[Rockfish]

What size generator do I need to look for. I need something for when the power goes out at he house. Should I look at watts? or something else?

 

[myprozac]

Dependes what you want to power and if you hardwire it into your house or not.

 

[Bug_Power]

We actually use a gas powered welder. It's large enough to power the house, but we can also weld with it. so it serves double duty. We wired up a plug for the generator to plug directly into the house current. Push a button and we've got enough juice to power the whole house for several hours.

 

[Capt. Vic]

Yes, wattage is what you need to look at. Add up what you want to run on the generator. If you want to run an a/c unit, you need an a/c capable generator or you need to oversize to handle the starting load. Spend an hour planning and you can get what you need with no disappointments.

 

[Ryano]

Do a search. Someone posted a wattage calculator on here somewhere????


Ryan

 

[Sidecutter]

Generator warning,

A couple of issues with hooking a generator into normal house power.
You must have a transfer switch if you plan to tie in to your existing panel.The utility company serving your area will get really P-oodd if you backfeed any voltage to the lines.Your generator circuits must be completly isolated from the feeders coming to the panel. Both ungrounded conductors,your grounded conductor and your ground. I would suggest running a cord connected window unit and also run an extension cord of proper size for fridge and a couple of lamps. Generators are sized in watts,add the total watts of the items you wish to power and multiply by 125%. Hope this helps.
James

 

[Brew]

You must have a transfer switch if you plan to tie in to your existing panel.
James

Just ordered this one from Northern:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200196674_200196674

 

[Red3Fish]

Question...?

I am kinda slow, so bear with me. I have searched and cant really find an answer even at Franklins website. Roughly how many starting watts would it take to start and run a Franklin submersible water pump--Mod 2801084915 1 HP 230V if you divoted the generator solely to it??
The well is 200'. Appreciate any answers.

Thanks
R3F

 

[Dutch Treat]

I am kinda slow, so bear with me. I have searched and cant really find an answer even at Franklins website. Roughly how many starting watts would it take to start and run a Franklin submersible water pump--Mod 2801084915 1 HP 230V if you divoted the generator solely to it??
The well is 200'. Appreciate any answers.

Thanks
R3F

Here is a place to start. This one shows a one horse water pump that will probably get you in the ball park. A google search on wattage calculation will bring up a huge number of pages to look at.

http://www.generatorsales.com/calculator_GOOGLE.ASP

Good luck with it.
Bob

 

[spotsndots]

Here's another link. I did some quick calcs but when you say the whole house you can see that you really need to pick just the important necessary items otherwise it is gonna be a huge generator.

http://www.dom.com/products/generators/order.jsp

 

[Red3Fish]

Thanks Guys

I really do know how to spell devoted....I just have dyslexia and got my I and E fingers mixed up!! LOL

Later
R3F

 

[jabx1962]

17.5 kw will power just about any 1600-2200 sq ft House..you will need a Transfer switch.

 

[TheGoose]

Per the Franklin Website and personal experience you will need at least a 4kw generator or 2.5kw if it's internally regulated, but you could probably squeze by with 3.5 kw.

I am kinda slow, so bear with me. I have searched and cant really find an answer even at Franklins website. Roughly how many starting watts would it take to start and run a Franklin submersible water pump--Mod 2801084915 1 HP 230V if you divoted the generator solely to it??
The well is 200'. Appreciate any answers.

Thanks
R3F

 

[ReelWork]

I purchased a 5500 Watt generator last year. 5500 Watts will allow you to run multiple refridgerators, a microwave and smaller items AT THE SAME TIME. In the event of an emergency, I will run the fridge(s) at night with a cooling fan while we sleep for air movement and ambient noise.

During the day, the only thing you really need to be able to do is run a microwave to cook quickly - otherwise, use the grill!

The key is to add up the things you want to run and WHEN you want to run them. As you can tell, I will run my generator mostly at night to keep the fridge and in turn the food, cold... Food loss is probably the biggest monetary loss if you cannot keep the food cold.

