# Are more watts better beyond 50 amps?



## MAS (9 mo ago)

I am looking to upgrade my DuroMax 10000EH portable generator to the more powerful 130000EH version. My electrician said both generate a maximum of 50 amps so paying more for the 13000EH isn't necessary, and the 3000 extra watts won't make any difference powering my home. True or not?


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

MAS said:


> My electrician said both generate a maximum of 50 amps


Well, that part is not true. The 130000EH produces about 20 amps more available current than the 10000EH.

However, the electrician may be connecting your house via the 50-amp receptacle. In that case there would be no advantage to the larger gen. Any amperage beyond 50A would need to be drawn from other outlets.

The gen choice would also depend upon whether or not you actually need the additional 20 amps. I usually look at the maximum simultaneous load that would be used when on generator power and add 20% to that. Then find a generator that provides at least that much power. If you are not currently using 50A with your simultaneous loads, then upgrading provides nothing and would just waste fuel.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> Well, that part is not true. The 130000EH produces about 20 amps more available current than the 10000EH.
> 
> However, the electrician may be connecting your house via the 50-amp receptacle. In that case there would be no advantage to the larger gen. Any amperage beyond 50A would need to be drawn from other outlets.
> 
> The gen choice would also depend upon whether or not you actually need the additional 20 amps. I usually look at the maximum simultaneous load that would be used when on generator power and add 20% to that. Then find a generator that provides at least that much power. If you are not currently using 50A with your simultaneous loads, then upgrading provides nothing and would just waste fuel.


Thanks for the thorough reply, GenKnot. Yes, the context of our discussion was hooking up either generator to the master circuit panel via a transfer switch. My hope was to run my heat pump, water heater, major appliances and lights off either the 10000EH or 13000EH. He felt since only 50 amps would be available on demand, go with the 10000EH for the reason you said.


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

GenKnot said:


> He felt since only 50 amps would be available on demand, go with the 10000EH


Then I would agree with the electrician's conclusion. Also, only drawing current from the 50A receptacle keeps you within the 80% load rule. These air-cooled engines don't last as long if 100% loaded for extended periods.


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

One additional thought.

When using the 50A receptacle (in the gen's 120V/240V mode), your 120V house loads need to be balanced between the two legs as much as possible. So, it may require that you rearrange some of your breakers in the main panel for the loads you intend to use in order to achieve that.

Your 240V loads on that receptacle are automatically balanced and no need to worry about them.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Good comments. I believe there has been a few discussions here about "creative accounting" on generators with respect to claimed wattage vs what was actually available from the outlets on the panel. e.g. 13,000 watt generator however 240V X 50A =12,000W. Doesn't appear to be a cost effective way to take advantage of the missing 1,000W. 

The 10,000W would only provide 41.6A (10,000/240V=41.6A) The 50A receptacle does provide a way to get the maximum wattage available. Note: 30A and 50A does seem to be the standard for generator receptacles.

" My hope was to run my heat pump, water heater, major appliances and lights off either the 10000EH or 13000EH." In order to answer that question you'll have to do a wattage inventory of what you want to be using. With that actual number you can make an intelligent decision as to which generator is needed.

The generators you mention are portables, yet you mention a transfer switch which usually isn't used with a portable, but a permanently wired, plumbed, installed generator in a suitable enclosure. Hopefully they were talking about a generator disconnect which would still involve bringing out the generator, connecting, operating the disconnect, then selecting the loads to be powered via the Master Circuit Panel. A transfer switch would try to start all those loads simultaneously which could be problematic with those size units. A generator disconnect with the need to manually close only the loads needed provides primitive though effective load shedding. Something to keep in mind when you shut the unit down for refueling. 

The numbers listed are for the maximum or surge, not steady state or running wattage. Further, those numbers are for gasoline, not LP, If you plan on using LP derate all above by 10%. 

So, do the wattage inventory to see if the additional 8.4A (surge) would satisfy your requirements. Clarify if a transfer switch or generator disconnect was being suggested. If a transfer switch was being suggested, neither generator would be correct as that would require all the additions mentioned above with significant cost and headaches. e.g. auto start and stop based on utility power being available, something portables don't offer.


