Posted: 9/4/2011 3:42:36 PM EDT
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I was without power for a week after Irene. I don't want to go through that again. I'm looking to run my 1/2 HP well pump, a 3/4 HP sump pump, my oil furnace (which is my hot water heater), my refrigerator, and a couple of lights. I plan to have a transfer switch installed professionally.
What's your experience with currently available portable gas-powered generators in the 7000-8000 watt continuous range? I've heard good things about Northstar, but they're pricey. Are they worth the extra money? What about Briggs and Stratton/ I've heard that repairing those is a pain. Any tips or advice will be gratefully appreciated!! |
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This is a regualar topic here.... I will applaud you for your clear thinking right upfront on the decision to do it right with a transfer switch.
As far as generators go, You really do get what you pay for. I would look at a Honda eu6500 if you want the best reliability, fuel economy and clean power, not to mention quiet running. Also if you are not a Honda guy Yamaha makes a 7000 watt inverter generator of similar quality. If these are out of your budget then at the least consider one that has a Honda engine. Northern tool offers many good options in this price point. YMMV |
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A lot of generator manufacturers slap a Honda, Yamaha or Subaru/Robin engine on a cheap Chinese-made alternator head. They know that most folks will look no further than the engine brand when shopping for a generator. You'd probably be surprised at the number of brands that frequently do this - Northern Tool, Ridgid, Coleman Powermate, Husky, etc.
This is unfortunate, because the quality if the alternator head matters at least as much as the quality of the engine. Having a Honda GX engine doesn't do you much good if the no-name alternator head it's attached burns up - and is unrepairable. |
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Does the generator have to be super quiet due to neighborhood, zoning, or security concerns? What type of fuel are you considering? If gas or diesel, do you have the space to store fuel safely? Do you have a natural gas hookup in your home? How about space for a propane tank? Do you need (or want) the ability to use multiple types of fuel?
Just thinking out loud to give you an appropriate suggestion  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Does the generator have to be super quiet due to neighborhood, zoning, or security concerns? What type of fuel are you considering? If gas or diesel, do you have the space to store fuel safely? Do you have a natural gas hookup in your home? How about space for a propane tank? Do you need (or want) the ability to use multiple types of fuel? Just thinking out loud to give you an appropriate suggestion
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile No, noise is not an issue. I do not have piped in gas. I could get a honking big propane tank. However, at this point I'm leaning towards gasoline. I'm not too worried about keeping the lights o in TEOTWAWKI, more in cases of a localized SHTF scenario. I'm planning to run only a few hours a day, to keep the place above freezing, have a shower, and draw some drinking water, so I figure I can store enough gas for a couple of days easily. If there's a forecast for a significant event, I can by more gasoline. If I don't use that, I'll put it in my car. |
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A lot of generator manufacturers slap a Honda, Yamaha or Subaru/Robin engine on a cheap Chinese-made alternator head. They know that most folks will look no further than the engine brand when shopping for a generator. You'd probably be surprised at the number of brands that frequently do this - Northern Tool, Ridgid, Coleman Powermate, Husky, etc. This is unfortunate, because the quality if the alternator head matters at least as much as the quality of the engine. Having a Honda GX engine doesn't do you much good if the no-name alternator head it's attached burns up - and is unrepairable. Could you suggest a specific model that might suit my needs? I have no way to assess who makes the alternator head- although it is apparent that if someone uses a Honda engine, they trumpet that fact. |
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A lot of generator manufacturers slap a Honda, Yamaha or Subaru/Robin engine on a cheap Chinese-made alternator head. They know that most folks will look no further than the engine brand when shopping for a generator. You'd probably be surprised at the number of brands that frequently do this - Northern Tool, Ridgid, Coleman Powermate, Husky, etc. This is unfortunate, because the quality if the alternator head matters at least as much as the quality of the engine. Having a Honda GX engine doesn't do you much good if the no-name alternator head it's attached burns up - and is unrepairable. The northstar generators that northern sell use a Sincro Brand alternator. It is an Itallian generator, I have several and have never had a problem with them. VERY clean power and reliable too. While I agree there are many companies that use the Good Honda and then sourec the cheapest alternator, the northstar line isnt one of them. |
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A lot of generator manufacturers slap a Honda, Yamaha or Subaru/Robin engine on a cheap Chinese-made alternator head. They know that most folks will look no further than the engine brand when shopping for a generator. You'd probably be surprised at the number of brands that frequently do this - Northern Tool, Ridgid, Coleman Powermate, Husky, etc. This is unfortunate, because the quality if the alternator head matters at least as much as the quality of the engine. Having a Honda GX engine doesn't do you much good if the no-name alternator head it's attached burns up - and is unrepairable. Could you suggest a specific model that might suit my needs? I have no way to assess who makes the alternator head- although it is apparent that if someone uses a Honda engine, they trumpet that fact. Is cost a big factor in your decision? If quality, fuel consumption, reliability and noise levels are all priorities then I had suggested the Honda EU6500, otherwise here is a cheaper alternative with the good engine and the good alternator: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_211724_211724 hope it helps. and again when shopping gensets you do get what you pay for. |
