I have this generator, had to drive 200 miles to get it during Helene to get it. Got it home…went through the instructions,got everything (2 refrigerators, 1 freezer, lights, gas water heater (tankless), coffee maker,microwave,tv,computer(when internet came back). Didn’t try the AC. Every time I checked the wattage, it was around 400…it did surge when the coffee maker started. We ran it 24 hrs for 4 days…no problems. This is a great generator for the $$$.
Glad to know your safe I just got power back yesterday I ran my little 2200w westinghouse inverter and we kept our fridge up , internet box, a few fans , the TV, and game consoles. My fiance and i made a ton of progress in borderlands we are on number 2 now lol
As someone who owns a 15000 whole house guardian unit, I agree 100% with this video. When storms do take the power out I power everything but it costs fuel, I don't have a propane setup. I power the home ac during the day and lights and pretty much everything with my guardian as much as is needed or wanted. In the evening I have a minisplit in my master bedroom which I can power with a soft start on the mini split and a much smaller generator than my guardian. During the last power outage we were out for a week. It was nice to have the convenience of 240 for the washing machine, water heater and ac but the gas was just ridiculous. I had just enough for a week of sparingly using my whole house generator. That is why stepping down in the size of units is imperative when you are going to sleep. You absolutely do not want to be the only house in the neighborhood with lights on everywhere with a loud generator. Two houses in the next development had their generators stolen during the night. Thieves came in with old lawn mowers and set them up where this guy had a brand new Honda 7000 portable. Your neighbors will always ask for a plug for a fan but instead they plug in an ac or a refrigerator and overload your generator, ask me how I know. Remember to equalize your bank outputs and never run your generator without a load, at least a light or something. The Predator has come leaps in bounds beyond what they once were, just remember to break them in properly. The first item you buy for that generator is the magnetic oil plug, it will make all the metal grinding stick to it when it runs for the first couple of times. Run it for a couple of hours under load, then change the oil completely, everything shiny in the oil is the breaking in shavings of the engine, make sure to run cheap oil for the the break ins and then go to some quality oil. I broke in my Predator 3 times before it was actually used during a power outage. That means three quick oil changes and that unit will run like a champ. She is definitely not as quiet as a Honda but she didn't cost Honda money. The battery will need a trickle charger or else you will have to manually turn it on, which is a total pain sometimes. I don't store any gas in my unit and make sure to run it out of gas completely before I put it away. If you do get this model get the ones with the wheels, this little joker is not as light as she seems to be. Remember also with any propane fittings, they have to be metal to metal, DO NOT USE PIPE TAPE LIKE IN HOMES PIPES, or else the propane will leak and be a possible explosion waiting to happen.
Great article and reply. I do take this one step farther though. I converted my two smaller ultra quiet generators to tri fuel and run them off natural gas first and propane or gasoline as backup. They make virtually no noise. I can charge up my whole home battery system in three hours to last for the whole day and not listen to a generator droning. The battery system handles 12000 watts of surge so that the generators don't have to. I am now adding solar with the intent of recouping my costs in 7 to 8 years and relegating the grid to backup gives me the ability to go off grid at any time for extended power outages or grid down situations.
Sir! If you don't work for harbor freight/Predator, you need to request some sort of payment because this video was an A+ in my opinion. Thank you for taking the time to make this fantastic video. We just went through Hurricane Milton down here in Florida and I'm going into Day 4 without power, fortunately, I have a smaller/older generator to hold us up for a few hours (~3-4 hours) at a time but its definitely time for an upgrade.
Haha thank you for the compliment! I don’t work for them unfortunately but glad to hear at least you have some form of backup power! So far I’m really happy with the predator 5000 and most importantly I like that it’s very fuel efficient and quiet. I hope you get power back quickly and thanks for watching!
These videos just make me that much happier that I have a WGen11500TFc running on natural gas and I have 240v powering the entire panel and able to power a 5 ton AC with all the house lights and electronics and I never have to fill the gasoline. And it was very affordable. And low THD so no issues with UPS, LED lights or electronics. Truly the sweet spot of the backup generator world. Nuts to only have a 120V generator.
Great video! Thank you! I just bought this from HF last night, on sale for $849. I asked to speak to a salesperson who was familiar with the Predetor 5000. The guy told me he knew enough to be dangerous then told me I couldn't run a house or my RV on the 5000. Good thing I've been doing my research on this one for a year and bought it anyway.
Find the RV manual, make a list of all electrical components in your unit , add up the wattage of each item and you will know what high wattage you can not run to stay under the 5000 watts, like run 2 fans instead of A/C to start subbing
@@marciabrainard9837 I know what I can and can not run in my RV with the Predetor 5000. I just wanted someone to go thru it with me before I bought it. Just basic stuff like on this video here. Telling my I can just plug my RV into it an run it, like the sales person told be was very reckless and irresponsible. If you don't know, just say you don't know but dont give out the wrong information.
This unit at HF is coming on sale for $849.99 on Oct. 11. We live in Augusta, Ga. and have never experienced anything like a hurricane until Helene hit us about ten days ago. We are 120 miles from the coast in Savannah even though this came from the Gulf about 250 miles away, needless to say we were not prepared. My wife and I were very fortunate because we don’t have any trees around our house. We lost power for six days and a lot of people still don’t have power. We had to throw away everything in our refrigerator and freezer, that hurt. Your video answers a lot of questions I had about a generator. Thanks
I’m sorry to hear you lost power for so long but thankfully your home was ok! Any generator would be a lifesaver to at least keep the fridge going and some lights and a phone charger. The sale price is a good deal for sure! Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much this is me and my wife first generator. I got the 5000 predator a plant manager got one and I asked him what he got. I know nothing about generator but listening and watching your video was very helpful. People like you are God sent may you and your family be blessed 🙏👌
I got a 3400 watt dual fuel generator about ten years ago. Ran it only on propane. I powered the furnace, one air handler, fridge, chest freezer. the power supply for the stairlift, Fios box(phone and internet), and a few LED lights. I mostly got it for new england winters, so no AC. Standard BBQ propane tank would run the thing for about 12 hours with that load. After the break in oil change, the oil was clean as a whistle after four years, when I changed it just because. The only prblem I had was the starter battery would go dead while it was in storage. I considered getting one of those battery maintainer devices to keep it charged in storage, but since it would start up after a couple of pulls on the rope, decided not to bother. I did have one time when it wouldn't start. but that was caused by a rag that was wet and frozen that happened to be hanging in front of the air intake and choked it out. Mine wasn't an inverter, so my computer didn't like the quality of the power, but the laptop and cell phones charged up fine. I bought a new 20 pound propane tank annually until I had six tanks on hand, so three days of power. Watch out for those tank swap companies like Blue Rhino. they only fill their tanks to around 17 lbs, not the full 20 pounds of propane, so you won't get as much runtime per tank.
It gets real cold where I live. My gen has a lithium ion battery. When it's this cold outside I take the battery out and store it inside. Cold temps are not good for the life of these batteries.
I just used a similar setup for almost four days in Houston for the little hurricane beryl that just blew through. I have a 50 amp plug to my house so i can hook up a bigger generator to run my 240v pool pump for a few hours. A Westinghouse 9500. It is so noisy and sucks down the gas. Then for the other 18 hours of the day i would disconnect it and hook up my lovely little champion 5500 dual fuel inverter which is very similar output as your predator 5000. I have a 30amp RV adapter that plugs into the smaller generator and then into the 50 amp cord that is plugged into the house where it ran a 8000 btu window unit in my master bedroom and many lights and a 65 inch led tv, ceiling fan, refrigerator, garage door, bathroom exhaust fan and a water cooler while running my cpap machine all night. All while keeping as many unnecessary lights and fans off at one time. I just kept the other bedrooms, dining room breakers off. So you really don’t need that other mini backup breaker box. I just have a lockout switch and the 50amp plug is plugged into the whole panel. Just don’t turn on all of the breakers that you don’t really need.
Thanks for Watching and that's great to hear! Sometimes its better to run these smaller units and conserve fuel while still powering "most items". I'm glad you made it through the hurricane OK and were able to provide power!
@@Outdoor_Prepper So this man's story might have answered my question I was going to ask, but if you have the interlock kit on your panel, can you use your 120v generator? Obviously, you can't run any 240v appliances that have the double breaker, but would your generator work with an interlock kit?
I've had the Predator 3500 for at least 10 years now. Love it, still starts first try. Been through several hurricanes. Just maintain it. If I was looking for new generator I'd buy this 5000 in a heartbeat.
Sir, I am so happy to have found this video! I'm looking to get a generator and didn't even know where to start. I learned so much from watching this video and probably will buy this exact setup. Great info with an amazingly detailed explanation... WELL DONE!