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

👆 Good points exmar

It appears that the original statement by the electrician that "both generate a maximum of 50 amps" is not correct as I just pulled up the specs for the two gens and took a look. There *is* a difference between the two gens as to what is available at the 50A receptacle. So, the OP needs to revisit his options...and especially so if not running gasoline.


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## whimsey29 (Jul 9, 2016)

Exmar, maybe he's talking about a manual transfer switch. I have a Reliance 6 position manual transfer switch for my 5500W portable generator that I plug my 240V cord into. Albeit I can only run the 6 pre selected breakers with it but it works for me.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> One additional thought.
> 
> When using the 50A receptacle (in the gen's 120V/240V mode), your 120V house loads need to be balanced between the two legs as much as possible. So, it may require that you rearrange some of your breakers in the main panel for the loads you intend to use in order to achieve that.
> 
> Your 240V loads on that receptacle are automatically balanced and no need to worry about them.


Thanks. Not sure I understand what you mean by "balanced between two loads." Also, how is this done by rearranging breakers?


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

exmar said:


> Good comments. I believe there has been a few discussions here about "creative accounting" on generators with respect to claimed wattage vs what was actually available from the outlets on the panel. e.g. 13,000 watt generator however 240V X 50A =12,000W. Doesn't appear to be a cost effective way to take advantage of the missing 1,000W.
> 
> The 10,000W would only provide 41.6A (10,000/240V=41.6A) The 50A receptacle does provide a way to get the maximum wattage available. Note: 30A and 50A does seem to be the standard for generator receptacles.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Exmar! You're correct, it would be a generator disconnect, where there's a 50-amp outlet installed on the outside of house that goes to the master circuit panel. When my electricity goes out, I'd connect my portable generator to the outside 50-amp outlet. I will do an inventory as you suggested. And, as I understand you and GenKnot, if the total amount watts for all appliances, etc. falls under 50 amps or doesn't exceed 8000 running watts, then the DuroMax 10000EH will suffice.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> 👆 Good points exmar
> 
> It appears that the original statement by the electrician that "both generate a maximum of 50 amps" is not correct as I just pulled up the specs for the two gens and took a look. There *is* a difference between the two gens as to what is available at the 50A receptacle. So, the OP needs to revisit his options...and especially so if not running gasoline.


Hmm. Difference in what respect? Does the 10000EH not deliver a full 50 amps, whereas the 130000EH does? Or is there a difference in how the two respective 50-amp outlets behave?


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

MAS said:


> Not sure I understand what you mean by "balanced between two loads." Also, how is this done by rearranging breakers?


In your breaker panel, the 120V breakers alternate their connections to the two hot legs in the panel. Every other breaker is on the side of one leg, and then the others are on the other leg. The 240V breakers connect to both legs, so there is no need to move them.

By deciding which breakers you want to leave on while running the generator, you can arrange the breakers so that they load balance between the two legs. Of course if you are leaving all the breakers turned on, then this is irrelevant...you just have to watch how many loads you have on in the house so as to not overload the gen.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

whimsey29 said:


> Exmar, maybe he's talking about a manual transfer switch. I have a Reliance 6 position manual transfer switch for my 5500W portable generator that I plug my 240V cord into. Albeit I can only run the 6 pre selected breakers with it but it works for me.


Correct, it's a manual transfer. The portable generator can be plugged and unplugged from an external 50-amp outlet connected to the master circuit panel.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> In your breaker panel, the 120V breakers alternate their connections to the two hot legs in the panel. Every other breaker is on the side of one leg, and then the others are on the other leg. The 240V breakers connect to both legs, so there is no need to move them.
> 
> By deciding which breakers you want to leave on while running the generator, you can arrange the breakers so that they load balance between the two legs. Of course if you are leaving all the breakers turned on, then this is irrelevant...you just have to watch how many loads you have on in the house so as to not overload the gen.


Thanks for the clarification, GK. I'll have a discussion with my electrician about the cost of doing this.


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

MAS said:


> Does the 10000EH not deliver a full 50 amps, whereas the 130000EH does?


After looking up the spec for the gens, I found that there is a significant difference as to what each can deliver at the 50A receptacle. And, of course, it will also depend on your fuel choice.


