Are you happy with your portable generator?

[helpadvisors]

Since there's so many options - from CARB compliant to inverter generators - do you like the one you have? Do you use it for activities or more of a backup power supply?

 

[maple1]

Yes, and backup.

 

[helpadvisors]

Cool, which one did you get?

 

[maple1]

Have a Lifan 3400 inverter. And a cheap 3200 non-inverter Walmart special.

 

[Dataman]

I got our present house in 2011. It came with Transfer Panel, but no Generator (they took that). I got
Briggs and Stratton 7kW Dual-Mode backup generator unit Model 40248 (newer Model Out) Found out it has Neutral is BONDED to the chassis. Would not work with my panel. Did some surgery and bonded it to the panel with grounding rod for generator. Spent way too much money. But it's heavy beast and sits in it's own little house. I learned to dump the recommended inside the case battery. At -10f it's too cold for it to start it. Got 35ah Marine Battery and made up jumper cables. I test it every 90 days. Only used it for testing purposes. No power outage longer than 5 hours so far. I have Inverter (AIMS 1250)/Charger and it will do 6+ hours running pellets stove. I have posted pics of our Transfer Panel here. We use 30ah Cable thru wall (PVC Pipe with Caps) to connect Generator.

 

[helpadvisors]

Wow, yeah I looked up the Model 40248 Briggs & Stratton - def looks like a workhorse when needed. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dataman]

It can do the job. Well and Hot Water together I hope. We are set for any outage. I keep 2 Mid Sized and 2 Small Ones. Enough for few days on and off running. In 2008 this area got really dumped on with Snow. We can handle that if the Diesel holds out. Got 1" today with more coming. Should melt 1st.

 

[Wood1Dennis]

We had a two day power outage in spring caused by a severe wind storm. After that I finally sprung for a backup generator. We live in the country so when the power is out we lose water pressure from the well in addition to all the other typical important stuff like power to the freezers and fridge. I had been researching for a while, have a friend with the same setup so I had a good idea what I needed.

I have a Generac GP6500 like this;

In October we had a party with about 25 people. It was raining like crazy, and the power went out. I had to do some quick hook-up as I had not yet wired in the outlet and interlock, but when I did and started it up it worked perfectly. TV was on, lights worked, the toilets had water, and the party continued uninterrupted. I think some people did not even know the house was running on a generator.

I'm pretty happy with my choice. I have it set-up to plug into a generator plug below my main panel using the 220 outlet with a 50 ft. cord. It connects to my main panel using a mechanical interlock. Those things are ridiculously expensive, but work great. The generator can run everything I need meaning pretty everything except the air conditioner (no one needs that) and maybe the electric oven!

 

[woodey]

I bought a Briggs & Stratton 2100 series(10,000 Watt startup-8000 running) a few years ago and am very happy with it. I use it mainly for backup power by feeding it thru my main panel.

 

[Rob711]

I have a 9000 watt champion, powers my entire house Including one zone of central air. It’s loud, I think it’s 12 hp Honda clone, runs and works well, electric start via a key fob, batteries long dead, starts one pull.

During a recent power outage I was able to borrow a 2000 watt Honda suitcase style. After powering the coffee maker, it ran our big side by side fridge and chest freezer. I’m strongly considering one of these as well, so quiet, sips fuel. 1000$ is expensive but there know as the best. I see them used by the railroad,also see them on utility company trucks.

 

[SpaceBus]

We had a two day power outage in spring caused by a severe wind storm. After that I finally sprung for a backup generator. We live in the country so when the power is out we lose water pressure from the well in addition to all the other typical important stuff like power to the freezers and fridge. I had been researching for a while, have a friend with the same setup so I had a good idea what I needed.

I have a Generac GP6500 like this;
View attachment 251294
In October we had a party with about 25 people. It was raining like crazy, and the power went out. I had to do some quick hook-up as I had not yet wired in the outlet and interlock, but when I did and started it up it worked perfectly. TV was on, lights worked, the toilets had water, and the party continued uninterrupted. I think some people did not even know the house was running on a generator.

