Look at a whole house natural gas unit. It comes on automatically when the power goes out and will keep your home from flooding if you have a sump pump and you are gone when the outage happens. It also solves the fuel storage issue.
Shopping for New Generator
- Thread starter doolah02
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Originally Posted by ABN_CBT_ENGR
Originally Posted by JimPghPA
OP, if you have electric water heating be aware that if you rewire a switch into the water-heater to run a 240 VAC water-heater on 120 VAC it will only use 1/4 the amount of watts. This is because at 1/2 voltage it will draw 1/2 the current. And 1/2 times 1/2 = 1/4 of course with only 1/4 as much heat going into the water it will take 4 times longer to heat up a cold tank of water. But this could be a very significant reduction in the amount of power you require from your generator, which might even allow you to get by with a smaller generator, and or apply a much lighter load to your generator so it is not worked as hard in the hot Florida heat.
The real down side it that if multiple people want to take a shower, they may have to wait a while between showers for the slower recover time of the water-heater when ran in this mode, but it is a lot easier on a generator.
You better go back for a refresher course on Ohm's law and basic electricity
ABN CBN ENGR, I think it is you who better go back and get a refresher course in Ohm's law. The heating element in an electric water heater is a resistor and that resistance remains constant. If the resistive heating element is rated for 240 VAC then the resistance of the element will be the same if 240 VAC is connected to it, or if instead 120 VAC is connected to it, or if no voltage is applied to it.
For example, if a 240 VAC RMS element is rated for and consumes 4500 Watts that would mean with 240 VAC applied to it the RMS current is 4500 Watts / 240 Volts = 18.75 Amps
And the resistance of that heating element is 240 Volts / 18.75 Amps = 12.8 Ohms
Now if you connect 120 VAC RMS to that same 12.8 Ohm resistance it will draw 120 Volts / 12.8 Ohms = 9.375 Amps
And the power draw would be 120 VAC RMS times 9.375 Amps AC RMS = 1125 Watts which is exactly 1/4 of the amount of power it consumed when connected to 240 VAC RMS.
Or as I originally stated at 1/2 the Voltage it will draw 1/2 the current. And 1/2 Voltage times 1/2 Current = 1/4 Wattage
If you still do not believe me than ask an EE.
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NOW WHICH ONE OF US NEEDS THE REFRESHER COURSE ON OHM'S LAW?
Originally Posted by JimPghPA
OP, if you have electric water heating be aware that if you rewire a switch into the water-heater to run a 240 VAC water-heater on 120 VAC it will only use 1/4 the amount of watts. This is because at 1/2 voltage it will draw 1/2 the current. And 1/2 times 1/2 = 1/4 of course with only 1/4 as much heat going into the water it will take 4 times longer to heat up a cold tank of water. But this could be a very significant reduction in the amount of power you require from your generator, which might even allow you to get by with a smaller generator, and or apply a much lighter load to your generator so it is not worked as hard in the hot Florida heat.
The real down side it that if multiple people want to take a shower, they may have to wait a while between showers for the slower recover time of the water-heater when ran in this mode, but it is a lot easier on a generator.
You better go back for a refresher course on Ohm's law and basic electricity
ABN CBN ENGR, I think it is you who better go back and get a refresher course in Ohm's law. The heating element in an electric water heater is a resistor and that resistance remains constant. If the resistive heating element is rated for 240 VAC then the resistance of the element will be the same if 240 VAC is connected to it, or if instead 120 VAC is connected to it, or if no voltage is applied to it.
For example, if a 240 VAC RMS element is rated for and consumes 4500 Watts that would mean with 240 VAC applied to it the RMS current is 4500 Watts / 240 Volts = 18.75 Amps
And the resistance of that heating element is 240 Volts / 18.75 Amps = 12.8 Ohms
Now if you connect 120 VAC RMS to that same 12.8 Ohm resistance it will draw 120 Volts / 12.8 Ohms = 9.375 Amps
And the power draw would be 120 VAC RMS times 9.375 Amps AC RMS = 1125 Watts which is exactly 1/4 of the amount of power it consumed when connected to 240 VAC RMS.
Or as I originally stated at 1/2 the Voltage it will draw 1/2 the current. And 1/2 Voltage times 1/2 Current = 1/4 Wattage
If you still do not believe me than ask an EE.
______________________________________________________________
NOW WHICH ONE OF US NEEDS THE REFRESHER COURSE ON OHM'S LAW?
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Originally Posted by doolah02
My water heater is 120 volts. I think I can get by with a 5000 watt generator.
You better check on what the Wattage rating of that water heater is. Is it on a 30 Amp breaker?
I'm not saying a 5000 Watt generator will not power a 120 Volt water heater, it is just that if the heating element of that 120 Volt water heater is a high wattage unit there might not be much capacity renaming of that initial 5000 Watts to run other items at the same time.
If it is a high Wattage element you could install a lower Wattage heating element, and if you have trouble finding a lower Wattage heating element you could use the fact that the actual draw of a 240 Volt element would be 1/4 of the rated Wattage when ran on 120 Volts, and select an appropriate 240 Volt element and use it on 120 Volts.
My water heater is 120 volts. I think I can get by with a 5000 watt generator.
You better check on what the Wattage rating of that water heater is. Is it on a 30 Amp breaker?
I'm not saying a 5000 Watt generator will not power a 120 Volt water heater, it is just that if the heating element of that 120 Volt water heater is a high wattage unit there might not be much capacity renaming of that initial 5000 Watts to run other items at the same time.