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

So, the XP13000EH comes much closer to delivering the full 50A capability of the receptacle. It is 43.75A per leg on gasoline.


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

You may want to consider adding a couple of meters to read amps, volts, watts, etc. on each leg. They come in two different styles of mounting...on panel, and thru panel. With these meters you won't have to guess about how much load you are applying to the gen and how well balanced they are. The meters will tell you.

You can put these in an electrical box located so that the feed wires (the 2 hots) to the breaker panel can pass thru the current transformers (CT). That may be near the breaker panel, or near the gen-to-house connection...whichever works best. Note that the second meter comes with the choice of having the CT built into it, or external.

https://www.amazon.com/DROK-Frequency-Electric-Voltmeter-Multimeter/dp/B07YC1XHKQ

https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Ampermeter-Voltmeter-Frequency-Multimeter/dp/B094F98PYF


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## OrlyP (Oct 19, 2021)

Excellent advice from Exmar and Genknot. Couldn't have said it better.

As mentioned, I would do an accounting of the total current and/or wattage needs on 120V and 240V to see if going up to 13kW from 10kW, factoring in your fuel choice with the consequential de-rating, would be worth it.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

MAS, 8KW is the maximum steady state running watts, ignoring surge wattage for the 10KW unit. Air cooled 3600 RPM generators in this price range typically aren't run at maximum wattage if the unit's longevity is of interest. If your outages are occasional and not days in duration you could get by. Derating those to 50-60%% max rated power is usual, not only for increasing life expectancy but fuel usage as well. e.g. If you're down south and hurricanes can take out power for a week or two and you plan on running at max rated power, there's a very high probability the generator will fail. Maybe you have a warranty or service agreement, but you're still in the dark. 

Again, do a wattage audit to see what you actually want to supply. Then, factor in how much gas you plan on storing. In a big outage, you may be driving a long distance to find a gas station that has power to pump gas. For those of us who don't want or need to go to the expense of a whole house unit, it becomes an exercise in what's the minimum we can get by with? Larger the generator, higher fuel consumption, more fuel storage required. Personally, we get by with a 5KW unit and 2500-3000 watts steady state powers Frig, upright freezer, lights, tv, modem, what we need to get by. Also, oil change interval for units in this price range is 50 hours so that's two days if you plan on running continuously so additional oil should be available. I usually run mine 12-14 hours a day during an outage. Noon to midnight, frig and freezer will stay cold during "off" times which are our critical loads. We have a decent camping ice chest and 3 gallon milk jugs of ice in the freezer, transfer those and drinks and other items for use during unpowered time to prevent opening frig and freezer. Start generator transfer milk jugs, etc. PITA, but the goal is to survive an outage with what you require. In an outage, no AC, but we're not down south and fans are low wattage and do help. In addition to the power audit, think about an outage plan factoring in frequency and duration of outages in your area. Everyone's situation and needs are different.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> So, the XP13000EH comes much closer to delivering the full 50A capability of the receptacle. It is 43.75A per leg on gasoline.


Thanks, GK. That's very helpful!


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> You may want to consider adding a couple of meters to read amps, volts, watts, etc. on each leg. They come in two different styles of mounting...on panel, and thru panel. With these meters you won't have to guess about how much load you are applying to the gen and how well balanced they are. The meters will tell you.
> 
> You can put these in an electrical box located so that the feed wires (the 2 hots) to the breaker panel can pass thru the current transformers (CT). That may be near the breaker panel, or near the gen-to-house connection...whichever works best. Note that the second meter comes with the choice of having the CT built into it, or external.
> 
> ...


That's good to know, and not a lot of $$$. Thanks!