Wow, what a great video. I see my neighbors have put in those massive units that you’re talking about and they haven’t used them in years and they’re sitting in their yards just having to be maintained regularly so that when they are needed they’ll work but they have not been needed for 15 years. This is the perfect solution. Thank you. The great thing about your video is, I can send it to my electrician and tell him this is what I want to do. Terrific job.
Um, if neighbors haven’t used theirs in 15 years why do you need a generator? Sounds like you’re in a really great/unique place. Honestly I agree with you. If no generator is needed in your locale then do get a portable unit like this if only for peace of mind.
I have a small Honda 2000 watt inverter generator for my camper. A few years ago I installed a 4 circuit version of that transfer switch in my house. It can power the refrigerator, led lights, and a small window AC. With a hurricane coming to FL this week I may finally be using it.
I'm from NW BC, Canada and I've found this to be one of the best, most complete product descriptions/walk-throughs... I've ever seen! Well done! I will be downloading it for future use even though the pricing is about 30% off thanks to the difference in our dollars. I hope to be installing a similar system in our new home soon and your info has shown me that I don't need a 10,000+ watt genset like I previously thought I might. Thanks😊 and Cheers🍻
I just got a 5000 because we lost power during Milton. I really like it and knew that it could do so much more than just a refrigerator and a fan. Thank you for sharing this. It is very helpful.
I have an onboard generator on my Nash travel trailer Onon Cummins! Great generator but LOAD and shake the whole trailer! Purchased the predator 5000! And love it half the noise and love the remote start! Highly recommend
Outstanding explanation and demonstration. You connected all the dots. I think the concern most people have with any non-Honda generator is the noise level. The gap has narrowed a lot, as other manufacturers have learned that job-site noise levels are not okay for home standby/emergency use.
Good info. I just decided to buy the 5000 Watt today while it's on sale at HF for just $799 ! I really won't use it for more than charging my 10kW battery banks (Solar Generator), but this will help keep it charged on cloudy days with plenty of power to spare, as well as the Dual Fuel capability for extra possibilities. Thanks for the great video !
I have a similar hookup using a Firman Tri-Fuel Generator which also gives you the option of connecting it to natural gas from the utility company. I had my plumber tap into the existing gas line so I don't have worry about running out of gasoline or propane. The peak rating is 6900 and run load is 5500 using natural gas. I caught the unit on sale at Costco for $ 750.
One thing I recommend is purchasing the 30 lb propane tanks. 50% more, but still easy to pick up and get refilled. In my area it is cheaper to refill a 30 lb tank than to exchange a 20 lb tank (that isn't full anyway). Of course it depends on how often you use it, but a couple of 30 lb tanks will eventually pay for themselves.
Outstanding video! I'm considering a combination of battery power (Bluetti AC300.B300) and generator power. This video convinced me that the Predator 5000 is the best generator option.
Good info. I own a 9000 Champion and a 2000, both are inventor. I also use a Jackery for the master bedroom at night, no generator running at night. I have have gas hot water and cooking. I installed a soft start on my 3500 Trane. Pulls 21 amps on start and runs on 11 amps. The Champion runs the whole house and well at the same time. Start it in the morning and take showers and have coffee and breakfast and cool the house. Run it for 3 hours. My Jackery runs all the tv and internet. Good luck. I bought a storage plastic shed to store generators and fuel.
@@Kevinw4040 I have a Bluetti ( it’s like a jackery but better because Bluetti’s have a Lithium iron phosphate battery which lasts longer and is safer. I have the ac200l ( it’s expensive and heavy ) but provides lots of power. I also have the ac180 which is about $500 and I think the best all around. The ac180 powered my full size fridge for 14 hours. You can definitely power a tv for quite a while. I did videos of each on my channel - have a look if you have time. Thanks for watching!
Great explanation, I have the same setup done about 10 years ago. I have a dual fuel duromax (DuroMax XP4850EH). What I did next to the transfer switch (same as yours) was post a laminated form indicating which circuits are compatible to keep the generator balanced. We have only used it twice. Really important to keep our lineman safe.👍
I was in HF the other day and got to looking at this generator. I was shocked at the running watts. Its just a little more than the 3500 predator and it still doesn't have 220v. My 3500's have not let me down and start right up even after sitting unused 6 months or more. I would recommend the Predator generators,
What a great video! It is the kind of stuff the likes of HF should have available and I hope you get rewarded for this. I purchased this generator and it’s exactly what I was hoping to find. Also, it looks like HF now has the cover for the generator.
Such a great video and very helpful. I purchased this earlier today. It was $850 at Harbor Freight. I plan on using propane with this, and use gas as a backup when I don't have propane in reach. Also, Ia m definitely getting that Reliance and installed.
So true. During our super tornado outbreak of 2011, the power was out for 4 or 5 days. I ran my critical items off of a Honda EU2000-with a advertised max continuous load of 1,600 watts. I plugged in (the whole time) one upright full size freezer, two full size refrigerator/freezers-(but as stayed out of them as much as possible), Misc Lighting and some box fans, also the 50" flat screen, cable box and routers. Used around 2-3 gallons of gasoline a day. As was mentioned, we did unplug everything when making coffee....or using the microwave. Changed the oil, everyday. Still have the generator, and it still works. A Honda. Wouldn't expect any less.
With the high efficiency refrigerators, freezers, appliances and LED lights it is getting much easier to run a house on a smaller generator. When you add natural gas, propane and solar into the mix just about anyone outside of the city could go off grid at minimal expense.
I own this generator and put a natural gas conversion kit on it. I ran it constantly for 8 days after hurricane burl and it did great. I ran a fridge, 5000BTU window unit and a couple fans. Kept the oil changed on time.
Great video overall, you covered all the items. In my opinion, though you should’ve gotten a 240 V inverter and just gone with an interlock. That way you power whole house you decide what you want to power and you don’t spend money on some transfer switch where you’re tied to only several circuits and that’s it. Much more flexible with the interlock and the ability to have 240V if you need it. It powers both buses even if you don’t need 240 V. Plus, the cost is no more than having a transfer switch and probably less. I totally agree with the smaller generator in the gas concern. I would’ve gone for an inverter that had the smallest 240 output but at least 5 to 6000 running. Thanks for posting.
@@RoddyAlt - exactly. Although I have a 240 oven, I always leave that breaker off. I have a 6000 W 240V generator that could power it if I wanted to I turned off the rest of the circuits while using it if I wanted to. No issue with leaving those off and isolating those circuits
Thanks so much! I did a follow up last night that’s posted on my channel where I ran all the items in my house I plan to use including the heat. Check it out when you have time. Thanks for watching!
jeez.....at about 90 seconds in, i stopped The video so I could get my notebook and pen. I was taken to school, and learned a lot........ All of it exactly what I wanted to know! Thank you so much sir for a great video that really helped my understanding and my ability to make some good decisions.
Thank you for making this great informative video, it was certainly useful. Living in Florida for years now, we have an older electric start 8K watt generator, its loud and loves gasoline as it doesn't have that power down eco mode, its full throttle all the time. I mean you can manually change the throttle. I asked the electrician to wire it up to the house and he installed a plug socket and a switch on the outdoor fuse panel that I throw to disconnect the line power. I like that set up you have but don't know how it could be added. Thanks again very good video, well done, clear and concise explanation of all the important steps.
Living in SE Texas and dealing with far too common blackouts from storms, hurricanes, and what not, I needed something for home backup backup that didn’t break the bank. Like you talk about, I need to power fridge, deep freezer, a backup window unit, some lights, and TV/internet. Hot water heater and stove are gas so I’m good there. I was very close to buying the Predator 5000 but started reading all the issues they continue to have like overloading. That and HF wanting $300 for a 2 year warranty turned me away. I ended up buying the Westinghouse iGen 4500DF instead. It doesn’t have perfect history but does seem like they now have most of the bugs worked out and picked it up for less than $800.
Great video !! Love the load requirements section where you laid out the loads of typical appliances & devices and what you should do in each scenario. The only thing that would make it better is put in the link/description of the parts you used.
Thanks a ton for this video brother, I’ve really been debating on getting the 9500 and getting wired into my house and feel like it’s overkill. I think I’m gonna go get this one.
I love this setup in N.E. I run a 10 circuit Transfer Switch like yourself but I power it with 6000 watt DC to AC inverter and a 20kwh lifpo4 battery bank. I can charge it with solar or the inverter generator. I'm hoping to capture the waste heat from the generator for space heating and getting low cost electricity.
