3 or 4 What i love about these gas generator is QUIT EASY BACK UP's and every body should have ? At less 2 for back up's I would highly recommend 1 2000 watt, and 1 7500 watt GENERATORS
Very good info. Thank you. Sounds like a 2200 Honda portable generator might be able to run a frig and a freezer with no problem. But good to have the electrician install one of those plugs into the breaker panel. Thanks again.
Ran a 12000/9500 portable for 5 days, ran everything great EXCEPT when my wife went to take a shower, tankless hot water heater kicked off the generator breaker. In the future maybe we’ll try shutting off everything else and trying it again?
Great video and I agree with your thoughts. I have a portable generator (5kw). With a propane furnace and water heater, I can run heat, well pump, all of the lights, microwave and refrigerators. Not AC or electric clothes dryer. Certainly enough to survive comfortably for a week or more. When we lost power for a week some years ago, I would run the generator 3 times a day for a few hours mainly to keep the refrigerators cold. I have thought about an EcoFlow for maintaining lights (and small electrical) when the generator isn't running, but it is still on my "wish list". Portable generators can also be used for power tools at remote locations or helping a friend that needs to keep a sump pump running during a power outage.
What up Doe!? Very good information on the difference between running watts and surge wattage and the different types of generator needed. Down here in Texas everyone has been getting prepared for another big power outage because of the February 21' winter storm that deviated our city. I was blessed with a 11,000 watt generator to power all the main essentials when or if the time comes. I'm looking to install a transfer switch or interlock kit very soon. Thanks again 👍🏻
IK would say that with new inverter generators, it is better to meaningfully over-capacity the generator. Here is the reason. If you size on the lower end, that generator will have to spend more of its time in a high RPM state, and if it is a conventional generator, it is always running at full speed. With an inverter, when the load drops, the generator slows down. This means that the generator will last longer than a smaller generator that is running hard, and it will only use about the same fuel as the smaller generator working harder. The bigger tank means you can run longer between re-fueling stops. My neighbors had a smaller generator that was running almost full blast during our recent ice storm and he used almost as much fuel as I did in my larger generator, but he had to re-fuel about every 7 hours, where I could run almost 14 hours due to the larger gas tank. I was running everything in my home except the AC (the gas central heat was running) and I did trip the breaker twice when both the toaster and Microwave were used at the same time, and that was with a 5000 watt 6250 peak generator, but mostly, I was able to live a normal life. He on the other hand, had to ration every amp. After the 3.5 day outage, he ditched the smaller generator and decided to go with a 5000 watt generator because he saw how much better it was to have the extra capacity and not have to worry about refueling overnight. My own thinking is that one should get an inverter generator with more than "just enough" capacity to be selective when running things. (I have four other people in the neighborhood that also say me living a normal life during the prolonged outage. They all asked me what to get and I recommended an interlock setup and a 5000 watt closed frame inverter generator. If you are not using that additional capacity, the generator is loafing and makes less noise and uses about the same amount of fuel as the smaller generator running harder. For a given amperage draw, the amount of fuel used is roughly the same. Go bigger. It only costs a little more and in the long run, it is probably cheaper. I don't have to worry about what I turn on (except for the fours slice toaster, which uses 1200 watts, and the microwave, which uses 1700 watts. Those I can't run at the same time) and I can easily run all day or all night on a single fill-up.
To avoid furnance start-up surges on your generator beyond the initial start, would leaving the blower on avoid the surging during on-off cycling (high efficiency furnance)
@ohiowalkinshowersllc7723 It wouldn't hurt, however I do believe the surge created by the fan motors today is not very much. The High efficiency furnace I just had installed only called for a #14 wire. It is not pulling very many amps.
