Ok, figured I would asked the bbc experts, how big of a generator would I need to run the fridge and a few small heaters? Wife wants one before this snow storm, so I’m off to lowes in the morning.. thanks
Ok, figured I would asked the bbc experts, how big of a generator would I need to run the fridge and a few small heaters? Wife wants one before this snow storm, so I’m off to lowes in the morning.. thanks
just get the biggest portable they have..
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Be careful how you hook it up to any wiring.
5000W continuous running should be more than enough
Add the wattage ratings of your small heaters, 250 watts for the refrigerator, and any other devices you expect to connect to the generator. That should be the minimum continuous wattage rating for the generator. Any extension cords to the heaters should be 12 gauge and as short as possible. The generator should never be connected to house wiring, unless connected through a transfer switch. Otherwise, the generator power can back feed through the power service and electrocute a lineman.
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is your location correct?
They have 1 of these in Steubenville. Generac is a good generator.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Generac-GP-...tor/5002996757
"Being a winner is more than getting a first place trophy, it is acting like the effort was an honor and the trophy is just a decoration."
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him"
Make sure you don't back feed the lines you could kill a lineman if you intend to hook into the panel.
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A heater uses 1500W. Three of those and the refrigerator you’d think you’d need 5000-5500 running watts, so 6000-6500W label power. You’d be wrong though
It gets a little complicated with the way they are wired. For example, a popular 6500W surge 5500W run generator is setup so you can choose to run it as 120/240 for maximum output. But the power is evenly divided between the legs, so each circuit has 23A. A 1500W heater draws 12.5A, so you can only run one heater on each leg. Even though the generator can supply more than enough power to run three heaters at the same time, you can’t configure it to do that because of the way the power is divided. To run two heaters on a leg, you’d want a generator that could supply 26A on a leg, which is going to be 6250W running load. Because of the way generators are typically sized, you’ll probably need to jump to a 9000W generator to be able to run 3 heaters that use a total of 4500W. Confusing when you aren’t used to it.
If you run that much stuff, you’ll be using about 20-24 gallons of gas a day, which can be a problem if gas stations are without power.
Don’t forget the special cord for the 4-pin outlet on the generator and heavy extension cords to run into the house.
The Predator 9000 from Harbor Freight is tough to beat for the price.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
nothing else matters.
The small heaters draw a lot of power. Whatever you do get an inverter generator. They are so quiet you can actually have a conversation while they run.
Costco, Sam's, Harbor Freight, Lowe's and Home Depot all sell good ones. Keep in mind once you fire it up no one will take it back some stores won't take it back if the box is opened. get a bunch of extension cords.
We had a transmission line damage and knock o it power for the area ten years ago. I still remember Lowe’s having a whole aisle of used generators that folks returned. They bought them used them and returned them treating it like a free rental service. People are dickheads.Originally Posted by ChampioNman
If you hook it to your house wiring make sure you you turn the main breaker off before you bring it online. The best is to have an automatic transfer switch that protects against back feeding to the power line. I have my generator in my detached garage and back feed through my 220 welder outlet. I have a 6500W generator that handles everything I need for short (up to a week) power outages.
I run a refer and furnace and one circuit on a 2400 with no issues .I like one thats small enough to pick up and runs 8 hours on a gallon.
I turn all breakers and main off and back feed one circuit.
Might consider buying one that can also use propane as fuel source. My generator runs on propane or gas.
I'll also vouch for the Predator at HF. And mine runs for 8+ hours on a 5 gal tank with a heavy load. We use it as a whole house backup
Azure AZ200 (with stuff like cupholders, bathroom and table)
I have an 8750 watt with electric start and it does does a good job powering 2 deep freezers 1 refrigerator and a few more things during power outages.
Bill Perry
Zwolle, LA (Toledo Bend)
bpicinc_2000@yahoo.com
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Honda 5000 or 6500
It’s handy, especially if you already have a propane tank, but you need to account for the lower output power when sizing the generator. 10-15% less power on propane.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
nothing else matters.
Good info on this site. Thanks for sharing.
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