The PF ICE (gas engine) generator thread

[LittleLebowski]

Generac has a 2000w inverter generator for $800 on amazon. Can be paralleled. Advertises it's quieter and smarter than the Honda.

Don't forget that your car is just an inexpensive 800-1400W inverter away from being a portable generator. It's not optimal for every situation, but it's a good emergency option.

Another +1 on Steven Harris work. I have a portable battery bank (Single deep cycle) started.

I'll bet that Generac is the same mechanically as the $400 HF 2000w.

[LittleLebowski]

I have the interlock kit on our breaker. A simple breaker lock that keeps you from running your genny power back into the grid and potentially electrocuting the lineman tryng to restore power. Not a bad precaution.

Did you install it?

[Alembic]

Did you install it?

I did not. A licenced electrician wired the panel.

It's like a second main breaker and the plate on the panel only allows one to be switched "on" at a time. I have a 40ft. 30amp cord, so I can run a generator in our detached garage. Huf described it correctly and better than I am.

We choose this route over a whole house system because I can pick what circuits I want on or off, and size my generator to match the minimum load/usage we can get by on. I guess you can turn off individual breakers with a whole house system as well, but the Generac and Cummings guys would only install a system that met the needs of the whole house, which in my case was 20kw system, quoted at over $15,000 installed.

The one consideration the Generac guys brought up, is that these potable units are not designed to run for days on end as the whole house propane units are. Not sure how true this is, but we plan to only use enough to keep the house from freezing in winter storms.

I have not bought a gen set yet, but I greatly appreciate your research and this thread.

[PT Doc]

I'm torn in between the HF 2000w and the HF 3500w inverter gennys, but will prolly go with the latter as I want a genny that my wife can simply fire up and use, no screwing around with parallel cables, therefore the more powerful, the better. Furthermore, Northern Tool sells this parallel cable kit for their version of the HF 3500w inverter genny so I can plan to buy another 3500 w in the future and double available power.

I have no personal experience with this brand, but it also offers dual fuel capability. Obviously an increase in price, but more flexibility.
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Powe...tag=tapainc-20

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[LittleLebowski]

I have no personal experience with this brand, but it also offers dual fuel capability. Obviously an increase in price, but more flexibility.
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Powe...tag=tapainc-20

Install this for $187 on a cheaper model, pocket a hundred or so in savings

[NEPAKevin]

I have no personal experience with this brand, but it also offers dual fuel capability. Obviously an increase in price, but more flexibility.
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Powe...tag=tapainc-20

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I have that generator. Got it when Home Depot had them on sale. Has enough power to run a good sized wall mount A/C unit but overloaded when the A/C, fridge, and sump pump all kicked in at the same time and I had it running on the eco setting.

Overloading can also be an issue with the interlock system. They are a brilliantly simple solution that give a lot of versatility and are perfect for a single man with some common sense living alone. Going to stop right there.

[NEPAKevin]

Install this for $49 on a cheaper model, pocket a few hundred in savings

Am I reading the wrong thing? That unit says $187.00

[LittleLebowski]

Am I reading the wrong thing? That unit says $187.00

No, I’m a tard.

[LittleLebowski]

I have that generator. Got it when Home Depot had them on sale. Has enough power to run a good sized wall mount A/C unit but overloaded when the A/C, fridge, and sump pump all kicked in at the same time and I had it running on the eco setting.

Overloading can also be an issue with the interlock system. They are a brilliantly simple solution that give a lot of versatility and are perfect for a single man with some common sense living alone. Going to stop right there.

Grab an HF 2000w to spread the load.

[hufnagel]

I have that generator. Got it when Home Depot had them on sale. Has enough power to run a good sized wall mount A/C unit but overloaded when the A/C, fridge, and sump pump all kicked in at the same time and I had it running on the eco setting.

Overloading can also be an issue with the interlock system. They are a brilliantly simple solution that give a lot of versatility and are perfect for a single man with some common sense living alone. Going to stop right there.

If you have a wife that occasionally listens, it can be done for those of us who are not single.
My anecdotal evidence (as I've posted before elsewhere) is a 5500W generator running for 16.5 hours a day using 5 gallons of gasoline (also each day) for 2 weeks straight. We ran every appliance we wanted to in the house, except for the central A/C condenser, on a mindful, rotating schedule, without too much difficulty. Every night I'd shut down the generator and throw the interlock back to pole power, just in case it came back on.

I think most of the rational people out there, including most in here, are able to deal with some disruption of their normal daily activities, provided the disruption isn't catastrophic. I want to say it only took 2 or 3 days to get into a "groove" of when things got used, so as to not accidentally run the hair dryer and microwave at the same time (the morons who built my house for some insane reason had both those outlets on the same breaker. Madness.) Laundry cycles changed slightly, so that both machines weren't active at the same time (dryer is gas, so it's electric draw wasn't nearly as bad as it could be,) dish washer shouldn't be run out of cycle with those two as well, etc. One bright thing out of all of that was we actually became more mindful of our overall power usage in general.