Portable generators for home back power for when power goes out

5 years ago

Anyone here have any recs for good generator brands like Yamaha or Hondas that produce very good sine wave electricty? My use is mainly due to occasional power outages that might occur 1-2 times per year. The worst power outage in my area has been 5 days in length. (in addition to Hurricanes, NC is on the rain/snow line have terrible ice storms). I do have a 50 amp inlet that is connected to my house subpanel with an interlock switch.

Initially I was thinking about a Honda eu7000is but that is at a $4k cost and I am having 2nd thoughts about that. I can get the Yamaha EF6300 for $3060 from pplmotorhomes.com (a lot of these RV sites have good prices), and that includes shipping. That's $500 less than electricgenerators.com for the same Yamaha machine and almost $1k less than the Honda. Just that for 700 extra watts of starting power?

Is the maintenance really that bad on the Yamaha? I've heard needing a funnel to change the oil and special Yamaha spark plug tool.

Someone said the Honda eu7000is provides many more minutes of surge power but I can't find a clear answer on that. I know I can buy a lower watt unit but since I'm a mechanics/engineer/gadget guy like Tim Allen on Home Improvement, I just can't help it Should I just use up more of my savings and spring for the Honda?

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-appliances/generator/portable-generators/portable-generators-rvs/generators-portable-yamaha_55-6986?jt=1&jap=1o1&js=1&jsid=36859&jcpid=8a8ae4cd48005458014820e2e0170ec4&jkId=gcp:se_36859:pp_376784846602:ag_15211804824:cp_194253624:n_g:d_c:cr_52737673584&gclid=CjwKCAjwpeXeBRA6EiwAyoJPKtTPBhq2nJD6RtdeF5eGlgPScDTsJVVFU-LmGTidPo-CMteBYcINLRoCglMQAvD_BwE

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Comments (5)

weedmeister
5 years ago
kinda depends on what you're going to use it for.
housebuilder328
Original Author
5 years ago
I mainly have these items that I want to run during an outage, but not at the same time.

microwave - 1400 watts
fridge - 1200 watts
2 small fridges - 300 watts total for both
magic bullet blender - 250 watts
tv with cable/dish box - 335 watts
Breville toaster oven - 1800 watts
tankless water heater (gas) - 360 watts for starting the machine
garage door opener - 1400 watts starting/600 watts for remaining cycle
portable heater or a/c - mainly around 1500 watts (depends on the season)

Would love a inverter generator for my needs. The non-inverter generators are way too loud for my liking
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I was raised on a farm that did not get electricity until 1947, therefore, we and our neighbors had to use alternate heat. We used coal or wood burners installed in the main living space. A wood burning cook stove was in the kitchen. On very cold days, both stoves were fired and on milder days, only the main stove was used. That kept one room very warm and the adjoining rooms above freezing. Someone above asked what about overnight. We did what was called "banking the fire". An hour before retiring, the stove would be loaded with fuel and the fuel allowed to become fully ignited and then the flue pipe damper was set to slow the draft up the chimney and the air inlets on the stove would be reduced to low air inlets. A properly "banked" stove will burn almost all night and by morning there will still be a healthy bed of coals. By morning, the house will have cooled; Its the job of the first person up to revive the fire. That's how it was done. Old houses with "modern" heating plants were in luck. Those old furnaces did not have forced air but depended on gravity and difference in density of heated air to curculate heated air throughout the house. No electricity was required, although some had automatice fire-box feeders that did need elecric power, however, most of these did have a manual feed feature. Those old furnaces were 'lovingly' referred to as "octopuses" describing the huge amount of ductwork in the basement. Gravity driven air ducts require large ducts possibly with 3 times the cross-section of forced-air installations, but those work without power. Were these efficent? Nah - a lot heat went up the chimney. Many of those old house designs did not have any water piping to the second floor. Water was restricted to a pitcher pump at the kitchen sink - no electricity needed. This pump could not raise water much more than 20 to 25 ft (by suction); It drew water from a rain filled cystern. On very cold nights, the pump was 'un-primed" allowing the water to drain back before going to bed. The only water was in the sink trap if you had one. The next morning, after the stoves were re-fired with room temperature rising, the pump could be primed to provide a fresh supply of water. In the winter, one should not leave the house for an extended time without first draining the pump and connecting pipe. How soon we forget about the life of yesteryear. It takes only one generation to move on to the modern house with plumbing on all floors, a house that is dependent on reliable electrric power, and to forget how to survive without power for a few days. Today's house design makes that very difficult.
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O.K. - I guess I should have started out my post by saying I'm not in any way, shape, or form an electrician. Thus the reason I ask questions on this forum. If I understand what the both of you are saying is if I try to put the l5-30 plug on then I would be left with 1 unused wire on the power cord??? I certainly don't understand why they would put a l5-30 - receptacle on the generator in the first place if it cant' be hooked up to a transfer switch. I'm just trying to find a low cost solution for my neighbor. I'm not even sure how I would even begin to get access to that area of the generator as it appears to be sealed in a plastic case and I can't find much about this generator on the web. Guess I'll have to tell her to shell out the big bucks to get it properly repaired.
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Actually, a simple tear down shouldn't be that difficult. That Wen looks like a Honda clone engine. I have the Honda. The carb is right behind that retangular black air cleaner box. The worst part may be removing the back of the air cleaner box but if you have a drill with a nut driver or whatever, it is easy to remove all the bolts. Perhaps take a picture after it is off to get things back together right. I suspect everything else may just slide off. You may not need to do a total replacement of gaskets etc. Just get the bowl off, shake carb and bowl around in some gas; remove the main jet and blow air thru anything that looks like a hole. Look for crud around the housing of that jet and clear out any hole that appears to be there with a wire. Entry to the main jet often messes things up. The only snag with this approach is that you have to put it back together to see if it works and you may just need to take it apart again; but you will be an expert then. You can probably buy a new carb for $60 and put it on now that you are an expert ;-)
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chas045
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I have an interlock wired system like yours so I can run whatever I choose as long as I don't over do it. I have a 10 yr old 7000 watt Power Boss which is a Briggs generator and Honda engine. It is no longer made but it was/is mostly a good machine. It will do far more than you list above. It will run a smaller home AC unit or heat pump along with your stuff and a well pump too. I have no idea about sine wave quality, but everything worked except when my voltage regulator failed .