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Take your time looking for the best options. I had a 5 day event like yours, then i bought a genny and have not used it since. Its been 3 years or so. I have one of those Champion 3500/4000 genny's that cost me $300 and it almost runs the whole house, except for the hot water tank. If i needed to draw from my well too, i would buy another unit and designate it just for the well. That would put me in the $600 range an i would have a total of 7000/8000 watts and also i would have the one is none and two is one thing covered for a good price and could afford to wire it correctly and all total spend just around a $1000. If you have a short duration event, just fire up the one genny and dont worry about the water, drink from bottles..... when that gets tiresome, fire up the other one. If one goes out of service for repair or maint, you can still be using the other one. |
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Could you suggest a specific model that might suit my needs? I have no way to assess who makes the alternator head- although it is apparent that if someone uses a Honda engine, they trumpet that fact. Most of the brands I've mentioned actually say "Made In China" on the alternator head - or in some cases, the entire generator says "Made In China" on the carton. Briggs & Stratton still uses American-made alternator heads in most of its products (including models sold under the "Troy-Built" brand). They bought out Generac Portable Power Products a few years ago, which still manufactures the heads for B&S models in its Jefferson, WI factory. Parts and service are available at any B&S dealer, including for models that were discontinued long ago - an important consideration, since standby generators tend to sit mostly unused for many years at a time. Some of the other traditional generator manufacturers are now selling a few Chinese-made models under their own name. For example, Onan and Honda now offer entry-level Chinese-made models. In order to give you some idea of what size generator you need, most manufacturers have generator sizing guides (like this one). |
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A lot of generator manufacturers slap a Honda, Yamaha or Subaru/Robin engine on a cheap Chinese-made alternator head. They know that most folks will look no further than the engine brand when shopping for a generator. You'd probably be surprised at the number of brands that frequently do this - Northern Tool, Ridgid, Coleman Powermate, Husky, etc. This is unfortunate, because the quality if the alternator head matters at least as much as the quality of the engine. Having a Honda GX engine doesn't do you much good if the no-name alternator head it's attached burns up - and is unrepairable. Could you suggest a specific model that might suit my needs? I have no way to assess who makes the alternator head- although it is apparent that if someone uses a Honda engine, they trumpet that fact. Is cost a big factor in your decision? If quality, fuel consumption, reliability and noise levels are all priorities then I had suggested the Honda EU6500, otherwise here is a cheaper alternative with the good engine and the good alternator: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_211724_211724 hope it helps. and again when shopping gensets you do get what you pay for. Cost is definitely a factor. The Honda models go for upwards of $4K, which is too rich for my blood. I could probably swing the $1700 that the Northstar models go for, but I have had a lot of expenses recently and would prefer to spend less if I could get a reliable generator for the money. |
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In sizing what you need, do consider that you don't have to try to run everything at the same time.
A smaller generator will do fine, one item at a time. That would also probably require less fuel to be stored. Just requires discilpine in turning things on and off. (unplugging things). A dedicated backup just for the sump pump is worth thinking about too. Also search around for the battery box and battery bankthreads (including Cjan's 'during the action' irene thread from NH.) Lots of options and ways to meet your needs. An interesting question I have never considered (but I'm sure some would know here). Does anyone make a generator that would run on the normal furnace oil already in the tank? Glad you found the SF. Lots of knowledge and assistance here 
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A lot of generator manufacturers slap a Honda, Yamaha or Subaru/Robin engine on a cheap Chinese-made alternator head. They know that most folks will look no further than the engine brand when shopping for a generator. You'd probably be surprised at the number of brands that frequently do this - Northern Tool, Ridgid, Coleman Powermate, Husky, etc. This is unfortunate, because the quality if the alternator head matters at least as much as the quality of the engine. Having a Honda GX engine doesn't do you much good if the no-name alternator head it's attached burns up - and is unrepairable. this |
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Quoted: An interesting question I have never considered (but I'm sure some would know here). Does anyone make a generator that would run on the normal furnace oil already in the tank? Glad you found the SF. Lots of knowledge and assistance here Would a diesel generator work for this application? |
