Let’s talk generators!

[BackToTheReef]

That would work for the situation.
This would need to have a permit to install this type of unit.
It will be mounted next to your existing panel and the critical circuits would have to me moved from that panel into this one permanently.

Not a big deal but added costs of permits and electricians will be required. Unless you have the knowledge to DIY, but the permit will be needed either way.

I always tell customers the same thing.
The level of protection required should be based on your history of power outages and the duration of the outages.
If I lived in a state that now does blackout periods for safety reasons then yes i would go to great lengths.
If I was in rural areas where power restoration was not high priority then again great lengths.
The heart of the city where thousands of homes and businesses where restoration will be high priority, well maybe not so much.

I should have posted this instead of a product:

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Depending on where you live and the chance of being out of electricity for 4 hours 12 hours, 1 day 3 weeks will determine which inverter style generator you will need, I have known people to fry some very expensive pumps using the wrong type of generator.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

As a contractor, we MOST times multiply the total amount of materials times 10. This is only an example if materials come to $10,000. Then total job with permits $100,000.
If you find someone who can do it for less , more power to you

 

[kkelly007]

I have a Honda 2200 watt and it runs my tanks and much more just fine!

Same here on the Honda 2200

 

[Shaka_Reefer]

I should have posted this instead of a product:

This is exactly what I’m looking for! I knew I can count on R2Reefers! Thank you

 

[Shaka_Reefer]

I would email Neptune directly as I believe they reccomend 10 Guage for any type of extension cord. This topic was brought up just last week and I'm trying to track down the thread

This is the response I got from Neptune:

“Thank you for your inquiry. We do not recommend plugging the Energy Bar into an extension cord. However if you have to do this to make the Energy Bar work please get a cord rated for industrial use and has the proper ground. You will want to make sure you have a good connection between the cord and energy bar to prevent arching.
Please work with a local qualified electrician for more specifics on the correct cords.”

 

[BZOFIQ]

Honda EU3000IS owner here; wouldn't change it for anything, except maybe the 7000

It's so quiet, I don't know why people buy anything else.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Walk into Home Depot and look for 12 Gauge Heavy Duty RIGID extension cords. They are superb to anything I've seen and pretty much all I use. I gave away other extensions that were less than 12 Gauge.

The 12 Gauge RIGID is not cheap, but well worth it.

10 Gauge extension cords are for 30A inlet if you have one on the house/RV/trailer. Totally unnecessary to run one of these to connect your EB. Not even sure you can find one with a standard 15-20Amp plug.

 

[KStatefan]

Honda EU3000IS owner here; wouldn't change it for anything, except maybe the 7000

It's so quiet, I don't know why people buy anything else.

A second EU3000IS with a parallel kit

 

[BZOFIQ]

A second EU3000IS with a parallel kit

Yes, great to have that option in case. Less fuel use up to 3000W with one unit, double up if need more.

 

[BackToTheReef]

A second EU3000IS with a parallel kit

While I was digging around trying to find a couple links and some info I stumbled across champions parallel kits, I didn't realize this was a thing. Sure makes it easier to start small and scale if needed/as budget allows!

 

[KyOsIBa515]

I don’t know where you live. However, I live in NWI off of lake Michigan. Summer storms can be strong and winter storms tough.

If you are in an area that losing power for 16 hours is once in a blue moon thing...I would just run a UPS on the return pump and power heads and save money. Your reef will be fine without everything else as long as there is water movement.

However, if you are like me and a 2 or 3 day power outage is a real threat lurking then I wouldn’t play. I bought a Generac piped in on natural gas. It was pricier than a gas powered but worth every penny on the investment. It runs the whole house with complete piece of mind and zero worry of running out of gas.

Furthermore, it is considered a home upgrade and people like buying houses with them if I ever went to sell.

 

[therootcause]

I ordered one online from Costco and picked it up in store. It’s small and fits on a shelf in my basement. I take it out and run it once a month in the back yard. Can power the essentials for the aquarium and my refrigerator.

