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With Hurricane Season approaching once again I am looking to pick up a generator for the house. I'm only looking to power the refrigerator and a few lights or fans and maybe a TV so the 3500-5000 watt range should do. Anyone have any tips on what to or not to look for?
Adopt a few of those mutated giant lab test rodents from the Med Center. Get a few big steel rotating hoops hooked up to large armature. Let rodentia loose within said hoops :)
Turbodog
05-03-06, 03:35 PM
With Hurricane Season approaching once again I am looking to pick up a generator for the house. I'm only looking to power the refrigerator and a few lights or fans and maybe a TV so the 3500-5000 watt range should do. Anyone have any tips on what to or not to look for?
This looks cool, but might cost more than your home ;)
http://generatorsofhouston.com/
Honda EU3000IS (http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/ModelDetail.asp?ModelName=eu3000is)
It's a little smaller than you were looking for at only 3000W, but it has served my family well. It can power a fridge a couple of lamps and a TV. I've never had to run it for an extened period of time though so I can't comment on how thirsty it is.
I don't have one, but I would make sure that it had a bigass gas tank. Stumbling around in the dark at 4:00 AM after your hurricane party to refill gas in a hot generator so your fan comes back on seems like a bad idea.
Adopt a few of those mutated giant lab test rodents from the Med Center. Get a few big steel rotating hoops hooked up to large armature. Let rodentia loose within said hoops :)
And don't forget the Bud Light. :)
Lowes.com has some useful buying tips (WATT usage, etc.) I used when I was looking after an extended outage we had ~2 years ago. I never ended up getting one, tho.
-Kevin
Honda EU3000IS (http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/ModelDetail.asp?ModelName=eu3000is)
It's a little smaller than you were looking for at only 3000W, but it has served my family well. It can power a fridge a couple of lamps and a TV. I've never had to run it for an extened period of time though so I can't comment on how thirsty it is.
I've been looking at several Honda models at Northern Tool, but boy are those things pricey. From what I've read they are supposed to be the most quiet as well.
I don't have one, but I would make sure that it had a bigass gas tank. Stumbling around in the dark at 4:00 AM after your hurricane party to refill gas in a hot generator so your fan comes back on seems like a bad idea.
Most of the 3000+ watt units claim anywhere from 7 to 12 hours but the fine print says that is at 50% load. One reason I'm thinking more towards the 5000 watt units is so that I wouldn't be running it at more then 50%.
Wheel-Nut
05-03-06, 05:26 PM
http://www.2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=63410&highlight=generator
Check that link. same question you asked. I don't know if you have to register . . .
cameraman
05-03-06, 05:46 PM
They get expensive quickly especially if you are looking to depend on it for a couple of days. The larger ones will use 15 gallons of gas a day at ~50% load so if you are looking at several days of fuel you need to be able to store 30-45 gallons of gas. Every time I have looked into it I have always been stunned by the final cost.
There is a reason why the majority of people don't have them.
If you have two cars, you could use one as a gas station and siphon gas from it's tank. Then you could still use the other car to run errands, go to work, loot or evacuate.
I wonder if emergency wind turbine or solar panel kits will ever be widely used? Not enough to run a fridge, but maybe some lights and a coffee maker.
Winston Wolfe
05-04-06, 01:15 AM
I've been looking at several Honda models at Northern Tool, but boy are those things pricey. From what I've read they are supposed to be the most quiet as well.
quiet is key. :thumbup:
I have seen these things run at outdoor trade shows, where they are running TVs,laptops, etc for display.... you wonder where the heck they get the power from, only to learn the Generator is just 15 away.
may not be important after a Katrina like blowout, but nevertheless, a good item to consider.
chop456
05-04-06, 02:30 AM
The Hondas are unbelievably quiet. :thumbup:
They've also regained their status as a real motorsports manufacturer since they joined a legitimate sportscar series. :D
I've always heard from my hurricane prone friends to go with Honda or nothing at all.
Turbodog
05-04-06, 09:41 AM
The Hondas are unbelievably quiet. :thumbup:
They've also regained their status as a real motorsports manufacturer since they joined a legitimate sportscar series. :D
Honda power
http://www.projectgsx.com/pics/gallery/rice/honda_lawnmower.jpg :gomer:
You could always go cheap and then just buy a honda muffler if the noise is a deciding factor.
I have a 5kw that I bought for just in case purposes years ago. I start it every so often just to make sure it still works and that carb doesn't get gummed up but, I have never really put it to the test running the house for most of a day or anything like that.
