# Recommendation Wanted



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

I've visited several web sites and used their web apps for sizing and it says that with the running and starting watts I need a generator close to 6900 to 7200 watts in size. I've read all sorts of articles on the web as well as reviews many different brands of generators and my head is starting to spin as there are bad reviews on even the brands that are being recommended. My problem is that I know absolutely zero, ziltch, nada about generators and generator brands so I was wondering if I could get some feedback on what brands and models I should consider and why I should consider that brand and model over another brand. Granted that I my get a difference of opinion on as everyone has their likes and dislikes but at least I'll have something to consider. In addition, if there is a brand and/or model to stay away from let me know that as well addition to the reason why it should be avoided. Again, any help will be appreciated. Thanks.


----------



## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

Welcome Moondoggy.

What is your planned use for this generator? Is it for a backup? Do you want it to be portable or fixed. What are you going to run off of it?


----------



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

aandpdan said:


> Welcome Moondoggy.
> 
> What is your planned use for this generator? Is it for a backup? Do you want it to be portable or fixed. What are you going to run off of it?


I live in the Panhandle of Florida and we've been lucky that in the last 11 years we have not experienced a hurricane however we're long overdue for one. Everyone down here says that we should at least own an emergency home generator to run the minimum stuff like lights, our refrigerator, a window air conditioner, fans, and a few small appliances until the power is restored. I would prefer to own a whole house unit that would come on automatically with any power outage but for now my budget is limiting me to a portable unit. Again I've run many of the usage calculators and I need one that can handle 7200 watts but I know nothing about brands or models to make an intelligent decision on what to get.

Before I forget, I realize that to hook a generator into your home electrical system I would need to have an electrician come in to add circuitry to prevent electricity from flowing back into the power grad but any generator I buy needs to be able to hook into this circuitry as I don't want to have to run a bunch of cords through windows or doors and across the floors in my house just to power everything I would need to survive an extended power outage. Hopefully any outage would only last a few days but with hurricane Ivan people were without power for 3 weeks.


----------



## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

What you want to run isn't near 7200 Watts. How often have there been power outages, non hurricane related, in the past eleven years and duration? Do you have Natural Gas or Propane available or would you only be using regular gas? During the hurricane you mention, how far did folks have to drive to buy gas, and were the roads clear? e.g. It's not uncommon in those wide spread outage scenarios that the gas stations are closed due to no power for the pumps. 

What you listed you could get by with extra power available with a 5,000 Watt portable. There are varioius "mechanical" disconnect switches or panels available your electrican could wire in for connection to the genset when needed. 

My suggestion is narrow down exactly what you would need to power and determine how big a genset is needed. NOTE: Bigger KW sounds good, bigger it is, uses more gas and if you're hauling it in from wherever that gets old fast. You don't want extension cords coming in through windows...no one does. However, if it's the occasional couple of days to survive comfortably, it's doable. 

Have an electricain come out and give you some options from bare bones, mechanical transfer switch or lockout or separate panel, etc. to whole house system. Then add to that the cost of the genset or the electrican probably sells them as well. You know your budget.

If you do end up with a gas unit. Keep in mind that gas has a very definite shelf life, even with stabilizers added, so a regular program of using your "emergency" supply and refilling every five to six months is required. 

The easy way is to call an electrician and write a check, depending on your budget, creativity comes into play.

Guess you haven't bought the 11 year old unit yet? 

Good luck,


----------



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

I was just going on the basis of quite a number of web sites that had methods of calculating the wattage needed and they are all saying to get something around 7000 watts.

As far as what went on during the last hurricane I don't know for sure. We heard that people could not get gas as there was no power to pump it for a while. We've been told that we need to fill both cars before the storm and to buy enough gasoline to power your generator full time for at least 72 hours so it's somewhat important to know how much the generator will be burning to get enough gas. An alternative would be to buy a generator that runs on propane and I was looking at one at Lowes made by Champion that runs on either gas or propane. Either way though you're buying a lot of gasoline and/or a lot of propane for your generator but they said that during Hurricane Ivan people were without power for 3 weeks. I suppose that if I got one that run off of gasoline and I ran out of gas that I had stockpiled prior to the storm I could siphon off some gas from one of the cars.

