Back up Generators. Any input?

[NaCL+H2O]

Living on the North east coast these days isn't what it use to be in regards to natural disasters, so Im definitely looking for some insurance in regards to backup Generators to help sustain my 90G/sump/T5 reef system during power outages. HOWEVER! these are not cheap pieces of equipment so I'm not trying to purchase something that can power a whole house. Does anyone know what would be an appropriate wattage output that i would need????
I've seen as high as 6000 watts but all i saw was $$$$ attached to the price tag.

 

[Dave A]

Even a little 2000W would be able to power your tank with no trouble at all, you should even be able to plug in a refrigerator and sump pump and maybe a lamp or two. Going up to a 5000W would probably power most of a house if you're careful about what you turn on. Many of my neighbors used 5000w generators to survive the last couple outages. I have a 6800W and hooked it up to run the whole house, I wouldn't try to run the central AC with it but it had no problem running everything else for 2 weeks after Sandy. "Everything else" includes my 90 gal/sump/T5s/wavemaker/heat, 2 refrigerators, laundry, dishwasher, heat, lights, TVs, etc. Just make sure you have plenty of fuel on hand. I only had two 5 gal cans and a 2 gal can and that lasts almost a whole day. I ended up running about 50% of the time and had to go out to refill a can or 2 every day. I don't know which was worse, the $500 I spent on fuel or the 30 hours I spent on gas lines.

 

[MarvinsReef]

Even a little 2000W would be able to power your tank with no trouble at all, you should even be able to plug in a refrigerator and sump pump and maybe a lamp or two. Going up to a 5000W would probably power most of a house if you're careful about what you turn on. Many of my neighbors used 5000w generators to survive the last couple outages. I have a 6800W and hooked it up to run the whole house, I wouldn't try to run the central AC with it but it had no problem running everything else for 2 weeks after Sandy. "Everything else" includes my 90 gal/sump/T5s/wavemaker/heat, 2 refrigerators, laundry, dishwasher, heat, lights, TVs, etc. Just make sure you have plenty of fuel on hand. I only had two 5 gal cans and a 2 gal can and that lasts almost a whole day. I ended up running about 50% of the time and had to go out to refill a can or 2 every day. I don't know which was worse, the $500 I spent on fuel or the 30 hours I spent on gas lines.

thanks for the reply. what brand and where did you get it from?

 

[Squishie89]

If possible I suggest getting a generator that uses natural gas, this is especially convenient if you already have natural gas as a utility. This way there is no need for getting fuel or keeping fuel. This is the route my family intends to go.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Planedoc]

If you have a generator everyone will want to use it. Curling irons blow dryers and microwaves included. You actually can run the basics, return pump and powerheads on a battery and inverter. You can use you car to recharge it. Your skimmer is not needed for a day or two power loss. I personally have a 5000 watt Honda that will run my entire house including the ac. Hondas and generac are two of the best names out there.

Sent from my galaxy s3

 

[redfishbluefish]

The best $300 I spent!


Sam's club 3650 watt generator that ran my entire tank (2 300 W heaters, lights, pumps, etc), my refrigerator, television, boiler and a few lights....for 8 days during Sandy, running 24/7. My only complaint is that it's loud. Get 100 foot extensions and put it as far away from the house as you can.

 

[Planedoc]

In reality if you save the food in your fridge, that will make up at least $300. Just replacing all condiments and sauces alone can add up.

Sent from my galaxy s3

 

[mfinn]

I have a Generac brand 6500 watt generator that is wired into my house with it's own circuit box. It's a electric start model and when the power goes out, I remove the cover ( dog house style ) turn on the gas, hit the starter button, flip 4 switches and the power is on.
It has enough power to run about 3/4 of my house, which includes the hot water heater.
I also have six 5 gallon gas cans, which is enough gas for 60 hours of run time.

 

[MarvinsReef]

very nice guys. good to know which brands to look for. 1smile1

 

[cultivatedcoral]

Generac 16kw whole house natural gas. As you know in a bad storm gas stations will be out of gas and power for some time so if you have natural gas coming into your house that is the best bet. Believe me I've been through 5 hurricanes in south florida and this is well worth the $$$

 

[mfinn]

very nice guys. good to know which brands to look for. 1smile1

If I had the money I would go for a Honda generator. They are sooo quiet compared to all others. They are the standard for quiet generators.
In my area a 6500 watt electric start runs about $4k

 

[ReefPops]

Good information. I am also looking in to getting a generator. Way too much to lose if we lose power for an extended period of time. In the midwest heavy snow and heavy rain can definitely do that.