SuE awesome video thank you. Could you do a video on your recommendation for the top five generators going from 5000 to 10,000 rights? Or just one in general
my portable generator is 12000 running 15000 peak with a 50 amp plug, 6/3 extension cord, i don't need this big of a set up ,but the genny is just purring and the wires are cold to the touch, over size it for safety
I also have noticed that the base load of my house is quite low. I use solar so am constantly aware of my limitations and keep the loads under that limit I use a Growatt 5k and see that it uses 20 to 25 percent. That’s 3 refrigerators and a freezer,a 8kbtu window unit and LED lights. The other Solar System runs a rent house next door and also my water heater and dryer. It has 15 kw of inverter capacity so obviously we alternate days to use dryer. The generator pays for itself when you don’t lose a freezer full of food;off-grid solar pays u back every day. My bill for this month was $30.02. This is August 2023 in Texas. I sold one generator and gave the other one away. 50KWH of LFP batteries and a little discipline lets us wait for the sun.
I have a Ridgid 8,000/10,000 generator. Wired with a interlock switch on my panel what allows me to run whole house. The only thing I done use is my electric oven and if we need the stove I only run one burner. Other that than, I’ve ran 4 portable AC’s, dehumidifier, 8 ceiling, pool filter and countless LED lights without any issues during the summer. Also we have two 45,000 BTU pellet stoved in the winter months. At times we’ve lost power for a much as 5 days in the winter without any issues as well.
Nice thank you with this info i had a 50amp plug installed into the house to use 13000 watt duromax and a hardstart assist on my 3 ton ac that uses 1,440 watts and 2,571 watts but the hardstart assist sofftens the enitial startup hit to wattage and with all your recommondations my house runs great on the generator… thanks for the video brother
Kind Sir...IF your generator; which is very Popular; like the #1 "Champion TRI Fuel Power; 10000 Watts surge/8000 Watts normal...bugged me. Because at first I felt; that ONLY 30 AMPS; is going to be a problem with say, a 3 Ton AC, a refrigerator, a water heater; oven and stove; at the same time. So I did the math. And limited to ONLY 30 Amps X 240 Volts=7200 Watts. Oh indeed. Yet my big AC only draws 2475 Watts turning on. And then 1700 watts; when it is running. So there is NO problem. Because all of those items together with my AC; does not eat-up 7200 Watts. And why on the outside of the box it came in; it listed the many things it could do at the same time. Wow! And one of the reason that people ALL over America is buying this Generator. And I have NO arrangement with that company at all. Just an old home-owner.
I have a 8000 watt generac portable. I want to buy the portable “electric generators” (inverter or giant rechargeable battery) for three freezers and a fridge. That can be charged off of portable solar panels.
You need a floating NEUTRAL on your generator!!! to wire into your panel its easy to make it a FLOATING NEUTRAL if it is not just have to remove a wire utube this if u are running a generator ur manual will tell u if it is a floating NEUTRAL or bonded
I bought a fireman diesel generator that has a small soundproof canopy. Max power - 10.0kw Rated power - 9.5KW AC Voltage - 220V Current - 25 Amps Speed - 3000rpm I run one freezer and a fridge. Three air-conditioners ( Two inverter Ac's 1.5HP, 1HP, one conventional 1HP non inverter AC, one 65" QLED TV, one LG smart inverter microwave, a ninja blender, and 15 rooms with LED Bulbs. 6 rooms with ceiling fans. Note** I run the inverter AC'S at the same time with the freezer and fridge.. then I run others conservatively.. Ah nearly forgot, I've a 1.5Hp sumo water pump that I run aswell and again conservatively.. This generator drains about 5 liters of diesel every 5hrs of operation..
I have a question if you mind. I have a brand new 2400w inverter generator, power went out and I tried to use it for my sump pump. I did use a extension cord and when I plugged it in the generator slowed down alot and the pump sounded like it tried to turn on but it did not. I figured it wasn't strong enough to run it. When I looked at the generator a red light came on so I just unplugged it and didn't try it again. Did I do something wrong using the extension? Is it possible I fried the generator? Started the gen ,plugged the pump in the cord then into the started gen.
The generator should be fine, if it overloaded you will need to reset a breaker. When it comes to running electric motors such as a sump pump you need to know the draw of that motor on start up " surge" and can the generator provide that much surge. Cord size can also come into play. A 14 gauge cord should work.