As far as normal times are concerned, we have a few power outages during storms but that only lasts for about an hour so certainly not something that you would drag your generator out for. This is what's concerning me as everyone says you need to plan for the worst case (Hurricane Ivan) hurricane but it seems to be a huge waste of money to buy a generator that you may never use which is what happened with our cousin's generator that they can no longer get parts for as the company went out of business. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many other alternatives if you want to stay in your home to prevent looters from robbing you blind.


----------



## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

I feel your pain, we all do who want a back up genset for "what if" scenarios.

"A tale of Two Brothers:" My brother lives about a quarter mile up the road from me, about 8 years ago, we had a three day outage, he had a 8KW Homelite (fossil) genset that he used to keep the frig running, wellpump, etc. via extension cords. His two daughters were not amused at getting ready for school without hair curlers, blow dryiers, etc. etc. After everything was back to normal, he got a whole house generac, automatic transfer switch, propane fueled, he's now ready. I "weathered" the same event with a 3750W Generac which kept the upright frig and upright freezer running, lights and the entertainment center and occasional use of the computer(s), also with extension cords. Since that event, our longest outage has been about 6 hours. Background: Here in SE Ohio our biggest fear is in the spring from Ice Storms which weigh down the limbs and they come crashing down on power lines. Haven't had one in 8 years, but they used to be very common. During this period, I only ran the genset about 10-12 hours per day, usually from noon to midnight that was enough to keep the "refrigerables" happy. We also have propane camp lanterns, etc. They set on the shelf forever and are ready when needed. My cost for the little Generac and extension cords was about $400, his was over $4,000. If we lose power, he does nothing, I have to drag the genset out of the barn up on the front porch. extensions are stored in the utility room. He's very happy with what he has, I'm, not happy, but OK with what I have as I can find other places to spend the $$. 

Answering the obvious, we have never had a prolonged outage in summer here, so AC hasn't been a concern, if it happens, would hook up a fan or two. I have propane heat which works without electricity for an outage scenario. 

I now have a 5500W Generac as I walked into Lowe's and saw an "end of season, floor model sale" and couldn't pass it for the price. So, now I have two. 

Good luck,


----------



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

exmar said:


> What you want to run isn't near 7200 Watts.
> 
> What you listed you could get by with extra power available with a 5,000 Watt portable.


Here's what Home Depot and some of the others say to estimate the amount of wattage needed:

TV 190w running/0 startup
10, 60 watt lightbulbs 600w running/0 startup
Refrigerator 700w running/2200 startup
Window AC 1200w running/1800 startup
Microwave 1000w running/0 startup
Coffee Maker 1000w running/0 startup
Laptop 250w running/0 startup
4 Cell Phone Chargers 40w running/0 startup
OfficeJet Printer 30w running/0 startup
Modem/Router 10w running/0 startup
Garage door opener 550w running/550 startup

Total Running = 5570w
Largest startup = 2200w
Total estimated Wattage (5570 + 2200) = 7770w

Granted, not everything is going to be running at the same time but I'm questioning whether I can really reduce the generator wattage down to 5000w or should I just go with the estimate and buy one that will handle the whole load so I don't have to worry about overloading the generator?


----------



## Robert Coats (Nov 10, 2011)

moondoggy said:


> Total Running = 5570w
> Largest startup = 2200w
> Total estimated Wattage (5570 + 2200) = 7770w
> 
> Granted, not everything is going to be running at the same time


That's the real trick. With a little power management, you could get by with a 3,000 watt unit just fine. Besides manually plugging and unplugging for the duration, there are smart transfer switches out there where you program in the priority load(s) and it will automatically drop other loads. Example: Microwave is set to #1, and fridge is #2. Fridge is running along, and you want to pop some popcorn. When the microwave fires up, the switch instantly senses the load and drops the fridge connection. As soon as the microwave turns off, power is restored to the fridge. With this kind of set-up, you can 'get by' with a smaller generator. Perhaps a better quality, more reliable, quieter, inverter-tech generator @ 3000 watts vs. a beastie, open-header-sounding contractor special @ 6000 watts. 

