Backup generator

[KStatefan]

Honda EU2200ITAN EU2200i - 1800 Watt Portable Inverter Generator w/ Bluetooth® & CO-MINDER™ 49-State

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I really want to get one of the new fuel injected models

Honda EU3200IAN EU3200i - 2600 Watt Portable Fuel-Injected Inverter Generator w/ Bluetooth&reg & CO-MINDER™ 49-State

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[mfinn]

Simply looking for something that is sinple that would work for the aquarium

Not involved-bot whole house set up

I also have a Predator 2000 watt to run my tanks at night after I shut off the bigger one and just runcords to each tank.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I have always wanted a Honda generator, but the price has always been too much.
So after making mistakes with a couple first cheaper generators decades ago I learned if you take care of them, even the cheaper brands last decades. Only use clear gas ( non alcohol ), change that out at least twice a year. Some say using a product like Stabil isn't needed for clear gas, but I use it.
Change the oil.
I had a 5000 watt Generac for nearly 20 years. It was wired into it's own circuit box ( Gentran).
I upgraded to Predator 8750 about 8 years ago.

I wholly agree that maintenance is important, and the cheaper the generator, the more maintenance is required.

I have owned maybe 5 generators, and worked with dozens of generators over the years form remote worksite power 10kW - 20kW to industrial power (mining) up to 400kW. With generators, you really do get what you pay for.

I will repeat the point about power output. Cheap generators use a cheap mechanical method to govern frequency. Cheap inverter units put out a poor waveform as well. Better generators put out cleaner waveforms at a steady 60Hz.

The predator generators are fine if you are willing to put in the work and maintenance, but don't have the greatest of governors.

The allure of the Hondas is the quietness, durability, ease of starting and ease of maintenance and quality of power. They are hard on the budget, but you get what you pay for.

Yes - ethenol free gasoline is a must if you don't want to replace the carb every year or two. Stabil is fine, but not magic. It simply floats on the pool of fuel and helps to prevent oxidization. Skip the sea-foam cult.

To drain or not to drain... you really should keep the genset dry if you don't fire it up AT LEAST once a month. Again, the nicety of the Honda here is the quality of the carb and parts. It will simply take more mistreatment in this respect.

I (quite literally) recently threw a 9kW predator away that had maybe 75 hour on it in 5-7 years. The needle and seat leaked, allowing the full tank of fuel to drain through the engine into the crank case. I simply did not have the time or desire to replace the oddball knock off honda carb or tear the engine down and inspect it.

 

[mfinn]

I wholly agree that maintenance is important, and the cheaper the generator, the more maintenance is required.


To drain or not to drain... you really should keep the genset dry if you don't fire it up AT LEAST once a month. Again, the nicety of the Honda here is the quality of the carb and parts. It will simply take more mistreatment in this respect.

I forgot to add that I do start mine 2-3 times a year besides when I do a fuel change out. And I do a run test on the house.
So far this Predator has been pretty good. No issues.

 

[Joe462]

Im not worried about a house getting cold-it will survive-just worried about the tank

This is important in a colder climate. I had a generator to run my tanks and tank heaters but in a 4 day power outage with temps in the single digits at night, tank heaters can only do so much and couldn't keep up. only had enough juce to run a couple space heaters and the tanks and that wasn't enough to keep the house warm, so i still had a lot of losses.

Had a wood stove installed after to prevent future problems.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I forgot to add that I do start mine 2-3 times a year besides when I do a fuel change out. And I do a run test on the house.
So far this Predator has been pretty good. No issues.

Just be sure to turn off the fuel petcock when not in use to save the needle and seat and prevent flooding of the crankcase.

BTW - one of the nice parts about the Honda's is that they have fuel pumps and can use external fuel cells.

 

[mfinn]

Just be sure to turn off the fuel petcock when not in use to save the needle and seat and prevent flooding of the crankcase.

BTW - one of the nice parts about the Honda's is that they have fuel pumps and can use external fuel cells.

Absolutely.

