Backup generator

[BeanAnimal]

they have it on 2 separate breakers. Which is good because I leave the one on that has the alarm attached to it. Gives me warning before a back up and can go down and turn the grinder on. I like the option though of controlling what I want to run. Last house it was separated with furnace, some lights and the sprinkler system. Yeah, they installed a fire sprinkler system throughout the house.

The more modern method is load shedding based on priority
instead of just backing up select circuits. I did not want that either so went with 20kW so that I could run everything.

 

[Reefer911]

Anyone using a Honda generator with an LP conversion kit? I wondered about the run time. This would seem to eliminate the issue of gas sitting in the carb for extended periods as well.

I think I remember looking into something like that but for natural gas. That would be nice

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

When you say your setup uses solar, are you saying that your house has solar panels in general? I am asking because I am looking into doing panels, they also have Tesla batteries as backups. My understanding was that once I have the solar panels and the batteries than I should be good to go. I also don't understand how you can get an outage using solar as it gets the energy from the sun. Or is an outage if something happens to your specific system?

Thanks,

Adam

In my case it’s a farm and ya the solar runs the house 2 barns and 4 irrigation well pumps . some panels is on the roof and we have some out in a field . On a sunny day the panels will run the whole shabang, we have a decent sized battery bank ,.

the solar and both generators charge the 48 volt battery’s and everything runs off inverters. i cut the cord to the power company probably 6 or 7 years ago. our power bills wer like 1500 a month i think our break even point will hit next year then the next 15 years will be basically free electric

 

[ScottB]

If you can't afford a whole house generator, I would (without question) steer you towards the Honda Inverter generators.

They are expensive - but worth every penny. They start easily with one or two pulls. They have fuel pumps so can draw from external fuel cells. Two can be daisy chained for higher output. They are (hands down) the best portable generators on the planet. The output is stable and accurate. SUPER QUIET.

You can let them sit forever and not worry about them starting. Moth other brands (even name brands) will be problems in the long run.

I would also not overbuy. There is nothing worse than lugging around an 10kW genset when you really only need 2kW or 3kW. Even then, I would buy two small Hondas instead of 1 large unit if I needed more output.

I have a whole house standby (Kohler 20kW) but also have a Honda EU2200i. Prior to the standby, the Honda would run the tank, refrigerator and full standup freezer, a few computers and lights and never break a sweat. Small and light enough that she could carry it and start it.

Prior to that we had numerous other generators. A 5kW Harbor Freight and a 9kW harbor freight and a few other "commercial" units. All of them were beasts, could be a bear to start (even the electric start 9kW and 7kW DeWalt) and she could barely move them. They were hard to maintain and had CRAP voltage regulation and super loud.

I would resist the urge to buy a knock of of the EU2200i - you will save $400 dollars but in the end regret wasting $800.

I will happily second Honda generators. Honda power washers and lawn mowers as well.

For whole house, Cummins Onan. Thirteen years of problem free ops on my 30KW. I did have to sell off a few of my kids for it, so there is that.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I will happily second Honda generators. Honda power washers and lawn mowers as well.

For whole house, Cummins Onan. Thirteen years of problem free ops on my 30KW. I did have to sell off a few of my kids for it, so there is that.

They don't make power washers

For the 30kW and above, that is a good genset. Their smaller 12-18kW units are just rebranded air cooled units from Briggs I think.

 

[KStatefan]

They don't make power washers

For the 30kW and above, that is a good genset. Their smaller 12-18kW units are just rebranded air cooled units from Briggs I think.

They also stopped making gas walk behind lawn mowers September of this year for the USA market at least

 

[BeanAnimal]

Anyone using a Honda generator with an LP conversion kit? I wondered about the run time. This would seem to eliminate the issue of gas sitting in the carb for extended periods as well.

No - but plenty of people use them (NG as well). Big with the outdoor/camping crowd.

 

[BeanAnimal]

They also stopped making gas walk behind lawn mowers September of this year for the USA market at least

Their residential mowers went down hill over the years and the only thing going for them was the engines. It is likely a result of having to meet price points when they moved to big-box vending instead of only through honda power dealers. Their commercial mowers were extremely well made, but being commercial, parts were expensive and they couldn't (or had no desire (to really get deep into that market compete with the big commercial lawn vendors (Scag, Exmark, etc.). Husqvarna is kind of in the same boat, big box crap traded on their commercial quality.

 

[jda]

Honda powered stuff does not suffer the same issues with gas sitting in their carbs for long periods of time. I have never had to rebuild one. I have owned plenty of both kinds and I honestly have no idea how the Honda are different since I never had to take one apart.

