No, not Aniston, Tilly or Lopez.
…because that can wait for another time.
No, I mean generators of the small, affordable and reliable kind which run on either gasoline or propane, or both. If it’s only one or the other, that’s fine too.
I know diddly about this topic, so all the terms used in the descriptions of generators mean about as much to me as Sanskrit poetry.
Here’s my scenario.
I don’t want to get caught without power during a freezing Texas winter ever again. (From experience, this is when this shit is most likely to happen.)
Technically speaking we’re not allowed to have one of these things running in the apartment (of course, I’d run it outside on the balcony, where we’re not even allowed to barbecue, but if the SHTF then fukkem).
First question: What’s the effective wattage and horsepower I should look at?
My electricity needs would be relatively light:
- phone charging
- laptop power supply
- wifi router power (assuming that the network itself hasn’t fallen over)
- an electric blanket
- a small bedside light
- a small electric grill or hotplate, and
- perhaps my fridge, or maybe even both (garage & kitchen). If it’s that cold and the fridges too power-thirsty, I’d just pop the perishables into some coolers and store them out on the balcony.
I have little or no room to store the generator in the meantime, so size is very important. Quiet would also be nice, but not essential because fukkem.
I know how to maintain gasoline for long-term storage, and of course propane is no problem.
As for my options…
Is a cheapie like this Sportsman even worth considering? What about this Westinghouse, Pulsar or Champion, at double the price? I really can’t afford to go over a grand — and even that would be a huge stretch — so I would put $600 as my upper limit for cost. (Is this completely unrealistic?)
As with all such RFIs I put out, personal experience on the topic is paramount.
All assistance is gratefully accepted.
Biggest issue with small gas generators is that their intended use is for off the grid applications. People tend to use them indoors without the proper ventilation, or attempt to refuel them and spill raw gas on them when hot or still running due to their limited run times with disastrous consequences.
You best bet is probably a larger server size Battery UPS. Or lobby the apartment management for a whole complex backup power source because of your sketchy Texas Power refusal to join the rest of the grid.
…. and if your apt complex power is out, your Internet connection is also down.
That said, you can’t go wrong with Honda for small engines.
YMMV , as my experience is with whole house Backup power systems, and mini gas turbine systems as backup for the plant. ( We used a LOT of power )
“People tend to use them indoors without the proper ventilation”
If someone uses a generator indoors (other than those new fangled battery bank generators) then they deserve what they get. Darwin award.
If someone is that stupid, Fuck em.
“and if your apt complex power is out, your Internet connection is also down.”
NOT always True. How much experience do you have with power outages???
There have been times where power was out, and internet was also out (Heavy wind with some storms).
I have also had power outages PLENTY of times where the internet still worked.
Turned on the Cable Modem and the WiFi Router (Less than 100 watts each, I have separate modem and router units myself, some are all in one) and I had internet.
Also, had Cable TV too with the cable box on. Cable box uses plenty of watts.
Just because power is out, doesn’t mean internet is down too. It can be, but NOT always.
So many people here giving advice and it is clear they do not know what they are talking about.
Correction, Cable Box uses NOT MANY watts.
Typing on a phone is a terrible thing.
You will need at least 2kW if you want to run the fridge. You need an inverter generator to provide clean enough power to run electronics without risk of damage. And I’d suggest a dual fuel unit – if you are in an apartment, a propane tank is easier to store and the generator itself won’t reek of gas if you run it on propane. So something like this. I’d go for the 2.5 kW unit.
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Power-Equipment-200961-Ultralight/dp/B08L45W2V9/ref=asc_df_B08L45W2V9?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80470624769013&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584070153070829&psc=1
I own a larger Champion dual fuel (I have a 1000 gallon propane tank in my back yard) and have been pretty happy with it, but there are lots of other makes.
I was gonna say fridge, but for a different reason. We’re all getting older, and some of us, perhaps those like me, a bit rounder in the middle. Plan for needing to take medications which must be stored in a fridge … the first which comes to mind is insulin. Not everything can be stored at room temp.
– Brad
For generators, keep a few things in mind
– You mentioned charging laptops and cell phones. MAKE SURE WHATEVER BRAND, WHATEVER WATTAGE generator you get, GET AN INVERTER GENERATOR.
INVERTER generators put out cleaner power, and protect your most sensitive electronics.
