Need advice on buying a generator
- Thread starter Faster horses
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3 M L & C
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jigs said:
I agree they are not made to run non stop for hours at a time. I would look for something other than the inverter you mentioned While they are super quiet and handy for camping they are to pricy and not big enough for house backup. We have a 10 k and it does everything we need, but we are on rural water in the winter time.
Also i'm sure you could buy a 8 k with boost of 10 k for way less than a pair of those 2000 inverters.
jigs said:
There must have been a tremendous load to burn one up that was in good condition to start with - - - use a small volt ohm meter to see what the voltage is when operating under a load - - - I restrict use of the clothes dryer and no space heaters but have run my house on the 10.5 KW for as long as 10 days with no problem.
The easiest way to burn one up is to not have the line to the house shut off ( yes this is illegal ) as you will be trying to run all your neighbors homes as well and you put the linemen at risk and you will surely burn out the generator.
Anything can be destroyed by improper use - - -
katrina
Well-known member
Most have a shut off switch that automatically kills the engine if something isn't right.... We've croaked smaller generators... 
Mike
Well-known member
I installed a transfer switch and bought a 25KW PTO driven generator on wheels for the house. They are much cheaper than an engine powered and we all usually have a tractor to pull them during emergencies.
I change the tractor to 1,000 RPM PTO and add a 540 PTO adapter to the tractor/generator PTO shaft when back-up power is needed. The tractor then runs at just above an idle and will run a couple of days on a tank of fuel.
Having another engine around to service periodically is not my ideal situation. Especially a gasoline powered one.
You will get much more reserve power from a PTO unit for a lot less money.
I change the tractor to 1,000 RPM PTO and add a 540 PTO adapter to the tractor/generator PTO shaft when back-up power is needed. The tractor then runs at just above an idle and will run a couple of days on a tank of fuel.
Having another engine around to service periodically is not my ideal situation. Especially a gasoline powered one.
You will get much more reserve power from a PTO unit for a lot less money.
katrina
Well-known member
Okay... I ran out and looked... It's a Generac 15000, 30hp. And we have another in the pole barn we bought for the jd engine.... I think we could light up Todd county with it.. Quite a story behing that sucker.... :lol:
Faster horses
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Thank you everyone, for taking the time to reply. I think we have
it figured out. Our Miller Bobcat should do what we needl
I do think we'll look into a PTO powered one, too.
The only time we have needed a generator a friend brought his Miller Bobcat
250 here and it worked great. Ours is a 250, I thought it was a 225.
We'll get the power company to check out the utility pole and get that
set up properly. It might already be that way since we bought this place
from someone and they may have already had that taken care of. We
will double check to make sure.
Anyhow, thanks. You all are a GREAT WEALTH of knowledge!
it figured out. Our Miller Bobcat should do what we needl
I do think we'll look into a PTO powered one, too.
The only time we have needed a generator a friend brought his Miller Bobcat
250 here and it worked great. Ours is a 250, I thought it was a 225.
We'll get the power company to check out the utility pole and get that
set up properly. It might already be that way since we bought this place
from someone and they may have already had that taken care of. We
will double check to make sure.
Anyhow, thanks. You all are a GREAT WEALTH of knowledge!
JF Ranch
Well-known member
WORD OF CAUTION! Aside from all the good ideas here about backup generators, I want to offer an important personal experience of mine.
A half dozen years ago, I bought a gas powered generator, something like an 8000-9000 watt outfit, to run our house in a power failure. My brilliant idea was to set the thing just inside our attached garage door, to keep it out of the snow storm (You get where I'm headed with this?). I had an adequate cable long enough to reach the power pole. The Power Company had installed the proper disconnect throw switch to keep my generated power from backing up through the power lines. This is VERY IMPORTANT for the safety of the linemen repairing the outage.
When I lost power during a spring storm, I fired up the generator and had it setting just barely inside the garage door with the door about half way up for ventilation. I was home alone at the time because it was during the school year and the family was at our house in town.
I had enough power to run the furnace, essential appliances, a light or two and the TV set. I settled in for the night, cozy as a bug in a rug. After no more than an hour or so, I started to hear a beep going off. It took me a few minutes to locate the source of this alarm which was located in a bedroom next to the attached garage. Unknown to me, my wife had installed a "First Alert" carbon monoxide-smoke detector there.
Long story short, my dumb idea of keeping the shiny, new generator out of the elements nearly cost me and my family, my life. I thought that with the garage door up it was ventilated enough but it was not. I was amazed how quickly the carbon monoxide seeped into the house and am fortunate that we had a detector.
