# Recommendations for a portable generator



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

Looking for one in NJ for a 2500 sq ft single family home. I am not going to run a/c and most appliances are gas. Would 7500 watts plus suffice? Any recommendations for models with low THD and priced well? Budget around $1000.

For instance I came across the following but it's not sold at home depot not has service centers in NJ. So most likely won't work even if THD is in 5pct range.



https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200664810_200664810


Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## JohnNY (Apr 27, 2020)

Look on craigslist for a nice one. Everyrime theres a storm people gobble them upband then sell them soon after with low hows and for half (at times) there purchase price.

But as for wattage YES that will do fine.


----------



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

JohnNY said:


> Look on craigslist for a nice one. Everyrime theres a storm people gobble them upband then sell them soon after with low hows and for half (at times) there purchase price.
> 
> But as for wattage YES that will do fine.


Wouldn't I lose out on warranty? How to check if condition is good with used?

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## jkingrph (Sep 18, 2017)

anonymous1977 said:


> Wouldn't I lose out on warranty? How to check if condition is good with used?
> 
> Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


Probably, but if you can get a good, unit with low hours you can self warranty! If you can get one that has been taken care of , not overloaded, oil changed at proper intervals, fuel drained and carburator ran dry after use, then "probably" ok. If you don't know conditions and person selling and how much you trust them to be honest, personally I would rather pay and get new. Remember warranty will be for a period of time after purchase date, not hours used . You could get a unit 3-4 years old only used a few hours and still no warranty and could be as good as a new in box unit.


----------



## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Do a power audit or list of devices needed during an outage and determine your ACTUAL wattage needs. You plan on just running extension cords from generator during an outage? "Most appliances are gas..." Furnace, hot water heater, etc. do not have a provision to connect an extension cord, kitchen range does, but you'd have to pull away from wall to access that. Determine frequency and duration of outages in your area and decide what appliances you MUST have during one. WIth the above information you can start looking at generators. It sounds like you could probably get by comfortably with a generator half the size you're looking at. Also, when looking at duration of outages, consider the amount of gas you'll have to store. Smaller generators use less gas obviously. 

If your evaluation indicates you'll need devices that are hard wired, e.g. no extension cord connection available, you'll need a whole house connection to utilize your load center (breaker box). Cheapest way for that is with a generator disconnect and inlet box. Also consider "Generlink" if your utility allows them. Youtube is full of videos showing both. 

Used vs new is up to you, your mechanical skills, and how lucky you feel about buying an unknown device. 

Do your homework and look at budget and actual needs based on historical outages and duration.


----------



## Bluwolf (Nov 8, 2020)

If you're considering used I would take a look at a company called SuperGen. They're in Newark, NY. I don't know how far that is from you. I tripped across them when trying to look for a generator for a neighbor who wanted one like mine. I wish I had found them before I bought mine new. They only deal in Champion generators. They're a factory authorized dealer and sell both new and refurbished generators. They have a regular website and an ebay store. They have more generators on the ebay store. Probably because that's where they sell all the refurbs. They have a 100% seller rating. I think that's pretty impressive considering you can get people giving a bad rating for the stupidest reasons that sometimes aren't even the sellers fault like poor handling in shipping.

Website: 




__





Generators - SuperGen Products







www.supergenproducts.com





Ebay store:




__





Security Measure







www.ebay.com





Here is a 7000 running/9000 surge dual fuel example.








100155R - 7000/9000w Champion Power Equipment Dual Fuel Generator - REFURBISHED | eBay


Gasoline Starting Watts 9000W. Using gasoline, the 439cc Champion engine produces 9000 starting watts and 7000 running watts, and will run for 8 hours at 50% load when the 6.1-gallon fuel tank is full.



www.ebay.com





All the refurbs have less than 50 hours. They have a 90 day warranty. They will ship for free to a commercial loading dock or business with a forklift. Or there's a charge for residential delivery with liftgate service. Anyway, it's something to consider. If I had gone that route I would have saved enough money to pay for all the stuff it took to wire the generator to the house and then some.


