Backup diesel generator

[bladefoolish]

I'm looking into getting a backup generator for my home in semi-rural NW Pennsylvania. I would like to get a diesel generator, as we heat the home with fuel oil and have a 500 gal. underground take, and it makes sense to me to have the same fuel run an emergency generator.

There seems to be a much more limited selection on diesel generators than gasoline units, and they seem to be more expensive.

Does anyone here have any recommendations? Price is a consideration also.

Thanks.

 

[darthstrevel]

I have a 5.5 KW unit made by champion - from china, bought used for $500.. The average suburban home runs about 8 KW at full load, so 5 KW should be sufficient to keep blower, refer, a string of lights and other necesities during a short term emergency. I ran it for 5 days off and on during a loss of power in '08 and it worked fine as long as I managed the load & starting & stoping electronic devices judiciously. If you buy an expensive unit, what you are buying is a corresponding decrease in noise...my inexpensive, chinese generator is attrociously loud. But I let my neighbor plug in thier refer w/ an extension cord too, so they didn't complain!

The hondas are much, much quieter.but about 4-5X the cost!

The key in a grid-down scenario is get to the gas station immediately and fill up 10 or so more gallons of gas. The tank on mine holds 10 gallons and I have another 5-10 around the garage. Any more than this is unsafe IMHO, unless you have a safe, secure well-ventilated out building well away from your residence. I keep extra cans and then I fill up my cars if I don't use it. I test it out once a year and change the oil, pump up the tires, etc.

good luck!

 

[DocGP]

My answer was to get a PTO generator for my diesel tractor. You may not have a tractor, but that may be an option.

My only other thought is that 10 gallons of gas doesn't go very far. Spent 37 days at home without power after Rita....you don't want to generate your own power long term....stinking expensive.

Doc

 

[Bufford]

I use a gas honda 2500 Watt generator and it runs everything; furnace fan for oil and wood furnaces, TV and sattelite, fridge, freezer, microwave oven, water pump and PC. It doesn't run the kitchen range or hotwater heater, but those I can live without for a few days.

When I run heavy stuff like the pump or the microwave, I have to turn off one of the heavy using appliances like the furnace motor or the room AC, otherwise TV, lights, fridges always remain running.

Many of the cheap generators don't have the capacitance load capability to start up heavy loads like airconditioners and pumps, which is why I stick with name brand generators like Honda and Yamaha, plus they use less gas, run quiet, and last alot longer.

We get alot of power outages around here.