I am looking in to getting a generator and figured there are some people here that can help out.

First off, anything I get has to be a portable generator - either a suit case style or wheeled unit.

Eventually I want to have one that is enough to run our 3 ton home AC unit, but that is later down the line.

What I am after right now is something for backup and portable power - lights, fans, computers, refrigerators, and small room AC units. I think a 2000w class generator can do that OK.

A question I have is whether or not it can run our water pump at my cabin. It will run everything else there no problem, including the AC unit - its a room unit and is enough to keep the whole cabin a decent temp.

I am also wanting to be careful of fuel consumption and noise. I think if I need to get outside of the 2000w class the only option is the Honda 3000i in a compact, quiet generator.

Any thoughts? What are some of you running on your generators? What limits have you experienced? If you have hit a limit what could you do to get around it? Turning something off or extra generator capacity?

 

I think that you greatly underestimate your requirements.

 

Can you be a bit more detailed? Explain you're reasoning and give examples please.

I hope you aren't interpreting from my original post that I intend to run a 3 ton AC unit on a 2000w generator? If that is what you got out of it then I need to edit it. Later down the road I'd like to get a 8-10kw unit, maybe on the smaller end of that because if I need extra capacity at that point in time I can run the two of them - the big generator for the heavy loads and the smaller one to off-set the lighter stuff. Anything that falls between could run on the bigger unit by itself.

My conclusion on the portable AC units is they draw less than 1000 watts running. The one I have here now is 7.6 amps. That equates to ~912 watts. Starting current is about 2000 watts. This is a bigger unit than I have at my cabin.

One comparison on limits I can make on the small side is my boss has a 1000w Honda in his 5th wheel and mentioned the only time the generator gets run down is when he runs the microwave.

My dad's generator is a 5500 watt unit and you can hear the change in load when the refrigerator and chest freezer are on, but it doesn't break a sweat.

 

You really don't need to guess at the size. How many amps is your load going to draw and size accordingly? Each system is different and your power supply has to match your system demand. And even some microwaves will tax a Honda 1,000 watt genset. Also be sure you are calculating based on continuous rather than surge amps in the genset ratings. A 2,000 is a good basic size for most folks, although it will not pull an RV AC, at least not for long in most cases. If you go with Honda 2000s, you can tie em together if you need more amps.

Steve

 

Here are convenient lists of some home items and their current requirements. Note the a/c units "start up" load requirements. Also, an electric coffee maker requires about 1200 watts. Mine requires about 1400. A small room a/c of 7000 btu would need about 1500-2000 watt surge power. A 3 ton unit is out of the question for a portable.

Watts Used by Appliances & Tools - DonRowe.com

Generators, power generators, emergency generators, extension cords, power inverters, gas generators



I am sorry for not addressing this more specifically above. I just thought you might make a list of the items you might run as suggested above. Then be sure that the duty cycle of the generator of your choice is 100% which most portables are not (that Honda probably has 100% duty cycle but then it is a pretty expensive generator). When you get done, I think you will find that an air conditioned cabin needs about 4000 watts, IMO, and note hat it will suck down about a half gallon of gas per hour under full load. Whe power is out, gas becomes more difficult. Cars have gotten quite siphon-proof recently. There was a time when a 1/2" neoprene hose was all one needed to re-fuel.

Right now I have a couple of noisy 2000 watt units that are fine to run lights in a storm and make a pot of coffee but that is it. And, as for the noise, I'd suggest an enclosure with sound suppression instead of a really expensive "quiet" generator. I think that Honda 3000i might cost four times the amount I paid for my last 3000 watt unit.

EDIT:

I just want to say, that I have been a "preparedness" person for a long time and have discussed this topic ad nauseaum with other prepper nuts like myself. If long term standby generator usage is expected, and there is no natural gas service available, at the end of the day a diesel generator is the thing. They cost a lot on initial purchase but are cheaper in the long run. Most importantly, diesel can be stored with relative safety as gasoline cannot. So, if my cabin was above 6000 feet or on an island or location only served by boat or fragile road, I'd have diesel for sure.

Additional Edit:

Here is a Chinese 6.5kw model with some American components, on sale for half price with free shipping. I may buy this:

http://www.amazon.com/Ramsond-Portab...d_sim_sbs_lg_3

 

As noted above, power demands can be substantial.

When you consider a purchase, ask the selling dealer whether the model you are considering can be serviced and if so where. If they say it can be serviced, call the service center they suggest to see if their statement is true (that is, if you speak Chinese). Many of the less expensive brands are basically throw-aways which may or may not be a problem depending on your preference.