Must buy the heavy duty cords and several extra just in case 😮 You can time use from freezer to icebox, back and forth , it’s going to keep you very busy getting fuel and servicing the generator and moving cords 😊😊😊 But it’s our only option 😢😢😢
One item you neglected to include in your discussion is balancing your load(s). Most everyone is aware that a residential service is single phase 240VAC with a grounded center tap (the neutral). It is really necessary to try to balance the overall load across the 240V source. So for example put the fridge on one side of the neutral, and the freezer on the other side. These are sometimes called the "legs". Generator wattage is almost always rated at 240V. So if your load is severely imbalanced it would be like trying to source most of the generator capability through just one of the 120VAC 20A outlets on the generator panel. This can't happen. At least not for long.
Nice video and info. I have a Champion 4000 peak/3500 run generator, and it does the job fine for my house, but one thing it can’t do is run my gas dryer, it always struggles/ bogs down when I try to start it. ( even if that’s the only load on the generator) The draw is 6 amps according to the tag/plate and the surge I am sure is well below the 4,000 watts my generator is rated for, any ideas?
Thanks for the info very useful but I got a question if I had a 3600 W generator if I’m getting this right I can run my fridge and my TV and few lights and maybe a phone charger and if it’s summertime, maybe a couple of window air conditioner and if it’s winter time maybe a couple of electric heaters or is that too much wattage for the 3600
Can you make a list of an average rural house wattage needs in each appliance? For instances, I have 40 gal water heater on 4 hour timer/day, 240 volt sub-well pump, washer/dryer, 22 cu fridge, 24 cu freezer, 4 slice toaster, micro, 50" tv, few LED lights, ph chargers, laptop
I can get buy with the deep freezer off for at less a week. Refrigerator 3 or 4 days. These Central Air and Heat, Hot Water Tank, Electric Oven, Electric Stove is your biggest uses. Cause all they runs on 240 volts ~ 110 volt can run a lot of things at once on> window units, space heater, tv, computer ect ect If your generator starts over loading, laboring and surging YOU GOT TO MUCH ON IT
The better way to word the title would be "How many Watts does your load require?" We have a 20KW Caterpillar for our home but a "scream'in Jimmy" would be cool.
We have used the ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
Oh, but it does happen. People burn up wiring/gens by overloading the gens. Easier to sell them a much larger genset than have them come back with destroyed genset/appliances screaming "Warranty" !!!
Well stated ! Thank You for your video , I just bought a Generac GP 15000 E with 22500 surge watts & our house is 2,400 square feet , & is all electric including well & septic pump out with a water softener , & a stand alone fridge , & freezer ! I know I cant run everything but with proper management I don't believe that it is overkill .
that unit may not be overkill but it will drink the gasoline like it's going out of style. A 65% load will be around 2 gallons per hour so 48 gallons per day @ $4 a gallon.... is just shy of $200 a day in fuel. Load management and several 3-4 hour runs per day is your friend here! (IOW, don't run it 24 hours straight) BTW, there's no reason a fridge can't go 8 hours without running, provided you keep the door shut. As long as it's above freezing you can do the same with the heat. Inside temp will probably stay within 10 degrees after 6-8 hours of not running.
@@rupe53 Yep ! It's all about management , & I have a nice wood stove that takes care of my heating needs , & I don't plan on running everything with it other than the essentials & only when needed.
They have generators now with 50 amp breaker. Could that run a hot water heater. I live in a single wide with 100 amp service. I'm looking at generators from 9500 to 14.500 . Which would you suggest
I’m in the generator business, primarily home and commercial standby and emergency….great explanation about power management and discussion of limitations. Unsure what your background is but I think the video is well done and informative to a wide audience
Years ago, before I got into construction I was repairing generators. Technology has changed a lot since then. For many years doing construction we used generators for our tools. Not many battery operated tools at the time. Fighting over a plug in was always a battle. Thank you, I try to be informative in all of my videos. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Thank you for sharing this information ! 👍 None of the other home generator videos that I’ve watched explained power management so throughly. Excellent job.