– Stay as small as possible so you can maximize fuel usage, but get enough generator so that when the time comes, you have enough juice to run your stuff. I know it is a happy medium, but you don’t want a 10,000 watt behemoth that guzzles gas when all you need is something to run a few items.
On the other hand, you don’t want a 1,000 watt generator and then when the power is out, find out you wasted a thousand bucks and can’t run what you need.
Also remember when trying to figure out watts needed, 2 things
1 – starting watts vs running (example a fridge might only need 100 to 300 watts to run, but it might need 1,200 surge watts when the fridge starts or the compressor kicks in).
2 – amps – most small generators (1,000 watt to 2,000) are going to be 15 or 20 amps, and the medium to large (2,500 to 10,000 or more) are going to have both 15 amp, 20 amp and even sometimes 30 amp and in some cases 50 amp outlets. YOU MUST STAY UNDER BOTH WATTS AND AMPS.
For example, say you bought a generator with 5,000 watts and a 30 amp plug. You could easily run 2 fridges, a room AC, and lights and internet. But if you tried to also run power tools at the same time along with other big draw items, you might be fine with wattage but not amps.
Real life scenario is this – I have a 2 ton (24,000 BTU) mini split system in my house, aka “heat pump”. It provides AC in summer and heat in winter. I can NOT run that on the generator I have.
Even if I bought a behemoth 10,000 watt generator to run that, I have a 30 watt outlet in my house. The wattage to run that based on my research and asking the electrician who wired it for the HVAC guy said 7,000 watts should run that, however, “you wouldn’t be able to run much else” as the amps for that surge at 30. That would be my whole amps available.
So what do I do? I have a small window AC in one room of the house. little 5,000 BTU AC. My 2,800 watt Honda runs the room AC and two fridges fine. I also have my internet (router), TV, Cable box and some lights.
In the winter I can EASILY run my oil furnace (that is about 1,500 starting watts and 300 running watts).
YOU WILL LIKELY NOT BE ABLE TO RUN A FULL HOUSE, MINI SPLIT NOR WILL YOU BE LIKELY ABLE TO RUN AN ELECTRIC FURNACE on a portable generator.
Pick up a space heater if you don’t have an oil furnace.
Room AC in one room in case of power outages.
Your list:
phone charging – usually 50 to 100 watts max per phone (look at the charger should tell you what it draws)
laptop power supply (anywhere from 100 to 200 watts) again look at the charger should tell you what it draws
wifi router power (assuming that the network itself hasn’t fallen over) usually 50 to 150 watts
an electric blanket usually 200 to 500 watts
a small bedside light – check the wattage of the bulb and add a few to be safe, so if its 60 then maybe 100. Remember though, the new fangled LED are EQUIVALENT to old school lights in terms of light put out, so a 60 watt EQUIVALENT LED might draw like 10 or 20 watts. If it is an old school bulb, do the wattage plus add a few
a small electric grill or hotplate – these can draw a bit, be sure to run this and maybe turn other things off, electric stuff uses alot. If you CAN, have a gas grill ready. Then you don’t have to worry about this, in any case, electric stove is usually out of the question as that draws 4.000 watts or more, but a small grill or hot plate, figure on 1,600 watts give or take, maybe even 2,000
and
perhaps my fridge, or maybe even both (garage & kitchen). If it’s that cold and the fridges too power-thirsty, I’d just pop the perishables into some coolers and store them out on the balcony.
Fridge is usually 1,200 to 1,500 starting watts (can be more if it is a large fridge) and then a few hundred running watts.
You DON’T have to get a 10,000 watt generator if all of your stuff adds up to 10,000, just try to not run everything at once.
Maybe do like the room AC and the fridge and just a few lights and the internet.
I have a 2,800 max generator, and it is 2,500 continuous. Most generators have 2 ratings, a surge watts and a regular running watts. Surge can run for a few minutes to get things started, but generally go by the rating of the regular watts.
I bought my generator back in 2017. They were MUCH cheaper back then. INFLATION IS NOT 3 or 4 %. That is BS.
I have a Honda 2,800 surge watts, 2,500 continuous watts. The Honda brand has gone WAY up in price and while I am happy with my honda, and if you have the money surely they are good, these days if I had to do it over, I would check out
Champion (a relative of mine has used these, no issues)
Harbor Freight Predator (The Chinese tool store)
The Champion and Predator run well.
Another thing I would do different today, My generator is GAS only.