Ok - now a water pump is probably not be more than 2500 watts - 2100 watts is for 1.5 HP motor, which is pretty stout..

Here's a chart (link) to reference..

http://www.miltonhydro.com/appluschart.html

Remember, to factor in all wattage usage for any given time..

 

[Super Dave]

I recommend you thoroughly think through what you are trying to accomplish and for how long. If you are concerned about hurricane loss of power you could be on average looking at a week with no power.

Fridges and Freezers are a priority. Also, some type of fan for sleeping at night. Simple box fans are cheap and don't use much juice. Good quality extension cords are also a must.

Other than the above, how much comfort are you willing to pay for to use once in twenty years? Good luck.

ps. don't forget maintenance on the generator while not in use. Use Sta-Bil in the gas for sure. Change out fuel every 6 months or so.

 

[Red3Fish]

Thanks Super 'D

I savy Sta Bil...I figured swap out every 9 mos. My mom 82, and my sis live in the country...we have designated their location as a "gathering point" for a limited number of folks for "whatever".. bird flu..hurricane...civil disobediance...etc. I AM NOT a nuttity uhhhh ahhhh.....survivalist....just "in case". STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!!! LOL

I savy use of microwave and other minalmal ele usage appliances...but as the only water is from a well, just had probs tieing down its' starting wattage. I got everthing from 3 kw to 6 kw. I know---go bigger! LOL Forget the iceboxes and air conditioner, just survival mode. Water for use and garden and food animals, micro, and radio/TV short term like an hour a day. Got a cord of firewood, seeds, food for 8 for 3 mos, ammo, and other "stuff".

I kinda feel parinoid, BUT...in these days and times, I, and those I care about, dont wanna be stuck on I-10 with a quart of water, no gas and nowhere to go and not knowing where all your loved ones are!! I might be able to put up with it, but I dont want that those I care about be stuck with it. We got a plan....I hope everyone on this board at least thinks about it!! There may be times when cell phones are jammed or dont work!!! It took a week to contact a friend in Alabama after Katrina...cells down. I dont want to wait a week to know if a son or daughter is alive or not!

Just for the record, I have only spent about 300 bucks...gonna spend another 500 or 600...cheapest ins I have ever bought!! Hope I, or you never need it.

Thanks All
Later
R3F

 

[TheGoose]

red3fish: Did you see what I wrote about generators? You could probably get by with 3500 watts, but Franklin recommends a 4000 watt generator. Internally regulated generators you can get by with less. Hope the info helps you out, I have used a 3.5 to start/run a submersible pump 1hp many times.

 

[fishnvet]

What was recommended by my well guy (and he is very good at his line of work) is to make sure you have 5000 watts running minimum before you hit the switch to your well. He told me there was a real chance of burning up the well pump if you hook the well wires up first, then power up the generator. I made a cable harness that I can wire to the well service terminals, plug into the generator, run the generator up to full speed (with nothing else hooked up and pulling wattage off the unit), and then throwing a switch to fire up the well pump. You can have a "t" off your supply line that you can divert water to a cheap plastic water storage tank to fill up. That way you can run the pump for as long as you want, then turn the generator for other duties until the tank drains down.

 

[Red3Fish]

Thanks Everyone

I am so old, I know 'most everything, LOL, but what I dont know, can be covered by everyone here in less than a day!! A wealth of practical information. I hadn't thought about that prob with plugging in the pump first, but sounds reasonable. Guess I will go with a battery start 5 KW. My 82 yr old mom might give me grief if made her pull start it! LOL

Thanks for all replies
Later
R3F

 

[TheGoose]

You should always have the generator running 1st, no matter what. Always unplug everything from the gen before you turn it off, and always turn the gen. on before plugging everything in. If you let the generator stop before unplugging the pump you can damage the bearings in the pump motor.