 

[snorklr]

whole house here...but...if all you're trying to keep going is the tank itself figure out what it will take wattage wise...and get a small unit because there's no reason to go through a ton of fuel with a unit that is capable of putting out power you don't need...consider propane or dual fuel as propane wont have issues from gasoline being left in the unit over time, especially if you are in an area where you have no choice but to use gas with ethanol....a 100lb propane bottle can sit around for years without going bad, unlike stocking up on 5 gal gas cans

 

[albano]

….consider propane or dual fuel as propane wont have issues from gasoline being left in the unit over time, especially if you are in an area where you have no choice but to use gas with ethanol....a 100lb propane bottle can sit around for years without going bad, unlike stocking up on 5 gal gas cans

Agree… just switched out my 10k gas generator for a 20k propane generator… it even notifies my cell phone whenever it goes on, including its monthly self test.

 

[jda]

The minimum is some sort of gas generator. A few gas cans that you can fill if a storm is coming and then use in your cars if you didn't need them. A few long, good and larger gauge extension cords. Stakes to keep your genny from "walking" are good. A 3 sided plywood box can help with noise.

A simple fuel shut off valve can keep most generators running for a long time. You might have to install one - they are less than a dollar. Turn off the fuel and then let the engine run until it stops. When you are ready to run again, turn the fuel back on, wait a few minutes and you are good to go. Even cheap carbs will not gum very often if you do this.

If you live somewhere cold, you need to worry about home heat. Your tank can get too told if your house gets too cold. You can also get a few extra tank heaters, but sometimes even these cannot keep up.

Learn how to pigtail your furnace if it uses propane or natural gas. This can be safe and easy, but it can also be dangerous. Don't be stupid. LEARN is the main thing. This is not a differential equation, or even long division, but there are safe ways to do it. I shut off the breaker, undo the wire nuts and wire in a 12g extension cord - you do NOT want the electric to come back on and that circuit be hot. We have three furnaces, but the one on the main level is usually enough to keep the whole house warm.

 

[o2manyfish]

What is as important as the generator is 'The Plan'. We now have a 22kw Generac Dual Fuel with Auto Transfer switch - So there are no worries.

For years I thought I was ready to go with a 220v generator, 10g of fuel, spare spark plugs, quarts of oil on standby. Until the power went out when we were out of town with a house sitter. Then what's "The Plan". Or if I was gone and the wife was home what's "The Plan".

After the first fiasco with the wife I came up with a plan. Went out and bought all the different colored extension cords I could get. Then labelled each end of each extension cord with a LETTER. Then went to the aquarium and did brightly colored lables on the ends of all the cords that needed to be unplugged and plugged into the generator. My system was a little more complicated because it was big gallonage spread across lots of circuits in a few locations.

But let's be honest. Invite a non-reefing friend over, open up your stand or equipment area. And now with you 2 rooms away get them to unplug just the pump, or just the heater, or even find the main plug.

Invest in a good RHINO Labeller. Not only should you label both end of your power cords, but also label your outlets. It's just as important that things get plugged back in where they belong.

Before our whole house we had a 220v 8.5k Generator to run the tank, computers, and kitchen stuff. It was loud - obnoxiously so. It took a strong arm to start. But in the 15 years I owned it - once it started it never let me down.

If you live in an area where power outages are critical to family comfort as well as tank survival, then really look into a whole house solution. I know if you call a Generator company or Generac - a whole house solution starts out at over $15k and goes up. And that's not cheap.

When we decided it was time for a whole house (Went on vacation. Had a House Sitter. Had Gennie on the Patio. Had all the colored extension cords. Had all the plugs labelled. Had the spare parts and fuel. Had the laminated map of where all the plugs and cords needed to go to and from. Power went out for 8.5 hrs while house sitter was at work and the temp was about 105....) I popped onto Craigslist. I bought a 22kw generator that was 2.5 years old with less than 20 hrs on it and the whole house transfer switch for $2k. I found a solar installer to install the generator and transfer switch into the main panel - to code - for $1500. I ran a 75' 2" gas line for about $500. And I bought a 300lb Propane tank and had it filled - and I forget how much that cost. And then for another $200 I built a manifold to quickly switch between fuel options. All in for about $5k -


$5k is not to scoff at. But for those with mature tanks - the risk to the loss of life in our boxes of water is usually way in excess of that $5k if you have to replace it all.