WOW. Great video for this generator and set up. I will use everything I learned. Just a side note to add. In Florida we tend to buy a house that has hurricane shutters as an extra bonus [not required but helps the sale]. In the 50's it was a car that had A/C, etc. I'm going to have this transfer switch installed and will use that [along with the shutters, pool, etc.] as a selling factor. I will be taking the generator and associated hardware with us when we move so all the new owner should have to do is supply the generator and tanks/cans, etc.
I agree that a monster size generator is just not needed for backup/emergency power. That being said, I have a 7500w Firman generator ($799 at Costco) that's actually tri-fueled (gasoline, propane, and natural gas). Since my home has natural gas service, I've never actually had gasoline in my generator through a 1/2 dozen storms/hurricanes. I installed a quick-connect hose fitting on my natural gas service (parts bought at Home Depot) and it's just two quick-connect fittings to basically have endless fuel. Propane is definitely the next best thing.
Totally agree with you! A tri fuel generator would be first choice because if you have natural gas that’s basically an unlimited fuel supply, with propane being 2nd and gasoline 3rd. Thanks for watching!
Very good point you make about running only minimal loads while you sleep. I have a 11kw inverter, it's a dual fuel. I have 25 lbs of propane and 35 gallons of non-eth gasoline. I estimate my run time with that at about 3 days. Not great, I'd prefer to have a week's worth of fuel. Eventually I will buy two 100lb propane tanks which will put me close to 7 days run time (a bit shy). I'd love a smaller unit to run minimal stuff while we sleep, like the furnace, fridge, and some lights. Would save a lot on fuel. But that's just not in the cards anytime soon. Luckily my hot water heater doesn't require electricity to run. Just uses a thermocoupler type thing that generates enough electricity via the pilot light to open and close a small door that allows more gas in to light.
Thanks for watching! I agree with you and I purchased a Bluetti ac200l solar generator ( watch the review I did on my channel) where I hooked it up to my transfer switch!
@Outdoor_Prepper Good video. I built a 6.2Kw battery bank 4 × 6v 260AH AGM 2p2s, 3000 watt inverter/charger (Renogy). 4000watt dual fuel generator. 800w PV on 2 400w strings feeding a 40amp MPPT controller properly wired and fused to charge the bank. A "portable " Inergy Apex with two Flex batteries (1096wh x 3). 11 days without power in Tallahassee, no gasoline available after two days.
Thanks for the vid. You can run a portion of a small house with a 5Kv gen but you need something 3X that to run an entire house- without AC. Been there, done that my friend. Definitely agree on the necessity of a breaker box sub-panel though. Well done.
Thank you! I plan to only run the essentials during an emergency. My hot water heater and stove are natural gas and my heat is oil. I would only be able to run a window ac and some fans ( not a central air) but I want to conserve as much fuel as possible and only run essentials during an emergency as I won’t know how long I have to run or how difficult it might be to get fuel. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for this excellent video. Your emphasis on the importance of minimal fuel usage and not buying a bigger generator than you need should be common sense but people refuse to listen.I have a $700.00 Wen 4500w 120v dual fuel inverter generator that I fuel with propane (3150 w). I run two fridges, a deep freezer,two tvs,furnace fan , lights, router,etc simultaneously. It usually runs at half draw or less on eco mode sometimes it may surge to 3/4. Fairly certain I can run a window AC for part of the house as well. Used a watt meter ($12.00 Amazon) to plug each of my appliances in individually to guesstimate how big of a generator I needed. Keep in mind that compressors on fridges and deep freeze probably will never kick on at the same time and it would be good practice to unplug a fridge the few minutes needed to run a microwave. We do have a propane furnace, range and water heater. We live very comfortably during a power outage and I can't understand why people insist on buying a large fuel guzzling generator to live in luxury during an occasional power outage. Once again a very good job at showcasing the problem of overspending on a generator and buying fuel during a possible long term emergency.
Do you run yours continuously? How long do you wait between refueling and restarting your inverter. How many hours can you run yours between oil changes? I’m asking because of the Wren brand. My husband passed, so I’ll be solely responsible. Thank you for any advice, it would be much appreciated. Thank you.
@@lzh3131 oil has to be changed after 8 hours break in. Then it is changed every 25 hours. A built-in display keeps track of hours for you and oil change is super simple. I run mine off 20 lb propane BBQ tanks so I don't have to store gas. Yes I've run it continuously for several hours at a time. Thankfully we have not had a several day outage. It is a Wen DF451i. It's $754.00 on Amazon. It's rated for 9 hours run time on a 20 lb propane tank or two and a half gallons of gasoline. It produces 120 volts and your circuit box in your house is 240 volts. The transfer switch that's shown on the end of the video is a good option. It probably means you'll have to hire an electrician as the man on the video explains unless your house is already set up for a 120 v generator. It also has electric start, just push the button.
Been looking at this and the 9000. My issue is where I live, I have both a water well that will fill up a 1,200 gallon holding tank and then, another pump that will transfer from holding tank to pressure tank. I need to calculate the amount of watts that will do when they kick in. Also, I have an aerobic septic tank. Other than that, just need fridge and freezer and some other stuff. It is just the pumps that concern me.
I purchased one today, as I'm in a red flag area in Southern California, and power outages have been about 1/2 the time for the last two weeks. I did some research, but I still had some doubts. Had I seen your video beforehand, there would have been none. I knew about the transfer switch but didn't know the costs or how it worked exactly. I also didn't think much of the propane option, but now I'm sold. So, thank you; this was an invaluable video. I do have one question. Security. Other than locking into the handles with a chain, I don't see an obvious way to secure it. Crime has picked up in my neighborhood, catalytic converters especially, and despite the low noise, I want to look for ways to make it harder to steal.
@@barkingsheltie thank you so much for the kind words and I’m happy it was helpful! The best way to secure it so far that I’m aware of is with heavy chains through both handles. Be safe and thanks for watching!
We are on day 2 of probably 10 after Hurricane Milton in Daytona Beach. Trust Me. This is the best $2 G's you are ever gonna spend. TV's, Internet, cooking, an AC window unit,. Dude TRUST ME!!!! Propaine stores for 8 years. Gasoline stores for 6 Months. Wives love me.
Hopefully you guys are ok. I live in Tampa. We got hammered. We had power all through the storm but lost power due to massive flooding the next day. Tons of people here still without power. Here we all are researching generators.
My 2 cents... if possible with any small engine I would use Real Gas (Ethanol Free). Especially in humid climates because Ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it readily absorbs water from the air. That's why fuel Stabilizer or dry gas is needed. It's also corrosive. With ethanol-free gas, it stores for a long time without issues.
Agree. It’s not just the ability to power a 240 appliance which I never do in my house - but could if I wanted. It’s the ability to have both 120V legs powered.
Bigger is always better when you have a family and your budget can handle it, especially with a house full of girls. The 9500w would be a better deal because you rather have more power on tap than not enough.
Sane and reasonable discussion of a topic that is frequently lacking in those qualities. I rarely have power outages, but if I did this looks like a setup I would use.
Out of power for 4 days and felt lucky . Living in Houston and we get tested every 3 to 4 years with outage juggernauts . I Have a 4500 watt unit and this was what I ran , 1 window 5000btu unit , 2 box fans , 2 lamps , chargers for phones , 1 fridge only at night while reducing the a/c down to half . Would get 8 hours out of the tank , the generator requires a daily oil change when running severe long hour loads so buy a good oil and if it’s out of the box you have to break in the oil an hour of run time , drain , repeat , then your good to haul on the hour loads . I only use ethanol free fuel and before storage runnit out of gas . You will not have any luck with those fuel storage additives so don’t bother , you will gel the carb and it Will Fail next usage .
This is a very knowledgable video. I have a similar setup but with a Firman (very low cost of 450$ Canadian on sale at Home Depot) gas generated generator, and powering six circuits with a Reliance switch. With six circuits, I power my natural gas furnace, refrigerator, Tv, computer and Internet router, and, my electric water heater. This setup carries me through power outages during ice and snow storms as I'm in Canada and we have those occasionnally. One suggestion, when throwing open the switches for powering up the house circuits from the generator, wait a minute or so between each switch so that you let the home appliance time to power up alternatively without requiring too much power at the same time from your generator. Also, throw the switches in alternate way from both sides of the transfer switch, so that the required power will be balanced on the generator. At Autumn, I fill the generator with supreme gas with added stabelizer ready for the winter. In spring, I transfer the unused gas from the generator to a gas can and put in my car to use it so that repeating this procedure, I always have good gas in the generator if the need comes.
My Firman 3650 Watts generator is sufficient to power six circuits in my house which carry the most important appliances, such as the gas furnace and the refrigerator.