Today there are MANY “DUEL FUEL” options.
You can run EITHER propane or gas on the DUEL FUEL.
This gives you flexibility. Propane stores easily and forever. You could store some gas and some propane. And your propane could then be used for running a grill or generator.
If I were to buy something today, I would buy DUEL FUEL.
And while you could convert a gas generator to duel fuel, why take the risk that it doesn’t work when you need it.
Also, I only have a pull start. If the cord breaks during an emergency, I have no other way to start it.
while that has NOT happened YET, it could…
See if you can get something with BOTH electric and Pull start, that way you have 2 ways to start the generator.
I saw this model at Harbor Freight
https://www.harborfreight.com/5000-watt-dual-fuel-super-quiet-inverter-generator-with-remote-start-and-co-secure-technology-70143.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12233891969&campaignid=12233891969&utm_content=154336191031&adsetid=154336191031&product=70143&store=273&gclid=CjwKCAjw5_GmBhBIEiwA5QSMxAYe5bWu0sP85_72uZAZh5GhHxQlV4L2JzP7Xc9o_RIcsQVU8XBRQhoCFW0QAvD_BwE
1,000 bucks
dual fuel
push button and pull start (and a remote too)
5000 surge watts
3900 continuous watts on gas
3600 on propane (you get a little less watts on propane but who cares, 3600 is plenty to run what you need).
Not sure of your budget, but this is a good price.
My honda was around this price 6 years ago, not any longer…
Correction 30 amp outlet not watt
Oh and on the “Jennies”, Anniston and Lopez are def 10 out of 10, but I have to say Tilly for sure.
Jennifer Tilly is a cougar (dating a dude 14 years younger) and she is a curvy brunette.
Jennifer Tilly wins!
With regards to cooking, get yourself a gas-fuelled camping stove / grill.
I have one of those, but in an icy Texas winter, the wind blows it out no matter where I shelter it.
Ask me how I know this.
Definitely spring for a 3500 to 5000 watt generator then. Running a fridge and a hot late or electric griddle is gonna use upwards of 3500 to 4000 surge watts to get those things going.
Electric items take more wattage
I know your max budget is 1,000 stretching it. But better to spend 1,000 now than 700
And find out you can’t run this stuff.
Also. Don’t forget a window ac to keep one room cool. Between that and a hot plate to cook food easily you’ll need more than 2k watts.
The big take away from this discussion is “inverter generator”. Most non inverter generators put out a clipped or square sine wave. Not good on electronics. Inverter generators put out true sine waves or as close to it as possible.
Secondly, you will need to keep a stock of the recommended motor oil as well as spare fuel. Gennies will burn through oil a lot faster than most people think under constant running. So lay in spare fuel, spare oil, tools to minor maintenance, shop rags, etc.
Keep your wattage down. For lighting, get some strings or white LED Christmas tree lights and string them throughout the apartment. They draw very little watts for the amount of light they put out. Anything that you are not using immediately, unplug it as most chargers and electronic power supplies will draw watts even if the device is not in use or turned off. Unplug it from the power strip. A handy little device is a wattage meter such as the “Kill-A-Watt” brand. Dead simple to use and it will help you keep track of your power usage accurately.
This model is just slightly above your stated budget, but looks good. Has a decent runtime at half load, open frame inverter generator: https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-4500-Watt-RV-and-Transfer-Switch-Ready-Dual-Fuel-Open-Frame-Inverter-Generator-with-Electric-Start-and-CO-Watchdog-DG4500iX/324486696
Bullet points from my phone:
* unless you splash cash for a Honda, these things are heavy and LOUD.
* Add up wattage. 4k seems plenty for your list offhand.
* without infrastructure inlets, you’re looking at extension cord octopus from the 120v outlet. The Amp limit will matter. 20 amps x 110 volts = 2200 Watts per outlet. 30 Amp is better.
* imo, inverters aren’t that important for short term use. I’ve run my whole house off a non inverter for up to 14 days without a problem. Ymmv.
Honda is not god. My Honda is moderately heavy. The champions and harbor freight models
Are just as good as a Honda.
I like my Honda. But if I had it to do over again, I’d buy another brand. More features and power for the same or less money
Also. An inverter generator is within his budget. For me. I’m not risking my furnace circuit board or my computer to save a couple of hundred bucks on a generator.