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

exmar said:


> MAS, 8KW is the maximum steady state running watts, ignoring surge wattage for the 10KW unit. Air cooled 3600 RPM generators in this price range typically aren't run at maximum wattage if the unit's longevity is of interest. If your outages are occasional and not days in duration you could get by. Derating those to 50-60%% max rated power is usual, not only for increasing life expectancy but fuel usage as well. e.g. If you're down south and hurricanes can take out power for a week or two and you plan on running at max rated power, there's a very high probability the generator will fail. Maybe you have a warranty or service agreement, but you're still in the dark.
> 
> Again, do a wattage audit to see what you actually want to supply. Then, factor in how much gas you plan on storing. In a big outage, you may be driving a long distance to find a gas station that has power to pump gas. For those of us who don't want or need to go to the expense of a whole house unit, it becomes an exercise in what's the minimum we can get by with? Larger the generator, higher fuel consumption, more fuel storage required. Personally, we get by with a 5KW unit and 2500-3000 watts steady state powers Frig, upright freezer, lights, tv, modem, what we need to get by. Also, oil change interval for units in this price range is 50 hours so that's two days if you plan on running continuously so additional oil should be available. I usually run mine 12-14 hours a day during an outage. Noon to midnight, frig and freezer will stay cold during "off" times which are our critical loads. We have a decent camping ice chest and 3 gallon milk jugs of ice in the freezer, transfer those and drinks and other items for use during unpowered time to prevent opening frig and freezer. Start generator transfer milk jugs, etc. PITA, but the goal is to survive an outage with what you require. In an outage, no AC, but we're not down south and fans are low wattage and do help. In addition to the power audit, think about an outage plan factoring in frequency and duration of outages in your area. Everyone's situation and needs are different.


Thanks, Exmar. Very good information. We live in VA in an area with an older power station so outages are about four or five times a year, ranging from a few hours to several days. Generator longevity is a priority since they're not cheap to replace. i hate using gas, so it's propane only for us, despite the somewhat loss in power and runtimes. I've done an inventory of what we'd use and it exceeds 9000 watts, so in that calculation, the 13000 watt unit would be better, but, again, the question is if the maximum available at any given time is 50 amps, then either might suffice (Note: GenKnot has informed me the 10000 doesn't actually supply a full 50 amps, and the 13000 gets closer to that maximum.)


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> After looking up the spec for the gens, I found that there is a significant difference as to what each can deliver at the 50A receptacle. And, of course, it will also depend on your fuel choice.
> View attachment 11717
> 
> View attachment 11718


Very helpful, as always, GK. This pretty much confirms bigger is better.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

sorry late to the party
yea go with the larger gen set.
more room for the extended run on higher current.
and the gen set might not be rated for 24/7 run at the power stated.
i like my gen sockets plugs and cords to be cool...
so BIG wire, better sockets and plugs... and real good power management.
make sure to get meters for your system!
pm if you need links on those


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

iowagold said:


> sorry late to the party
> yea go with the larger gen set.
> more room for the extended run on higher current.
> and the gen set might not be rated for 24/7 run at the power stated.
> ...


Thanks, Iowa. I can find the meters on Amazon, correct?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

MAS said:


> Thanks, Iowa. I can find the meters on Amazon, correct?


check your pm mas


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

MAS said:


> I've done an inventory of what we'd use and it exceeds 9000 watts


Just to be clear, do you mean 9000 watts used simultaneously, or do you mean that is the sum of all the loads you might want to use during an outage? There can be a huge difference between those two.

My various loads (in total) exceed the capacity of my gen, but by using load management I easily get by with a 3KW 120V unit. But, admittedly, I live in a gas-electric house and I don't run my central A/C. Also, my clothes dryer, furnace, and water heater are gas.

You can often defer using some large electric loads during an outage. For example, skip the electric oven and/or cooktop, and use a microwave or toaster oven instead.

FYI... I don't know what propane setup you have (or are planning), but it will need to be BIG to feed those beasts!


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

at or over 9kw consumption...
you need a 15 kw gen set to run smooth.....
you need the extra head room on gens so you are not maxing out the gen....
it makes for a better run...
lower heat, less issues with power sag, 
for some the inverter gen setup like 2 eu7000is gens works well...
you just start up the second gen set when you are cooking or doing laundry or other high consumption tasks.

most of the time you can get by with 2000-2500 watts if you do not need air con...
or water pumps etc

it all depends on what you need...
for me i like to be able to run it all...
but i can get by with 1000 watts...

plan your system...

oh yea those outside cooking stations are cool for when the power is out...
or gas grill.
did you see now they have LP fridge and freezers now at the BIG BOX stores?
kinda cool...

the amish use the thermo king LP units like on a reefer simi trailer for LARGE walk in coolers..
and for air con in the house as spill over.
kinda cool!