 

[Ocelaris]

I started with a 8k portable generac generator on Craigslist, transfer switch and converted it to natural gas. Works great, except it's not an inverter or true sine wave... Didn't realize that at the time. Very dirty and wouldn't run my pumps or even the upses. So I found a double conversion ups, replaced the battery banks and it runs one of my 20 Amp circuits for the tank. It was a lot of work and not ideal, but it's a level of insurance for the tank and house based on our low risk. I can run almost the entire house minus the 4 ton ac. It's not for the faint of heart to go this route. Moral of the story is buy a Honda EU series and keep gas on hand or a whole house generator.

If anyone knows of an inverter style portable generator that takes natural gas, please let me know. The only carburetor conversion kits I've found for the EU series Honda go up to 3k.

*edit* found it:

Honda Generator Propane, Natural Gas Conversion Kits – Genconnex Direct

Genconnex Direct Whisper Quiet Honda Generator Conversion Kits, Propane, Natural Gas Generators, and Tri-fuel Generator kits reliably modified for home, RV, remote living, or business. Eco- friendly. Click today to learn more!

genconnexdirect.net

 

[Brian_68]

I would email Neptune directly as I believe they reccomend 10 Guage for any type of extension cord. This topic was brought up just last week and I'm trying to track down the thread

It is tough to find 10 gauge extension cord with a standard plug. A 12 gauge 100 ft extension cord drops about 5% voltage at 15 amps.

 

[JimFuller]

I run a 3 KW inverter generator. I have an APC UPS 1500 on each tank, as well as, the ham radio station. This gives me about 30 minutes run time to get the generator up and running. I use 50 feet 10 gauge extension cord to the three way outlet. I use 25 feet of 12 gauge extension from the outlet to each APC UPS. This, also, allows the tanks to stay up and operational during generator refueling. I have operated this way for a week with no issues other than fueling.

I have been able to watch the fish while operating my Flex-6600 (100 Watt) Ham Radio in the comfort of my heated house. It just means keeping a few gallons of gas around. The heat is natural gas and I am just running the pump. The total draw of each tank is about 250 Watts average. The pump on the heating system is lock rotor 500 watts. The ham station draws max 350 Watts. So, my total requirements are 1350 Watts. The 3000 Watt Inverting generator works great.
Jim Fuller (N7VR)

 

[Brian_68]

Honda EU3000IS owner here; wouldn't change it for anything, except maybe the 7000

It's so quiet, I don't know why people buy anything else.

I owned a Honda and now a Harbor Freight predator 3500 and actually prefer the HF at 1/3 the cost and I think it was actually the quieter of the two. I would not have believed it until I compared.

 

[SuncrestReef]

As @JimFuller mentioned above, it's a really good idea to have your Apex plugged into a UPS battery to keep things running until you have a chance to start the generator. To take it a step further, you can configure the Apex to detect when the power fails to automatically shut down high-powered devices to prolong the UPS battery life and to send you an alert to start the generator. See my tutorial on Apex Power Monitoring for detailed instructions on integrating the Apex with a UPS battery: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptune-apex-programming-tutorials-part-4-power-monitoring.698/

 

[Shaka_Reefer]

As @JimFuller mentioned above, it's a really good idea to have your Apex plugged into a UPS battery to keep things running until you have a chance to start the generator. To take it a step further, you can configure the Apex to detect when the power fails to automatically shut down high-powered devices to prolong the UPS battery life and to send you an alert to start the generator. See my tutorial on Apex Power Monitoring for detailed instructions on integrating the Apex with a UPS battery: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptune-apex-programming-tutorials-part-4-power-monitoring.698/

Which UPS battery do you recommend?

 

[HuneyBear]

Are you always home to handle a power outage? I’m not, and during inclement weather that can take out power I usually am working because of it. I didn’t mess around and just had an automatic standby generator installed. Hell power went out twice last week for several hours And the town was dark. My house was the only one for blocks with lights on. I have ups’s on full internet network and on Profilux setup to cover the 30 seconds it takes for generator to fire up. It wasn’t cheap, but peace of mind has no price limit.