Excellent video. A great explanation that I shared with my wife. I’m wondering about running a window AC unit along with fridge and electric water heater, and whether that means we’d need to get a 240v unit instead of 120v. This is so helpful as we live on the coast in Florida. Thank you!
You could definitely power a fridge and window ac unit with no problem. An electric water heater though would be 240v so unfortunately this generator couldn’t do 240. Thanks for watching!
I live in Florida. I never needed a Generator until I was hit with Hurricane Irma. I live in a 2 bedroom 2 bath house deep in the woods. I was with out power more then 9 days. I knew I was not going to let that happen again and I bought the best Generator I could find and did my research. I bought a 10,000 watt Western House for 900 dollars. I could have bough the duel Generator for 200 more but in my research propane did not last very long. You spend 23 dollars on a propane tank full and it only last about 6 hours. I can fill mine up with gas and it holds 6 gallons and if it is running on max it will last 16 hours. Most places in Florida had no propane to buy as soon as the storm hit. But you could always find gas. True I will never need 10,000 watts but it is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. What no one tells you is if you have a 5000 watt Generator it is more then likely only 4000 watts running. With that said how hard will a 5000 watt Generator be running compare to a 10,000 watt Generator? Then you think about the Warranty I got a 5 year on mine . No matter what Generator a person buys they will pay the cost to plug it in the house and it will always be the same pretty much. If you have a stronger Generator with more power means it will work less as to if you have a small Generator that is only 2500 to 5000 it will work a lot harder. True gas does not last long sitting in a can but the gas would be used as needed and all one would need is about 6 5 gallon gas cans and when they are all empty go fill them no different then when the gas grill tank is empty. Now remember you can only buy Propane gas when the stores are open for sale but you can buy gas any time of the day. My Generator has three ways to start. Push button start pull start and remote I don't even have to step out side my house to start it.
Great Video 👍 Does the generator have a Hobbs meter that shows total motor runtime because the motor will need to be rebuilt at a specific time? Also, the newer ones are going to have wireless mobile phone connectivity that will display all generator parameters and the ability to turn the generator on and off via a smartphone application.
Don’t run it on low idle mode when connected to your house. Low idle mode is only to be used with power tools. You could damage your appliances if you run on low idle while connected to your home.
Good point. I was testing generator for my house and in idle (eco) mode the voltage in my office momentarily dropped to 98V when I turned on the laser printer. When I turned idle mode off it only dropped a couple volts.
The Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) for this Predator model is greater than >3%. THD >3% indicates a significant distortion that can lead to overheating, reduced efficiency, and wear on equipment. Ignorance is not bliss and now you know!
@@leonblack2651 You need to know that if you use the Predator it will ruin your equipment that you use it to power. You need to get a generator that inverts/outputs a PURE SINE WAVE and one that outputs >3% THD as noted NONE of the Predator lines meet that criteria so your comment is not valid.
@psmith3001 have a westing house none inverter 15,000watt. It runs a t less than 3% becauseof the coil in the motor.. An inverter model, it's built in. Pure sign wave and cean power. Best for electronics. All harbor freight inverter models from 2,000 to the 9,500 have this tech. It converts the AC to DC. No fluctuating on AC because it is converted to DC. Just like a power converter does. You need to brush up on inverter technology.
@@leonblack2651 You are flat out wrong in regard to the Predator line. If you take the time to contact them they admit NONE of the models meet the >3% THD - end of story! Therefore it does not meet the criteria of a PURE SIGN WAVE, too. Before you make your claims do yourself a favor and contact the manufacture's - if they fail to share the info then you know it is a no go, ok. Have a nice day!
Very helpful. I know little about power and such. This I can do, so I'll be buying the generator or a similar one and having a transfer switch installed. I so appreciate this video. You made it simple.
Great info. Just brought my 5000 home, set up and ran for 5 hrs. It ran perfectly. Question I'm ready to change the oil so should I stay with the recommended WD 30 or go to a synthetic 5/20 or 0/30 for longer lasting performance.? Also is it necessary to change the original equip spark plug now? Thanks Chuck B Houston
Thanks for watching! I just stick with 10w30 and change it every 20-50 hours after break in. Oil is very inexpensive so I feel better with more frequent changes
One thing to note. Your reliant transfer switch - assuming it is this model - 31410CRK Pro/Tran 10-Circuit 30 Amp - has a 30 amp breaker which at 120 V would be 3600 W. If your inverter generator can produce 5000 W, there’s 1400 W that you really can’t take advantage of because you’re reliant trans switch would switch off-line at 3600 W. Check my math let me know if you agree.
Thanks for watching! The 5000w is momentary for starting motors / compressors and should Be fine with the reliance transfer switch - it’s not a sustained load
Great video! Considering a generator for power outages, and seems like a viable solution... Appreciate your thorough explanation of the entire process!
I have this generator, had to drive 200 miles to get it during Helene to get it. Got it home…went through the instructions,got everything (2 refrigerators, 1 freezer, lights, gas water heater (tankless), coffee maker,microwave,tv,computer(when internet came back). Didn’t try the AC. Every time I checked the wattage, it was around 400…it did surge when the coffee maker started. We ran it 24 hrs for 4 days…no problems. This is a great generator for the $$$.
@@johnfoster1083 that’s awesome and I’m glad to hear it worked well! Thanks for watching!
So you didn't break it in?
Glad to know your safe I just got power back yesterday I ran my little 2200w westinghouse inverter and we kept our fridge up , internet box, a few fans , the TV, and game consoles. My fiance and i made a ton of progress in borderlands we are on number 2 now lol
Don’t forget to change the oil
Great point!
As someone who owns a 15000 whole house guardian unit, I agree 100% with this video. When storms do take the power out I power everything but it costs fuel, I don't have a propane setup. I power the home ac during the day and lights and pretty much everything with my guardian as much as is needed or wanted. In the evening I have a minisplit in my master bedroom which I can power with a soft start on the mini split and a much smaller generator than my guardian. During the last power outage we were out for a week. It was nice to have the convenience of 240 for the washing machine, water heater and ac but the gas was just ridiculous. I had just enough for a week of sparingly using my whole house generator. That is why stepping down in the size of units is imperative when you are going to sleep. You absolutely do not want to be the only house in the neighborhood with lights on everywhere with a loud generator. Two houses in the next development had their generators stolen during the night. Thieves came in with old lawn mowers and set them up where this guy had a brand new Honda 7000 portable. Your neighbors will always ask for a plug for a fan but instead they plug in an ac or a refrigerator and overload your generator, ask me how I know. Remember to equalize your bank outputs and never run your generator without a load, at least a light or something. The Predator has come leaps in bounds beyond what they once were, just remember to break them in properly. The first item you buy for that generator is the magnetic oil plug, it will make all the metal grinding stick to it when it runs for the first couple of times. Run it for a couple of hours under load, then change the oil completely, everything shiny in the oil is the breaking in shavings of the engine, make sure to run cheap oil for the the break ins and then go to some quality oil. I broke in my Predator 3 times before it was actually used during a power outage. That means three quick oil changes and that unit will run like a champ. She is definitely not as quiet as a Honda but she didn't cost Honda money. The battery will need a trickle charger or else you will have to manually turn it on, which is a total pain sometimes. I don't store any gas in my unit and make sure to run it out of gas completely before I put it away. If you do get this model get the ones with the wheels, this little joker is not as light as she seems to be. Remember also with any propane fittings, they have to be metal to metal, DO NOT USE PIPE TAPE LIKE IN HOMES PIPES, or else the propane will leak and be a possible explosion waiting to happen.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing
No need for the video, this reply answers all your questions.
Thanks for taking the time to provide all this information.
Great article and reply. I do take this one step farther though. I converted my two smaller ultra quiet generators to tri fuel and run them off natural gas first and propane or gasoline as backup. They make virtually no noise. I can charge up my whole home battery system in three hours to last for the whole day and not listen to a generator droning. The battery system handles 12000 watts of surge so that the generators don't have to. I am now adding solar with the intent of recouping my costs in 7 to 8 years and relegating the grid to backup gives me the ability to go off grid at any time for extended power outages or grid down situations.
Sir! If you don't work for harbor freight/Predator, you need to request some sort of payment because this video was an A+ in my opinion. Thank you for taking the time to make this fantastic video.
We just went through Hurricane Milton down here in Florida and I'm going into Day 4 without power, fortunately, I have a smaller/older generator to hold us up for a few hours (~3-4 hours) at a time but its definitely time for an upgrade.
Haha thank you for the compliment! I don’t work for them unfortunately but glad to hear at least you have some form of backup power! So far I’m really happy with the predator 5000 and most importantly I like that it’s very fuel efficient and quiet. I hope you get power back quickly and thanks for watching!