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

The 9000 watts would be using all at the same time. In reality, I’d probably be more selective using only appliances, HVAC, and lights as needed/when needed.

I’ve got a couple 40# and #60 tanks to cover 3-4 days worth of emergency power. With the 10000EH this has more than sufficed.


iowagold said:


> at or over 9kw consumption...
> you need a 15 kw gen set to run smooth.....
> you need the extra head room on gens so you are not maxing out the gen....
> it makes for a better run...
> ...


Thanks, Paul. 9000 would be running almost everything at the same time, which is unlikely. I'm confident 13,000 is adequate, or even more than I'll ever need. Your advice about extra headroom is heard.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

i run power meters on the breaker panel to help with the load selection.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

Thanks, I intend to get some myself.


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## macdenewf (Sep 3, 2021)

Completely independent of max continuous amps you might want to factor the starting amps. The larger generator likely has a larger engine. ( guessing here ) and the ability so start loads at the same time is drastically impacted by the power available. 
I have 2 generators. A 12kw pulsar. And a 13 North Star. My 13 kw can start bothMy ACs at the same time. The 12kw would ****e itself. It can barely start up the 2nd even with the 1st one running. Both are coming in on the same 50 amp plug and with everything running I’m never near capacity.

before you make the decision. Power on amd off all your large devices and see if it appears to struggle. If not…upgrading may. It be necessary. Ifyou do hear a long period of lower rpm then may be worth considering. 
cheers.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

macdenewf said:


> Completely independent of max continuous amps you might want to factor the starting amps. The larger generator likely has a larger engine. ( guessing here ) and the ability so start loads at the same time is drastically impacted by the power available.
> I have 2 generators. A 12kw pulsar. And a 13 North Star. My 13 kw can start bothMy ACs at the same time. The 12kw would ****e itself. It can barely start up the 2nd even with the 1st one running. Both are coming in on the same 50 amp plug and with everything running I’m never near capacity.
> 
> before you make the decision. Power on amd off all your large devices and see if it appears to struggle. If not…upgrading may. It be necessary. Ifyou do hear a long period of lower rpm then may be worth considering.
> cheers.


Thanks for the advice. Since I don’t have the heat pumps accessible to the 10000EH at present, I can’t test their load on it. To avoid buyer’s remorse, I decided to keep the 13000EH, and sold the 10000EH. Even if I never use the extra power, it’s comforting knowing it’s there.


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## JVazquez53 (Jul 8, 2021)

MAS said:


> I am looking to upgrade my DuroMax 10000EH portable generator to the more powerful 130000EH version. My electrician said both generate a maximum of 50 amps so paying more for the 13000EH isn't necessary, and the 3000 extra watts won't make any difference powering my home. True or not?


That 13,0000 watt generator with a max of 50 amps is way more than enough to run your whole house. I have a 9,000 watt one an even weld with that one. Not many household appliances these days need 50 amps, maybe an electric range. Remember these generators are for emergencies, so you just manage what you run in your house during that outage.


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## MAS (9 mo ago)

JVazquez53 said:


> That 13,0000 watt generator with a max of 50 amps is way more than enough to run your whole house. I have a 9,000 watt one an even weld with that one. Not many household appliances these days need 50 amps, maybe an electric range. Remember these generators are for emergencies, so you just manage what you run in your house during that outage.


Hopefully it is, but for not a lot of money more, I now have the assurance I can run multiple items simultaneously. In my area we can lose power for several days, to more than a week, so being able to run an oven, two refrigerators, at least one heat pump or furnace with other other appliances is key. Also, remember, I'm running propane, so my running watts are less than with gas.


