generator

Originally Posted by Astro_Guy
Originally Posted by spasm3
Power is out here due to the ice, freezing rain. On the small generator now. Its doing fine. Glad i got a smaller one, as some times i can take a few days to get it back on.
Sorry to hear that your power is out. Could you share some real world fuel consumption data if it stays out for a while?



Power is back on. I started with about 3 1/2 gallons est. Ran from 7 am till 1:30pm. 6 1/2 hrs. Still have about a 1/2 tank left. I think it would run at least 15hrs on 4 gallons.

Ran the furnace and well pump, and a refridgerator, and this computer. The generator did bog down a moment and the lights flicker when the well pump started up. We also realized that in addition to the fridge we left the small wine cooler on. We unplugged it about 4 hours into the outage.

There is also a refrigerator in the unheated garage, but i doubt i ran much at all.

Overall i'm pleased.
 
Last edited:
Winco 12,000 tri fuel will run your 4 ton central ac. Used you can pick one up about 1 grand.

Winco 12,000.jpg
 
Spasm3, I'd suggest keeping the old Vanguard setup. Age is just a state of mind, unless you have critters that like to eat insulation and micturate on the engine & generator. If you think about how many hours of use you have put it through over the years, it is likely still in its early portion of longevity. The engines can run a long time before needing wear parts replaced. It might be a good idea to check valve clearance after 15 years. The old Vanguards were very good engines from what I understand, and you won't find any equivalent currently that will come close. The Predator vertical and horizontal V-twins are reportedly pretty good also. I have not heard of any problem areas yet, and they approach the Vanguard in power, etc. Just not too sure on longevity. I'd bet if you looked at the air filter, it is original, and doesn't need replacement yet unless the 'rubber' around the edge has deteriorated. That shows how much actual use it has been given. Only thing to worry about in the generator are the brushes, and possibly the bearings needing a cleanup and new grease(it ages)
tom
 
Originally Posted by spasm3
Originally Posted by eljefino

I would wait for these hurricanes to blow over (pardon the pun) so we can return to sale pricing.



I also love my manual transfer switch, get to engage six circuits, one-at-a-time.



Oh i'm waiting till spring or so. just planning for what model i want. My current generator is a 20 year old generac powerboss 8000/10000. It just ran about 14 hours this go round. It runs fine, but it has no load control. it just runs wide open all the time. Its a vanguard 18hp so it has too much motor and does burn a lot of fuel.

I'm a super manual transfer! I'm back feeding the panel with the mains off.


Backfeeding is dangerous and ilegal.

The generators with load control are for construction sites where with load control on it goes to idle and when you hit the ON button on your circular saw it goes up to 3600 RPM.

Powering your house will always have a load, clocks, transformers, etc. So it will always run at 3600. Now if you have a heavy load, it's mechanical governor will keep it at 3600 as the engine delivers more engine power and generator power.

Generator/inverter are different.
 
Thanks Grumpy. I'm keeping the vangard. If i have a long outage it will power the dryer if needed. The predator 4375 ( 3500 running watts) does use far less fuel( and will run the well pump and furnace) and i will run that with the 8000/10000 unit for back up or if i need to run the clothes dryer.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by spasm3
I'm looking to replace my generator.

How does this one look?

I can't tell what make of engine it is.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Westing...t-and-Full-Panel-GFCI-WPro8500/306545964


Hello spasm3!

I would gladly advise you to check that generator guide and pick the optimal one for your home, as for my personal experience using and what I've learned on the web about brands:

Generac - if your budget is not so limited, they are stable and endure
Briggs & Stratton - budget pick, but doing all the work as generac w/o difference to be honest
Kohler - is the quietest one and got good corrosion resistance purposes

Stay charged!
thumbsup2.gif
 
Originally Posted by Astro_Guy
Originally Posted by spasm3
Power is out here due to the ice, freezing rain. On the small generator now. Its doing fine. Glad i got a smaller one, as some times i can take a few days to get it back on.
Sorry to hear that your power is out. Could you share some real world fuel consumption data if it stays out for a while?

I lost power last week for a total of 24 hours . My house is 100% electric , geo thermal . when choosing a generator i decided on a gasoline unit , Generac 17,500 kilowatts . it went through 1 gallon a hour . Last summer when i had my transfer switches put in i had them wire the heating system on one switch and rest of house on second switch .
Reason i went with gas is natural gas is not available and i did not want a propane tank in my yard ,rental charge , minimal yearly charge , etc etc . its not cheap to run but in reality how often will it run , maybe 3 days a year ?
 
We had some freezing rain, so the power is out. I have the 4375 running.
I had a plastic top table out in the drive I was using, it makes a decent rain cover.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210213_082637500.jpg
    IMG_20210213_082637500.jpg
    139.1 KB · Views: 17
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

spasm3
Curved Or Straight Edger Attachment?
Replies
13
Views
1K
ARB1977
redhat
Neighbor gave me a generator!
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
redhat
M
Low/Mid SAPS oil for propane generator?
Replies
16
Views
782
4WD
garageman402
Generator Carb Problems
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
The_Eric
C
Very odd. a 5 gallon cost more than a the same in 2 gallon tubs
Replies
9
Views
396
cptbarkey
Back
Top