While on the subject, there are basically two flavors of portable generators out there: traditional-design and inverter tech. 

Traditional means an engine turning a genset, which has to spin at exactly 3,600 rpm in order to produce standard 120V/240V power at the required 60Hz frequency. So, the engine is pretty much running at wide-open throttle all the time, regardless of the actual load. Some will throttle down when there is NO load, but as soon as you plug up even a single lightbulb, they ramp up to that full throttle again to keep that 60HZ frequency. This means more noise, more fuel consumption, shorter engine life.

Now an inverter generator works a bit different. Engine still turns a genset, but instead of configured to make 120/240 volts, it is built to make 300+ volts. Next, that is run through a CONVERTER to turn it in to DC volts, then run through an INVERTER to make it back to AC volts. Buy doing this, the engine does NOT need to spin at full throttle all the time, as the inverter tech maintains the 60hz automatically at all speeds. As you add load, the engine will speed up, and as loads are removed, it slows down. Pretty sweet. This means the engine will often run far, far less than wide-open throttle, which means longer engine life, less noise, and better fuel consumption. Best of all, the inverter tech produces a much cleaner and pure power profile/output, which is far less likely to cause any issues with sensitive electronics.

Of course, inverter generators are more costly, but you get a much nice machine than most open-frame traditional designs. Is that really necessary for a unit that will only be used for power-outage situations? Maybe, maybe not. I do know if you went with an intelligent switch, you absolutely could get by with a smaller generator, so maybe the savings could mean it would be a nicer one as well.


----------



## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Looking at your list, assume you've never been in an extended power outage? Garage door opener, microwave, ten lights, etc. HEY, you're trying to survive an extended outage with some minimal comforts and keeping frig running. We don't use microwave or coffee maker, there's "old tech" called a gas stove which works. 60W bulbs, switch to fluorscent, In a survival mode in the dark, do you really need ten lights? Four cell phone chargers would be minimal load, however, will you have cell service? Assuming there's four of you, since you're in the dark, do something really "old tech," and gather around the kitchen table and play monopoly or actually talk to each other.

If you and the family absolutely have to have all that, get a propane whole house unit.


----------



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

I was getting frustrated last night as I read about the difference between a generator and an inverter so I wen to Home Depot and talked to a guy that sells them and he suggested that can get by with a smaller unit and some surge suppressors on all of the major appliances. He said that I needed to go back and look at the estimates and estimate how many of the things on my list would be running at the same time. For example he suggested that we could unplug the refrigerator at night when the window AC was running. Obviously at night the lights would be off and the TV would be off as well and you would only run the microwave for very short periods of time as well and if needed you could unplug something when you were running the Microwave anyway. Like Exmar said, you really need to think in survival mode so I'm going back and review the list.

There were a few questions that came up today that you all can advise me on as well..... What do you all recommend to do with the unit when it's running?

I read on the internet that these units are not designed to be used when it's raining as the water can mess up the electronics on the generators. Some folks said that you need to build or buy a shelter for the unit but in the same breath said that the unit must be properly ventilated for exhaust and to remove heat generated from running the device. Others have suggested that you can buy some sort of umbrella or tent that attaches to the frame of the generator to protect it. Others have just suggested putting up some sort of small tent or canopy to keep the unit from getting wet. Some people said not to run the unit in the garage attached to the house while others have suggested that you could vent the exhaust out through a flexible metal pipe that could be snaked under the garage door. What do you all suggest is the best way to handle this? Has anyone vented the exhaust from a generator thru some sort of flexible piping? What have you all done in regard to sheltering the unit from the elements if you don't recommend running the unit from inside the garage?