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## K.Reeves (3 mo ago)

Just got through a 5 day power outage from hurricane Ian. I have an XP10000EH Duramax generator running on propane and it has powered my entire house for all 5 days. Since we've lived in Florida for over 50 years, we already had a switch on our hot water heater but that's all. The generator runs the 3 ton central heat and air, and everything in the house except the oven and stove. I turn off the breaker to the stove and use the hot water heater switch when we turn the A/C off for about a half hour and we have plenty of hot water for the a day or two. We have a large gas grill with side burners for cooking but we still use both the microwaves, (2200 watt convection and a 1600w straight microwave). I have 6 desktop computers 4 large monitors and 2 60" plasma TV's that run all day long, plus an in-ground pool filter with a variable speed pump. All lights are LED of one type or another, an 8 camera security system with additional high output infra red flood lights that runs 24/7 and a 24 terabyte server. It also runs a 4 inch submersible well and water softener/filter system. I also have a 22 cubic foot chest freezer and an 18 cubic foot refrigerator as well. My neighbors connect to my well and use my WiFi when the power is out. Not to mention they hang out at the pool a LOT! 
The generator is connected with an 8 gauge 50 amp cable that plugs into a 50 amp socket on the house and is hardwired to the buss bars in the main 200 amp breaker panel with an additional 50 amp cut off breaker located next to the main breaker panel, all wired with 6 gauge stranded wire. The power cable is just over ten feet long and when the power goes out, I flip off the breaker to the stove and the switch to the hot water heater. Flip off the main breaker to the power company, fire up the generator and turn on the 50 amp cutoff breaker. Takes about 5 minutes to do and by then the generator is warmed up and all I need to do is turn on the 50 amp breaker on the generator and bingo, the house is back up and running. Total propane consumption for all 5 days (120 hours) used three 40 pound tanks (120 pounds total) so it uses about one pound per hour to operate. The only down time was twice when I needed to change propane tanks which is less than 5 minutes each time. I will be upgrading to an XP13000EH next season which should give me enough wattage to supply my neighbor so they can keep their fridge running and not need to keep running back and forth to my house to get food from my freezer and refrigerator.


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

K.Reeves said:


> Just got through a 5 day power outage from hurricane Ian.


Sounds like you were well prepared and it paid off. Glad you made it through it.


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## sledman8002002 (Jan 28, 2021)

GenKnot said:


> Sounds like you were well prepared and it paid off. Glad you made it through it.


I agree! Very well prepared.👍


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## K.Reeves (3 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> Sounds like you were well prepared and it paid off. Glad you made it through it.


I was prepared for the cost of the generator, but the cost of the wire, conduit, breaker box and 50 amp socket and box caught me totally off guard. The parts alone were over $770.00! That's when I discovered that large gauge stranded copper wire was like gold.


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## GenKnot (Dec 20, 2021)

Yeah I had to buy some wire recently and I was flabbergasted by the price.


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## K.Reeves (3 mo ago)

GenKnot said:


> Yeah I had to buy some wire recently and I was flabbergasted by the price.


It's totally insane the $$ they are getting for 50A generator cables these days. Home Depot has one "on sale" for the low low giveaway price of only $281.00. That's like almost 6 buck a foot and they only have 3 prong twist plugs, so you end up having to buy another $65 bucks worth of 4 prong 50A plugs and then spend another hour or more cutting off the original ends and replacing the plugs. It's no wonder so many people are having a hard time doing anything themselves. 

A friend of mine just had an "electrician" wire his generator, and I almost freaked out when he showed me the result. The guy sold him a 12/3 w14 gauge ground and then attached them to the 240 volt wires from the breaker panel to the pressure switch on his well and connected the generator to the pressure switch. He told him it would back-feed to the electrical panel and that his 4800 watt generator would power his entire house. and he had the balls to charge him over $500.00 for his super duper wiring job. 
I ended up disconnecting the wires from the breaker to the well switch and told him after the power came back on, I would replace the wiring for him so at least he can have some water. He also has a 12/3 120 volt extension cord to power his fridge and 32" TV and a box fan and a lamp. He's never lived in Florida and has no idea what 2 weeks in 100+ degree heat with 95% humidity was like. But he damned sure does now. 
He also now understands why my generator has it's own little mini pole barn and it sits on top of a 16" high slab with its own grounding rod. 
I don't know about any of you guys, but I get really tired of playing the shell answer man every time I go into a building supply store. I start collecting electrical or plumbing parts and within minutes there's a half a dozen people asking me what size pipe/fittings/valves/wire/switches etc. they should get. And I really feel sorry for them, cause the many of the employees have less of a clue than they do. So, every time I go, I plan at least an extra hour to answer customer's questions.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