Load management is key! You
Are correct. Somethings got to give.
Finally some straight functional talk about surges etc. and power management. Thank you !!
also a battery bank between your generator and your house can also work cause then it works as a buffer
This is a really great amount of information.
It reminds me of the way they had to unplug one thing before they could use another on "Green Acres".
It’s me again what kind of extension cords do I need to run through my windows to supply power to the things I mentioned and how long ago was extension cord? Do you think I may need estimated need?
@mikeholcombe7111 heavy duty cords are the best way to go.
Well done. Thanks. Yours is the only video to explain power management when powering a house with a moderately sized generator.
Nice video I sent this to one of my buddies who is hard headed and won’t listen. Living in hurricane central my whole life you don’t need much to get you buy for a week or two. We fill every gas tank up Cars, boats, and gas cans.
Man that Fish Naked poster is awesome! Good video
Correct. I have the Honda portable generators that are very efficient and quiet that run for 8 hours on less than a gallon of gas. No reason to run everything all at same time. I've been without electric for as long as three weeks after hurricane. The Honda generators work wonderful.
What an outstanding way to explain power management. Thank you sir!
Good points👍 it boils down to managing which appliance will run at a certain given time and necessity.
I have a 4000 watt harbor freight generator, and also a 12 volt 400 watt inverter that plugs into my generator. I use the inverter to power phones, IPads, etc, this way there is no need for a inverter generator. We don't lose power that often (2-3 times a year average length 4-6 hours) but my generator has paid for itself over the years. It's runs two refrigerators, lights, fans, and some other small appliances. Usually I am in the 2500-3000 watt range, but I carefully monitor if I need to add an appliance when it is running. Never saw that surge watt adapter, but it's pretty cool, as well as some other tips here. FLY NAVY!!!
Power outage 2-3 times a year is a lot. 4-6 hours is a long time that often. Interesting to use a good generator with a separate inverter for special stuff. Thanks for sharing.
I also have a small 2000 watt inverter that connects to the battery on my riding mower and powers quite a few things. Only drawback to that is limited fuel capacity. I live in the Carolinas and you just can't depend on Duke Energy, other than knowing you are going to have outages a few times a year. FLY NAVY!!!@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm
I’ve got a Generac 22kw stand by generator and will put one in every house I own!
I can run my whole house and not worry about overloading my generator.
Best part about a stand by system is the equity it adds to your home, plus it turns on automatically
That is a very nice system.
We just made the down payment on ours! Looking forward to it!
The thing is the PRICE$.$.$.$.$...... If Money no problem..... Then Go for it
sure, if you have the money.
What’s the real world cost (start to install on a 22kw sized system)?
I power my 2200 sq. ft. house with 5 ton central air on a portable 9500W (12K surge) gas/propane generator, hooked up to a 50A receptacle/50A breaker and interlock kit that runs the whole panel. I can do everything I normally do on utility power, on generator power. BUT… The Micro-Air Easy Start is what made it possible to run my AC. It took the starting amps (LRA) required to power the AC compressor from ~127A to ~31A! The Easy Start costs a little over $300 and is worth every penny. It will prolong the life of my AC too, since it doesn’t need such a huge blast of electricity now to get it going, which is harder on everything.
Very informative, practical and useful information. Thank you
Good info, however, many of us don't have a clue what's required to make all this happen.
You need at less a 2000 watt generator. To take camping with ect. Can use electric power tools on it. Lights, 1 space heater and 1 window unit. A house can get buy with a 7500 watt generator. No it want run every thing! but most things 1 at a time or 3 or 4 What i love about these gas generator is QUIT EASY BACK UP's and every body should have ? At less 2 for back up's I would highly recommend 1 2000 watt, and 1 7500 watt GENERATORS
Very good info. Thank you. Sounds like a 2200 Honda portable generator might be able to run a frig and a freezer with no problem. But good to have the electrician install one of those plugs into the breaker panel. Thanks again.
All I can say is THANK YOU. Such a great explanation, especially to me, who knows very little.