----------



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

exmar said:


> Do a power audit or list of devices needed during an outage and determine your ACTUAL wattage needs. You plan on just running extension cords from generator during an outage? "Most appliances are gas..." Furnace, hot water heater, etc. do not have a provision to connect an extension cord, kitchen range does, but you'd have to pull away from wall to access that. Determine frequency and duration of outages in your area and decide what appliances you MUST have during one. WIth the above information you can start looking at generators. It sounds like you could probably get by comfortably with a generator half the size you're looking at. Also, when looking at duration of outages, consider the amount of gas you'll have to store. Smaller generators use less gas obviously.
> 
> If your evaluation indicates you'll need devices that are hard wired, e.g. no extension cord connection available, you'll need a whole house connection to utilize your load center (breaker box). Cheapest way for that is with a generator disconnect and inlet box. Also consider "Generlink" if your utility allows them. Youtube is full of videos showing both.
> 
> ...


I would be using an interlocking kit. Generlink is not allowed.

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

7000 (continuous) watts is a nice big generator. It’ll easily power a house with gas appliances. If everything in the house is propane or natural gas a smaller generator around the 5000 watt range would help in fuel efficiency and still adequately power things.


----------



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

drmerdp said:


> 7000 (continuous) watts is a nice big generator. It’ll easily power a house with gas appliances. If everything in the house is propane or natural gas a smaller generator around the 5000 watt range would help in fuel efficiency and still adequately power things.


I believe the washer is electric and dryer is gas. Refrigerator is electric. Hot water heater is gas. HVAC how do I find out? And even for gas appliances do they need electric? Like for example if there is a gas dryer does it need electric to start up?

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

Electricity is required to run a gas dryer, but its a small load. Mainly from the electric motor that turns the drum and fan. Your heat Is definitely gas. Furnaces draw more power then boilers but most is the initial startup of the blower motor.


----------



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

drmerdp said:


> Electricity is required to run a gas dryer, but its a small load. Mainly from the electric motor that turns the drum and fan. Your heat Is definitely gas. Furnaces draw more power then boilers but most is the initial startup of the blower motor.


What about the condenser? So given the above list, is 7k watts sufficient?

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

Condenser as in your central AC? 7000watts is too small unless it’s a little 2ton unit and you are very careful with load management.


----------



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

drmerdp said:


> Condenser as in your central AC? 7000watts is too small unless it’s a little 2ton unit and you are very careful with load management.


I am sorry...I don't intend to power the ac with this. If I don't use ac is 7000 sufficient for a 2500 sqft house with the list I provided above?

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Square footage has nothing to do with your home's wattage requirements. It sounds like you will be installing a generator disconnect and generator inlet box. The only question is what size? 30A or 7200W, 50A or 12000W. Obviously, the higher number will cost more for the physical installation and the generator to power it, not to mention the fuel required. 

Again, do a load calculation of what wattage you actually MUST have to last out an outage. Do an online search there are lots of sites offering info on that. The smaller the generator the less fuel will be used and require less to be stored. Just because you're ten minutes from the nearest gas station doesn't mean it will have power to pump gas in a wide spread outage. We went through a 13 day outage due to what I believe they called an "inland hurricane." Two hour drive and a long wait in line to fill up gas cans. I went through that outage with a 3750W unit. 

FWIW, I typically run a generator 12 hours a day in an outage, that's adequate to keep the frig and freezer happy, charge phones, laptops, and generally let us do "MUST" things. Also consider that small engine oil change interval is usually 50 hours, so have spare oil on hand and factor that in. The type of generator you're looking at is not constant duty 24/7. Small generators do not like being run at or near maximum load, shortens life expectancy. Half load is considered the "sweet spot." Talk to your family, consider an outage an adventure or camping. Again, do your homework, your $$.