Another thing that was brought up today was security of the unit. One of the guys at Home Depot said that if you run you unit from outside the house you have a huge potential for theft down here. This guy says that people drive around neighborhoods after a hurricane listening for generators and then when your asleep they swap out your generator for an old broken down lawnmower whose engine still runs. He said that if you are going to want to run the generator outside it needs to be chained down with heavy duty chains and locks and suggested that you need to build a concrete pad with anchors or you use a post hole digger to bury an anchor in the ground where the generator will sit and that you would still need to chain it down with heavy duty thick chain. Given the need for shelter and the need for security the garage option sounds the best if there's way to vent the exhaust. Has anyone done that? If so, where did you get the parts?


----------



## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

Moondoggy, NEVER try to run a portable generator indoors - even with the exhaust vented. Get a big chain if you have to secure the generator. As for the rain, I have my generator outdoors, bolted down, in a shelter that I can open so that during rain/snow it can stay dry yet get plenty of ventilation.

You DO need to manage what you run but it isn't difficult. Not everything has to run at the same time. Just turn off the coffeepot when you run the microwave. Manually open the garage door or make sure the microwave is off when you use the opener. You don't need to light the house up like daytime either. One or two CFL or LED lights will suffice in most cases. Keep the refrig closed and it'll stay cold for a while

I now have a 3000 watt generator and my average load is just over 1400 watts with the boiler, refrig, and a couple of LED lights on. In the past I've gone 5 days with just an 800 watt generator, a Harbor Freight 2 stroke.

Here's the other thing, more load and a bigger generator demands more fuel. Fuel can be difficult to obtain during a true emergency situation. How much do you want to keep on hand? Gasoline, even stabilized, doesn't keep very long. You'll also need to change the oil on the generator every 25-50 hours in most cases. A portable generator isn't meant to run 24/7.


----------



## Robert Coats (Nov 10, 2011)

aandpdan said:


> Moondoggy, NEVER try to run a portable generator indoors - even with the exhaust vented.


*^ ^ ^ THIS ^ ^ ^*​
All small gas engines' exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide. It is odorless, colorless, and deadly. You go to sleep and never wake up. Don't risk it!

Chain up a generator for security, make it hard for a bad guy to steal, let them find an easier target. A small pop-up tent or the like is all you need to keep water/rain off.


----------



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

Based on everything I've read on the internet and this forum I'm still concerned about what generator to get. Here are my concerns:

1. Unless you buy a Honda, the majority of generators are made in China so getting service after the sale is problematic.
2. Most generators are sold via internet sales or thru big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot that do not service what they sell.
3. Even the owners of better name brands of generators like Generac report that when they needed their generator the most, it failed or failed within a few hours leaving them high and dry in a disaster.
4. There is some debate over the need for an inverter over other types of portable generators. The debate question involves using a regular generator with electronic items like a flat screen TV, a satellite receiver and other devices with sophisticated electronic circuit boards that almost everything has today.
5. Inverters are really expensive to purchase and only the high end Honda and Yamaha inverters can be connected to the whole house thru a backflow switch as only the high end models have a 240v connector.
6. Fuel for generators can be a problem as you may need a lot of gasoline to make it thru a disaster but having that much gasoline on hand prior to a disaster is dangerous and propane is no better unless you get a big tank that you may not use if your generator is the only thing that you're going to be needed the gas for.
7. Whole house backup units are extremely nice but very expensive if your in an area that only experiences a hurricane every 7.5 years and otherwise your power is fairly reliable.

So my conclusion so far is that if you want to be safe one should probably pony up and buy the big, Honda inverter otherwise buy the cheapest model regular generator you can find and hope that it lasts. 

Can anyone confirm that these conclusions are correct? If I'm off base can you tell me where my conclusions are wrong? Thanks!!!!!!