Glad I could help.
Glad to see a Michigan page in the top three video on my search.
Great video. No-nonsense. Exactly what the average person needs when it comes to back-up power
Thank you sir!
My family and i live in MI and Ive been looking for this exact information!
Great! Down to earth, simple and understandable. Thank you!
Best video! I’m in the market for my first generator. I feel more confident and choosing the right generator for my necessities in my home..
Ask not what your generator needs. But what you need to get by..
Can you wear your clothes an extra day without risking the lives of your neighbours.
Bigger portable generator will have large amp outlets. Those usually 7500 watts or less will have a 30 or 20 amp outlet.
WELL EXPLAINED when talking about power management, essential items, surge timing etc. VERY WELL EXPLAINED, sir...very well.
Ran a 12000/9500 portable for 5 days, ran everything great EXCEPT when my wife went to take a shower, tankless hot water heater kicked off the generator breaker. In the future maybe we’ll try shutting off everything else and trying it again?
Impressively helpful. Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you for getting right to the point. Watch like 5 videos and I never got to where they explained what wattage I needed.
Great video and I agree with your thoughts. I have a portable generator (5kw). With a propane furnace and water heater, I can run heat, well pump, all of the lights, microwave and refrigerators. Not AC or electric clothes dryer. Certainly enough to survive comfortably for a week or more. When we lost power for a week some years ago, I would run the generator 3 times a day for a few hours mainly to keep the refrigerators cold. I have thought about an EcoFlow for maintaining lights (and small electrical) when the generator isn't running, but it is still on my "wish list". Portable generators can also be used for power tools at remote locations or helping a friend that needs to keep a sump pump running during a power outage.
I just bought a Firman tri fuel
9400/7500 running watts on gas. Should i be concerned about anything.
What up Doe!?
Very good information on the difference between running watts and surge wattage and the different types of generator needed. Down here in Texas everyone has been getting prepared for another big power outage because of the February 21' winter storm that deviated our city. I was blessed with a 11,000 watt generator to power all the main essentials when or if the time comes. I'm looking to install a transfer switch or interlock kit very soon.
Thanks again 👍🏻
wow this was super helpful. thank you! what happens if the breaker does trip on the generator because you are over the max wattage?
Unplug and reset the breaker. Then plug back in. If it trips again, you are overloaded.
I run a 9500 running watt gen.. It runs my 4 ton air, my freezer, refrigerator, all lights and 4 computers with no problem
IK would say that with new inverter generators, it is better to meaningfully over-capacity the generator. Here is the reason. If you size on the lower end, that generator will have to spend more of its time in a high RPM state, and if it is a conventional generator, it is always running at full speed. With an inverter, when the load drops, the generator slows down. This means that the generator will last longer than a smaller generator that is running hard, and it will only use about the same fuel as the smaller generator working harder. The bigger tank means you can run longer between re-fueling stops. My neighbors had a smaller generator that was running almost full blast during our recent ice storm and he used almost as much fuel as I did in my larger generator, but he had to re-fuel about every 7 hours, where I could run almost 14 hours due to the larger gas tank. I was running everything in my home except the AC (the gas central heat was running) and I did trip the breaker twice when both the toaster and Microwave were used at the same time, and that was with a 5000 watt 6250 peak generator, but mostly, I was able to live a normal life. He on the other hand, had to ration every amp. After the 3.5 day outage, he ditched the smaller generator and decided to go with a 5000 watt generator because he saw how much better it was to have the extra capacity and not have to worry about refueling overnight. My own thinking is that one should get an inverter generator with more than "just enough" capacity to be selective when running things. (I have four other people in the neighborhood that also say me living a normal life during the prolonged outage. They all asked me what to get and I recommended an interlock setup and a 5000 watt closed frame inverter generator. If you are not using that additional capacity, the generator is loafing and makes less noise and uses about the same amount of fuel as the smaller generator running harder. For a given amperage draw, the amount of fuel used is roughly the same. Go bigger. It only costs a little more and in the long run, it is probably cheaper. I don't have to worry about what I turn on (except for the fours slice toaster, which uses 1200 watts, and the microwave, which uses 1700 watts. Those I can't run at the same time) and I can easily run all day or all night on a single fill-up.