Agreed. He pretty much convinced me to get this for my mom
These videos just make me that much happier that I have a WGen11500TFc running on natural gas and I have 240v powering the entire panel and able to power a 5 ton AC with all the house lights and electronics and I never have to fill the gasoline. And it was very affordable. And low THD so no issues with UPS, LED lights or electronics. Truly the sweet spot of the backup generator world. Nuts to only have a 120V generator.
I am glad you found what works for you! Thanks for watching!
This is the best explanation of any product I've ever seen on UA-cam..
Thanks for watching!
It's definitely well done. Years ago I spent all kinds of time trying to figure out the best setup. This would have been super helpful back then.
@@purleybaker thank you and thanks for watching!!
Thank you very much very informative.
Great video! Thank you! I just bought this from HF last night, on sale for $849. I asked to speak to a salesperson who was familiar with the Predetor 5000. The guy told me he knew enough to be dangerous then told me I couldn't run a house or my RV on the 5000. Good thing I've been doing my research on this one for a year and bought it anyway.
Awesome I think you’ll enjoy it just make sure to fire it up and test everything! Thank you for watching!
Find the RV manual, make a list of all electrical components in your unit , add up the wattage of each item and you will know what high wattage you can not run to stay under the 5000 watts, like run 2 fans instead of A/C to start subbing
@@marciabrainard9837 I know what I can and can not run in my RV with the Predetor 5000. I just wanted someone to go thru it with me before I bought it. Just basic stuff like on this video here. Telling my I can just plug my RV into it an run it, like the sales person told be was very reckless and irresponsible. If you don't know, just say you don't know but dont give out the wrong information.
This unit at HF is coming on sale for $849.99 on Oct. 11. We live in Augusta, Ga. and have never experienced anything like a hurricane until Helene hit us about ten days ago. We are 120 miles from the coast in Savannah even though this came from the Gulf about 250 miles away, needless to say we were not prepared. My wife and I were very fortunate because we don’t have any trees around our house. We lost power for six days and a lot of people still don’t have power. We had to throw away everything in our refrigerator and freezer, that hurt. Your video answers a lot of questions I had about a generator. Thanks
I’m sorry to hear you lost power for so long but thankfully your home was ok! Any generator would be a lifesaver to at least keep the fridge going and some lights and a phone charger. The sale price is a good deal for sure! Thanks for watching!
HF??
@@billkyle9718 harbor freight
Great video and thank you 🙏🏾
@@billkyle9718 thank you and thanks for watching!
Thank you so much this is me and my wife first generator. I got the 5000 predator a plant manager got one and I asked him what he got. I know nothing about generator but listening and watching your video was very helpful. People like you are God sent may you and your family be blessed 🙏👌
I’m glad it was helpful and I hope you and your wife enjoy the new generator! Thanks for watching!
This is definitely one of the best videos! Thank you . I’m thinking as an older person I could handle a few swipes of a switch 😂😂
Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching!
I learned so much in this video alone for someone new who’s looking at purchasing their first generator. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I got a 3400 watt dual fuel generator about ten years ago. Ran it only on propane. I powered the furnace, one air handler, fridge, chest freezer. the power supply for the stairlift, Fios box(phone and internet), and a few LED lights. I mostly got it for new england winters, so no AC. Standard BBQ propane tank would run the thing for about 12 hours with that load. After the break in oil change, the oil was clean as a whistle after four years, when I changed it just because.
The only prblem I had was the starter battery would go dead while it was in storage. I considered getting one of those battery maintainer devices to keep it charged in storage, but since it would start up after a couple of pulls on the rope, decided not to bother. I did have one time when it wouldn't start. but that was caused by a rag that was wet and frozen that happened to be hanging in front of the air intake and choked it out.
Mine wasn't an inverter, so my computer didn't like the quality of the power, but the laptop and cell phones charged up fine. I bought a new 20 pound propane tank annually until I had six tanks on hand, so three days of power. Watch out for those tank swap companies like Blue Rhino. they only fill their tanks to around 17 lbs, not the full 20 pounds of propane, so you won't get as much runtime per tank.
Thanks for watching!
It gets real cold where I live. My gen has a lithium ion battery. When it's this cold outside I take the battery out and store it inside. Cold temps are not good for the life of these batteries.
Dang, that's some great explanation and instructional video! I needed that dumb down version for a generator newbie like me. Thank you!
@@jacko3423 glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!
I just used a similar setup for almost four days in Houston for the little hurricane beryl that just blew through. I have a 50 amp plug to my house so i can hook up a bigger generator to run my 240v pool pump for a few hours. A Westinghouse 9500. It is so noisy and sucks down the gas. Then for the other 18 hours of the day i would disconnect it and hook up my lovely little champion 5500 dual fuel inverter which is very similar output as your predator 5000. I have a 30amp RV adapter that plugs into the smaller generator and then into the 50 amp cord that is plugged into the house where it ran a 8000 btu window unit in my master bedroom and many lights and a 65 inch led tv, ceiling fan, refrigerator, garage door, bathroom exhaust fan and a water cooler while running my cpap machine all night. All while keeping as many unnecessary lights and fans off at one time. I just kept the other bedrooms, dining room breakers off. So you really don’t need that other mini backup breaker box. I just have a lockout switch and the 50amp plug is plugged into the whole panel. Just don’t turn on all of the breakers that you don’t really need.
Thanks for Watching and that's great to hear! Sometimes its better to run these smaller units and conserve fuel while still powering "most items". I'm glad you made it through the hurricane OK and were able to provide power!
@@Outdoor_Prepper So this man's story might have answered my question I was going to ask, but if you have the interlock kit on your panel, can you use your 120v generator? Obviously, you can't run any 240v appliances that have the double breaker, but would your generator work with an interlock kit?
I've had the Predator 3500 for at least 10 years now. Love it, still starts first try. Been through several hurricanes. Just maintain it. If I was looking for new generator I'd buy this 5000 in a heartbeat.
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
Sir, I am so happy to have found this video! I'm looking to get a generator and didn't even know where to start. I learned so much from watching this video and probably will buy this exact setup. Great info with an amazingly detailed explanation... WELL DONE!
I'm glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
When I saw those loafers, I knew I better listen up
@@opusj-mn9zg that’s a wise man right there! 😂
Thanks for watching!
Wow thanks for breaking it down for me. I had no idea how portable generators work.
@@troyparker422 I’m glad it was helpful! Please check out some of my other videos which you may enjoy as well. Thanks for watching!
Wow, what a great video. I see my neighbors have put in those massive units that you’re talking about and they haven’t used them in years and they’re sitting in their yards just having to be maintained regularly so that when they are needed they’ll work but they have not been needed for 15 years. This is the perfect solution. Thank you. The great thing about your video is, I can send it to my electrician and tell him this is what I want to do. Terrific job.
I’m glad it helped! Thanks for watching!
Um, if neighbors haven’t used theirs in 15 years why do you need a generator? Sounds like you’re in a really great/unique place. Honestly I agree with you. If no generator is needed in your locale then do get a portable unit like this if only for peace of mind.
Best generator video. Thank you for explaining those important points. 🤘🏽👌🏾
@@fesko76 glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
I have a small Honda 2000 watt inverter generator for my camper. A few years ago I installed a 4 circuit version of that transfer switch in my house. It can power the refrigerator, led lights, and a small window AC. With a hurricane coming to FL this week I may finally be using it.
That’s awesome! Good luck and I hope you are not affected by the hurricane. Thanks for watching!
Pray 4 us cuz @@Outdoor_Prepper
Yeppers have two of them for 2 window ac’s, freezer and fridge, lights and 85 in TV. They run 9 hours on a gallon 💪
I'm from NW BC, Canada and I've found this to be one of the best, most complete product descriptions/walk-throughs... I've ever seen! Well done! I will be downloading it for future use even though the pricing is about 30% off thanks to the difference in our dollars. I hope to be installing a similar system in our new home soon and your info has shown me that I don't need a 10,000+ watt genset like I previously thought I might. Thanks😊 and Cheers🍻
Thanks for the positive feedback and thanks for watching!
One of the best generator video on UA-cam!
Thanks for watching and appreciate the support!
I just got a 5000 because we lost power during Milton. I really like it and knew that it could do so much more than just a refrigerator and a fan. Thank you for sharing this. It is very helpful.
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
I have an onboard generator on my Nash travel trailer Onon Cummins! Great generator but LOAD and shake the whole trailer! Purchased the predator 5000! And love it half the noise and love the remote start! Highly recommend
Thanks for watching!
Outstanding explanation and demonstration. You connected all the dots. I think the concern most people have with any non-Honda generator is the noise level. The gap has narrowed a lot, as other manufacturers have learned that job-site noise levels are not okay for home standby/emergency use.