----------



## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

1. You can find generators that aren't made in China. The reason you don't see more of them is cost.
2. I agree. Check out a small engine dealer. They will service what they sell - but it will likely cost more than Lowes/HD.
3. How well was that generator maintained? You can't let it sit for 5 years, dust it off, and expect it to run like new. Fuel goes bad, oil needs to be changed, etc. Most portable generators are not intended to run non-stop for days on end.
4. Do you really need an inverter generator? I have my doubts. I ran a satellite receiver and TV on a cheap Harbor Freight 800 watt generator for days without any problems. Most electronic devices nowadays, including most computers, use switching power supplies. They work over a wide range of voltages. My current "primary" generator is a 1971 model year Generac. I've run everything, tv, sat box, microwave, and a modulating boiler off of it - no problems.
5. Do you need a large generator in the first place? Do you need to run the whole house? Relates to your next question.
6. Yes, fuel is a BIG problem. If you can't store the fuel then you can't run the generator. Will gas stations have power to run their pumps in a wide scale disaster? Can you get to them? You need to prepare and watch your loads. I'm not starting the generator to open a garage door for example. 
7. Whole house units are nice but they also need a supply of fuel - natural gas or propane in most cases. What happens if the natural gas mains go down? They can be shut down in emergencies, such as flooding, and then you have no power. You can get a portable generator that runs on propane and you can store a very large tank, even buried, that will last for years without degrading.

I won't knock the Honda, they make some nice generators. I do think you need to reconsider getting a "big" generator. We're talking emergency situations here - you need to reevaluate what you NEED versus what you WANT to run. A small Honda could easily run a refrigerator for days on only a couple of gallons of fuel IF you don't run it non-stop and keep the door closed.


----------



## RonJ (Aug 5, 2015)

Think of the generator purchase like you would a car if necessary, find a good, dependable generator, service availability, and buy it; if you need to finance it do that - it is an investment in your family. I once had a hard headed neighbor who lost the contents of their refrig and a freezer, not once but three times.......just wasn't ready to bite the bullet. I often wondered how much they lost in dollars when they had to throw out the contents - 3X. Good luck, Ron.


----------



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

I wanted to take the time to thank everyone that replied to this posting. Although I have not made a purchase yet I think that I have narrowed the playing field down to one unit.

When it's all said and done there were several factors that have influenced my thinking and they are (1) clean power, (2) service after the sale (3) fuel consumption and (4) noise.

One thing I had not considered when I first posted this inquiry is the fact that I have sleep apnea and I'm required to use a CPAP machine at night and this device is something that I cannot afford to loose the use of in a disaster. Because it is a sensitive electronic device that controls the air pressure I need and is constantly monitoring me during sleep clean power became a major factor.

I have read quite a number of review on the internet and one thing I kept reading over and over again was the frustration of users whose generator broke down at the most inopportune time and they could not get their generator serviced locally and in some cases the unit had to be shipped to a depot maintenance facility.

Because of these two factors I determined that the best route to go to insure clean power was to go with an inverter and the only brand of inverter that is sold and serviced in my area that also has a 250V connector is a Honda EU7000is. In addition to providing clean power and a local dealer this device is very fuel efficient and very quiet. The only thing that's going to hurt is my bank book but as RonJ said I need to consider this as an investment

Again, thanks to everyone from helping me out. It was most appreciated.


----------



## Robert Coats (Nov 10, 2011)

moondoggy said:


> ...a Honda EU7000is.


A few things about the EU7....

The fuel-injection means you can probably get by with crummy / old fuel in pinch. A carburetor-type engine would clog up with slime, gunk, etc. but with a fuel-pump that forces fuel in at 43 psi, the EU7 will not have a problem. 

You can manually pull-start one. Now the nearly 400cc single-cylinder engine has a lot of mass to get moving, it is possible. Nice to know if the on-board battery goes flat. Tip: get a battery tender and have the selling dealer install a quick-disconnect pigtail onto the battery. Park/store the EU7 in a location where a battery tender can be plugged in and it will keep the battery healthy for a long, long time. 