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In sizing what you need, do consider that you don't have to try to run everything at the same time. A smaller generator will do fine, one item at a time. That would also probably require less fuel to be stored. Just requires discilpine in turning things on and off. (unplugging things). A dedicated backup just for the sump pump is worth thinking about too. Also search around for the battery box and battery bankthreads (including Cjan's 'during the action' irene thread from NH.) Lots of options and ways to meet your needs. An interesting question I have never considered (but I'm sure some would know here). Does anyone make a generator that would run on the normal furnace oil already in the tank? Glad you found the SF. Lots of knowledge and assistance here I was planning to alternate my usage, but some things have to be run together. For example, if I want a hot shower, I need to run the well pump and the oil burner together. (There are a lot of different motors associated with my burner, BTW, and I have yet to figure out what they all do and how much power they each consume.) The sump pump is a problem. It cycles on every 3-4 minutes when the ground water is high. I've had it off for several hours in the past when the water was high, and the basement didn't flood. When the pump did kick on, it ran for quite a while. I think that I can get away with turning it on intermittently. Ideally, I'd find a non-powered solution to the problem. I get the impression that it's probably a better idea to have an over-powered generator that I run at less than full capacity as opposed to one that can barely deal with the starting wattage needs. Any comments? I've done some checking on line, and I have a number of Briggs and Stratton dealers and service centers in the area. I'm thinking about the B&S 7000 watt elite. Any thoughts or experience? |
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An interesting question I have never considered (but I'm sure some would know here). Does anyone make a generator that would run on the normal furnace oil already in the tank? Glad you found the SF. Lots of knowledge and assistance here Would a diesel generator work for this application? I've heard of this being done, and it's an appealing idea because of that enormous reservoir of fuel sitting in the basement 
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Craigslist is also your friend, here is a great deal On a REAL honda generator in your state: http://hartford.craigslist.org/for/2537902896.html Fo that money you cant go wrong, bring a load and a meter check it out and enjoy.... I'm not savvy enough to trust myself to check out a used generator.... the price drop is so extreme that there's almost got to be something wrong with it. |
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An interesting question I have never considered (but I'm sure some would know here). Does anyone make a generator that would run on the normal furnace oil already in the tank? Glad you found the SF. Lots of knowledge and assistance here Would a diesel generator work for this application? I'm wondering. |
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Yes you could run the number 2 heating oil in a diesel generator. however the op mentioned its in the basement. So with the genset outside the home, you would either have to rig some plumbing and a pump to deliver fuel or assuming the drain to the tank wasnt under water as he mentioned basement flooding, have to deal with drawing and bring fuel up and out to fuel the genset. May be more work than is needed.....
Checking out a used genny is not a big deal.... with it on level ground, check the oil. It should not be water thin or completely midnight black. Make sure the engine is cold, start it up? Does it idle well, smoothly? Bring a load, either a heatgun, a space heater, or a large hairdrier, plug it in, does the genny drop rpm for a moment then come back up smoothly? Use a meter and see that the normal outlets are producing 120 to 135 ish volts..... Just because the price is low and has dropped means nothing, maybe they have a bill to pay or need the cash to put oil in their tank for winter. This is a great deal on a very high quality genset, that should you evern need parts or service is easily obtained. I work on gensets as part of my living, and you cant go wrong at that price. If you arent savvy bring a friend who is.... |
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Yes you could run the number 2 heating oil in a diesel generator. however the op mentioned its in the basement. So with the genset outside the home, you would either have to rig some plumbing and a pump to deliver fuel or assuming the drain to the tank wasnt under water as he mentioned basement flooding, have to deal with drawing and bring fuel up and out to fuel the genset. May be more work than is needed..... Checking out a used genny is not a big deal.... with it on level ground, check the oil. It should not be water thin or completely midnight black. Make sure the engine is cold, start it up? Does it idle well, smoothly? Bring a load, either a heatgun, a space heater, or a large hairdrier, plug it in, does the genny drop rpm for a moment then come back up smoothly? Use a meter and see that the normal outlets are producing 120 to 135 ish volts..... Just because the price is low and has dropped means nothing, maybe they have a bill to pay or need the cash to put oil in their tank for winter. This is a great deal on a very high quality genset, that should you evern need parts or service is easily obtained. I work on gensets as part of my living, and you cant go wrong at that price. If you arent savvy bring a friend who is.... I really do appreciate the tip, but I want to buy a new generator. I don't trust deals that are too good to be true, especially on CL. This could have been stolen from a job site, for example. Plus, I like manufacturer's warrantees. |