 

[RollinReefer]

I live in NY and when I heard sandy was coming our way i purchased a honda eu1000i to run my tank.It powered my return my eheim 1262 , 2 radions, heater and mp4o with no problems!!... on top of that It ran for about 120 hours non stop and only used around 10 gallons of gas!!.. honda generators are great because they have economic modes which are very fuel efficient .. I would either go with the honda eu1000i or eu2000i .. both are affordable and good!

 

[Trevdawg]

Interesting.

 

[NaCL+H2O]

Thanks for the input guys.:bigsmile:

 

[ReeferBob]

Biggest thing with generators is to get one sizes to your needs. If you just want to run the tank, get that size. If you want to run other stuff, size is appropriately. Generators use a LOT of fuel. Most of that is wasted if you are not using the full output of the generator. I put a transfer switch into my old house. This takes the full output outlet of the generator (larger generators have this) and plugs it into a special transfer panel that covers x amount of your circuits. I had a 16 circuit transfer panel which was enough to power most of the 20 or so circuits in my old house. My new house has two panels with over 50 circuits so a 16 position will not work very well for me now. And I still have the generator but no transfer switch - fortunately the new house has very reliable power. A proper transfer switch also prevents back-feeding to the utility lines. Some people turn off their house main and plug the outlet of the generator into their 220 volt dryer outlet. This effectively powers the entire house. If you jury-rig something like this into your panel and kill a lineman however, you will be (rightfully) brought up on manslaughter charges. Figure about $1000 to buy and have installed a transfer switch.

 

[fragmatic]

I have been through a couple of generators over 30+ years. If you just want to power your reef tank system and a refrig & freezer simply plug in a couple of extension cords and run one to your tank systems, and the other to your freezer and refrig. Get an electrician friend to stop by and tell you your wattage requirement to do that. Then you only have to buy what you really need. You will never get the hours of life out of a Generic that you will from a Honda. Also the Honda will be much more efficient with fuel and noise. Yes, a natural gas one would be wise, if you have natural gas. However, if it is a natural gas generator you can't grab the generator and take it to any old different place and situation for sports or a different kind of emergency unless you have a portable natural gas tank. When you loose power open a window, run in the extension cords, and have a chunk of foam rubber to put in the window with the cords and close it against.

 

[cdness]

I personally have a small 800W generator from Harbor Freight. It powers the essentials for the tank but nothing else. Typically I can go without skimmer, lights, ETC and I can shut down the closed loop and run powerheads temporarily for flow. Basically I fire up a heater, powerhead, and one of the return pumps. This generator can also be purchased for around $89.99 if you catch it on sale.

I would like to get a larger one of course, but this one can suit my needs on a bare minimum level.

 

[doughboy]

one option is to look at what's available at costco (or sam's club as someone suggested).
I got one from costco on 2011 black friday sale. It's a small portable one, duracell brand. Not the quietest, but noise won't be an issue if you need an emergency power. it's not like you are running it in a campsite or at a flea market (not unless you are going to use it for that purpose as well, then get the honda). I probably would not risk getting one from harbor freight, as you don't want it to fail when you need it the most.

 

[cdness]

one option is to look at what's available at costco (or sam's club as someone suggested).
I got one from costco on 2011 black friday sale. It's a small portable one, duracell brand. Not the quietest, but noise won't be an issue if you need an emergency power. it's not like you are running it in a campsite or at a flea market (not unless you are going to use it for that purpose as well, then get the honda). I probably would not risk getting one from harbor freight, as you don't want it to fail when you need it the most.

Hmm... I have had my generator from Harbor Freight for a good 3 years. I have used it at least 4 times in those 3 years and it sat in storage when not being used. This is the identical generator sold under many different brand names, the only difference is the colors of paint. I can say it is probably not Honda or Generac quality, but it is a pretty standard basic occasional use generator. If you need it more often than emergencies get something better. I don't see the difference in quality comparisons between Harbor Freight, Walmart, Sam's Club or Costco though so I guess that's just personal preference. I believe this same generator is available at those other places, probably under the Coleman name.