----------



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

amen exmar!

if you go with all led lights that helps!
i still think a meter system is a good idea for any gen system as well as on grid system!
click here for the generator connection pages
and
click here for the main entrance on the gen section

i like the idea of using a 4 meter system as live data.
i placed switches on the meters so the display's could be turned off when not in use.
that saves meter life.
and make sure to use surge protection for the whole house as well.
that helps when the power is jerking during extreme wind events from the power lines dancing.

do an inventory of every thing in the house electrical.
a color coded by priority spread sheet works well.
and you can id those by breaker numbers too.

and you can use silver and gold sharpie dots on the breakers to indicate what needs to be on or off.
blue painters tape works well during a design phase of a back up plan.
or a rewire of a panel!
i use black and silver sharpie to make all romex in and out of the breaker panel too.
nice to know what is feeding what!
and on the ends at the outlets mark the breaker numbers and breaker panel location on the outlet covers.

for me this is all stuff done in the plan stage of a system.
if you have real time numbers...
that helps you make smart power decisions!
and you might find out that you only really need 1500 to 4000 watts max power for winter runs.
but summer can be higher depending on your ac in the hvac.

and on that the small portable ac units rock during an outage event!
you just need one of the large vents for the ac heat and moisture exhaust.


----------



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

The following model has been used once and is on sale on craigslist. How is this to purchase?









Champion 9375 Starting Watts Portable Generator with Electric Start...


Features: Only 1 Owner, USED ONCE Champion 9375 Starting Watts Electric Start Generator with 2 BATTERIES Included •Provides dependable power for home, recreation or emergencies 439cc Champion OHV...



cnj.craigslist.org





Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

exmar said:


> Square footage has nothing to do with your home's wattage requirements. It sounds like you will be installing a generator disconnect and generator inlet box. The only question is what size? 30A or 7200W, 50A or 12000W. Obviously, the higher number will cost more for the physical installation and the generator to power it, not to mention the fuel required.
> 
> Again, do a load calculation of what wattage you actually MUST have to last out an outage. Do an online search there are lots of sites offering info on that. The smaller the generator the less fuel will be used and require less to be stored. Just because you're ten minutes from the nearest gas station doesn't mean it will have power to pump gas in a wide spread outage. We went through a 13 day outage due to what I believe they called an "inland hurricane." Two hour drive and a long wait in line to fill up gas cans. I went through that outage with a 3750W unit.
> 
> FWIW, I typically run a generator 12 hours a day in an outage, that's adequate to keep the frig and freezer happy, charge phones, laptops, and generally let us do "MUST" things. Also consider that small engine oil change interval is usually 50 hours, so have spare oil on hand and factor that in. The type of generator you're looking at is not constant duty 24/7. Small generators do not like being run at or near maximum load, shortens life expectancy. Half load is considered the "sweet spot." Talk to your family, consider an outage an adventure or camping. Again, do your homework, your $$.


I can do the calculation as in what equipment consumes what wattage. But let's say I select a number of items but they are not equally distributed between circuits as in let's say I just need the fan and light in one room but the circuit powers more things, how would this play into the calculation? I cannot have the circuit selectively turn on the fan and light right?

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

that is where you can use the meter set up!
when you are on grid...
have everything on that you will be using.
trip the breakers one at a time to find out exactly what breaker has what load on it.
and take notes!!
that is where the blue tape comes in handy if you are doing this by your self!

i use red and black vinyl electrical tape to mark L1 as black and L2 as red on the breakers.
real time numbers work the best!

if it turns out that the box is not balanced out.
swap out the breakers to get it balanced.
that is just moving out adjacent breakers with each other. 
get them as even as you can.

for testing the microwave use a large bowl of ice water for a load.
leave room for a toaster or other appliance for cooking like a steamer or deep fryer..
or even a george forman grill. coffee pot etc.
I mark on the bottom of the items with a sharpie what the load is.
and for small 125 vac items use a killa watt meter 
click here for the generator test equipment page the killa watt meter is on this page

start on those items for a list now.
and make sure those numbers get on the color coded work sheet.

question for you;
when was the house in question last wired?
what year? and when was the house built?
how well is it insulated?


----------



## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

You accomplish differentiating between loads by which breakers you close after connecting your generator. e.g. The fan and light (minimal load BTW) is in room 1, the breaker which feeds it would be closed, it may also feed other rooms, YOU have to disconnect or turn off unneeded loads. Sounds complexicated, but after determining what is needed and what breakers feed those loads and marking accordingly, it's not bad at all. Obviously, trip breakers and see what feeds what while on utilty power and mark. Good info in any event. 

The only other potential issue is load balancing between the two 120V feeds. After determining what breakers feed what, you may have to move some wires between breakers, again, not bad and only done once. There's a recent post here discussing that. If the loads are reasonably balanced the generator is happy and adds longevity.