If it is a high Wattage element you could install a lower Wattage heating element, and if you have trouble finding a lower Wattage heating element you could use the fact that the actual draw of a 240 Volt element would be 1/4 of the rated Wattage when ran on 120 Volts, and select an appropriate 240 Volt element and use it on 120 Volts.
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OP, CUJET here on Bitog has stated that heavier oils in Florida make his generators and other OPE such as pumps, last while his neighbors using 30 weight oils experience engine failures in the Florida heat.
Originally he stated Mobil 15W - 50 was his go to oil for the Florida heat. And if my memory is correct, more recently he has stated that Mobil Turbo Diesel Truck 5W - 40 has served him well.
Anyhow in the Florida heat you do not need a low first number because you do not see below freezing temperatures, but you will be much better off with a oil that is thicker than a 30 weight for the second number, so seriously consider 40 or even 50 weight oils for your air cooled engines.
Also the larger the spread in the oil in general the more likely the oil is to shear and reduce viscosity in an air cooled engine. So a 15W- 40 or a 15W - 50 or even a 20W - 40 or a 20 W - 50 would in general be a more stout oil that would hold up better in the Florida heat in an air cooled engine compared to a 5W - 40 or even a 10W - 30
Originally he stated Mobil 15W - 50 was his go to oil for the Florida heat. And if my memory is correct, more recently he has stated that Mobil Turbo Diesel Truck 5W - 40 has served him well.
Anyhow in the Florida heat you do not need a low first number because you do not see below freezing temperatures, but you will be much better off with a oil that is thicker than a 30 weight for the second number, so seriously consider 40 or even 50 weight oils for your air cooled engines.
Also the larger the spread in the oil in general the more likely the oil is to shear and reduce viscosity in an air cooled engine. So a 15W- 40 or a 15W - 50 or even a 20W - 40 or a 20 W - 50 would in general be a more stout oil that would hold up better in the Florida heat in an air cooled engine compared to a 5W - 40 or even a 10W - 30
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OP, if you can find a Tecumseh powered generator such as a Coleman Power-Mate with low hours be aware that the exhaust port of Tecumseh engines is threaded inside the exhaust port of the head so it will accept standard pipe thread. I use this fact to add a threaded pipe to my Tecumseh powered Coleman Power-Mate and the other end of that pipe is connected to a flex pipe I bought from McMaster Carr and then to a metal plug I made on my lathe that fits the inside of the inlet of a car muffler.
When you are standing beside the generator it is very hard to notice any difference in the noise it makes. But when you get away from the generator, like inside the house there is a very big difference.
I do not know if Briggs & Stratton, or Robin or Honda clones have exhaust ports that are threaded.
When you are standing beside the generator it is very hard to notice any difference in the noise it makes. But when you get away from the generator, like inside the house there is a very big difference.
I do not know if Briggs & Stratton, or Robin or Honda clones have exhaust ports that are threaded.
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Originally Posted by NO2
Look at a whole house natural gas unit. It comes on automatically when the power goes out and will keep your home from flooding if you have a sump pump and you are gone when the outage happens. It also solves the fuel storage issue.
Natural gas is rare in South Florida. OP probably does not have it available to him.
Look at a whole house natural gas unit. It comes on automatically when the power goes out and will keep your home from flooding if you have a sump pump and you are gone when the outage happens. It also solves the fuel storage issue.
Natural gas is rare in South Florida. OP probably does not have it available to him.
Originally Posted by JimPghPA
Originally Posted by NO2
Look at a whole house natural gas unit. It comes on automatically when the power goes out and will keep your home from flooding if you have a sump pump and you are gone when the outage happens. It also solves the fuel storage issue.
Natural gas is rare in South Florida. OP probably does not have it available to him.
+1
Natural gas is rare in Florida. For a whole house I would look at a diesel unit, such as Kubota. Expensive, I know. That was what I wanted, but budget wouldn't allow it. Ended up with a 7500W Gas Cat + Transfer switch. And yes, 40 grade HDEO for the hot, year long summers.
Originally Posted by NO2
Look at a whole house natural gas unit. It comes on automatically when the power goes out and will keep your home from flooding if you have a sump pump and you are gone when the outage happens. It also solves the fuel storage issue.
Natural gas is rare in South Florida. OP probably does not have it available to him.
+1
Natural gas is rare in Florida. For a whole house I would look at a diesel unit, such as Kubota. Expensive, I know. That was what I wanted, but budget wouldn't allow it. Ended up with a 7500W Gas Cat + Transfer switch. And yes, 40 grade HDEO for the hot, year long summers.
Originally Posted by JimPghPA
NOW WHICH ONE OF US NEEDS THE REFRESHER COURSE ON OHM'S LAW?
Neither, but I would benefit from a refresher in proof reading. I had realized my error but too late to edit as I alluded to above.
I own this one so I'll have to stand here and take it.
Carry On.
NOW WHICH ONE OF US NEEDS THE REFRESHER COURSE ON OHM'S LAW?
Neither, but I would benefit from a refresher in proof reading. I had realized my error but too late to edit as I alluded to above.
I own this one so I'll have to stand here and take it.
Carry On.
Originally Posted by zfasts03
My pick. You buy it 1x. take care of it. It will last a lifetime.
https://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/eu7000is
I've seen stories of these where they are used "off the grid" 24/7/365 and accumulated 10s of thousands of hours. Pretty impressive stuff.
My pick. You buy it 1x. take care of it. It will last a lifetime.
https://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/eu7000is
I've seen stories of these where they are used "off the grid" 24/7/365 and accumulated 10s of thousands of hours. Pretty impressive stuff.
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