Thank you
To avoid furnance start-up surges on your generator beyond the initial start, would leaving the blower on avoid the surging during on-off cycling (high efficiency furnance)
@ohiowalkinshowersllc7723 It wouldn't hurt, however I do believe the surge created by the fan motors today is not very much. The High efficiency furnace I just had installed only called for a #14 wire. It is not pulling very many amps.
Finally someone with great information 🙌🏽
SuE awesome video thank you. Could you do a video on your recommendation for the top five generators going from 5000 to 10,000 rights? Or just one in general
I can do that, would be a few weeks out.
Great info and thanks for the list of appliances and their usage.
You did a remarkable job of explaining yourself I very much appreciated your video
@@Slitthroat1776 thank you!
MASTER IN DEED.... in such Understanding
nice job sir thank you for the info
Awesome video that was very informative, thank you.
Great info thank you for sharing
my portable generator is 12000 running 15000 peak with a 50 amp plug, 6/3 extension cord, i don't need this big of a set up ,but the genny is just purring and the wires are cold to the touch, over size it for safety
Cold wires are not because of an oversized generator 😂
@@stangleeze sorry..you didn't get it
@@ridgerunner7980 please explain what you meant
Very helpful information. Thank you for sharing.
I also have noticed that the base load of my house is quite low. I use solar so am constantly aware of my limitations and keep the loads under that limit
I use a Growatt 5k and see that it uses 20 to 25 percent. That’s 3 refrigerators and a freezer,a 8kbtu window unit and LED lights.
The other Solar System runs a rent house next door and also my water heater and dryer. It has 15 kw of inverter capacity so obviously we alternate days to use dryer.
The generator pays for itself when you don’t lose a freezer full of food;off-grid solar pays u back every day. My bill for this month was $30.02. This is August 2023 in Texas. I sold one generator and gave the other one away. 50KWH of LFP batteries and a little discipline lets us wait for the sun.
I have a Ridgid 8,000/10,000 generator. Wired with a interlock switch on my panel what allows me to run whole house. The only thing I done use is my electric oven and if we need the stove I only run one burner. Other that than, I’ve ran 4 portable AC’s, dehumidifier, 8 ceiling, pool filter and countless LED lights without any issues during the summer.
Also we have two 45,000 BTU pellet stoved in the winter months. At times we’ve lost power for a much as 5 days in the winter without any issues as well.
That a nice portable set up.
Thank you, Sir. Very helpful.
Great info! And thank you
Nice thank you with this info i had a 50amp plug installed into the house to use 13000 watt duromax and a hardstart assist on my 3 ton ac that uses 1,440 watts and 2,571 watts but the hardstart assist sofftens the enitial startup hit to wattage and with all your recommondations my house runs great on the generator… thanks for the video brother
Kind Sir...IF your generator; which is very Popular; like the #1 "Champion TRI Fuel Power; 10000 Watts surge/8000 Watts normal...bugged me. Because at first I felt; that ONLY 30 AMPS; is going to be a problem with say, a 3 Ton AC, a refrigerator, a water heater; oven and stove; at the same time.
So I did the math. And limited to ONLY 30 Amps X 240 Volts=7200 Watts. Oh indeed.
Yet my big AC only draws 2475 Watts turning on. And then 1700 watts; when it is running. So there is NO problem. Because all of those items together with my AC; does not eat-up 7200 Watts. And why on the outside of the box it came in; it listed the many things it could do at the same time. Wow!
And one of the reason that people ALL over America is buying this Generator. And I have NO arrangement with that company at all. Just an old home-owner.
Excellently explained, thank you
Thanks so much
I have a 8000 watt generac portable.
I want to buy the portable “electric generators” (inverter or giant rechargeable battery) for three freezers and a fridge. That can be charged off of portable solar panels.