Totally agree! Thanks for watching!
Good info. I just decided to buy the 5000 Watt today while it's on sale at HF for just $799 ! I really won't use it for more than charging my 10kW battery banks (Solar Generator), but this will help keep it charged on cloudy days with plenty of power to spare, as well as the Dual Fuel capability for extra possibilities. Thanks for the great video !
Congrats on the purchase and thanks for watching!
I have a similar hookup using a Firman Tri-Fuel Generator which also gives you the option of connecting it to natural gas from the utility company. I had my plumber tap into the existing gas line so I don't have worry about running out of gasoline or propane. The peak rating is 6900 and run load is 5500 using natural gas. I caught the unit on sale at Costco for $ 750.
That’s a great price and tri-fuel generators are awesome as they give you even more fuel choices!
Thanks for watching!
A1 video ! Thank you for taking the time to make and share this video.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
One thing I recommend is purchasing the 30 lb propane tanks. 50% more, but still easy to pick up and get refilled. In my area it is cheaper to refill a 30 lb tank than to exchange a 20 lb tank (that isn't full anyway). Of course it depends on how often you use it, but a couple of 30 lb tanks will eventually pay for themselves.
Totally agree with you and I actually picked one up and might buy another. Thanks for watching!
Outstanding video! I'm considering a combination of battery power (Bluetti AC300.B300) and generator power. This video convinced me that the Predator 5000 is the best generator option.
That’s a great combo to have! You’ll love it! Thanks for watching!
Good info. I own a 9000 Champion and a 2000, both are inventor. I also use a Jackery for the master bedroom at night, no generator running at night. I have have gas hot water and cooking. I installed a soft start on my 3500 Trane. Pulls 21 amps on start and runs on 11 amps. The Champion runs the whole house and well at the same time. Start it in the morning and take showers and have coffee and breakfast and cool the house. Run it for 3 hours. My Jackery runs all the tv and internet. Good luck. I bought a storage plastic shed to store generators and fuel.
@@domfer2540 thank you and thanks for watching!
What size Jackery do you use that will run the TV all day?
@@Kevinw4040 I have a Bluetti ( it’s like a jackery but better because Bluetti’s have a Lithium iron phosphate battery which lasts longer and is safer. I have the ac200l ( it’s expensive and heavy ) but provides lots of power. I also have the ac180 which is about $500 and I think the best all around. The ac180 powered my full size fridge for 14 hours. You can definitely power a tv for quite a while. I did videos of each on my channel - have a look if you have time.
Thanks for watching!
Great explanation, I have the same setup done about 10 years ago. I have a dual fuel duromax (DuroMax XP4850EH). What I did next to the transfer switch (same as yours) was post a laminated form indicating which circuits are compatible to keep the generator balanced. We have only used it twice. Really important to keep our lineman safe.👍
That’s great Info and I think I will do that as well! Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
I was in HF the other day and got to looking at this generator. I was shocked at the running watts. Its just a little more than the 3500 predator and it still doesn't have 220v. My 3500's have not let me down and start right up even after sitting unused 6 months or more. I would recommend the Predator generators,
Thanks for watching!
3500 doesn't have 240 either
@ That is the 3500’s Achilles heel. I would have liked them to add that on the 5000 watter.
Very informative video, Outdoor Prepper. It's good to know the cost of all the gear we'll need, not just the generator itself.
Thanks for watching!
What a great video! It is the kind of stuff the likes of HF should have available and I hope you get rewarded for this. I purchased this generator and it’s exactly what I was hoping to find. Also, it looks like HF now has the cover for the generator.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.
Such a great video and very helpful. I purchased this earlier today. It was $850 at Harbor Freight. I plan on using propane with this, and use gas as a backup when I don't have propane in reach. Also, Ia m definitely getting that Reliance and installed.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much and thanks for watching!
The best explanation! Great video clip. Thanks
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the review. Grabbed one yesterday for 20% off. Sale is still good today, 7/7/24 if anyone has need/interest.
Thanks for watching!
Amazing video with great instructions. Living in an area that's constantly getting hit by storms and hurricanes this is a perfect set up.
@@yankeesusa1 I’m glad it was helpful!! Thanks for watching!
So true. During our super tornado outbreak of 2011, the power was out for 4 or 5 days. I ran my critical items off of a Honda EU2000-with a advertised max continuous load of 1,600 watts. I plugged in (the whole time) one upright full size freezer, two full size refrigerator/freezers-(but as stayed out of them as much as possible), Misc Lighting and some box fans, also the 50" flat screen, cable box and routers. Used around 2-3 gallons of gasoline a day. As was mentioned, we did unplug everything when making coffee....or using the microwave. Changed the oil, everyday. Still have the generator, and it still works. A Honda. Wouldn't expect any less.
@@bobbygene8274 thats great to hear! Thanks for watching!
With the high efficiency refrigerators, freezers, appliances and LED lights it is getting much easier to run a house on a smaller generator. When you add natural gas, propane and solar into the mix just about anyone outside of the city could go off grid at minimal expense.
I own this generator and put a natural gas conversion kit on it. I ran it constantly for 8 days after hurricane burl and it did great. I ran a fridge, 5000BTU window unit and a couple fans. Kept the oil changed on time.
That is awesome that you were able to run your house for so long on this generator!
That was a extremely helpful video! Thank you for putting it out!
Glad it was helpful!
I've been trying to decide on an inverter generator; this video has helped me make up my mind. Thanks.
@@brianfoster7064 glad it was helpful! Thank so much for watching!
A very informative video. A total novel regarding electrical jargon. Your explanations made sense.
@@melinda6712 I’m glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!!
Great video! I just bought the 5000 using the 25% coupon, and this is exactly the setup I was planning to do. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Great video overall, you covered all the items. In my opinion, though you should’ve gotten a 240 V inverter and just gone with an interlock. That way you power whole house you decide what you want to power and you don’t spend money on some transfer switch where you’re tied to only several circuits and that’s it. Much more flexible with the interlock and the ability to have 240V if you need it. It powers both buses even if you don’t need 240 V. Plus, the cost is no more than having a transfer switch and probably less. I totally agree with the smaller generator in the gas concern. I would’ve gone for an inverter that had the smallest 240 output but at least 5 to 6000 running. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching! I’m considering a 2nd, 240v unit just incase but I largely prefer the smaller more fuel efficient units
Let’s say a person chooses not to turn on their, 240 electric stove or clothes dryer, they’d be okay with this model + interlock switch, right?
@@RoddyAlt - exactly. Although I have a 240 oven, I always leave that breaker off. I have a 6000 W 240V generator that could power it if I wanted to I turned off the rest of the circuits while using it if I wanted to. No issue with leaving those off and isolating those circuits
@RoddyAlt -- do you need 240V for electric well pump and electric water heater? IDK.
@@mojoman2001 yes
Perfect video.
100% info
Well worth watching and learning from hands on person. Thank you I'm on board for this exact set up.
Thanks so much! I did a follow up last night that’s posted on my channel where I ran all the items in my house I plan to use including the heat. Check it out when you have time.
Thanks for watching!
Great Video. You did a great job on the installing the electrical. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for watching!
jeez.....at about 90 seconds in, i stopped The video so I could get my notebook and pen. I was taken to school, and learned a lot........ All of it exactly what I wanted to know! Thank you so much sir for a great video that really helped my understanding and my ability to make some good decisions.
Excellent! I’m glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!
Great videos you made about dual fuel generators. Would be great to see how you maintain them and how they hold up.
Thanks for watching! Will definitely post more follow up videos on it!
Thank you for making this great informative video, it was certainly useful. Living in Florida for years now, we have an older electric start 8K watt generator, its loud and loves gasoline as it doesn't have that power down eco mode, its full throttle all the time. I mean you can manually change the throttle. I asked the electrician to wire it up to the house and he installed a plug socket and a switch on the outdoor fuse panel that I throw to disconnect the line power. I like that set up you have but don't know how it could be added. Thanks again very good video, well done, clear and concise explanation of all the important steps.
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Living in SE Texas and dealing with far too common blackouts from storms, hurricanes, and what not, I needed something for home backup backup that didn’t break the bank. Like you talk about, I need to power fridge, deep freezer, a backup window unit, some lights, and TV/internet. Hot water heater and stove are gas so I’m good there. I was very close to buying the Predator 5000 but started reading all the issues they continue to have like overloading. That and HF wanting $300 for a 2 year warranty turned me away. I ended up buying the Westinghouse iGen 4500DF instead. It doesn’t have perfect history but does seem like they now have most of the bugs worked out and picked it up for less than $800.
Thanks for watching!