If he has a cash go for a Honda. But all portable generators today of a known brand (champion, harbor freight, Honda) are of comparable quality; weight and sound level. (Decibels)
> An inverter generator is within his budget.
I bought this one to bring camping:
https://amzn.to/3DWmNX5
Not too noisy when you put it at the other end of an extension cord, because inverter. It was $350 when I bought it about a year ago. Bidenflation has since bumped it up to $430, but that’s still under budget. 2 kW surge, 1.6 kW continuous, can be paralleled with another for more power, and has a twist-lock outlet (NEMA L5-30R), a regular outlet (NEMA 5-15R), and a couple of USB ports. An RV adapter (to NEMA TT-30R) is included to jam into the twist-lock outlet. It’s run like a champ so far…bought it to do karaoke at group camping events, so clean power and low noise were important considerations.
No advice for generators.
However, consider the electric cooker should be an induction burner. They are fairly cheap, portable, and more efficient than the old style. They directly put heat into the metal of the bottom of the pan rather than trying to transfer heat to the pan by radiation and conduction. I hear they also have finer control and quicker response.
Lots of “van life” people use them to cook from batteries and inverters.
Over the years I have had 4 of them out at a cabin in BC.
The last two I bought used and they were great, especially given the price.
Lost of people buy generators because they think they will use them a lot – they’re going camping every single weekend this year, for sure, absolutely. Then they don’t and wifey tells them to get that stupid thing out of her parking space in the garage.
Avoid the many that were built in China. Make sure there is a local service or parts facility for whatever brand you buy. Run it every 6 months at least for 10 minutes to keep it limber.
I sold my last one 5 years ago because my outdoor projects were all finished and BC hydro, our local electrical utility, had upgraded service so we didn’t get power outages every few weeks. A few years ago in a windy snow storm a tree blew over onto our power line and it took them 3 days to find and fix the mess. We were away in the sunny south and oblivious until a neighbour called.
I had a freezer and fridge full of really cold food, frozen water lines spewing water, what a mess. We’re doing some upgrades to the place this year and have found an electrician to install a hookup which will start on its own and supply enough power for heat and appliances if utility power fails again.
That’s a great option if :
You don’t rent and you own your place. (I think Kim rents, but not sure)
You also need anywhere from $ 5,000 to $ 12,000 on average for a permanent generator, fuel source (diesel or propane tank) and hookups by electrician.
Kim has 1,000 dollars max.
Permanent setup is not happening on that budget.
“ Avoid the many that were built in China”
You do know that even Honda,
Yamaha and other big names have had many of their products built in China. If not I’m whole, parts too.
If the generator is a known brand ; (champion, wen, harbor freight, Yamaha Honda) and it is an inverter in your budget and the reviews online are good. Who cares where it’s made.
“ Run it every 6 months at least for 10 minutes to keep it limber.”
Kim said he already knew how to take care of fuel. However based on your advice?
That’s not great advice no offense.
You should run your generator every 90 days minimum and better if every 30 days. Fuel goes bad if it has ethanol in it (most pump gas) and 100 percent gas is pricey.
I keep some 100 percent but I can’t afford that all the time.
Also. Most generators made in the last 10 years have a fuel shut off valve or knob. When you know you are going to not use the generator any longer. instead of hitting the power button, use the fuel shut off off valve or knob. It will take a couple of minutes but the fuel will be shut off to the carb (or on really expensive high end models the fuel injectors) and then the generator will sputter to a stop.
For long term storage. Drain the fuel from the carb bowl using the screw.
Also. Don’t don’t don’t let a generator run out of fuel under load if you can help it. It might not damage anything the first , second or third time but try to avoid if you can
When you refuel. Power off your devices if you use a bunch of extension cords or if you hook up a portable generator to a house outlet turn off the breakers, then when no power is drawn turn off the generator and then refuel.
Use a funnel for the gas so as not to spill gas on a hot generator.
Watch the placement of the generator even if it’s outside. And, if you don’t already have them, get carbon monoxide detectors for inside.
Last month, we had an extended outage. Neighbors of mine who have a generator gassed themselves due to the poor placement of a permanently sited generator. They never had a problem when it ran for an hour or so, but three days worth of running filled the house with CO. They’d all be dead if one of their sons hadn’t checked up on them.
Darwin Award candidate.
Sorry but it’s hard to have compassion when you are an adult
And you put something that emits carbon monoxide right next to your house.