I hope I don't need to either.
You could always go cheap and then just buy a honda muffler if the noise is a deciding factor.
I have a 5kw that I bought for just in case purposes years ago. I start it every so often just to make sure it still works and that carb doesn't get gummed up but, I have never really put it to the test running the house for most of a day or anything like that.
I hope I don't need to either.
That is the debate I'm having with myself. I would really prefer the quality and quietness of the Honda but I can go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy 5000 watts for $5-600. The Honda solution would be 4-5 times as much. I can spend it, it's just hard to justify to myself.
chop456
05-04-06, 11:36 AM
That is the debate I'm having with myself. I would really prefer the quality and quietness of the Honda but I can go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy 5000 watts for $5-600. The Honda solution would be 4-5 times as much. I can spend it, it's just hard to justify to myself.
If you'd even consider spending $3,000 on a Honda, look at built-ins instead. (Ideal if you have NG where you live). Obviously portability would be an issue, too. :gomer:
The Hondas are unbelievably quiet. :thumbup:
They've also regained their status as a real motorsports manufacturer since they joined a legitimate sportscar series. :D
One Hail Mary isn't sufficient penance for their sins.
That is the debate I'm having with myself. I would really prefer the quality and quietness of the Honda but I can go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy 5000 watts for $5-600. The Honda solution would be 4-5 times as much. I can spend it, it's just hard to justify to myself.
My thought on that was, if I am in the situation where I need to use the thing, then I got a whole lot more to worry about than if my generator is quiet enough.
Plus, I can hear it running. Meaning if somebody thinks they need my generator more than I do after a hurricane, I will know when it turns off and use my S&W to convience them that they really don't need it more than I do. :D
Also, living in the city, just because I bought a quiet generator doesn't mean that my neighbors did or will. It sure would suck to spend $3k on a quiet model so you can sleep well with your widows open at night. Then to have a noisey one fire up 60 feet away would pretty much add that much more suck factor onto the situation.
I picked the cheap way out, if you consider $600 cheap for a just incase type thing.
I picked the cheap way out, if you consider $600 cheap for a just incase type thing.
The alternative would be having to listen to my wife: 'I told you we needed a generator' if we actually need one. :laugh:
Probably going to go the Lowes and Home Depot route. Stopped by both over lunch and wrote down the specs for comparison. Looks like Troy Built or Generac or Coleman or Briggs and Stratton. All powered by Briggs and Stratton. Only small differences between them.
Plus, I can hear it running. Meaning if somebody thinks they need my generator more than I do after a hurricane, I will know when it turns off and use my S&W to convience them that they really don't need it more than I do. :D
Myself, I'd rely on the fact that the lights just went out and that the fans just stopped, but I'm silly that way... :gomer:
cameraman
05-04-06, 03:52 PM
One thing that is needed around here is the wiring that allows you to get power to your furnace motor. We are far more likely to lose power in January than we are in July. A gas furnace without a functioning blower is just an anchor in the basement...
A couple of quick things: get 220V on the gen. With that, you can power up both sides of your elec. panel, not just half. It would be a shame to have to choose between powering up your food 'fridge or your beer 'fridge. :cry: Some people just make a "suicide plug"; male on both ends of the extension cord. Plug in to gen., plug into any outlet, you have half your panel powered up. Do it with 220 (assuming you have a 220 outlet), you have full panel.
Note that it's dangerous, and prolly illegal. But you can chase off the village building inspectors with that S&W thing. Nah, that's probably illegal too, though it shouldn't be. Perhaps it's not illegal in TX.
Get the reverse current thingy, so that if you DO connect to the panel, and power comes back on, you don't fry your ~$600.00 generator.
Turbodog
05-04-06, 04:23 PM
One Hail Mary isn't sufficient penance for their sins.
I once had to say a Rosery :gomer:
Brickman
05-05-06, 02:33 AM
With Hurricane Season approaching once again I am looking to pick up a generator for the house. I'm only looking to power the refrigerator and a few lights or fans and maybe a TV so the 3500-5000 watt range should do. Anyone have any tips on what to or not to look for?
I have both an EU 3000i and an EU 2000i they have a nice kit that allows "two EU2000i Generators Easy way to get 4,000 watts and 33 amps from your generators" (See bottom of page)
http://www.hondaeu2000generators.com/
I have a friend who bought from these guys. They were very helpful and they have a lot of information on their website.
http://www.hayesequipment.com/honda/generators/honda_super_quiet_generators.htm
Good Luck
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