Is 2800 watt generator enough to run pellet stove and a couple of lights?

[jng518]

I have 2 generators 1 is an Onan 4kw (2 cyl) that is in a RV parked next to the house.
2nd one is a Homelite 5Kw(1 cyl).
Both have low oil shut off switches. The Onan during one trip was running for 3 days non-stop.
The Homelite I had running for 36 hours during a power outage in 08.
I did not have a pellet stove at the time. But ran the oil furnace,4 lights (cfl) and the tv with no problem.
Most ratings use 120Vac for the watts needed. Ohm's law P(watts) = I(amps) X E(volts ac/dc).

 

[On2wheels]

Curious to know if someone can confirm that inverter generators are needed for electronic controlled pellet stoves like the Enviro models. I test ran my stove on a small 1kw generac from cdn tire, but the green pellet-feed led light was flickering and didn't seem to look like it does on hydro power. I admit it was the cheapest generator you could find, but I don't want to ruin my stove on an unsafe sine wave output.

 

[amick780]

Just be sure when running your pellet stove on a generator you use a surge protector / power conditioner , one that is used for sensitive equipment, (ex. Monster Power used for Audio/Video equipment). Not a cheap power strip. Power fluctuations with a generator can fry the circuit board pretty easily. Not an inexpensive fix. So spend a few bucks to save yourself alot down the road.

 

[rowerwet]

I ran my CB maxim M175 Outdoor pellet boiler off my generator for a week back before Christmas, after the ice storm. the firestar controller is digital and it took it no problem, the only diff. I noticed was that the pumps were noisy and possibly slower and it seemed to take longer for the water temp to recover after a house cycle.

 

[MainePellethead]

What about running it through your 220 outlet.... some say you could fry the wiring in your house and some say no. Anyone hook their genny this way?

 

[mnkywrnch]

What about running it through your 220 outlet.... some say you could fry the wiring in your house and some say no. Anyone hook their genny this way?

I believe your talking about backfeeding and if not done right poses more danger to the lineman than your house wiring.IMHO I would have a transfer switch wired in and be done with it.Thats what I did my 5500 watt gen will run my pstove tv furnace refrigerator and lights with juice to spare.

 

[Clay H]

if you guys were going to run a pellet stove, fridge, and a light, what is the best way to run power to those items. And little smokey, what do you mean by the inevitable? its going to "expire" because you are running it constantly? thanks again for your help,,,,,,

Make you a cord with 2 male ends on it, one to plug into the 240 volt plug on Generator and one to plug into the dryer plug in your utility room, If you don't have an elec. dryer, add a 240 volt plug to the breaker box for this.
Turn off main breaker, plug your generator up with this cord you made and fir it up...your whole house will be powered but don't use too many apliances at a time. If you hear the gen. bog down when you turn something on, your at peak and need to turn something else off.

 

[Clay H]

What about running it through your 220 outlet.... some say you could fry the wiring in your house and some say no. Anyone hook their genny this way?

Yes, i run mine that way...di it for 3 days last winter. BE SURE TO TURN OFF MAIN BREAKER IN THE BREAKER BOX or power can travel back up the line and kill workers trying to repair line.
Also turn on your front porch light, the power companies will drive by and see it and know you have a generator and may stop to see that you killed the breaker.

 

[Clay H]

Thats what I did my 5500 watt gen will run my pstove tv furnace refrigerator and lights with juice to spare.

Ditto.....

 

[THE ROOSTER]

I plan on using a male/female dryer plug this winter to use with my generator... I'll hook it into a 50amp breaker and then pick and choose what I want to have on And YES kill the main

Almost forgot, go to Camping World and by a volt gauge to plug into an outlet to keep an eye on your voltage

 

[hossthehermit]

Personally, when I have an outage, I run the oil furnace, instead of the pellet furnace, off my Generac. Seems to deal better with power fuctuations, and cheaper to fix if I burn something out. Oil furnace is 25 yr. old, pellet furnace 1 yr. Only time I use the oil, anyway until I run out of pellets, anyway, needs to run now and then.

 

[THE ROOSTER]

if you guys were going to run a pellet stove, fridge, and a light, what is the best way to run power to those items. And little smokey, what do you mean by the inevitable? its going to "expire" because you are running it constantly? thanks again for your help,,,,,,

Make you a cord with 2 male ends on it, one to plug into the 240 volt plug on Generator and one to plug into the dryer plug in your utility room, If you don't have an elec. dryer, add a 240 volt plug to the breaker box for this.
Turn off main breaker, plug your generator up with this cord you made and fir it up...your whole house will be powered but don't use too many apliances at a time. If you hear the gen. bog down when you turn something on, your at peak and need to turn something else off.

You know, after reading your post I "REALLY"like your idea better, I can run the cord in through the dryer vent, I have a tree next to the vent to chain the generator to, but my only concern is the distance from the dryer plug to the box... I know the dryer is fed by the box, but coming from the gen. to the box and then out to the house just concerns me... I may just give this a try

 

[imacman]

......IMHO I would have a transfer switch wired in and be done with it.Thats what I did my 5500 watt gen will run my pstove tv furnace refrigerator and lights with juice to spare.

I agree 100%. Manual transfer switches aren't that expensive. I'd have a bad feeling the whole time if i tried backfeeding.....dangerous, IMO.

 

[seige101]

RE: Backfeeding.

NO NO NO

Not only do you risk the chance of frying a lineman further down the stream and possible blowing up your generator trying to power the entire neighborhood. There is also a high risk of fire, if utility power comes on and your generator is running, expect your very own personal fireworks show with your electrical panel and generator. This is also the NEC Code.

This has been discussed before, numerous times. A manual transfer switch is about 100 bucks. An entire generator transfer subpanel is about 300 bucks.

If you are pretty handy this is a DIY project. If you are uncomfortable working in your electrical box please have a qualified electrician perform the work. Should be pretty reasonable.

If you would like more information about a transfer switch or subpanel, post back here or PM me i will be happy to help. If you are relatively local, i would be happy to help out.

 

[velvetfoot]

I used this:
http://static.schneider-electric.us/docs/Electrical Distribution/Load Centers/Accessories, Homeline (HOM, LK, PK, QOM)/40273-809-02.pdf

http://tinyurl.com/y8kmwtg

I wrote about it here:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/19946/

 

[imacman]

Velvetfoot, the link doesn't work....something is missing in the web address.

 

[velvetfoot]

macman, it must be the forum software didn't translate. I made a tinyurl link below.

 

[imacman]

..... I made a tinyurl link below.

That doesn't work either...sorry.

 

[rowerwet]

definitely do the transfer switch, you don't want to face the idea you killed someone! after the tornado up in Epsom, NH one lineman was killed by a generator back-feeding, after that the power co took its own sweet time and double checked every time to make sure it didn't happen again.

 

[sinnian]

..... I made a tinyurl link below.

That doesn't work either...sorry.

Worked for me, so must be you. It's a PDF so you need Adobe or something to open it.

 

[velvetfoot]

http://tinyurl.com/y8kmwtg

 

[imacman]

Worked for me, so must be you. It's a PDF so you need Adobe or something to open it.

Nah, I have all that....something else is screwy.....oh well.

EDIT: I figured it out! It's that Mets avatar he's got. Nothing the Mets do works. :lol: GO YANKEES