Either hire a good professional Ana still
Check his work
Or if it’s a portable generator get a 15 to 25 foot cord (yes I know you lose a couple watts of power) and face the muffler of the generator away from your house.
And of course. Generator or not. Have CO detectors. They are like 25 bucks at home supply stores.
As an RVer I don’t need my 10kw generator often. I do, however, have some experience on a 30 amp/3600 watt limit. It’s enough, if I remember to disconnect items when not in use.
Start by looking at the data plates on your appliances, add the wattage numbers. Also note start vs. run differences. Decide what your max wattage will be, since you won’t be using everything at once. That’s your goal. Lots of RVers like the Honda 2200i as an inverter generator, but it is spendy.
Any genny you get and use on the porch will require ext cords. Most small gennies have a duplex plug, maybe two. Think hard about what gets plugged in to a power strip.
Your reefer doesn’t need to be plugged in continuously, it will stay cold for hours if you don’t fan the door. Use the electric blanket to warm the bed and get a quilt. A couple of battery powered LED lamps will work for bedside.
If you get an induction cooktop, make sure your pans work with it. Aluminum pans don’t. Microwave should be no problem, as most are 1500-1700 watt range AFAIK.
Don’t discount a small UPS for the router and laptop, and charge it from the genny with leftover power when you’re cooling the reefer.
Investigate the new battery inverter generators. Way more than you want to spend, and not designed for what you’re asking, but neat.
Good luck in your search.
Battery inverters are overpriced junk imo.
First off if you take care of a gas or propane generator it can last a long time
Those battery generators Aka power banks degrade over time and cost far more than a gas propane generator and fuel.
Also those power bank ones are heavy and the biggest downside??? You ran out of battery power.
Wait whole it recharges in the sun (“solar power”) cuz you can’t plug it in to recharge cuz there ain’t no fucking power
While all the greenies and nerds drool over the solar panels recharging their battery bank in hours , I’ll refuel in minutes with gas or propane and get my family warm or cool again in minutes.
Fuck going green. Fuck these stupid ass overpriced dildo battery powered generators
Nothing to add to the generator advice, but on supplying your equipment. Sooner or later some local Super Genius is going to tell you that you don’t need extension cords. Just plug your generator into an outlet and back fill the power through the house wiring. DO. NOT. DO. THIS!!!
That’s a good way to zap an electrician or lineman that thinks they are working on de-energized lines.
And I don’t know this, but I’m pretty sure that if your generator is running into a wall outlet and the power comes back on, interesting things can happen.
Yes, you can pull the main circuit breaker for your house to avoid problems, but that’s an easy step to forget. Better to just use the extension cords.
Since , IIRC, you rent, installing a transfer switch on your home circuitry is probably a non starter. That, and when I priced it last year, it was going to cost $3K for an electrician to install at my house. Still on my list, but not in my budget.
Another “half of the story response”
You need cords either way
Another example of half of the story advice from someone who knows a little about this topic or who heard from
A friends, neighbors, hairdressers, dogs owners side piece.
And there is NOTHING wrong with feeding your house – just do it properly!!!!
In fact feeding your whole house using an outlet saves exertions CordS plural
With a. Outlet you have 1 or 2 cords. The. 30 or 50 amp cord between the generator and the house outlet or the 30 or 50 amp cord AND an adaptor in the case ther your generator has say a RV plug and it needs an adaptor to go to the 3 or 4 prong 30 or 50 amp.
Portable generators can be hooked to your panel using an electrician installed 30 or 50 amp
Outlet.
– I’d go for 30 its what I have as most small to medium even some large generators have 30 amp plugs.
And the proper outlets – you can NOT back feed as there is an interlock. To turn on the generator breaker the lock moves and stops utility power from turning on. (You turn off utility power and move the interlock). Then you can turn on power.
Sheesh. Give WHOLE GOOD advice people. If you don’t know the whole story don’t dispense bad or missing pieces advise to a novice asking for help.
A transfer switch does not cost 3 k to install.
And don’t use a transfer switch. Get an interlock kit that feeds your whole panel
Then you can turn on and off what you need.
You have to do basic math and only turn on the stuff you need. You can’t run the whole house.
With a transfer switch only some circuits are hooked up and you are stuck with those.
With an interlock you get power to the whole panel. And then you turn off and on what you need at that time.