PLEASE FOLKS, never set up a generator in any sort of building. I've been told by our Power Company that a building with an engine running in it can contaminate air such that with even a few breaths of it going in to turn it off, can cause permanent damage to your lungs.
It has been a conscious decision of mine ever since, to offer this story to anyone and everyone, if discussion ever turns toward generating power during outages. Proper detection devises are a great idea as well.
A half dozen years ago, I bought a gas powered generator, something like an 8000-9000 watt outfit, to run our house in a power failure. My brilliant idea was to set the thing just inside our attached garage door, to keep it out of the snow storm (You get where I'm headed with this?). I had an adequate cable long enough to reach the power pole. The Power Company had installed the proper disconnect throw switch to keep my generated power from backing up through the power lines. This is VERY IMPORTANT for the safety of the linemen repairing the outage.
When I lost power during a spring storm, I fired up the generator and had it setting just barely inside the garage door with the door about half way up for ventilation. I was home alone at the time because it was during the school year and the family was at our house in town.
I had enough power to run the furnace, essential appliances, a light or two and the TV set. I settled in for the night, cozy as a bug in a rug. After no more than an hour or so, I started to hear a beep going off. It took me a few minutes to locate the source of this alarm which was located in a bedroom next to the attached garage. Unknown to me, my wife had installed a "First Alert" carbon monoxide-smoke detector there.
Long story short, my dumb idea of keeping the shiny, new generator out of the elements nearly cost me and my family, my life. I thought that with the garage door up it was ventilated enough but it was not. I was amazed how quickly the carbon monoxide seeped into the house and am fortunate that we had a detector.
PLEASE FOLKS, never set up a generator in any sort of building. I've been told by our Power Company that a building with an engine running in it can contaminate air such that with even a few breaths of it going in to turn it off, can cause permanent damage to your lungs.
It has been a conscious decision of mine ever since, to offer this story to anyone and everyone, if discussion ever turns toward generating power during outages. Proper detection devises are a great idea as well.
Faster horses
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Thanks for the 'heads up' JF Ranch.
Your post reminded me of what happened to a lady and her daughter.
They were at a HS Rodeo and it was cold outside. They started a generator in
their 4-horse horse trailer. The generator was in the horse part and they were sleeping in the living quarters. When neither of them showed up one morning, our neighbor girl, who was at the event, went looking for them and found them both dead. Upon inquiry, it was found carbon monoxide from the generator was what caused the deaths.
Your post reminded me of what happened to a lady and her daughter.
They were at a HS Rodeo and it was cold outside. They started a generator in
their 4-horse horse trailer. The generator was in the horse part and they were sleeping in the living quarters. When neither of them showed up one morning, our neighbor girl, who was at the event, went looking for them and found them both dead. Upon inquiry, it was found carbon monoxide from the generator was what caused the deaths.
3 M L & C
Well-known member
My dad has a pto generator. The only problem with them is you put a lot of hours on the tractor your hooked to for just idling. Had a budy that was without power for a long time about 8 years ago. He put about 300 hours on his tractor and didn't run it all the time either. That wont matter to some, but an hour on the meter is an hour when it comes time to trade tractors. Just with the cost of the hours on his tractor he could have bought a generator twice as big as he needed. JMO
Also have a friend that just built a new house almost at the end of the power line. He put a generator in that is hooked up all the time and starts itself once a month to make sure everything works. It also will start automaticly and disconnect from the power line when the power goes off for more than a couple minutes. Its a pretty cool setup more than most people would need but he looses power almost every lightning storm.
Also have a friend that just built a new house almost at the end of the power line. He put a generator in that is hooked up all the time and starts itself once a month to make sure everything works. It also will start automaticly and disconnect from the power line when the power goes off for more than a couple minutes. Its a pretty cool setup more than most people would need but he looses power almost every lightning storm.
Steve
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I have one of mine set up in the shop... shop room it is in is about 20 by 20 it has a small flexible exhaust connector that goes to a section of pipe.. that goes outside.. and runs up an old chimney.. (not just to the chimney but all the way up to the top )..
for intake air I just reverse the whole building fan... even with it running several days the co detector in the shop has never went off when it is set up like this..
Key things a generator needs along with exhausted gases is intake and cooling air.. blowing air in then adds to the exhaust draft as well
auto repair garages use the same basic set up..
sadly every year someone kills themselves with generator exhaust gases from one in an attached garage or porch or shed..