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In sizing what you need, do consider that you don't have to try to run everything at the same time. A smaller generator will do fine, one item at a time. That would also probably require less fuel to be stored. Just requires discilpine in turning things on and off. (unplugging things). A dedicated backup just for the sump pump is worth thinking about too. Also search around for the battery box and battery bankthreads (including Cjan's 'during the action' irene thread from NH.) Lots of options and ways to meet your needs. An interesting question I have never considered (but I'm sure some would know here). Does anyone make a generator that would run on the normal furnace oil already in the tank? Glad you found the SF. Lots of knowledge and assistance here I was planning to alternate my usage, but some things have to be run together. For example, if I want a hot shower, I need to run the well pump and the oil burner together. (There are a lot of different motors associated with my burner, BTW, and I have yet to figure out what they all do and how much power they each consume.) The sump pump is a problem. It cycles on every 3-4 minutes when the ground water is high. I've had it off for several hours in the past when the water was high, and the basement didn't flood. When the pump did kick on, it ran for quite a while. I think that I can get away with turning it on intermittently. Ideally, I'd find a non-powered solution to the problem. I get the impression that it's probably a better idea to have an over-powered generator that I run at less than full capacity as opposed to one that can barely deal with the starting wattage needs. Any comments? I've done some checking on line, and I have a number of Briggs and Stratton dealers and service centers in the area. I'm thinking about the B&S 7000 watt elite. Any thoughts or experience? I am in a very similar situation as yours, well, oil furnace for hot water, fridge etc. I use a 6700 WATT Mitsubishi MGE-6700-REU and it runs the house just fine. $1900 from here: http://www.bigskypower.com/Mitsubishi/generators/html/mgemodels.htm |
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I use a 6700 WATT Mitsubishi MGE-6700-REU and it runs the house just fine. $1900 from here: http://www.bigskypower.com/Mitsubishi/generators/html/mgemodels.htm Awfully high prices for ordinary open-frame generators... Is yours made in Japan? They look identical to the Chinese clones of Honda's old open-frame models. 
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I use a 6700 WATT Mitsubishi MGE-6700-REU and it runs the house just fine. $1900 from here: http://www.bigskypower.com/Mitsubishi/generators/html/mgemodels.htm Awfully high prices for ordinary open-frame generators... Is yours made in Japan? They look identical to the Chinese clones of Honda's old open-frame models.
Yes made in Japan |
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this is a great thread.
I have diesel gen. That I have only Had to use once in 5 years. I run it about every 6 months. Run a 2k load on it for about an hour. I have never ran it up to 6k which it is rated for. After Im done I take the battery out and put it back a battery maintainer. |
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In sizing what you need, do consider that you don't have to try to run everything at the same time. A smaller generator will do fine, one item at a time. That would also probably require less fuel to be stored. Just requires discilpine in turning things on and off. (unplugging things). A dedicated backup just for the sump pump is worth thinking about too. Also search around for the battery box and battery bankthreads (including Cjan's 'during the action' irene thread from NH.) Lots of options and ways to meet your needs. An interesting question I have never considered (but I'm sure some would know here). Does anyone make a generator that would run on the normal furnace oil already in the tank? Glad you found the SF. Lots of knowledge and assistance here Look for surplus " MEP-002 " will run on stove oil, diesel, jet-A,kerosene, etc. |
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Take your time looking for the best options. I had a 5 day event like yours, then i bought a genny and have not used it since. Its been 3 years or so.
I have one of those Champion 3500/4000 genny's that cost me $300 and it almost runs the whole house, except for the hot water tank. If i needed to draw from my well too, i would buy another unit and designate it just for the well. That would put me in the $600 range an i would have a total of 7000/8000 watts and also i would have the one is none and two is one thing covered for a good price and could afford to wire it correctly and all total spend just around a $1000. If you have a short duration event, just fire up the one genny and dont worry about the water, drink from bottles..... when that gets tiresome, fire up the other one. If one goes out of service for repair or maint, you can still be using the other one. I like this idea. My 2800 watt camp trailer generator has ran for hours and hours and it cost me all of 249 bucks. With another one of the same wattage I would have two of them where one would back up the other one. Chances around here of them running for more than a couple of days are rather slim, but not impossible. Its nice to have a fall back if needed. If I dont use my camp trailer, the generator is started everyonce in awhile to just make sure its going to run. I think that yours will spend 99% of its time waiting to be used. I would purchase a unit with that in mind. |
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this is a great thread. I have diesel gen. That I have only Had to use once in 5 years. I run it about every 6 months. Run a 2k load on it for about an hour. I have never ran it up to 6k which it is rated for. After Im done I take the battery out and put it back a battery maintainer. On a diesel unit you need to run it up to close the peak load once in a while. Google "wet stacking". Grove |
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this is a great thread. I have diesel gen. That I have only Had to use once in 5 years. I run it about every 6 months. Run a 2k load on it for about an hour. I have never ran it up to 6k which it is rated for. After Im done I take the battery out and put it back a battery maintainer. On a diesel unit you need to run it up to close the peak load once in a while. Google "wet stacking". Grove Thank You, I learned something today, and the day is only 9 minutes old.... More Arfcom Greatnesss |