Recommend a home generator

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BMW318tiCS

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I'm looking for a portable generator for home backup in emergencies. Something about 6-8kW. I don't need to be able to run everything in the house, just the key appliances.
Does anyone have any recommendations about brand/size etc? There are dozens of generic brands online with little information about them other than basic specs.
Also please offer any other pointers like "be sure to-", "look out for-", or "you don't need-" type things.
Thanks!
 
Are your plans to tie into a hard wired transfer switch connection or is this something you will run with extension cords? IMO, 6-8KV is quite big for a few circuits/appliances. 3-5kw would be more than enough for that and be half the cost. My mom and dad run this one thru a 30A transfer switch connection: http://cgi.ebay.com/4400-Watt-6-5-Hp-Por...2QQcmdZViewItem It will run their sump pump, fridge and furnace without skipping a beat. I cant get over how smooth and quiet it is for the price.

Joel

Joel
 
I'm also shopping. JTK - I came across that one as well and even though it's less than the 5Kw I was looking for - it's one heck of a great price! I was just afraid of not "knowing" anyone who had bought the model. What brand is the engine?

I just need something temporary - fridge, freezer, heater blower motor, some lights, TV/DVD. 3500 watts should just do it. 4400 is surge, and a fair high percent over rated - but it should just do. Everything else when you approach 5Kw is $700 and above - plus those units are NOISY!

I shopped the web, Northern Tool, etc. Even Costco has a 5Kw unit - $679 but it's 76 db
 
Al - I think that thread was for large units.

I like a larger fuel tank and run time. Noise is very important. Dollar$ per watt is very high on my list. Size and weight come into the picture.
 
I picked up a 5KW with 6250 surge power at Sams club for 482.xx + tax right before Christmas. They had the deal for Sams Club Discover to allow 6 months 0 interest 0 payments on any ONE item over $250.

Since Christmas and the ongoing remodeling has my cashflow a little tight, I took this and expect to pay it in full with either my extra paycheck in March or my April quarterly after hours check. (I've already earned enough after-hours this week to pay for most of it, it's been on of THOSE weeks.)

It has a 9HP B&S engine. Filled it with PP5W30 and put a gallon of fuel in it, and it started on the first pull.

I'm still assembling the pieces. We have power cords at work that have L6-30P plugs on them and the generator has L15-30R receptical.

I plan to wire this to a 30A 220 circuit in my breaker to back feed into the panel if the power goes out. After disconnecting the main of course.

I could backfeed through a couple of outlets today, but want to wire up a L6-30R or L14-30R to the box and craft a custom cable about 25' long with two L14-30P or one L14-30P and one L6-30P at the end.

I believe I can join the neutral and ground at the box and be ok, but I need to do some more research to be certain.

I ran the generator 15 minutes on Jan 1 and went into the house and listened. It wasn't too bad, even with the garage door open. With the door closed and a bit futher from the house, chained to a tree, it shouldn't be too bad at all.

Comments?
 
It's a Coleman powermate. Lemme see if the manual indicates how loud it is in acutal numbers...

Nothing in the manual, let's see what www.powermate.com has to say...


Nothing there either, sorry.
 
I have hot water/furnace heat, and window ACs. I bought a robin subaru 1700i inverter (CLEAN AC waveform) and it can provide a bit more than 2 kWe (though official rating is 1700W). Very small, very efficient, very portable, and robin makes the best small engine out there.

Good enough to run the window AC or refrigerator in a summer power outage, and to power some heat sources int he winter. Sure, its not wired into the house, but this saves some of the expenses and issues that can potentially be hazards, and I have a portable genset that I can take wherever I want, on my property or elsewhere. I love it...

May not be what everyone wants, but it is great for me!

JMH
 
The more I stew on it, the less I want to buy a big m0f0 generator. The words of jhzr2 are excellent. I'm not going to be in my house much longer and next mansion/shanty (depending on wine/beer stash) I'm putting a permanent unit in.

Another thing to consider when looking small is the duty cycle, which really isn't published. Some of the small units aren't really up to long run times.
 
Quote:

Are your plans to tie into a hard wired transfer switch connection or is this something you will run with extension cords? IMO, 6-8KV is quite big for a few circuits/appliances. 3-5kw would be more than enough for that and be half the cost.

Click to expand...


Thanks for the recommendations. 6-8 was kind of a first cut conservative estimate. Reducing it to the basics of fridge, furnace blower, and some lights, 3-5 should be ok.
 
Pablo, it is WAY quieter than the $699 5500watt troy-bilt generator my BIL bought from lowes. My dad had originally bought the same troy-bilt during the same massive power outage we had in October, but we returned it un-opened and I ordered him the eBay generator to save him some bucks. The first thing my dad [74yrs young] noticed was the noise difference between the two. Originally I thought it was a Jiang Dong 6.5hp, but it's not. I wrote down the name plate info, but of course I cant find it now.
confused.gif
IIRC it was something like Jong Qing. I'll check next time I am over there.

Joel
 
I'm looking at the something in the 6-8kw range too...I think. My only concern is my ground source heatpump that draws 3,000 watts running. However, I have no idea what the start-up watts is.

Do you guys think it's about 2x-3x surge? 9,000 watts would be a lot (in every way).
 
Quote:

I'm looking at the something in the 6-8kw range too...I think. My only concern is my ground source heatpump that draws 3,000 watts running. However, I have no idea what the start-up watts is.

Click to expand...


I think you are making a big mistake by trying to run a heat pump and also remember your indoor unit. You are much better off going to a simple kerosene heater for backup heat or a permantly installed propane/gas heater. With that kind of electrical you are looking for serious fuel requirement and complexity that you don't need in an emergency. Apply the Kiss principle.

Your idea might be good on paper but not so good in thye real world. A $125 kerosene heater and 20 gallons of kerosene keeps you warm reliably for 2 weeks.
I have a 6KW generator, a propane heater and as a final backup a kerosene heater.
 
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=54896
5000watt recoil start 389$ (free shipping) at least in ohio
I have used that one its not too loud but nothing to base that against.
look for something that has 2hp per 1000watts. anything under that is overrated.
so 20hp=10kw 10hp=5000kw etc

Also do you want electric start etc on it or no.

here is another 4000watt 9HP robin subaru engine
329$ but factory reconditioned
Sound rating: 78 Db @ 3 meters
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=55256
 
Kohler's website has some good info on sizing generators. During our greenhouse generator design, I was told you should not run a unit continuosly over about 70% capacity. Motor start up draw is a concern also (do you have well pumps, etc.).
 
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