If your electrician said it’s 3,000 bucks to install a transfer switch or interlock to connect a portable generator too. Ask him for a case of lube with that price.
Got my 100 amp panel upgraded to 200 amp service. Had some outside outlets wired. And has an interlock installed a few years ago. Just over 3 k for all of that.
If an interlock or transfer switch alone is 3k. You are getting fist fucked by that electrician.
It’s hard wired in us engineers to start with caveats when we talk to anyone starting a new project. It’s embarrassing, sort of like having Tourette’s syndrome, but we can’t help ourselves.
Others have warned about carbon monoxide. I’ll add that you need to be sure your monitor is working.
A point not raised above is to be sure your generator current cannot flow through your home wiring. This would certainly overload your generator and could electrocute someone working on the wiring outside who doesn’t expect to encounter a live circuit.
Another warning: I’m a chem eng, and a real EE, someone who lives in the electric power world, would provide more caveats in more detail.
Oops, I wrote and posted this while others were posting the same things in more detail about house wiring.
I haven’t had good luck with generators.
I’ve owned two of those small inverter camp generators — about 1800W continuous, 2200 surge. Both worked well in testing. With a little planning I could run the refrigerator, TV, microwave, toaster oven, home network, a couple of computers, some lights. Not all at the same time but it was enough to get through a few days of power outage. Longest I had to use one for real was only 14 hours and it performed very well. They were both pretty quiet as well.
Now the bad luck. I ran them religiously every month letting the gas tank run out each time. After about two years they both stared to misbehave, Surging. Stalling under a load. Now, one will not start at all and the other requires ether spray to start and will stall if I open the choke.
Maybe I just didn’t maintain them right. I thought I did but maybe not.
“Now the bad luck. I ran them religiously every month letting the gas tank run out each time. After about two years they both stared to misbehave, Surging. Stalling under a load. Now, one will not start at all and the other requires ether spray to start and will stall if I open the choke.”
I had this happen to two pieces of outdoor equipment of mine – NOT my generator.
1 – a riding mower. Luckily a family member gave me a spare mower – the mower ended up having a gunked up carburetor – had the carburetor replaced and all is well with it again
2 – my older snowblower. What did I do? I was able to fix this myself. Got some TRU FUEL (Tractor Supply and Home Depot sells it – EXPENSIVE, about 25 bucks per can, each can is about 1 gallon – BE SURE TO GET THE GRAY CAN – the red can is 50 50 mix of oil and gas for chainsaws and other 2 stroke engines, GET THE GRAY CAN, it is regular gas that can be used in mowers, generators, vehicles etc)
DRAIN ALL OF THE OLD FUEL OUT – use a siphon hose if need be. Then Google or Youtube how to empty your carb float bowl, usually with a screw and hold a cut open half gallon container underneath to catch the gas.
Then refill with Techron, and 100 percent Tru Fuel. (Techron is safe for Carbs, works great). Give the prime button a few pushes if you have one, if not, gently pull the pull cord as if you were NOT trying to start it. Get that fuel running through.
Then if you get it running, let it sputter for a little while. After about 10 to 15 minutes the sputter should be gone. The Techron and 100 percent fuel should clean the Smegma out of the system.
If it doesn’t run still, try changing the spark plug then repeat the above.
If you have changed the plug and added 100 percent fuel and Techron, you could unscrew the carb bowl drain screw, and spray a shitload of carb cleaner in it and then repeat the above.
If all of that does not work, equipment likely needs a new carb, and a good small engine repair place is your friend. Even with the price of the carb and labor, with the price of new equipment these days, a repair is likely worth it if the equipment is in even reasonably good condition.
FUEL ADDITIVE. For years I used a pink solution that rhymes with Day Fill. Had too much gas that went bad in 3 to 5 months.
BEST ADDITIVE IS Lucas Oil Safeguard Ethanol Fuel Conditioner with Stabilizers. Green solution.
PUT THIS IN ANY GAS YOU STORE, AS SOON AS YOU PUMP THE GAS INTO YOUR CONTAINER, POUR SOME OF THIS IN AND SHAKE THE CAN. Using this I have had gas last up to 1 year. Though that is pushing it. Try to use gas in under 6 months.
Other than this, the other thing I try to do, lucas oil additive or not, when its the end of summer, I use up the gas in the mowers. Run them to empty.