I don't sell or service Hondas, by the way, but have developed a healthy respect for them seeing them in the field.

Steve

 

Be sure that the one you get is compatable with computers and such.

 

Has anyone ever heard of a graph that plots the run time of the smaller inverter generators against wattage? Or has anyone experimented to obtain this data?

I see all the ratings of the Honda inverter generators are in 1/4 rated wattage and the ratings on the Generac inverter generators are 1/2 rated wattage. The issue I have with those numbers is it just gives a single data point for the run time per that 1/2 or 1/4 wattage load.

The big benefit the inverter types have over standard generators is that the engine RPM can be all over the place. A standard generator needs constant RPM running the power head, an inverter type can be "throttled" to match the power of the engine to the load being drawn = able to idle at low loads = MUCH better fuel economy when the power isn't needed. What are those numbers though? On the flip side, what is the burn rate at full output power (not 1/4 or 1/2)?

 

Just using Honda's own specs on a 2000 9.6 at 1/4 load, 4 hours at rated load. I would expect that relationship would be similar with other Honda generators.

Steve

 

Get the 3000, OR get a pair of 2000's as a companion set. Thats what I did and it works great. Most of the time I can run on one unit. When I need the extra amps, I cable them together.

 

Yeah I have a couple other threads going in other places. The Hondas are quite highly talked about.

I think the most versatile set up is a pair of EU3000is's.

However, I need to figure out what to do about a generator for my cabin. I wouldn't mind having the pair with me when I'm there, but I can't leave them there and my family is up there for a lot longer than I am. I'm looking at the Generac XG4000 for that purpose - it is a lot less expensive too. Then the same problem holds true - it can't stay up there. In the winter months it will grow legs. So I don't know.

For quiet, versatile 110v power the 3000 pair looks hard to beat. The small Generac inverters don't seem to be up to the quality of the Hondas either.

 

This has been mentioned elsewhere including by me...

If you buy a Chinese made generator, you might find that it will NOT run your AC unit at full speed/power even if you think the generator is properly rated. I have a I believe its a 3,500 watt Pep Boys Special which is a very common relabeled china special. It appears to be a very nice unit but... It noticably runs my travel trailer AC slow and even my microwave runs slow.

BTW, my travel trailer land line is 30 amps so approximately 3600 watts total load possible. I have run my trailer AC on a 15 amp line without popping the house breaker, but if I run the ac and microwave the systems will slow down running on the land line. They run slow regardless on my gen set even one at a time.

My suspicion and those of others who have discussed this is that Chinese generators are over rated on paper and will not perform properly on heavy loads. Suggestions were to use a significantly larger generator than you think your load will be. For example if you think you need 2000 watts, you probably should get at least 3000 and so on.

One suspicion I also have but have been too lazy to verify is that the chinese generators may supply a lower AC voltage than it should be. One of these days I need to put a voltmeter on my generator while it is running the AC on my travel trailer.

Get a good name brand and you can probably have more faith in the watt rating. And like the other guys said, you can easily find the required startup and running load rating on most big "appliances" and you should buy the next bigger size generator anyway.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Voltage output is extremely important as an AC compressor will amp up when voltage drops shortening the life of the compressor and often welding relay contacts together.

Again, it is hard to have too much power and easy to have too little!

Steve

 

When I was still framing houses every day, we had the Honda 5000w and the Generac 6500w. Both these units were very good, never broke down. The Honda was a little quieter and better on gas but not by much. When I went out on my own, I bought a used Generac 6500w from Home Depot, someone had bought it used it once and returned it, it only had 2 hours on the hour meter. That was 10 years ago and the generator always starts on the first pull. The Generac is just a beast to carry around so I just have it bolted down in my work trailer. About 2 years ago I bought a Generac 3750w unit which I love. I can pick it up by myself a put it in the back of the truck and it doesn't take up that much room. As for power it's obvious that the 6500w unit will easily run a camper and it will idle down when there is no load, the 3750w will also run the camper but it's always running full blast.

 

I have this one: EF2400iSHC | Yamaha Generators | yamahagenerators.com

It is really quieter than a Honda EU 1000 watt unit. It also changes speed as loads increase. Runs 8 hours on a a tank. The description here says it wont run most AC units which is BS. A generator testing company loves this unit specifically for starting RV AC (single) units. It is an inverter type and has a circuit that produces a whopping 30 amps for 30 seconds to start AC units. Runs ours fine when we dont run out big onan 5.5