Generator Question
- Thread starter spierceisu
- Start date
My situation is I'm out of the place for 5-6 months per year. I have a relative stop in and check a couple times a month.
My neighbor got a whole house unit a couple years ago. I told him if I'm here and the power goes out I'm plugging an extension cord into his outside plug and running my sump pump.
I plan to get a similar unit just because when I'm not home there is no one who will know that I have an issue and will be able to switch a smaller unit between things. The peace of mind knowing my furnace is powered and the sump pump will be running even if the power is out is a big thing to me.
I have a lot of stuff in my basement.
Side bar: I think every home built with a basement should have an oversized sump pit with pumps set at different heights for a backup. (Or two standard diameter with an interconnected pipe near the top.} They're mechanical devices and will fail. And when they do you don't have time to go find another one and hook it up. Your basement is trash.
People spend 10's of thousands of dollars for their basement and for a few dollars invested at construction they could have a nearly worry free situation with regard to basement flooding.
I guess I've had it happen enough to just be more concerned about basement flooding
My neighbor got a whole house unit a couple years ago. I told him if I'm here and the power goes out I'm plugging an extension cord into his outside plug and running my sump pump.
I plan to get a similar unit just because when I'm not home there is no one who will know that I have an issue and will be able to switch a smaller unit between things. The peace of mind knowing my furnace is powered and the sump pump will be running even if the power is out is a big thing to me.
I have a lot of stuff in my basement.
Side bar: I think every home built with a basement should have an oversized sump pit with pumps set at different heights for a backup. (Or two standard diameter with an interconnected pipe near the top.} They're mechanical devices and will fail. And when they do you don't have time to go find another one and hook it up. Your basement is trash.
People spend 10's of thousands of dollars for their basement and for a few dollars invested at construction they could have a nearly worry free situation with regard to basement flooding.
I guess I've had it happen enough to just be more concerned about basement flooding
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I have one and it works well. I used it for my racing stuff when the hauler generator had to go to the shop.
For anyone thinking about getting a backup generator for their home. Please contact an electrician to ensure that you install it correctly and meet all national and local electric codes. Back feeding your house with a portable generator without a transfer switch is extremely dangerous and can potentially electrocute someone working on the power lines trying to restore power to your area. You also run the risk of having an electrical explosion and fire if the power is restored to your house while the generator is connected. If you do it, do it correctly. It’s not worth the risk.
Portable generator with a generator interlock kit on a meter main combo works too.
Just no suicide cords. It’s scary to see how many people think they actually know what they are doing. Just because you can get it to work, doesn’t mean it’s right.
If anyone out there is in the Dewalt battery system, something like this will keep a sump going:
(And this is awesome for tailgating crock pots)
If anyone out there is in the Dewalt battery system, something like this will keep a sump going:
(And this is awesome for tailgating crock pots)
Honestly, for the price it would cost for everything with this unit and batteries, you could get a decent gas powered inverter.
I just helped my BIL replace his two aging sump pumps with two new pumps complete with battery backups on both. He's got a water table issue or something because those pumps run 24/7 all year round. He lost power a few months ago for about 3 days and was running a Honda generator on and off to pump out water.
OP - Echo usually has pretty good stuff. This model would give you sufficient output, If you buy it on ECHO DAYS you can get good discount too.
Engine Displacement (cm. cu.) 212
Max Wattage (W) 3,600
Running Wattage (W) 3,000
Running Time 8.5 hrs @ 50% load
Max Amp (A) 30
USB Ports 2
Fuel Tank Capacity (gal) 2.2
Dry Weight (lbs) 107
Warranty 3 year consumer / 90 day commercial
MSRP $1299.99
As we continue the descent into a third world, gimmick-based power grid, you owe it to yourself to get a decent generator and have it professionally installed.
As much as I like a good doomsday scare…even the best generator won’t do you much good if it doesn’t have fuel.
I bought the Honda EU7000i. I have my own well so I needed the 220v to run the well. I also used it quite a bit tailgating before moving to the RV Village. Its nice and quiet, trouble free, and fuel efficient. If I were to buy a generator for just the rv I would have bought a smaller one that is lighter making easier to load in the truck. If I were to but one for just the house I would have bought a bigger one, had it permanently installed, and run on LP.
Other question to answer is how are you going to connect it to your electrical system at home. There are some ways that work but are not safe. There is also a right way to do it. It is also illegal to run a generator in a way that will back feed the utility, for the safety of the linemen. I had electricians install a transfer switch on my main panel. Cost a little money to have them do it but its works pretty slick.
Other question to answer is how are you going to connect it to your electrical system at home. There are some ways that work but are not safe. There is also a right way to do it. It is also illegal to run a generator in a way that will back feed the utility, for the safety of the linemen. I had electricians install a transfer switch on my main panel. Cost a little money to have them do it but its works pretty slick.
Here is one I am thinking about getting. It is a great price point for the features and has really good reviews. I normally steer clear from Harbor Freight but heard their generators are good.
https://www.harborfreight.com/colle...ote-start-and-co-secure-technology-70143.html
https://www.harborfreight.com/colle...ote-start-and-co-secure-technology-70143.html
One thing to remember, is if you go LP or NG, you need 2x the power as a gas or diesel one. I don't know why, it is just what is always mentioned. I have a 45kW for a business but was told if it was gas or diesel that I could go 25kW. I chose the LP so I didn't have to worry about the fuel going stale in it.
harbor freight is fine if you just avoid the cheap stuff. Everyone wants to buy the low cost stuff and then expect it to perform like the higher end equipment.
Thats the one I have. No issues with it and it does everything I need it to.
Those looking into generators, I will pull mine out of the shed every other month-ish and fire it up for 10 mins just to make sure its still good.