Then I add 100 percent tru fuel, about a half of a can. I then run the mower for 5 minutes to get the 100 gas throughout the system and I start the mower every 60 days during the winter and usually I have no trouble any longer, since having to replace the carb that one time. This step has saved me.
I also do this to my snowblowers at the end of the winter.
Generator I run every 30 days for 10 to 15 min, and even 6 months I run it out of fuel and refill it with a half gallon of 100 Percent gas and some techron.
Hope this helps.
Whether is helps or not it looks worth a try. Thank you.
Central Maine Generator website will let you compare specs for various gen sets that they sell… and they sell everything – gas, diesel, propane, natural gas in sizes from 1Kw to 100Kw.
A couple points of experience before we delve into specifics:
1) We operate a small organic teaching farm near the outskirts of Eugene, Oregon.
Each of our chillers uses a propane 8k water-cooled stationary genset on a slab.
These Kubota engines are rated at continuous-duty for thousands of hours.
.
In their enclosures and on propane, they are nearly silent… the advantage of water-cooled and stationary.
.
.
2) Since 2003, we full-time live-aboard in our ExpeditionVehicle.
We heat and cook with propane.
Simple to handle in five-gallon twenty-pounders, and the fuel is purported to last forever.
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Experiment:
A year ago at Tractor Supply, we noticed a returned mark-down CHAMPION 10k dual-fuel — ‘open-frame’ — genset… asking price — us$650, regularly us$1,200.
Zero hours on the Hobbs.
It sat in the corner of the store for months without selling.
After about eight months, we offered a hundred fedbux, the managerette countered at two-fifty… and they forklifted into the back of the Dodge, just like that.
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The Dodge has a canopy, so at the farm, we tested our new genset on a fiver of propane.
Electric start plus rope-pull, no-go.
Apparently, it needs to start and warm on gasoline, then switch to propane for the duration.
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Noise:
Inside the canopy with the back-door shut, it was approximately as stealthy as a C-5a departing at Full Military Power.
At a hundred yards away, we needed to shout for any attempt at conversation.
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Unfortunately, the face-plate leaked oil, so we returned it.
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I am not exaggerating about the noise.
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Any genset on the balcony is a target for criminals and an immediate complaint magnet for neighbors.
Additionally, the exhaust *always* manages to be up-wind of your windows irregardless of genset placement.
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In our ExpeditionVehicle, for safety, we have:
* two CO detectors from different manufacturers
* two smoke-detectors from different manufacturers
* two propane detectors from different manufacturers.
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Back to our evolution in electrical appliances in our rig…
We have eight Lifeline Concord AGM 105ah batteries for our bank.
These are two decades old.
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We usually draw from our bank mid-day, with our photovoltaic providing most of the juice.
One of our brainiac caravan chums calculated our pull from the bank at around 3% (three percent), leaving plenty of reserve… hence our longevity.
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LiFePo4 (aka ‘lithium’)?
We are waiting for the industry to mature before investing.
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Our inverters are auto-parts house 750-Watt, and we carry two in each truck plus four in the rig.
We like simplicity, we like redundancy, we like easily replaced.
Two decades full-time live-aboard, zero issues charging any electronics.
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Instead of a complicated wiring system with built-in lights, we use Black and Decker 20v battery-operated square-base flashlights.
We have a lot of their 20v tools, so the flashlight ‘system’ works for us.
We carry a half-dozen in each truck plus spare full batteries plus a couple chargers.
In the rig, we have four by the door plus two each side of the bed.
Simple and redundant.
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On to the specifics for your use:
a)
You have a vehicle.
Your vehicle is engineered as a 12vdc power-supply.
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Get a folding hand-truck, get a couple-three AGM batteries.
Charge your batteries with the vehicle on high-idle… use your foot to adjust the throttle-pedal (just like driving, but stationary).
Simultaneously, charge your battery-operated telephone and laptop.
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After your AGMs are full, cart them inside.
Attach any of your inverters you acquired at the auto-parts house (750-Watt are plenty for us, about us$60 each), and run your blankets and lamps.
For fiddling on the computer at the desk, wrap an electric blanket around you.
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b)
During a winter storm, I have no problem recommending:
* Wave 3 catalytic propane heaters.
We have three, two are new-in-box unopened.
We use only one, an advantage of excessively obsessive insulation plus our tiny dual-pane windows.
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A poorly insulated lot of cubic feet with yuge windows and sliding glass doors would probably need more than one Wave 3 catalytic heater.