If you get a non-Honda engine generator, just watch a video on how to rebuild the carb if it gets gummed up. it is not hard... you take the carb off, take the bowl off and run a small fishing line or wire from a wire brush up the middle and then blow it out with compressed air or carb cleaner. Be sure that the float assembly does not fall apart and scatter all over your floor. IT is better to do this when you hear of an ice storm, hurricane, snowstorm or whatever coming, but you can do this in a few minutes with a flashlight in your mouth if you have to. You can also just run them ever few months for a few minutes.

Before the first big snowstorm in Colorado, I seem to rebuild 3 to 5 carbs in the snow blowers for the neighbors. In the last few years I have even put fuel shut offs on them, but none of them seem to use them.

 

[Reefering1]

I think something worth pointing out, which bean covered but didn't explicitly explain, is that besides build quality- the more important part is clean power provided by a inverter generator. It provides a clean sine waveform(I believe) that doesn't fluctuate the output frequency(hz) with engine speed as loads change. All sensitive electronics/ controllers and brushless motors will appreciate a steady 60hz. Not saying a conventional generator won't work, mine does, but took some fiddling with to dial in the engine rpm to not stall when a/c kicks on while not running too fast(>60hz) with minimal load. I lost a ceiling fan and gyre pump due to 70hz. The tank's Smart apc ups didn't catch it and switch to battery.. but now its dialed in. Cheap inverter generators run risk of overload failure destroying the inverter with one accidental overload, potentially

 

[BeanAnimal]

Honda powered stuff does not suffer the same issues with gas sitting in their carbs for long periods of time. I have never had to rebuild one. I have owned plenty of both kinds and I honestly have no idea how the Honda are different since I never had to take one apart.

True story - Had a Honda commercial mower. Transmission case (cast aluminum) failed. Part not sold, only whole transmission unit $900 (this was 15 year ago too!). The mower sat for 5+ years (unused) outside in Western PA. I got a dumpster on a fall day, and before throwing the mower in, I pulled the cord...

1 pull, the mower started and ran. 5+ year old fuel and not a single crank in 5+ years.

 

[jda]

I do not have a huge amount of experience with this, but I have had a few different kinds of generators, a whole house Generac with a Ford v6 in it and I have never had an issue with electricity from a generator. I know that folks say that inverters have more clean power, but without ever an issue with a generator, is this overblown? Is this a cheap generator head thing (I have only ever had quality generator heads)? I don't know the answer and most of the info on the web is wanting you to buy THEIR inverter generator, but there has to be some nuance with this...

 

[jda]

All of this might be a good reason to have reefing stuff that can be run without a stand-alone controller, Apex or whatever. Maybe at least in a box had a non-fussy return pump and a heater with a thermostat in it.

 

[EricR]

I see multiple mentions about cheapie generators requiring more maintenance.
Do the maintenance concerns become substantially less if you run a cheapie dual-fuel generator on ONLY propane and run it very infrequently,,, or not really?

*for context, I mean a small generator used only for aquarium maybe once/year during extended power outage

 

[BeanAnimal]

I see multiple mentions about cheapie generators requiring more maintenance.
Do the maintenance concerns become substantially less if you run a cheapie dual-fuel generator on ONLY propane and run it very infrequently,,, or not really?

*for context, I mean a small generator used only for aquarium maybe once/year during extended power outage

LP/NG requires less maintenance. No carb fouling or varnish and less oil fouling.

 

[Reefering1]

I do not have a huge amount of experience with this, but I have had a few different kinds of generators, a whole house Generac with a Ford v6 in it and I have never had an issue with electricity from a generator. I know that folks say that inverters have more clean power, but without ever an issue with a generator, is this overblown? Is this a cheap generator head thing (I have only ever had quality generator heads)? I don't know the answer and most of the info on the web is wanting you to buy THEIR inverter generator, but there has to be some nuance with this...

I think my issue was running as much as I can on my cat RP5500. It would bog when a/c kicked on, I adjusted the rpm up to smooth out the bog but went too high and had to slow it down to keep the hz between 58-63hz. I suppose someone not bogging their unit with high load may not have this issue

 

[vetteguy53081]

Paranoid for winter coming and ice storms wreaking havoc


Have asked before-what would you recomend for back up generator for 180g aquarium

I have a Kohler unit and previously a Coleman
Both dependable and I hear good about the cheaper priced units at Harbor Freight

 

[muggle0981]

This would work-yes?