following
please post alternatives too, thanks!
please post alternatives too, thanks!
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Thoughts on this generator?
- Thread starter diacnik
- Start date
I looked at the westinghouse, but it wasn't compatible with the house hookup i had install, had something to do with the GFI breakers. The power co here in the Keys hooked it up. Take the meter of and attach the unit then put the meter back on, hook up plug is on the bottom of the unit, came with a 25' 50amp cord.
O I forgot, I went with the DuroMax XP 12000EH
I have one like that. I’ve used it multiple time without any problems. Before we got power on our property I would use it to power the camper and it would run both AC units and probably run for about 6 hours doing that. For the money you can’t go wrong.
I bought a Westinghouse as well…tri-fuel
Something to keep in mind: Bigger generators use more fuel, even when at low loads.
If you want to back up most of a house, the OP's deal generator is a good choice. 40 to 50 amps of 240v power is enough to reliably run most households, short of running a couple of A/Cs and an electric dryer at the same time.
On the other hand, a lot of households can get away with a generator that provides 20 to 30 amps, if only essential circuits are powered, which means a smaller, less thirsty generator. For similar money to the 50A capability, you could buy two 30A capable generators, meaning you could have a spare.
A lot has to do with what your set up will look like. The inlet. The switchable connectivity with the house (auto, manual, panel lock it, etc.). The wiring is also less costly if you are going 30A.
And then, of course, what level of inconvenience you can live with. A whole house setup means life as normal during a power outage, albeit with a fairly large bill for fuel if it goes on for days. A smaller generator powering essential circuits makes it more like a luxury camping experience.
If you want to back up most of a house, the OP's deal generator is a good choice. 40 to 50 amps of 240v power is enough to reliably run most households, short of running a couple of A/Cs and an electric dryer at the same time.
On the other hand, a lot of households can get away with a generator that provides 20 to 30 amps, if only essential circuits are powered, which means a smaller, less thirsty generator. For similar money to the 50A capability, you could buy two 30A capable generators, meaning you could have a spare.
A lot has to do with what your set up will look like. The inlet. The switchable connectivity with the house (auto, manual, panel lock it, etc.). The wiring is also less costly if you are going 30A.
And then, of course, what level of inconvenience you can live with. A whole house setup means life as normal during a power outage, albeit with a fairly large bill for fuel if it goes on for days. A smaller generator powering essential circuits makes it more like a luxury camping experience.
Very true^^^. At my old house, it would run everything including A/C. Just so happens our new to us home came with a gen. The same as what I already had. 30AMP 1 or 2 pole. I also bought a couple A/C window units on sale at Walmart. It really came in handy when our A/C went out this past summer. I wouldn't recommend hooking up both gens at the same time to the service panel. Could be a problem with uneven current which might damage 2 pole house equipment
Any generator is better than no generator. I've got the A-i Power SUA 12000E. It only runs on gas but it's manual and push button start and strong enough to run most of what we need to maintain. I got it on sale for $800 delivered
Can't understate the importance of figuring out what kind of power requirement you need to meet. As noted by
rbstern
- even at low electricity consumption, a big generator burns more fuel. If you can get by with a 5500W genset it's going to burn less fuel.
If you want to make sure that you can withstand a 14 day outage, you have to figure out how you'll fuel that generator. If trees are down and you can't get out for gas and the propane delivery can't make it in, you're not on natural gas - how long will that propane last? How long will those cans of gas last?
I was in Connecticut when Hurricane Sandy hit. We didn't get flattened by the weather, but we lost power for 12 days. For 9 of those, we couldn't even get a vehicle out or in to our street. People with whole house propane gensets were dark on the 4th day because they were living the luxury life. People with smaller generators who rationed themselves (an hour of power every 4 hours so we could run well pump, freezer etc., go to sleep when it gets dark, get up with the dawn etc.) were for the most part - fine. I think we were burning 5 gallons of gas every 2 days. A generator with no fuel is just a lump of metal, but it'll make a great boat anchor.
The decision of whether a given generator is right FOR YOU - is mainly a matter of figuring out what specification of generator you need and what you expect of it.
rbstern
- even at low electricity consumption, a big generator burns more fuel. If you can get by with a 5500W genset it's going to burn less fuel.If you want to make sure that you can withstand a 14 day outage, you have to figure out how you'll fuel that generator. If trees are down and you can't get out for gas and the propane delivery can't make it in, you're not on natural gas - how long will that propane last? How long will those cans of gas last?
I was in Connecticut when Hurricane Sandy hit. We didn't get flattened by the weather, but we lost power for 12 days. For 9 of those, we couldn't even get a vehicle out or in to our street. People with whole house propane gensets were dark on the 4th day because they were living the luxury life. People with smaller generators who rationed themselves (an hour of power every 4 hours so we could run well pump, freezer etc., go to sleep when it gets dark, get up with the dawn etc.) were for the most part - fine. I think we were burning 5 gallons of gas every 2 days. A generator with no fuel is just a lump of metal, but it'll make a great boat anchor.
The decision of whether a given generator is right FOR YOU - is mainly a matter of figuring out what specification of generator you need and what you expect of it.