Inside?
Yes, and we always open two windows on opposite walls.
On ‘LOW’, the Wave 3 burns at 1,700Btu continuously, so we control the interior temperature by adjusting the open windows — a half-inch to windward, maybe an inch on the lee.
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One of our Coleman two-burner propane stoves is our go-to (we have two for back-up or banquets).
Humidity from cooking turns everything into a damp sponge, so we engineered our rig to cook on the porch year-round.
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For years, we occasionally used our induction hot-plates, but our bank is old and weak.
Instead of fussing with new AGMs, we make-do with standard camp-gear.
For our reasons for our ExpeditionVehicle decisions plus plenty of portraits, here is our introduction:
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/expeditionvehicle-build.44908/#post-576110
That introduction also discusses our shower system for camping.
During a winter storm, I could see you heating water on the Coleman, pouring it into the garden-sprayer, and getting a good scrub.
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For each of us, that four-gallon hopper is more than enough.
The most popular Seffrican generator (and do we have shitloads of practical experience) is the Ryobi 6500 which is a pretty close copy of the Honda. With six and a half kw, no need to switch off the hot water heater, you can run the stove boil a kettle etc. A small investment in a dual fuel carburettor will reduce your running costs by nearly half.
To circle back to Kim’s specific requirement of “less than $600,” all the talk of 5kW and 10kW units is pointless. For that kind of scratch you won’t get much, but I’d probably look at the Predator from Hazard Fraught. Not in the same league as the Honda, but good enough for very occasional use. It’s thirstier than the Honda as well, and for more than say a 12 hour outage, getting fuel might be difficult if the gas stations have no electricity to power their pumps. A 2kW inverter genny will do pretty much anything you need to survive for a week or so. I’d go with the Honda EU2000 IS, damn the cost. You get what you pay for. I have it’s bigger brother (the 5000is). Also, the Honda is extremely quiet, and you can run it in eco mode to cut the noise down even further.
But with all that said, my worry would be if your neighbors are assholes, who are angry and sitting cold and in the dark, and they narc you in to the apartment manager who could evict you for breaking the rules (well, they could try). To me it wouldn’t be worth it when there’s a very viable alternative. Solar generators.
You can stop laughing now. These are legal pretty much anywhere. I have a 750 and a 250 for when I go camping. Not as effective as a genny, but silent, very reliable and extremely versatile. Something like an EcoFlow Delta 2 would easily get you through modest usage for a full day. Only downside is price. They’re about $1 per Watt Hour.
$ 600 for a battery bank style generator? One that cheap won’t run a fridge alone.
One that would run a fridge would be like 1500 to 2000
And again. During a long term outage. Your own recharge is your solar panel or car to “refuel” recharge the batteries.
You guys are giving bad advice to Kim.
Eco flow delta 2 is showing as 1,000 bucks without the solar panels.
How would kim recharge this during a long extended outage???
Also the batteries degrade over time like laptops and cell phones.
A gas generator taken care of can last a long while without degradation and minimal maintenance.
Don’t waste your money. No way your going to run a generator on your balcony 24×7 without neighbors complaining, then shooting you, bad guys stealing it, or you killing yourself or others with CO.
If you see the likelyhood of wide area blackout. Get in you car and drive away.
Great idea (sarcasm). Just give up
Don’t own a generator cuz the noise might offend others or pollute
Don’t own a gun cuz the noise might offend others. And guns are scary to some.
And where would one drive to in their car? During an ice storm when the roads might be blocked or very slippery.
I usually am mostly agreeable and on the same page as the other readers here but some of the advice and comments on this article show a lot of ignorance and lack of knowledge.
Did I step into the twilight zone?
If you are looking for gasoline for a generator, or long term storage, check with the brands that are sold locally. Typically, you will find at least one brand that has no alcohol added. You may pay a small increase in price for this, but some engines should never be run on that crap. Small, air-cooled engines, and those with turbos, should avoid this if at all possible. If not, there are ways to remove it, but that gets annoying to deal with.
Here in CA, the Chevron brand was non-alcoholic, but I’m not sure that remains true, since I sold my turbo car a few years ago. I’m told new-ish turbo engines have enough electronic controls to hide or control the effects, but why hobble yourself? And none of the generators will have this capability. Since they are mostly air-cooled, they will run hotter, since the alcohol will make it run leaner.