Dave B

 

[Reefer911]

This is what I have. I’m confident I can heat the house since we have a gas furnace and can supplement with gas heaters.

And this thing is super quiet.

Honda EU7000ISNAN EU7000iS - 5500 Watt Electric Start Portable Inverter Generator w/ Bluetooth® & CO-MINDER™ 49-State

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[Adamc13o3]

My setup uses solar then if that fails switches to propane generator generac , then final fallback is a big old cat diesel generator.

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

 

[BeanAnimal]

Honda does not make pressure washers, or countless other items with their engines on them. Honda DOES make generators and has for decades.

I can't stress enough the vast difference between the Honda's and other generators. The Honda's are in a class of their own, nothing in the portable generator world comes even (remotely) close, and frankly nothing under 20kW air cooled word in any class of generator comes close.

 

[BeanAnimal]

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

Solar is not reliable on cloudy or rainy days and only produce meaning full energy for about 5 hours per perfect day. Your storage batteries are an investment/consumable. You need a backup power source. The grid may be enough for most, but when the grid fails (storm) so does solar often. You are in FLA so chances are that storm and grid failure are a hurricane or tropical storm. You need a generator.

 

[BeanAnimal]

What is as important as the generator is 'The Plan'.

That is part of the reason we went to a whole house standby. It is also the reason that before the standby, we ditches the big 10kW predator and the backup 5kW predator. Getting a family member or neighbor to get them started was a problem. The Honda was portable and easy enough for anybody to move and start.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

I wouldn’t try to back feed unless you really (I mean really really) fully understand what you are doing and know the consequences both legal and safety. . Easy way to burn up a generator or hurt/kill somebody.

The generlink appears to be well thought out and not a bad idea from a safety standpoint. The issue is feeding half of a panel with a 120V genset and the oddities that come with 220v loads, shared neutrals, etc. Likewise, without load shedding, even of the genset was 220V, one would need to be very careful about what loads where enabled before starting or transfer and during operation.

My suggestion for most folks is a portable generator and cord/plug hookup. If you want whole house, then buy a standby generator of the proper size to carry the load or with the load shedding option and a real transfer switch.

You still need to select what you want to power. the generlink allows up to 10k W. I have a hookup that only runs 7500W. Have to shut off all the appliances I don't want anyway. I personally prefer it so I can run what I want and turn something else off. As long as everything is turned off, I can run my hot water heater etc..then shut that down to run something else etc...The only thing I can't run is the AC. The worst is a 3500W sewage grinder. Yes, ever 5th flush the mini tank fills up and requires a 3500w sewage grinder to chew and pump it out to the street. I have no idea why it needs to be that high of wattage. turns on every time ~6 gallons collects.

 

[BeanAnimal]

You still need to select what you want to power. the generlink allows up to 10k W. I have a hookup that only runs 7500W. Have to shut off all the appliances I don't want anyway. I personally prefer it so I can run what I want and turn something else off. As long as everything is turned off, I can run my hot water heater etc..then shut that down to run something else etc...The only thing I can't run is the AC. The worst is a 3500W sewage grinder. Yes, ever 5th flush the mini tank fills up and requires a 3500w sewage grinder to chew and pump it out to the street. I have no idea why it needs to be that high of wattage. turns on every time ~6 gallons collects.

Grinder pumps are extremely powerful because they can't/shouldn't fail under heavy duty cycle and load (no pun?) and often have to work rather viscous material against a significant head.

Also that 3500 watts is not the operating wattage, it is the in-rush wattage. I assume your pump draws ~500w - 600w once it kicks in and runs.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Grinder pumps are extremely powerful because they can't/shouldn't fail under heavy duty cycle and load (no pun?) and often have to work rather viscous material against a significant head.

Also that 3500 watts is not the operating wattage, it is the in-rush wattage. I assume your pump draws ~500w - 600w once it kicks in and runs.

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.

 

[SPS2020]

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.