It can be a bit sensitive to air flow. Always be sure to keep the side doors, battery door, etc. all in-place, and securely closed. Otherwise, disruptive air flow can sometimes cause poor/rough running. 

It's got a special service port that can be used to connect the EU7 to a laptop, where it shows a full data profile of all on-board sensors, as well as all the diagnostic and troubleshooting codes. Currently, the special cable and software are a dealer-only item, but still cool that Honda worked in that technology. Where this might really pay off down the road would be in a situation where Honda might want to flash/update the firmware code, just like a dealer can do to your car. Who will be the first to home-brew a custom chip to "hotrod" their generator a bit? 

There's a really long and detailed thread on the EU7 over on this forum:

Honda's new EU7000 Fuel Injected Generator - SmokStak


----------



## Markjames (Jul 23, 2016)

moondoggy said:


> I suppose that if I got one that run off of gasoline and I ran out of gas that I had stockpiled prior to the storm I could siphon off some gas from one of the cars.
> 
> As far as normal times are concerned, we have a few power outages during storms but that only lasts for about an hour so certainly not something that you would drag your generator out for. This is what's concerning me as everyone says you need to plan for the worst case (Hurricane Ivan) hurricane but it seems to be a huge waste of money to buy a generator that you may never use which is what happened with our cousin's generator that they can no longer get parts for as the company went out of business. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many other alternatives if you want to stay in your home to prevent looters from robbing you blind.


I have the same situation as you, just in SW FL, so will be following this thread with interest. One note about siphoning - most newer vehicles have anti-siphon valves or screens in the fuel filler that prevent siphoning. For those you would have to disconnect the fuel line to drain the gas.


----------



## victorhill (Jul 23, 2016)

moondoggy said:


> I live in the Panhandle of Florida and we've been lucky that in the last 11 years we have not experienced a hurricane however we're long overdue for one. Everyone down here says that we should at least own an emergency home generator to run the minimum stuff like lights, our refrigerator, a window air conditioner, fans, and a few small appliances until the power is restored.  I would prefer to own a whole house unit that would come on automatically with any power outage but for now my budget is limiting me to a portable unit. Again I've run many of the usage calculators and I need one that can handle 7200 watts but I know nothing about brands or models to make an intelligent decision on what to get.
> 
> Before I forget, I realize that to hook a generator into your home electrical system I would need to have an electrician come in to add circuitry to prevent electricity from flowing back into the power grad but any generator I buy needs to be able to hook into this circuitry as I don't want to have to run a bunch of cords through windows or doors and across the floors in my house just to power everything I would need to survive an extended power outage. Hopefully any outage would only last a few days but with hurricane Ivan people were without power for 3 weeks.


Now, You've already known your power need. and It's a portable generator
Next step, finding more about the feature as weel as pros & cons of each model. In detail. I think all the information you need has already mentioned in this article: The Best Generator For Home Reviews. I hope it can help you out.


----------



## victorhill (Jul 23, 2016)

*Give the exact answer on the right person*



moondoggy said:


> I've visited several web sites and used their web apps for sizing and it says that with the running and starting watts I need a generator close to 6900 to 7200 watts in size. I've read all sorts of articles on the web as well as reviews many different brands of generators and my head is starting to spin as there are bad reviews on even the brands that are being recommended. My problem is that I know absolutely zero, ziltch, nada about generators and generator brands so I was wondering if I could get some feedback on what brands and models I should consider and why I should consider that brand and model over another brand. Granted that I my get a difference of opinion on as everyone has their likes and dislikes but at least I'll have something to consider. In addition, if there is a brand and/or model to stay away from let me know that as well addition to the reason why it should be avoided. Again, any help will be appreciated. Thanks.