----------



## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

anonymous1977 said:


> Looking for one in NJ for a 2500 sq ft single family home. I am not going to run a/c and most appliances are gas. Would 7500 watts plus suffice?


I have a PowerMate 6000/7500 on a 60' 8 gauge cable through a GenerLink. Today, for example, it ran the whole house. Every breaker was on (added one-by-one) except:

50A 240V Range Breaker
30A 240V Dryer
Even with my mother-in-law running her toaster and microwave, a 55" LCD and a 43" LED TVs, oil furnace, water heater, several computers, bathroom fans, fridge, chest freezer, lots of lights, etc., it didn't come close to 6,000 watts. Didn't run any A/C units today since it was only 51F, but have in the past.


----------



## anonymous1977 (Sep 10, 2020)

iowagold said:


> that is where you can use the meter set up!
> when you are on grid...
> have everything on that you will be using.
> trip the breakers one at a time to find out exactly what breaker has what load on it.
> ...


House was built in 2020. Last wiring was in 2019 when basement was finished. When you say how well insulated how do I find that?

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk


----------



## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Tabora, excellent description of how to use a back up generator!


----------



## Bluwolf (Nov 8, 2020)

anonymous1977 said:


> The following model has been used once and is on sale on craigslist. How is this to purchase?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The generator looks to be in nice shape. But it is a discontinued model. I don't know how old. But to give you an idea, I bought mine May 2018 and it's still a current model. I also think the price is a bit high. Mine is a dual fuel with the same starting and running watts as that one. I got it new for $750 at Tractor Supply. It goes for $799 the last time I checked. 

I would also go for a dual fuel generator. I have only run mine on propane so far. It doesn't mean I won't ever use gas, I have 4 - 5 gallon cans. But in the mean time I'm not worried about gumming up the carb, etc. I also have 4 - 40 lbs tanks and 4 - 20 lb tanks of propane that I don't have to worry about going bad like gas does.


----------



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

tabora said:


> I have a PowerMate 6000/7500 on a 60' 8 gauge cable through a GenerLink. Today, for example, it ran the whole house. Every breaker was on (added one-by-one) except:
> 
> 50A 240V Range Breaker
> 30A 240V Dryer
> Even with my mother-in-law running her toaster and microwave, a 55" LCD and a 43" LED TVs, oil furnace, water heater, several computers, bathroom fans, fridge, chest freezer, lots of lights, etc., it didn't come close to 6,000 watts. Didn't run any A/C units today since it was only 51F, but have in the past.


are you still out tab?


----------



## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

iowagold said:


> are you still out tab?


Oh, no, we had power back by about 12:30PM yesterday. It was only out about 13 hours. Put about 4.5 hours on the generator clock during the daylight hours.


----------



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

cool!
glad you are back up tab!
darn storms are real bad this year!
looks like central america got it again!
not sure where it is going next...
may loop back up to florida again like the last one?


----------



## jkingrph (Sep 18, 2017)

iowagold said:


> cool!
> glad you are back up tab!
> darn storms are real bad this year!
> looks like central america got it again!
> ...


The last forecast I saw, showed it crossing central American and heading out into the pacific.


----------



## Gen10K (Jun 25, 2020)

One thing to consider...

A big Gen is always good, however, the bigger the Gen the more fuel they burn. Therefore, find a balance in fuel comsumption and power.

In an emergency situation, most fuel stations are overwhelmed with costumers, inoperative and/or out of fuel. Consider what items are the most important, like a fridge. A good fridge can stay cold for about 24hrs as long the doors are not constantly opening. Might get away with an 8hr or less run, get what you need and turn off the fridge.

****, if fuel/maintenance is not a concern, I would get a 30KW Diesel and call it a day.

The best way is connect the gen to the house. No need for extension cords and use all the comfort critters (lights, TV, Internet Router, washing machine, furnace, etc...). I wired mine that using a 50A RV docking cable and surge protector and a main shut off to avoid backfeed to the powerlines. All I have to do is watch my power comsumption.

