Quote:
Originally Posted by SF18C
Speaking of the national electric grids, you all know we have 3...the eastern, the western and the TEXAN grids!
I have been thinking about getting a generator and I think this one just went to the top of the list. I had been looking at larger "house mounted" ones but this looks like it can handle a good size electrical load for a small amount of fuel AND its portable! And at $1000 or so cheaper than what I was looking at too.
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Bear in mind that the portable emergency generators are great for small portable power needs, but require either extension cords run into your home, or the same sort of hookup that a larger generator requires to energize a few circuits. Obviously, you can pull the main breakers and use a suicide cord to backfeed the house, but you would have to disconnect pretty much everything but the dedicated appliance on those circuits to keep from overwhelming a 2KW genset. On the plus side, it is small, quiet, relatively lightweight, energy efficient, and handy. Down side is limited power, perishable fuel, expensive units, need to run several long entension cords and inability to power heavier loads (like a window AC unit, sump pump, well pump, or a big saw). Even the larger ones, like the 5500 watt Generac are not made for continuous operation. They are meant to run for up to a tank's worth of fuel, then need to cool off. Like any other internal combustion engine, they also need regular servicing with oil changes, air and oil filter replacements, plug changes, and periodic tune-ups. The whole house models have significantly longer run times and service intervals.
I still have a 5500 watt gasoline powered portable (and would love to have a little Honda for travelling use), but rely primarily on a 14KW whole house unit running off an underground LP tank. I can save the gasoline for vehicles and chainsaw use.
When that bad boy Kohler fires up for exercise once per week, I can hardly hear it in the house, and outside, it is significantly quieter than a lawn mower, even under heavy loads. I am considering building a wall or adding vegetation to muffle the engine noise further. No action required on my part for it to come on, though. I see the lights flicker three times, the power drops, and I start a ten second countdown from my chair. When I get to zero, the power and lights come back on with no effort by me. The big check for the unit, the transfer switch, (and the electrician) only hurt for a little while, but I expect my quality of life to be significantly better than my neighbors' when disaster strikes. If I were to run it for more than a few hours, I would notice it when the LP tank needed refilling though.
There is a place for the small portable, the large portable, and the whole house generators. Pick the one that works best for your needs (and budget).
Just my .02, YMMV.
TR