Hi, I know this is quite old. But, I just had to comment, It may help you out somewhat. Specifically, The generator comes in with two mainly types: 1st unit is Portable Generator and the other type is Standby Generator. Each type has each own pros & cons points. I've read your comment above, you better go Standby Unit, it's noiseless, it's considered good to a person who has Sleep Apnea issue. In contrary, this unit tends to be much expensive to its counterpart due to many value features are equipped with it. 
In order to get a detail view of generator. You should read this article: 
Here Are The Best Generator For Home Reviews


----------



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

I wanted to update this thread and ask some additional questions. Last year I was concerned about my power needs if we had a hurricane in NW Florida. I became frustrated as someone somewhere told me that cheap generators from a big box store produce power that fluctuates based on load and even at a consistent load the sine wave was of poor quality and might damage sophisticated electronics such as computers, televisions and anything that has circuit boards in them. Someone told me that the only way to insure that I wouldn't experience damage was to buy a Honda EU7000IS as it has enough power to meet my need, has consistent powers and a great sine wave. Someone else agreed that I shouldn't buy a generator from a big box store but suggested that the Honda was overkill and there were other generators that produces consistent power with an adequate sine wave at a far cheaper cost than the Honda. By the time I got to that point I was confused and frustrated and all I ended up doing was having an electrician install a generator bypass switch on the side of my house.

Can anyone suggest or recommend a generator that will produce this consistent power with an adequate sine wave that would meet my needs as well as the Honda but at a cheaper price?


----------



## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Buy the Honda, also an oscilloscope so you can monitor the sine wave and peak to peak values when operating. There's also the whole discussion about the "lower cost" inverter sets don't put out a sine wave, but more of a square wave, which we won't go into. Inverters are useful for wave shaping and regulation, part of the original design consideration of inverters was also isolation from the grid. I seriously doubt you have anything in your house requiring any of those. 


JMHO, but inverter gensets are quieter and have a following because of that. There's a misconception that the power the utility provides is absolutely pure, no surges, dips, spikes, etc. That's totally wrong, look at the power specs on your computer or large screen tv or whatever you're concerned about, you'll be surprised at the variation allowed. Presuming you have a frig, freezer, AC, etc. which has a compressor, when it starts, there is a current surge which results in a power dip which goes away quickly. Guess what, everything in your house sees that dip and recovery every time they start. Slightly less if you power is coming from the utility, well, unless it's summer and everyone has their AC on and the power coming in is already depressed. The big concern about outages is when the power is restored. When the switchgear closes and picks up a circuit energizing not only your house, but all your neighbors, industry, etc. and all those motors start, want to talk about voltage, current and power excursions...... How many times have your sensitive electronics survived that? When we have an outage, I drop the main breaker, local utility sends texts when the power is restored, I give things time to stabilize before closing it. Hate to sound like a retired engineer from a utility. 


Recomendations. I'd buy a Generac, Briggs, erc. from Lowe's, etc. Parts and service are available almost everywhere. "Almost" anything you buy will work OK and not mess up your sensitive electronics. To me, the difference between low cost and middle to high cost anything including gensets is how long they'll last and availabilty of local service and parts. What is your history of outages as in duration? Low cost units are OK for brief outages, but not really designed for constant around the clock service. If you want something you can run 24/7 for extended periods, that's Honda, there's a reason they ain't cheap. You might consider buying something from a local dealer who provides service, you'll pay more for the same unit than you would at a big box store, however, being a customer might get you to the head of the line.


----------



## moondoggy (Jun 16, 2016)

Thanks for the feedback. I've only lived in this area for three years but when hurricane Ivan hit in 2004 it was a cat 3 storm and the locals said that power was out for 3 weeks in some areas. On one hand we are serviced by an electric coop and we do have outages in some storms but power is seldom out for a long time but the coop has fewer resources to get things back up and running. On the plus side this is a heavy residential area with hundreds if not a few thousand homes so there would be a lot of pressure to get the powe back on. The big concern is crooks roaming the area breaking into hones stealing people's stuff so it could be a case where the generator wouldn't be running 24x7 but it may be running overnight for many nights so gas consumption is also an issue.


----------