You need a floating NEUTRAL on your generator!!! to wire into your panel its easy to make it a FLOATING NEUTRAL if it is not just have to remove a wire utube this if u are running a generator ur manual will tell u if it is a floating NEUTRAL or bonded
thank you for the tip.
You are welcome.
Very good stuff here pal thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas 🎅. Thanks for watching.
Very helpful, thanks.
How can you avoid them all starting at the same time ? are you plugging them in at different times ?
@rudyvrobertsjr2893 yes, I plug in one appliance the wait 5 minutes and plug in another. My big draws are deep freezer and refrigerator with freezer.
Thank you very much for this video! You explained very well and made it clear for us "eletrical dummies"
Thank you so much awesome
Great video straight to the point very informative thanks for sharing 👍
I bought a fireman diesel generator that has a small soundproof canopy.
Max power - 10.0kw
Rated power - 9.5KW
AC Voltage - 220V
Current - 25 Amps
Speed - 3000rpm
I run one freezer and a fridge.
Three air-conditioners ( Two inverter Ac's 1.5HP, 1HP, one conventional 1HP non inverter AC, one 65" QLED TV, one LG smart inverter microwave, a ninja blender, and 15 rooms with LED Bulbs. 6 rooms with ceiling fans.
Note** I run the inverter AC'S at the same time with the freezer and fridge.. then I run others conservatively..
Ah nearly forgot, I've a 1.5Hp sumo water pump that I run aswell and again conservatively.. This generator drains about 5 liters of diesel every 5hrs of operation..
Sounds like a well thought out plan. Good power management can get you a long way. Thanks for watching.
great video! ty
Good info for those unaware!
What a great little vid. Got all my questions answered in 5 mins. Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
I have a question if you mind. I have a brand new 2400w inverter generator, power went out and I tried to use it for my sump pump. I did use a extension cord and when I plugged it in the generator slowed down alot and the pump sounded like it tried to turn on but it did not. I figured it wasn't strong enough to run it. When I looked at the generator a red light came on so I just unplugged it and didn't try it again. Did I do something wrong using the extension? Is it possible I fried the generator? Started the gen ,plugged the pump in the cord then into the started gen.
The generator should be fine, if it overloaded you will need to reset a breaker. When it comes to running electric motors such as a sump pump you need to know the draw of that motor on start up " surge" and can the generator provide that much surge. Cord size can also come into play. A 14 gauge cord should work.
@@detroitdiy appreciate the response, thank you.
I want a generator that I can use for welding and grinding, what size do I need?
Depends on the welder and grinder amp draw.
Thank you sir and have a good day.
Thank you, Sir.
Do you use an inverter generator or standard generator?
@@MrBritrider a standard generator.
I know What I Need 12000 Winco Tri Fuel AWESOME !
Sounds like a nice unit.
Thank you sir!
Must buy the heavy duty cords and several extra just in case 😮
You can time use from freezer to icebox, back and forth , it’s going to keep you very busy getting fuel and servicing the generator and moving cords 😊😊😊
But it’s our only option 😢😢😢
One item you neglected to include in your discussion is balancing your load(s). Most everyone is aware that a residential service is single phase 240VAC with a grounded center tap (the neutral). It is really necessary to try to balance the overall load across the 240V source. So for example put the fridge on one side of the neutral, and the freezer on the other side. These are sometimes called the "legs". Generator wattage is almost always rated at 240V. So if your load is severely imbalanced it would be like trying to source most of the generator capability through just one of the 120VAC 20A outlets on the generator panel. This can't happen. At least not for long.
Nice video and info. I have a Champion 4000 peak/3500 run generator, and it does the job fine for my house, but one thing it can’t do is run my gas dryer, it always struggles/ bogs down when I try to start it. ( even if that’s the only load on the generator) The draw is 6 amps according to the tag/plate and the surge I am sure is well below the 4,000 watts my generator is rated for, any ideas?
Are you using a whole home plug or a cord. I would think wire is not carrying the load well.
Whole house cord and receptacle running to my panel. Rated for 30amps.