I'm pretty happy with my choice. I have it set-up to plug into a generator plug below my main panel using the 220 outlet with a 50 ft. cord. It connects to my main panel using a mechanical interlock. Those things are ridiculously expensive, but work great. The generator can run everything I need meaning pretty everything except the air conditioner (no one needs that) and maybe the electric oven!

How did you connect your well to the generator without an interlock/switch panel?

 

[maple1]

We have a 120v shallow well pump. I dont have it set up this way but you could just wire a plug onto it and plug it into a receptacle. Then when the power goes out, unplug the pump and plug it into an extension cord to your gennie. I do have my boiler circ set up like that.

 

[SpaceBus]

We have a 120v shallow well pump. I dont have it set up this way but you could just wire a plug onto it and plug it into a receptacle. Then when the power goes out, unplug the pump and plug it into an extension cord to your gennie. I do have my boiler circ set up like that.

Knowing next to nothing about well pumps I just assumed ours was 220/50+ amp, but turns out it's on a two pole 20 amp breaker, which means it should be 110 and I could do the plug setup you mentioned.

 

[maple1]

I only usually know enough about electricity to be dangerous, but 2 pole breaker sounds like 240v. Which you still should be able to do the plug thing with, if you have a 240v generator.

 

[Wood1Dennis]

How did you connect your well to the generator without an interlock/switch panel?

Hi SpaceBus,

It is pretty easy really. You have an electrician install a 30 amp two pole breaker in the main panel that is used to feed the power from the generator into the panel. It can be used to power whatever you want on the panel, within the limits of the 30 amp supply. The cord from the generator's 30 amp outlet gets plugged into an outlet that is connected to that breaker. They will have to install a mechanical interlock that only allows the generator breaker to be on when the main breaker is off.

Take a look at this site, they have the interlocks and a description of how it works. https://www.geninterlock.com/

 

[Socratic Monologue]

We have a Honda EU3000iS, and a manual transfer switch panel to run most of our house circuits. We can run the fridge, 2 chest freezers, sump pumps, wood furnace fan, internet, and a couple big aquariums.

Electric start, clean power, runs quiet, easy on gas, and it is on the factory cart so it is easy to pull around if I want to use it for portable power.

 

[peakbagger]

On most house panels the main line coming in has 240 volts line to line. Single breakers only connect to one of the hot lines with the other going to neutral so the voltage is 120 volts. Hook up a dual pole breaker and its connected to two hots so its voltage is 240 volts. There is no way you can easily feed a 240 volt pump from a generator that only puts out 120 volts. If you try you will damage the pump. With the exception of dryers and electric ranges, a water pump is usually the biggest power draw in a house and it usually has a surge draw well over nameplate that may be 3 to 4 times more than the nameplate. If its a 240 volt generator, divide the rated wattage by 240 volts and thats the amperage it can put out. If you take the nameplate amperage of the pump multiply it by at least 3 and that is what the generator should be rated for. If the pump is a 3 wire pump with an external capacitor box in the basement it can be converted to a variable speed pump by adding a Franklin Electric monodrive (AKA a subdrive) . Here is a link to random supplier
https://www.supremewatersales.com/5...MI5JbG4__r5QIVhJyzCh0sTgIAEAQYAyABEgLlWfD_BwE.

It replaces the capacitor box in the basement and eliminates the surge load. There is some payback to it as it matches the pump speed to the water demand so the pump runs more efficiently and probably lasts longer.

 

[SpaceBus]

Great thread, I've learned a lot! Our generator is a briggs and stratton 6250 portable generator. It has a 240/30 amp outlet so I assumed it would be capable of keeping the food cold and the well pump going. We don't have any other electric appliances we can't live without.

 

[velvetfoot]

We have a pretty big portable Generac to power the deep well pump. I wish it could be made to be softer starting, but I don't think so, with only the two legs and a ground wire going down the hole.

I also just recently got a Harbor Freight Predator 3500. I like it so far. They're on sale Black Friday for 689.

 

[ABMax24]

We have a Champion 3100 watt inverter. Works good for running the fifth wheel and AC when camping. Also runs our electric log splitter, and in an emergency would have enough juice to power our house (no pumps or electric heating of any kind). It's quite and reasonable on fuel.

My parents also run a Yamaha 2000, it is quieter than ours, but not enough power to run a trailer AC unit.