Mr, best tutorial video ever, simple, to the point for real people. Thank you
@@jasito2005 thank you! And thanks for watching!!
Great video !! Love the load requirements section where you laid out the loads of typical appliances & devices and what you should do in each scenario. The only thing that would make it better is put in the link/description of the parts you used.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks a ton for this video brother, I’ve really been debating on getting the 9500 and getting wired into my house and feel like it’s overkill. I think I’m gonna go get this one.
Glad I could help! Thanks for watching!
I love this setup in N.E. I run a 10 circuit Transfer Switch like yourself but I power it with 6000 watt DC to AC inverter and a 20kwh lifpo4 battery bank. I can charge it with solar or the inverter generator. I'm hoping to capture the waste heat from the generator for space heating and getting low cost electricity.
Thanks for watching!
WOW. Great video for this generator and set up. I will use everything I learned. Just a side note to add. In Florida we tend to buy a house that has hurricane shutters as an extra bonus [not required but helps the sale]. In the 50's it was a car that had A/C, etc. I'm going to have this transfer switch installed and will use that [along with the shutters, pool, etc.] as a selling factor. I will be taking the generator and associated hardware with us when we move so all the new owner should have to do is supply the generator and tanks/cans, etc.
Thanks for watching! So far I’m very happy with the generator
I agree that a monster size generator is just not needed for backup/emergency power. That being said, I have a 7500w Firman generator ($799 at Costco) that's actually tri-fueled (gasoline, propane, and natural gas). Since my home has natural gas service, I've never actually had gasoline in my generator through a 1/2 dozen storms/hurricanes. I installed a quick-connect hose fitting on my natural gas service (parts bought at Home Depot) and it's just two quick-connect fittings to basically have endless fuel. Propane is definitely the next best thing.
Totally agree with you! A tri fuel generator would be first choice because if you have natural gas that’s basically an unlimited fuel supply, with propane being 2nd and gasoline 3rd.
Thanks for watching!
Very good point you make about running only minimal loads while you sleep. I have a 11kw inverter, it's a dual fuel. I have 25 lbs of propane and 35 gallons of non-eth gasoline. I estimate my run time with that at about 3 days. Not great, I'd prefer to have a week's worth of fuel. Eventually I will buy two 100lb propane tanks which will put me close to 7 days run time (a bit shy).
I'd love a smaller unit to run minimal stuff while we sleep, like the furnace, fridge, and some lights. Would save a lot on fuel. But that's just not in the cards anytime soon. Luckily my hot water heater doesn't require electricity to run. Just uses a thermocoupler type thing that generates enough electricity via the pilot light to open and close a small door that allows more gas in to light.
You are right, that is a lot of fuel to have on hand, but it's better to have it than not! Thanks for watching!
Super video. Thank you so much!
@@CulturalFoods glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
As an Instructor you're a natural. Terrific video.
Thanks so much and thanks for watching!
I won’t be running a generator at night during civil unrest. That’s what thee solar generation system is for. Good video
Thanks for watching! I agree with you and I purchased a Bluetti ac200l solar generator ( watch the review I did on my channel) where I hooked it up to my transfer switch!
@Outdoor_Prepper Good video.
I built a 6.2Kw battery bank 4 × 6v 260AH AGM 2p2s, 3000 watt inverter/charger (Renogy). 4000watt dual fuel generator. 800w PV on 2 400w strings feeding a 40amp MPPT controller properly wired and fused to charge the bank. A "portable " Inergy Apex with two Flex batteries (1096wh x 3). 11 days without power in Tallahassee, no gasoline available after two days.
@@dlbracer56 thanks for watching!
Thanks for a great video. It was very helpful in guiding me through organizing (estimating wattage) and setting up the propane generator I have.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Thanks a ton for the cover model number.
Thanks for Watching!
Thanks for the vid. You can run a portion of a small house with a 5Kv gen but you need something 3X that to run an entire house- without AC. Been there, done that my friend. Definitely agree on the necessity of a breaker box sub-panel though. Well done.
Thank you! I plan to only run the essentials during an emergency. My hot water heater and stove are natural gas and my heat is oil. I would only be able to run a window ac and some fans ( not a central air) but I want to conserve as much fuel as possible and only run essentials during an emergency as I won’t know how long I have to run or how difficult it might be to get fuel.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for this excellent video. Your emphasis on the importance of minimal fuel usage and not buying a bigger generator than you need should be common sense but people refuse to listen.I have a $700.00 Wen 4500w 120v dual fuel inverter generator that I fuel with propane (3150 w). I run two fridges, a deep freezer,two tvs,furnace fan , lights, router,etc simultaneously. It usually runs at half draw or less on eco mode sometimes it may surge to 3/4. Fairly certain I can run a window AC for part of the house as well. Used a watt meter ($12.00 Amazon) to plug each of my appliances in individually to guesstimate how big of a generator I needed. Keep in mind that compressors on fridges and deep freeze probably will never kick on at the same time and it would be good practice to unplug a fridge the few minutes needed to run a microwave. We do have a propane furnace, range and water heater. We live very comfortably during a power outage and I can't understand why people insist on buying a large fuel guzzling generator to live in luxury during an occasional power outage. Once again a very good job at showcasing the problem of overspending on a generator and buying fuel during a possible long term emergency.
Do you run yours continuously? How long do you wait between refueling and restarting your inverter. How many hours can you run yours between oil changes? I’m asking because of the Wren brand. My husband passed, so I’ll be solely responsible. Thank you for any advice, it would be much appreciated. Thank you.
@@lzh3131 oil has to be changed after 8 hours break in. Then it is changed every 25 hours. A built-in display keeps track of hours for you and oil change is super simple. I run mine off 20 lb propane BBQ tanks so I don't have to store gas. Yes I've run it continuously for several hours at a time. Thankfully we have not had a several day outage. It is a Wen DF451i. It's $754.00 on Amazon. It's rated for 9 hours run time on a 20 lb propane tank or two and a half gallons of gasoline. It produces 120 volts and your circuit box in your house is 240 volts. The transfer switch that's shown on the end of the video is a good option. It probably means you'll have to hire an electrician as the man on the video explains unless your house is already set up for a 120 v generator. It also has electric start, just push the button.
Thanks for watching!
@@lzh3131 your welcome
Great tutorial..thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Been looking at this and the 9000. My issue is where I live, I have both a water well that will fill up a 1,200 gallon holding tank and then, another pump that will transfer from holding tank to pressure tank. I need to calculate the amount of watts that will do when they kick in. Also, I have an aerobic septic tank. Other than that, just need fridge and freezer and some other stuff. It is just the pumps that concern me.
Thanks for watching!
I purchased one today, as I'm in a red flag area in Southern California, and power outages have been about 1/2 the time for the last two weeks. I did some research, but I still had some doubts. Had I seen your video beforehand, there would have been none. I knew about the transfer switch but didn't know the costs or how it worked exactly. I also didn't think much of the propane option, but now I'm sold. So, thank you; this was an invaluable video.
I do have one question. Security. Other than locking into the handles with a chain, I don't see an obvious way to secure it. Crime has picked up in my neighborhood, catalytic converters especially, and despite the low noise, I want to look for ways to make it harder to steal.
@@barkingsheltie thank you so much for the kind words and I’m happy it was helpful! The best way to secure it so far that I’m aware of is with heavy chains through both handles. Be safe and thanks for watching!
Nice setup.... Thanks !
Thanks for watching!
Best video I’ve seen on the subject and I appreciate the details that you give us and all of the information. Thank you very much.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
We are on day 2 of probably 10 after Hurricane Milton in Daytona Beach. Trust Me. This is the best $2 G's you are ever gonna spend. TV's, Internet, cooking, an AC window unit,. Dude TRUST ME!!!! Propaine stores for 8 years. Gasoline stores for 6 Months. Wives love me.
I hope you get power back quickly and I agree with you - this is worth its weight in gold!
Thanks for watching!
Same!
Wives???
@@frankt7521 HAHAHAHA!!!
Hopefully you guys are ok. I live in Tampa. We got hammered. We had power all through the storm but lost power due to massive flooding the next day. Tons of people here still without power. Here we all are researching generators.
Fantastic video! Thank you for all your valuable information. This was a great help. 👍🏼
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Excellent video & info thanks
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for Watching!
The cover and especially the detailed explanation of sine wave was such a help!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
My 2 cents... if possible with any small engine I would use Real Gas (Ethanol Free). Especially in humid climates because Ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it readily absorbs water from the air. That's why fuel Stabilizer or dry gas is needed. It's also corrosive. With ethanol-free gas, it stores for a long time without issues.
