Disaster electricity generator advice and recommendations?

S

Sid Post

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Oct 14, 1998
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I'm looking for RELIABILITY and fuel EFFICIENCY in a generator for use during a disaster. There are a ton of various "cheap" big box store made in China generators in the ~5K~7K watt range but, during the recent tornadoes they were problematic at best and fuel hogs which is a real problem when you are sourcing gas from law mowers and old cars and pickups that have been sitting for years.

I'm looking for enough power to run an 80 foot well pump, one fridge, and one freezer. The remaining loads will be very light (cell phone charger, radio, fluorescent/LED light).

I need to stay with either Gasoline or LPG fuel sources. I like diesel but, diesel is hard to find and the cheap Chinese motors don't seem durable or reliable in times of great need. The Honda's seem to be pretty nice but, are REALLY expensive. Generac seems to offer similar quality and Northstar uses Honda's engines. I'm initially leaning towards a Generac but, I can be swayed a different direction pretty easy.

What advice and recommendations do the more experienced users and owners have to help me spend my money wisely? I should also note that my price is flexible within reason and I expect to spend ~$1K or more.
 
Look at some Onan generators if you have any dealers around. Right up there with Honda if not a touch better.

Consider keeping a couple three 5 gallon containers of fuel with fuel stabalizer in them. Use them in a car or truck every six months and refill.
 
As a contractor i have used or owned almost every kind of generator in prices ranging from $300-$1800. What i have found is the generac 5500 wheelhouse has the best combination of power, gas usage, and portability (also smooth running and quiet unless you set the governor to high), and price. They have been extremely reliable for me with the first one i bought having 3 straight years of 40 plus hour weeks with no problems and just general maintance. I think enough of them that when it was time to downsize, i kept both of mine (I had three but one got stolen).

And i agree with the extra gas cans of fuel, but i recommend spending a little more and get steel saftey cans for any long term storage, the piece of mind is well worth it.

Hope that helps!

Oh and if you find generators to be using to much fuel its probably because the engine speed is set to high...
 
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just a comment about alternators in general... if you need precisely 60 cycle (60 Hz), and a tachometer is not available, plug a clock into the outlet, and adjust the speed by comparing the sweep second hand to a wristwatch
 
Can anyone comment of fuel usage of a Honda against the same size Generac? It looks like the Honda generators are a lot more fuel efficient which helps offset the increased cost justification for use in times when gasoline is in short supply.

THANKS!
Sid
 
my vote goes with propane -- no issues with long term storage, and you can run them off bottles (20 or 100 lb) - or if you already have propane piped into the house, tie into the 500 gallon tank in your yard.
another option is to look for a mil surp generator - those are usually multifuel, so will run off lawnmower gas, diesel, kerosene, etc...
last choice - there are generators (I think Generac is one of the companies that offers this) that will run off of gasoline or propane at the flick of a switch, so you can run on whichever is cheaper at the time.
 
We've had a number of different generators over the years. Many of the non-Honda ones are simply Briggs and Stratton engines with a different housing, depending on the brand. The most recent time around we bought something different. We purchased a Honeywell 5500E (6,800 watts peak) and we love it. It has electric start (yeah!), a fuel gauge, and a few other niceties that you don't find on other generators. It has been very reliable so far, and it would have the wattage you need.

I agree with the other posters about the gas supply. If you want to effectively use a generator, you need at least 20 gallons or more of extra fuel in 5 gallon cans (not including your full tank in the generator). I use plastic cans myself - they work well. Put plenty of stabilizer in with the gas.

Also, depending on how much you need to run the thing, you may want to look into having a transfer switch installed in your house so that you can run the generator power though your normal house circuits. It beats running electric cords though the house like some kind of high tech spider web. However, it will cost you to have a licensed electrician put one in (unless you have a friend who is an electrician ;))

- Mark
 
The best one I've seen is the Honda EU3000iS Dual fuel. Runs on gasoline and propane.
 
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The Honda EU series and similar ones of other manufacture give almost a pure sine wave . These generate DC but are inverted to AC. They should be used when powering electronics such as computers and amateur radio gear. HAMs overwhelmingly use Honda for their durability , quiet too .
 
mete said:
The Honda EU series and similar ones of other manufacture give almost a pure sine wave . These generate DC but are inverted to AC. They should be used when powering electronics such as computers and amateur radio gear. HAMs overwhelmingly use Honda for their durability , quiet too .
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I use it for. At work I have a server that is connected to an outlet that will provide additional power in case of a total power failure. I had a Yamaha tri fuel model and the sine wave was all over the place. When I check the sine on the Honda I thought my oscilloscope was broken. :D
 
We only have Honda 1000's and 2000's at work. I loved the Honda 2000euwhatever so much, I bought one. They are fuel efficient, make clean power and are reliable. We're happy with ours.
 
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