Sizing Your Generator

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

*couldn't figure out what size I needed so I went with a 22k unit.

Well.... I just went out and bought one of IPL's old coal burners. So there. (Not really.)

 

[KLB]

No need to run everything, just the basics till shore power is restored.
A medium sized (4Kw) genset can easily go through 6-7 gallons a day.

A week or two (been there, done that) of that nonsense gets expensive.

I would much rather rotate cords and run the quiet, fuel sipping, inverter genny.

Of course, this is just my opinion.....

Basics? Like Water? Septic pump? Sump Pump? Being able to see in your barn when it is dark outside? How about two freezers full of food and two more refrigerators?

We played the portable generator game early on. Now we have a NG generator with an ATS that will run everything

 

[Leadeye]

I have a 14.4 KW hooked to a 1K gallon propane tank. We have a similar extension cord drill like CM describes to move things around as needed. I figure that by monitoring the power closely I could live in reasonable comfort for a long time. Have a 5KW gasoline powered portable as back up.

 

[woowoo2]

Basics? Like Water? Septic pump? Sump Pump?

Everyone's situation is different,
We are on city water, and don't have any pumps to worry about.

 

[indyjohn]

We are on city water, and don't have any pumps to worry about.

Actually, you do.

When the pumps run by the city fail, you will have no water.

 

[woowoo2]

When the pumps run by the city fail, you will have no water.

I am good for a week or so if that happens.
Then I will gather and filter.

 

[rhino]

Were I purchasing a generator, it's primary purpose would be to run the central air conditioning to maintain a constant 63 deg F inside of my domicile from March through October. I don't think a li'l Honda and a 5 gal gas can are going to suffice in July and August.

Maybe I need a windmill and a really, really big battery.

 

[churchmouse]

Everyone's situation is different,
We are on city water, and don't have any pumps to worry about.

You do realize of course that if the grid went down the Water Co. has some seriously huge diesel pumps that pick up the load but not 100%. And the tanks will run dry in a few days on these.

Also to those of you that have NG back up genny's the NG delivery is dependent on the grid as well to a point. The city utility's are not 100% stand by reliable. They just are not.

 

[woowoo2]

You do realize of course that if the grid went down the Water Co. has some seriously huge diesel pumps that pick up the load but not 100%. And the tanks will run dry in a few days on these.

Back when we had the wind storm, our area was without power for 12 days.
We still had water.
If it stops, the barrels and case water I have stored come into play.
When that is gone, the monolithic bucket filter will go into action.

I don't have a well, so for me, having a genny big enough to run a well pump would do no good.

 

[indyjohn]

cm - just keep in mind that Darwin was onto something.

 

[churchmouse]

Back when we had the wind storm, our area was without power for 12 days.
We still had water.
If it stops, the barrels and case water I have stored come into play.
When that is gone, the monolithic bucket filter will go into action.

I don't have a well, so for me, having a genny big enough to run a well pump would do no good.

My reference was if we experienced a total black out as has happened along the coast before. None here as yet but it could still happen.

We do not have a well either so water reserves are important.
There is a well not far from us. I know it is there. Property used to belong to an Ingo member.

 

[ditcherman]

I have a Miller Bobcat welder that is very handy for in field repairs, it is also a 20KW generator. It runs the whole house very nicely, we had an electric hot water heater before switching to on demand LP and an electric cooktop and you could tell that with the AC running when those two kicked on it was a strain but it worked.
Not very scientific but could be a reference for someone. Plenty of power but you’re going to spend 50 bucks a day in gas. I am happy to be able to run everything. I also have a quiet Honda but it wouldn’t do much, most of them have to be paired with another to get 220V or 221, whatever it takes.
I will also mention that this is not clean power and the microwave, which pulls a surprising amount of power, runs kinda fritzy.
Rhino can feel free to elaborate on any of my simple terms.

 

[Charleybravo56]

Division and multiplication...”Fancy”?

These guys are using their fancy math to gauge peak potential draws at any given time to ensure they don't undersize the system.[/QUOTE]

 

[churchmouse]

I have a Miller Bobcat welder that is very handy for in field repairs, it is also a 20KW generator. It runs the whole house very nicely, we had an electric hot water heater before switching to on demand LP and an electric cooktop and you could tell that with the AC running when those two kicked on it was a strain but it worked.
Not very scientific but could be a reference for someone. Plenty of power but you’re going to spend 50 bucks a day in gas. I am happy to be able to run everything. I also have a quiet Honda but it wouldn’t do much, most of them have to be paired with another to get 220V or 221, whatever it takes.
I will also mention that this is not clean power and the microwave, which pulls a surprising amount of power, runs kinda fritzy.
Rhino can feel free to elaborate on any of my simple terms.

The miller is a brutal power generating device. I can only imagine what the sine wave looks like. I would not want to run a good TV off of it but anything of a high load nature heck yes.

 

[Charleybravo56]

Multiple generators are so true as well as the manufacturing of being expensive.
It’s a good supplement, terrible primary source.

 

[woowoo2]

My reference was if we experienced a total black out as has happened along the coast before. None here as yet but it could still happen.

Understood,
That is why I favor the smaller units.

One can go all out and plow through all their stored gas in short order, or rotate plugs and use about a gallon a day.

For me, I have found that when the power is out, it is time to reduce consumption.

 

[ditcherman]

​I’ve never thought to look at the sine wave,
I’ll have to look at it next time we fire it up.
Editing because purple doesn’t work well on the phone...
seriously though we just go on with life, we’ve watched a lot of tv with it, not that we have real fancy TVs or anything. Our power goes off quite often being at the end of the line of one of Boone county’s lines.

 

[churchmouse]

Understood,
That is why I favor the smaller units.

One can go all out and plow through all their stored gas in short order, or rotate plugs and use about a gallon a day.

For me, I have found that when the power is out, it is time to reduce consumption.

Exactly true.
Living in the city we have ample battery powered lights and battery in reserve for same. Staying grey at night is important but with 4 refer./freezers between the 2 houses that is a concern. We primarily heat with wood but the furnace fan is needed to distribute the heat throughout the house.

 

[churchmouse]

​I’ve never thought to look at the sine wave,
I’ll have to look at it next time we fire it up.
Editing because purple doesn’t work well on the phone...
seriously though we just go on with life, we’ve watched a lot of tv with it, not that we have real fancy TVs or anything. Our power goes off quite often being at the end of the line of one of Boone county’s lines.

Hey brother if it works for you then enjoy. I tend to get a bit critical about this but Rhino has me hands down...

 

[indyjohn]

we had an electric hot water heater before switching to on demand LP

How has that worked out for you? Which make/model if I may ask? I plan to go to that set up.