I have no ideas about any of these newer machines. Perhaps you should ask this in Toolshed. I do notice that there is a 7000 watt machine HERE (I suppose some Chinese thing? Edit: yes, Sumec; some Chinese conglomerate) at COSTCO right now for ~$700 that has way more options than my old unit. It has both manual and electric start And Gasoline or Propane fuel choice. From that link, I see good reviews for the short term at least.
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I am not an RV owner, however those folks are all into portable generators and I have been a Forum Member for years because of the intense knowledge they have for generators. I'd suggest doing some searching and reading at their site. (Be carefull, as their requirements may likley differ from yours - they have an almost obsession about quiet generators due to restrictions on noise from generators at some camp sites and at National Parks.

rv.net Forum For Portable Generator Help

Notice they largely conme down in two "camps" (pun intended) - The Pro Honda and Yamaha crowd versus the less expensive Chinese clones. The price difference can be massive, but...

You seem a little confused with some of the terminology. "many more minutes of surge power" is an example. Surge power or starting current is not measured in minutes duration!

Gasoline is a rotten fuel in these genertors unless you commit to doing some maintenance and following some precautions - not to mention storing gasoline around the house and being able to buy gasoline during an area-wide general power outage. Also, having left your generator idle for six months only to find it now gummed up an unable to run is not good.

I went with a Costco Chinese Gas Powered Generator. I modified it to run on Propane with a kit I got online... cost maybe $200 and I feel much more comfortabl storing 20 Lb Propane Cylinders.

Shortly after I got my gen I had a need to use it. I sent the following to the manufacturer.

"To remind you, you helped me with my Costco ST-GP9500 changing the Oil
Drain Plug, replacing Starting Diode, etc. (I'm the retired US Navy
Submariner.)

Well, had the need to run my generator due to an outage on Friday and
Saturday. (During Rush Hour Friday afternoon, some guy took out a power
pole causing a nearly 24 hour loss of electric to my
neighborhood.

Generator fired right up Saturday AM and provided about 5000 Watts for my
neighbor and me. We both believe we would have lost $150+ in spoiled
food.

I did modify my generator to run on Tri-fuel and used only LPG
yesterday. I also did go ahead and add an Over-Voltage protector."

I use heavy duty extension cords... I offered my next door neighbor 1500 Watts of my power in exchange for his tolerance of any noise I create.
jtz58
5 years ago
Living in southern Maine we lose power every time a bird flies down the street. Most of our neighbors have whole house generators and it sounds like a truck stop outside every time the power goes out. We just hook up a portable for water and a couple of lights. Good luck!

Portable generators for home back power for when power goes out

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weedmeister

housebuilder328
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Portable generators for home back power for when power goes out

Comments (5)

weedmeister

housebuilder328Original Author

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chas045

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jtz58

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housebuilder328
Original Author