I am not sure what's going on there. It should run a dryer, I would think that is enough wattage to run an electric dryer.
Yeah I can’t figure it out either I’m stumped.
@@mikepier1 Are you sure you're dryer isn't using more watts than you think? Some larger ones can use 5000 watts.
My question really is if there's a way to have 2 or more plugs installed in the event I needed a smal bit more than the usual.
You can pick up a heavy duty 3 way cord at home depot. They are about a foot long and will give you three plugs from one.
Great Info
Thanks for the info very useful but I got a question if I had a 3600 W generator if I’m getting this right I can run my fridge and my TV and few lights and maybe a phone charger and if it’s summertime, maybe a couple of window air conditioner and if it’s winter time maybe a couple of electric heaters or is that too much wattage for the 3600
How much wattage would it take to run a fridgerator freezer a window ac and 1 TV and a heater
That would depend on the heater. 3600 watts would cover everything else, with a small space heater i would go 5000 watts.
why would you run heat & a/c at the same time ?
is this a stump the chump question?
I'm not going to run around and unplug things, I'm not a caveman...so, now how much power do I need?
Just get a brain instead.
I got a quote for having a plug and transfer switch installed, and it was $2,500. WTF
Is there a way to safely fuel a tiny generator without shutting it down? To connect an external tank?
50.000W charging batteries and heatting our water.
Running the generator it has to do work.
Can you make a list of an average rural house wattage needs in each appliance?
For instances, I have 40 gal water heater on 4 hour timer/day, 240 volt sub-well pump, washer/dryer, 22 cu fridge, 24 cu freezer, 4 slice toaster, micro, 50" tv, few LED lights, ph chargers, laptop
I can get buy with the deep freezer off for at less a week. Refrigerator 3 or 4 days. These Central Air and Heat, Hot Water Tank, Electric Oven, Electric Stove is your biggest uses. Cause all they runs on 240 volts ~ 110 volt can run a lot of things at once on> window units, space heater, tv, computer ect ect If your generator starts over loading, laboring and surging YOU GOT TO MUCH ON IT
The better way to word the title would be "How many Watts does your load require?" We have a 20KW Caterpillar for our home but a "scream'in Jimmy" would be cool.
We have used the ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
just what I needed!
Thanks for watching!
Oh, but it does happen. People burn up wiring/gens by overloading the gens. Easier to sell them a much larger genset than have them come back with destroyed genset/appliances screaming "Warranty" !!!
how much ? ... just check your electric bill ...
it'll show you how many watts you used ...
Well stated ! Thank You for your video , I just bought a Generac GP 15000 E with 22500 surge watts & our house is 2,400 square feet , & is all electric including well & septic pump out with a water softener , & a stand alone fridge , & freezer ! I know I cant run everything but with proper management I don't believe that it is overkill .
that unit may not be overkill but it will drink the gasoline like it's going out of style. A 65% load will be around 2 gallons per hour so 48 gallons per day @ $4 a gallon.... is just shy of $200 a day in fuel. Load management and several 3-4 hour runs per day is your friend here! (IOW, don't run it 24 hours straight) BTW, there's no reason a fridge can't go 8 hours without running, provided you keep the door shut. As long as it's above freezing you can do the same with the heat. Inside temp will probably stay within 10 degrees after 6-8 hours of not running.
@@rupe53 Yep ! It's all about management , & I have a nice wood stove that takes care of my heating needs , & I don't plan on running everything with it other than the essentials & only when needed.
What size generator will I need for four tops rcf 735s rated 700watts rms and two subs rated at 1100 watts rms?
They have generators now with 50 amp breaker. Could that run a hot water heater. I live in a single wide with 100 amp service. I'm looking at generators from 9500 to 14.500 . Which would you suggest
I would buy the biggest my budget would allow. 9500 Should be enough to power you no problem but a 14500 would do it with ease.
Well, we can talk about this and that all day oooor maybe talk about what your title says? DOH!
Your generator doesn't need any watts,lol, your house does
Damn. The best way to avoid using a generator is to stay out of Detroit.