Portable back-up generators (appliances, Home Depot, transfer)

[ira]

Does anyone have it? What kind do you use? Most of them are powered by gasoline, so my biggest concern is how/where to store all the gasoline? Do most people store it at home? Or do you just go to the gas station when you need it? What if the gas stations are out because of power outages?

Thanks!

[joe moving]

No, but I have thought about it. Gasoline goes bad and when you let gas sit in a carbed engine it clogs up the holes . So ideally you have your generator sitting empty, or you need to have a fuel shut off valve and let it run dry after every time you use it. For some reason I cant even be bothered to do this with my lawn mower.

How many gallons do you need to run a generator for 24 hours? About 24 gallons? I wouldn't want to store that... I think you'd probably have like 2 x 5 gallon containers filled and use Stabil to let it last longer, and then find a gas station that is open as time goes by?

I would spend the 2000 or so dollars and get a small permanent installed natural gas powered generator. Yes, off course natural gas line can break, but when was the last time that happened compared to how often power goes out. You would wire this up to whatever is important. Heat, AC and fridge maybe. Some lights. Then you don't worry about fuel source... or where to store the generator when not in use.

[Marc Paolella]

Originally Posted by ira

Does anyone have it? What kind do you use? Most of them are powered by gasoline, so my biggest concern is how/where to store all the gasoline? Do most people store it at home? Or do you just go to the gas station when you need it? What if the gas stations are out because of power outages?

Thanks!

I've got one. Basically I have 5 5-gallon containers that I fill with gas when an emergency seems imminent (wind storm, blizzard, etc.). Mine is a 5550 Watt Troy-Bilt that I bought from Home Depot. It is also useful when you need power in a remote location.

Storing 25 gallons of gas on an ongoing basis in your garage is probably a bad idea. So when the emergency passes I dump the gas into my car.

Some considerations:

1) If the power goes out regionally, you will need to drive far away to find gas. They are designed for a short term loss, maybe 3-4 days max.

2) They are noisy. Like running a lawn mower 24/7.

3) Although they power most normal appliances and lighting, they do not output a pure sine wave. Some sensitive motor controls and computers will not enjoy running off the generator. So your furnace may or may not run. And you can actually damage some motor controls by attempting to run them off a standby gen.

4) Good for lights, microwave, small frig, etc.

5) You have to use decent gas. If you fill it with gas and don't run it for 2 years you have to suck the gas out and replace it or you will gum up the works. Gas is perishable.

6) You have to run it every couple of weeks to keep it in good shape. Or else you risk it not working when you really need it. During the spring-summer-fall I power it up and let it run for 20 minutes while I am mowing the lawn. This also uses the gas over time so I don't have to siphon dead gas out of it.

7) You have to be careful about creating hazardous conditions by attempting dangerous things like jury-rigging hook-ups to furnaces, your electric service, etc. A little knowledge is dangerous when it comes to generators.

8) You are much better off with a natural gas powered permanent backup generator with a proper transfer switch. Much more expensive, much less dangerous, and much more involved obviously, but they output a sine wave and are safer for your appliances and motors.

9) Nevertheless, my standby Troy-Bilt is a trusted friend and as long as you are very responsible and careful, it will do the job keeping you going during a short-term crisis.

[ira]

Thank you joe and marc. The reason I need generator is because we have a sump pump in the basement which works 24/7 for about 2 months a year (Mar-May) because our ground water gets too high and if pump doesn't work, our basement gets flooded. And, of course, most power outages occur during the same time. So, I mostly need it for the pump. Keeping the food from going bad is nice too :-)

We've considered a permanent generator but they are so expensive (somewhere between 3-4K). My husband also found a tri-fuel generator which can be powered by propane, diesel or regular gasoline, which is a nice option, since storing propane is easier than gasoline. But it is pricey at 2K.

Thanks for your input!!

[Marc Paolella]

Originally Posted by ira

Thank you joe and marc. The reason I need generator is because we have a sump pump in the basement which works 24/7 for about 2 months a year (Mar-May) because our ground water gets too high and if pump doesn't work, our basement gets flooded. And, of course, most power outages occur during the same time. So, I mostly need it for the pump. Keeping the food from going bad is nice too :-)

We've considered a permanent generator but they are so expensive (somewhere between 3-4K). My husband also found a tri-fuel generator which can be powered by propane, diesel or regular gasoline, which is a nice option, since storing propane is easier than gasoline. But it is pricey at 2K.

Thanks for your input!!

Yes exactly. My sump pump is operating continuosuly right now and is the prime reason I got the generator.

[deere110]

Originally Posted by ira

We've considered a permanent generator but they are so expensive (somewhere between 3-4K). My husband also found a tri-fuel generator which can be powered by propane, diesel or regular gasoline, which is a nice option, since storing propane is easier than gasoline. But it is pricey at 2K.

Tri-fuel? Is it military surplus or something? I've never heard of an engine that can run on gasoline, propane, AND diesel. I have seen military "multi-fuel" engines in deuce-and-a-half and 5 ton trucks but usually "multi-fuel" means diesel, kerosene or various grades of jet fuel. Gasoline doesn't play very well inside a diesel engine. Still, I'm intrigued. When we finally build new a propane generator will be part of the original construction. Right now I have a rattletrap Craftsman portable gas unit that I got (non-running) for free. All it needed was a good carb cleaning. It runs the sump pumps and wood furnace blower which is all I really need it for.

[PDD]

Originally Posted by ira

Does anyone have it? What kind do you use? Most of them are powered by gasoline, so my biggest concern is how/where to store all the gasoline? Do most people store it at home? Or do you just go to the gas station when you need it? What if the gas stations are out because of power outages?

Thanks!

If your worried about storing gasoline in your garage then I suggest you keep your car parked outside also.

I always kept my Generator in the garage with a full tank and some Sta-Bil (fuel stabilizer) in the tank to keep the gas from going bad.
I could get about 9 hrs of run time and if we had an extended outage I made sure I bought extra gas if a storm was eminent.

[ira]

Originally Posted by deere110

Tri-fuel? Is it military surplus or something? I've never heard of an engine that can run on gasoline, propane, AND diesel. I have seen military "multi-fuel" engines in deuce-and-a-half and 5 ton trucks but usually "multi-fuel" means diesel, kerosene or various grades of jet fuel. Gasoline doesn't play very well inside a diesel engine. Still, I'm intrigued. When we finally build new a propane generator will be part of the original construction. Right now I have a rattletrap Craftsman portable gas unit that I got (non-running) for free. All it needed was a good carb cleaning. It runs the sump pumps and wood furnace blower which is all I really need it for.

My mistake - I meant gasoline, propane or natural gas NorthStar Trifuel Generator — 614cc, 13,000 Surge Watts, 10,500 Rated Watts | 10,000 - 29,999 Watts | Northern Tool + Equipment

[ira]

Originally Posted by PDD

If your worried about storing gasoline in your garage then I suggest you keep your car parked outside also.

I always kept my Generator in the garage with a full tank and some Sta-Bil (fuel stabilizer) in the tank to keep the gas from going bad.
I could get about 9 hrs of run time and if we had an extended outage I made sure I bought extra gas if a storm was eminent.

I do keep my car outside because my garage is full of junk - no room for a car :-)

[Marc Paolella]

Man the wind is blowing and the rain is falling... Why do I think that at 4 in the morning I am going to be powering mine up? I hope not, but I am ready! Still have plenty of stored gas from the last high wind warning.