Items to watch for, Coffee Makers, Microwave Ovens, AC (compressors are power hungry), electric ovens/hot plates, washing machines and..... dryers (electric). If you can, hang dry


----------



## jkingrph (Sep 18, 2017)

Gen10K said:


> One thing to consider...
> 
> A big Gen is always good, however, the bigger the Gen the more fuel they burn. Therefore, find a balance in fuel comsumption and power.
> 
> ...


That's pretty much what I have done.except 11Kw Honda. Use the 50 amp output from it to a 50 amp inlet going into a 200amp double throw disconnect. We are all electric so watch power consumption, turn off hot water heater and everything seems ok. Do not use electric dryer. My wife prefers a clothes line anyway for most things. The first couple of years we were married, I was stationed in Turkey courtesy of the USAF,supporting a major NATO headquarters at Izmir. Everyone lived downtown in apartments and had only clothes lines for drying clothes and she got used to that and preferring line dried sheets to those out of a clothes dryer. When we had our house built in a rather nice area she insisted on a clothes line, we are the only ones in the neighborhood using one. 

The amount of fuel I keep varies by season. I have been surprised when a small tornado crossed about a quarter of a mile from us and took out power lines for about 20 miles going right along the highway. I normally keep about 60 gal of stabilized gas in my shed, running a big part of it through my mower during the summer and fall, replacing it before we start getting to the couple of months where the rare ice/snow storms are possible.
The way the house is built, driveways, electric utility input, prevents me from installing a permanent generator and fuel supply. It would all have to be sitting in the front yard and just would not look good. If I could build again I would have things planned and laid out for a permanent installation, probably a small powerhouse to enclose the generator for noise control and security, and would seriously consider diesel. I would have to do some research on how well diesel holds up to long term storage though.


----------



## Gen10K (Jun 25, 2020)

My Gen is Tri-Fuel, got it connected to my NG line and bought 2 one hundred pounders of propane. Used RV auto selector switches. I figure that I can run 1.8 Day constant at about 2500 W, streach that by running 12 hr or so at the times. The NG is the main fuel, LPG for back up and Gasoline as the very last backup fuel. Also is a portable Gen in case that I have to leave. No permanent install.

What I learned with LPG. You want the tank big enough for you to move around. You can get 500 pounders, but will require a tanker truck to refill and equipment to move it around. In an emergency it might not be available (tanker truck), so you might have to take the tanks with you. Empty (100 lbs) tanks are light enough for a person to lift. Full, a 2 men job tops to unload from a pickup truck.

Diesel Fuel... is the best fuel. Huge long term storage, way better than gasoline by far. Gases does not have the same BTUs but can be indef on storage. The worse fuel is Gasoline, shelf-life sucks.


----------



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

just watch the storage and where you purchase the diesel fuel from.
make sure it is 100% dino grade diesel and not bio diesel blend...
and use the fuel stabilizers for the diesel as well.
watch the storage and main fuel tank vents... they need an air lock on them so the tank does not get moist air in them.
take a lesson from wine making on those!
also make sure to run multi large water separators...
this helps with the fuel id of the bio diesel bug as well as keeps the trash out of the injectors..

that bio diesel bug can start to spoil injectors in less than 12 hours of sitting!!
let along if the engine is running!!
at 200.00 to1200.00 each on injectors... that can be a disaster!
and it takes a bit longer to trash an injector pump..
sitting maybe a week at the min to 4 to 6 months is sitting.
and if it is running???
damage is just the same if there was no oil in an car engine...
20 min to an hour to total melt down...

that bio diesel bug looks like frog eggs in a pond...
total slime... and can be black if not light to green if it has light exposure.
the killer stuff 
and glove up and face shield as that stuff is worse than round up as hazmat.
and mark the tank and dash if on a truck that is has been treated so any mechanics have a chance of gloving up if it goes in to a shop for filter service!

and yes gallon per gallon pound per pound there is more energy in diesel fuel.
but they are a heat engine...
so they need block heaters and air preheat for colder climates.
any thing below 50 deg f then need to have block warmers and below 40 deg f the need air warmers for intake air.
this helps them start better as well as use less fuel, and smoke less.


----------



## Mark spenser (Dec 29, 2020)

The most important thing you should know is how to size your generator. That means putting into account all the electronics you'd power. Make a list with their starting and running watts to find out if the generator capacity can handle your needs.


----------