I totally agree with you. Unfortunately where I live I can’t get any pure gasoline - it’s all ethanol blend.
Thanks for watching!
Very informative, thanks!
Glad you found it useful!
If this had a 240: outlet it would be perfect
Agree. It’s not just the ability to power a 240 appliance which I never do in my house - but could if I wanted. It’s the ability to have both 120V legs powered.
Thanks for watching!
This is a really informative and well done video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. What a great and inexpensive idea.
@@scottsherwood8555 I’m glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Bigger is always better when you have a family and your budget can handle it, especially with a house full of girls. The 9500w would be a better deal because you rather have more power on tap than not enough.
Thanks for waving!
Sane and reasonable discussion of a topic that is frequently lacking in those qualities. I rarely have power outages, but if I did this looks like a setup I would use.
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Out of power for 4 days and felt lucky . Living in Houston and we get tested every 3 to 4 years with outage juggernauts . I Have a 4500 watt unit and this was what I ran , 1 window 5000btu unit , 2 box fans , 2 lamps , chargers for phones , 1 fridge only at night while reducing the a/c down to half . Would get 8 hours out of the tank , the generator requires a daily oil change when running severe long hour loads so buy a good oil and if it’s out of the box you have to break in the oil an hour of run time , drain , repeat , then your good to haul on the hour loads . I only use ethanol free fuel and before storage runnit out of gas . You will not have any luck with those fuel storage additives so don’t bother , you will gel the carb and it Will Fail next usage .
That’s great info to know! Thanks for watching!
This is a very knowledgable video. I have a similar setup but with a Firman (very low cost of 450$ Canadian on sale at Home Depot) gas generated generator, and powering six circuits with a Reliance switch. With six circuits, I power my natural gas furnace, refrigerator, Tv, computer and Internet router, and, my electric water heater. This setup carries me through power outages during ice and snow storms as I'm in Canada and we have those occasionnally.
One suggestion, when throwing open the switches for powering up the house circuits from the generator, wait a minute or so between each switch so that you let the home appliance time to power up alternatively without requiring too much power at the same time from your generator. Also, throw the switches in alternate way from both sides of the transfer switch, so that the required power will be balanced on the generator.
At Autumn, I fill the generator with supreme gas with added stabelizer ready for the winter. In spring, I transfer the unused gas from the generator to a gas can and put in my car to use it so that repeating this procedure, I always have good gas in the generator if the need comes.
My Firman 3650 Watts generator is sufficient to power six circuits in my house which carry the most important appliances, such as the gas furnace and the refrigerator.
Thank you and those are some great points!
Thanks for watching!
Great video. Could you please list parts along with their item numbers. Thanks!!!
Thanks for watching! I’ll try to update the video with item numbers soon
Excellent video. A great explanation that I shared with my wife. I’m wondering about running a window AC unit along with fridge and electric water heater, and whether that means we’d need to get a 240v unit instead of 120v. This is so helpful as we live on the coast in Florida. Thank you!
You could definitely power a fridge and window ac unit with no problem. An electric water heater though would be 240v so unfortunately this generator couldn’t do 240.
Thanks for watching!
I live in Florida. I never needed a Generator until I was hit with Hurricane Irma. I live in a 2 bedroom 2 bath house deep in the woods. I was with out power more then 9 days. I knew I was not going to let that happen again and I bought the best Generator I could find and did my research. I bought a 10,000 watt Western House for 900 dollars. I could have bough the duel Generator for 200 more but in my research propane did not last very long. You spend 23 dollars on a propane tank full and it only last about 6 hours. I can fill mine up with gas and it holds 6 gallons and if it is running on max it will last 16 hours.
Most places in Florida had no propane to buy as soon as the storm hit. But you could always find gas. True I will never need 10,000 watts but it is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. What no one tells you is if you have a 5000 watt Generator it is more then likely only 4000 watts running. With that said how hard will a 5000 watt Generator be running compare to a 10,000 watt Generator? Then you think about the Warranty I got a 5 year on mine . No matter what Generator a person buys they will pay the cost to plug it in the house and it will always be the same pretty much.
If you have a stronger Generator with more power means it will work less as to if you have a small Generator that is only 2500 to 5000 it will work a lot harder. True gas does not last long sitting in a can but the gas would be used as needed and all one would need is about 6 5 gallon gas cans and when they are all empty go fill them no different then when the gas grill tank is empty. Now remember you can only buy Propane gas when the stores are open for sale but you can buy gas any time of the day.
My Generator has three ways to start. Push button start pull start and remote I don't even have to step out side my house to start it.
Thanks for watching!
Man thanks for this video which was a very simple set up god bless you are appreciated 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽🙏🏽
@@edwardd8102 thank you and thanks for watching!
Great Video 👍 Does the generator have a Hobbs meter that shows total motor runtime because the motor will need to be rebuilt at a specific time?
Also, the newer ones are going to have wireless mobile phone connectivity that will display all generator parameters and the ability to turn the generator on and off via a smartphone application.
Thanks for watching! The generator has an hour meter on it
@@Outdoor_Prepper
Perfect thanks !
Great job explaining everything 👍👍
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Don’t run it on low idle mode when connected to your house. Low idle mode is only to be used with power tools. You could damage your appliances if you run on low idle while connected to your home.
Thanks for watching!
Good point. I was testing generator for my house and in idle (eco) mode the voltage in my office momentarily dropped to 98V when I turned on the laser printer. When I turned idle mode off it only dropped a couple volts.
This. Underpowering things will kill appliances pretty quickly.
@@PeteNice29 thanks for watching!
Great video , concise , to the point , and true . I have hooked up many different systems and I like this one .
Thank you! And thanks for watching!
Thank you! And thanks for watching!
The Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) for this Predator model is greater than >3%. THD >3% indicates a significant distortion that can lead to overheating, reduced efficiency, and wear on equipment. Ignorance is not bliss and now you know!
Thanks for watching!
Yea, but you forgetting that's an inverter
@@leonblack2651 You need to know that if you use the Predator it will ruin your equipment that you use it to power. You need to get a generator that inverts/outputs a PURE SINE WAVE and one that outputs >3% THD as noted NONE of the Predator lines meet that criteria so your comment is not valid.
@psmith3001 have a westing house none inverter 15,000watt. It runs a t less than 3% becauseof the coil in the motor.. An inverter model, it's built in. Pure sign wave and cean power. Best for electronics. All harbor freight inverter models from 2,000 to the 9,500 have this tech. It converts the AC to DC. No fluctuating on AC because it is converted to DC. Just like a power converter does. You need to brush up on inverter technology.
@@leonblack2651 You are flat out wrong in regard to the Predator line. If you take the time to contact them they admit NONE of the models meet the >3% THD - end of story! Therefore it does not meet the criteria of a PURE SIGN WAVE, too. Before you make your claims do yourself a favor and contact the manufacture's - if they fail to share the info then you know it is a no go, ok. Have a nice day!
Very helpful. I know little about power and such. This I can do, so I'll be buying the generator or a similar one and having a transfer switch installed. I so appreciate this video. You made it simple.
@@rogerhook8002 glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
3 - 4 $600 dollars worth of foods I'm 💀 but great video 😭
Thanks for watching!
This was very helpful. I sat in the dark for a week. I won't do that again.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Great info. Just brought my 5000 home, set up and ran for 5 hrs. It ran perfectly. Question I'm ready to change the oil so should I stay with the recommended WD 30 or go to a synthetic 5/20 or 0/30 for longer lasting performance.? Also is it necessary to change the original equip spark plug now? Thanks Chuck B Houston
😊
Why don’t you just go with what they recommend? That can be synthetic I’m sure. Why would you want to switch weights when it’s not what’s recommended?
Thanks for watching! I just stick with 10w30 and change it every 20-50 hours after break in. Oil is very inexpensive so I feel better with more frequent changes
My transfer switch setup is almost identical to yours. Works like a charm!
That’s awesome! I’m really happy with the reliance transfer switch!
One thing to note. Your reliant transfer switch - assuming it is this model - 31410CRK Pro/Tran 10-Circuit 30 Amp - has a 30 amp breaker which at 120 V would be 3600 W. If your inverter generator can produce 5000 W, there’s 1400 W that you really can’t take advantage of because you’re reliant trans switch would switch off-line at 3600 W. Check my math let me know if you agree.
Outdoor Prepper - any comment on the above?
Thanks for watching! The 5000w is momentary for starting motors / compressors and should Be fine with the reliance transfer switch - it’s not a sustained load
Great video!
Considering a generator for power outages, and seems like a viable solution...
Appreciate your thorough explanation of the entire process!
@@alberthilt thank you! And thank for watching!
500 watt fridge wat oh USA
Thanks for watching!