I bought this cord a year ago when it was $175. Now it’s $245 but it’s a nice cord with serviceable Hubble connectors. The down side is it’s SEOW which is a stronger jacket but less flexible than SOOW. Also it’s 6/3-8/1 but that’s not a big deal. 


https://a.co/d/356c0c5


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## Bluwolf (Nov 8, 2020)

K.Reeves said:


> Just got through a 5 day power outage from hurricane Ian. I have an XP10000EH Duramax generator running on propane and it has powered my entire house for all 5 days. Since we've lived in Florida for over 50 years, we already had a switch on our hot water heater but that's all. The generator runs the 3 ton central heat and air, and everything in the house except the oven and stove. I turn off the breaker to the stove and use the hot water heater switch when we turn the A/C off for about a half hour and we have plenty of hot water for the a day or two. We have a large gas grill with side burners for cooking but we still use both the microwaves, (2200 watt convection and a 1600w straight microwave). I have 6 desktop computers 4 large monitors and 2 60" plasma TV's that run all day long, plus an in-ground pool filter with a variable speed pump. All lights are LED of one type or another, an 8 camera security system with additional high output infra red flood lights that runs 24/7 and a 24 terabyte server. It also runs a 4 inch submersible well and water softener/filter system. I also have a 22 cubic foot chest freezer and an 18 cubic foot refrigerator as well. My neighbors connect to my well and use my WiFi when the power is out. Not to mention they hang out at the pool a LOT!
> The generator is connected with an 8 gauge 50 amp cable that plugs into a 50 amp socket on the house and is hardwired to the buss bars in the main 200 amp breaker panel with an additional 50 amp cut off breaker located next to the main breaker panel, all wired with 6 gauge stranded wire. The power cable is just over ten feet long and when the power goes out, I flip off the breaker to the stove and the switch to the hot water heater. Flip off the main breaker to the power company, fire up the generator and turn on the 50 amp cutoff breaker. Takes about 5 minutes to do and by then the generator is warmed up and all I need to do is turn on the 50 amp breaker on the generator and bingo, the house is back up and running. Total propane consumption for all 5 days (120 hours) used three 40 pound tanks (120 pounds total) so it uses about one pound per hour to operate. The only down time was twice when I needed to change propane tanks which is less than 5 minutes each time. I will be upgrading to an XP13000EH next season which should give me enough wattage to supply my neighbor so they can keep their fridge running and not need to keep running back and forth to my house to get food from my freezer and refrigerator.


Just went through the same thing with Ian as you did. I only ran mine on propane as well. You might want to consider an RV style auto switch over for the propane tanks. I have mine hooked up to 2- 40 lb tanks also. When the first tank runs out it automatically switches over to the other tank. Then you can switch it out at your leisure without shutting down and you know the tank is empty. You can see the auto switch over in the second picture.

And no, the gas tanks aren't in there when the generator is running. They're just in there for storage. The shelf and cans come out when I'm using the generator


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## Goatrope (3 mo ago)

Thank you all, especially @K.Reeves and @Bluwolf, for the informative posts. I just joined here having made it through Ian with only minor impact (north Sarasota), but enough to have a XP12000EH inbound. I’ll be absorbing a lot of knowledge here.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

MAS said:


> I am looking to upgrade my DuroMax 10000EH portable generator to the more powerful 130000EH version. My electrician said both generate a maximum of 50 amps so paying more for the 13000EH isn't necessary, and the 3000 extra watts won't make any difference powering my home. True or not?


late to the power party...
lol

bigger is better when on gens as long as you can stand for the extra fuel to run the BIG engine.
a 13kw will run less stressed when at lets say 9kw than a 10 kw gen set...

so MAS 
the BIG question is what is your load when you are on gen set?
and do you have heavy hitters like BIG air con units?

in winter i can get by with an little honda inverter unit 2000 watts or less....
and it sips fuel on NG or gasoline.

but summer in BIG heat it is more power required....

small gens are nice for winter runs....
but summer if you need the BIG air con unit to run
that is where the BIG gens work ok as long as you have fuel for them.


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